A contribution to the identification of promising technologies for SwissEnergy R and D policy in 2050

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buerer, M. [E4tech Switzerland, Lausanne (Switzerland); Cremer, C. [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Centre for Energy Policy and Economics (CEPE), Zuerich (Switzerland)

2006-07-01

This comprehensive final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at the conclusions of a study-project on promising energy technologies that could make a contribution to Swiss energy supply in the future. A review of literature on the subject is presented and the methodology used for the identification of the promising technologies is described. Four future possibilities of combining low or high levels of decentralisation of power generation with a low or high degree of fossil fuel utilisation are presented and discussed. The opinions for industry and the Swiss economy on the subject are looked at, as is research currently being carried out. Also, the so-called '2000-Watt Society' is briefly looked at. European aspects are discussed. Finally, exemplary prioritisation for the four options mentioned above along with the case of nothing being done at all are discussed.

Identifying Predictors of Taxane-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Using Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics Technology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily I Chen

Full Text Available Major advances in early detection and therapy have significantly increased the survival of breast cancer patients. Unfortunately, most cancer therapies are known to carry a substantial risk of adverse long-term treatment-related effects. Little is known about patient susceptibility to severe side effects after chemotherapy. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN is a common side effect of taxanes. Recent advances in genome-wide genotyping and sequencing technologies have supported the discoveries of a number of pharmacogenetic markers that predict response to chemotherapy. However, effectively implementing these pharmacogenetic markers in the clinic remains a major challenge. On the other hand, recent advances in proteomic technologies incorporating mass spectrometry (MS for biomarker discovery show great promise to provide clinically relevant protein biomarkers. In this study, we evaluated the association between protein content in serum exosomes and severity of CIPN. Women with early stage breast cancer receiving adjuvant taxane chemotherapy were assessed with the FACT-Ntx score and serum was collected before and after the taxane treatment. Based on the change in FACT-Ntx score from baseline to 12 month follow-up, we separated patients into two groups: those who had no change (Group 1, N = 9 and those who had a ≥20% worsening (Group 1, N = 8. MS-based proteomics technology was used to identify proteins present in serum exosomes to determine potential biomarkers. Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon analysis was applied and maximum FDR was controlled at 20%. From the serum exosomes derived from this cohort, we identified over 700 proteins known to be in different subcellular locations and have different functions. Statistical analysis revealed a 12-protein signature that resulted in a distinct separation between baseline serum samples of both groups (q<0.2 suggesting that the baseline samples can predict subsequent neurotoxicity. These toxicity

A Study of Scientometric Methods to Identify Emerging Technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abercrombie, Robert K [ORNL; Udoeyop, Akaninyene W [ORNL

2011-01-01

This work examines a scientometric model that tracks the emergence of an identified technology from initial discovery (via original scientific and conference literature), through critical discoveries (via original scientific, conference literature and patents), transitioning through Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and ultimately on to commercial application. During the period of innovation and technology transfer, the impact of scholarly works, patents and on-line web news sources are identified. As trends develop, currency of citations, collaboration indicators, and on-line news patterns are identified. The combinations of four distinct and separate searchable on-line networked sources (i.e., scholarly publications and citation, worldwide patents, news archives, and on-line mapping networks) are assembled to become one collective network (a dataset for analysis of relations). This established network becomes the basis from which to quickly analyze the temporal flow of activity (searchable events) for the example subject domain we investigated.

The path to fulfilling the promise

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barrett, J. [Canadian Nuclear Association, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

2014-07-01

'Full text:'Countries work together to develop effective governance and regulation. Canada has made big investments in these areas and it carries a premium for us. The rapid build-out of nuclear technology around the Pacific Rim holds vast promise for our populations in better climate, better air, affordable and reliable electricity, and longer lives. The biggest risk is not another accident: rather, it is the risk of failing to fulfill that promise to our people. Every country that wants the benefits of nuclear must also want to be sure that those benefits are realized and sustained by good governance and regulation. Canada has the people, laws, organizations, public institutions, and relationships that can help our partners fulfill the whole and lasting promise of nuclear technology. (author)

The promises of educational technology: a reassessment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ely, Donald P.; Plomp, T.

1986-01-01

The claims made for educational technology have not always been realized. Many programmes in education based on media and technology have produced useful documentation and supportive research; others have failed. The current, comprehensive definition of educational technology is a helpful key to

Technology's Potential, Promise for Enhancing Student Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Golden, Michael

2004-01-01

Technology is a tool that has the potential to empower educational leaders at all levels--whether they are superintendents, principals, teachers, board members or state officials--as well as to redefine what education means in the 21st century. Technology provides more accurate information and advanced communication capabilities. Technology can be…

Awareness of technology-induced errors and processes for identifying and preventing such errors.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellwood, Paule; Borycki, Elizabeth M; Kushniruk, Andre W

2015-01-01

There is a need to determine if organizations working with health information technology are aware of technology-induced errors and how they are addressing and preventing them. The purpose of this study was to: a) determine the degree of technology-induced error awareness in various Canadian healthcare organizations, and b) identify those processes and procedures that are currently in place to help address, manage, and prevent technology-induced errors. We identified a lack of technology-induced error awareness among participants. Participants identified there was a lack of well-defined procedures in place for reporting technology-induced errors, addressing them when they arise, and preventing them.

Physical Activity in an Underserved Population: Identifying Technology Preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Medairos, Robert; Kang, Vicky; Aboubakare, Carissa; Kramer, Matthew; Dugan, Sheila Ann

2017-01-01

This study aims to identify patterns of use and preferences related to technology platforms that could support physical activity (PA) programs in an underserved population. A 29-item questionnaire was administered at 5 health and wellness sites targeting low income communities in Chicago. Frequency tables were generated for Internet, cell phone, and social media use and preferences. Chi-squared analysis was used to evaluate differences across age and income groups. A total of 291 individuals participated and were predominantly female (69.0%). Majority reported incomes less than $30,000 (72.9%) and identified as African American/Black/Caribbean (49.3%) or Mexican/Mexican American (34.3%). Most participants regularly used smartphones (63.2%) and the Internet (75.9%). Respondents frequently used Facebook (84.8%), and less commonly used Instagram (43.6%), and Twitter (20.0%). Free Internet-based exercise programs were the most preferred method to increase PA levels (31.6%), while some respondents (21.0%) thought none of the surveyed technology applications would help. Cell phone, Internet, and social media use is common among the surveyed underserved population. Technology preferences to increase PA levels varied, with a considerable number of respondents not preferring the surveyed technology platforms. Creating educational opportunities to increase awareness may maximize the effectiveness of technology-based PA interventions.

Identifying technology innovations for marginalized smallholders-A conceptual approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Malek, Mohammad Abdul; Gatzweiler, Franz W; Von Braun, Joachim

2017-05-01

This paper adds a contribution in the existing literature in terms of theoretical and conceptual background for the identification of idle potentials of marginal rural areas and people by means of technological and institutional innovations. The approach follows ex-ante assessment for identifying suitable technology and institutional innovations for marginalized smallholders in marginal areas-divided into three main parts (mapping, surveying and evaluating) and several steps. Finally, it contributes to the inclusion of marginalized smallholders by an improved way of understanding the interactions between technology needs, farming systems, ecological resources and poverty characteristics in the different segments of the poor, and to link these insights with productivity enhancing technologies.

Looking Back and Looking Forward: Reprising the Promise and Predicting the Future of Formation Flying and Spaceborne GPS Navigation Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Frank H.; Dennehy, Neil

2015-01-01

A retrospective consideration of two 15-year old Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) technology 'vision' predictions will be the focus of this paper. A look back analysis and critique of these late 1990s technology roadmaps out-lining the future vision, for two then nascent, but rapidly emerging, GN&C technologies will be performed. Specifically, these two GN&C technologies were: 1) multi-spacecraft formation flying and 2) the spaceborne use and exploitation of global positioning system (GPS) signals to enable formation flying. This paper reprises the promise of formation flying and spaceborne GPS as depicted in the cited 1999 and 1998 papers. It will discuss what happened to cause that promise to be mostly unfulfilled and the reasons why the envisioned formation flying dream has yet to become a reality. The recent technology trends over the past few years will then be identified and a renewed government interest in spacecraft formation flying/cluster flight will be highlighted. The authors will conclude with a reality-tempered perspective, 15 years after the initial technology roadmaps were published, predicting a promising future of spacecraft formation flying technology development over the next decade.

The Use of Technology in Identifying Hospital Malnutrition: Scoping Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Trtovac, Dino; Lee, Joon

2018-01-19

Malnutrition is a condition most commonly arising from the inadequate consumption of nutrients necessary to maintain physiological health and is associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and sarcopenia. Malnutrition occurring in the hospital setting is caused by insufficient monitoring, identification, and assessment efforts. Furthermore, the ability of health care workers to identify and recognize malnourished patients is suboptimal. Therefore, interventions focusing on the identification and treatment of malnutrition are valuable, as they reduce the risks and rates of malnutrition within hospitals. Technology may be a particularly useful ally in identifying malnutrition due to scalability, timeliness, and effectiveness. In an effort to explore the issue, this scoping review synthesized the availability of technological tools to detect and identify hospital malnutrition. Our objective was to conduct a scoping review of the different forms of technology used in addressing malnutrition among adults admitted to hospital to (1) identify the extent of the published literature on this topic, (2) describe key findings, and (3) identify outcomes. We designed and implemented a search strategy in 3 databases (PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL). We completed a descriptive numerical summary and analyzed study characteristics. One reviewer independently extracted data from the databases. We retrieved and reviewed a total of 21 articles. We categorized articles by the computerized tool or app type: malnutrition assessment (n=15), food intake monitoring (n=5), or both (n=1). Within those categories, we subcategorized the different technologies as either hardware (n=4), software (n=13), or both (n=4). An additional subcategory under software was cloud-based apps (n=1). Malnutrition in the acute hospital setting was largely an unrecognized problem, owing to insufficient monitoring, identification, and initial assessments of identifying both patients who are

Resourcefulness training intervention: a promising approach to improve mental health of mothers with technology-dependent children.

Science.gov (United States)

Toly, Valerie Boebel; Musil, Carol M; Zauszniewski, Jaclene A

2014-02-01

The population of children dependent on medical technology such as mechanical ventilation, feeding tubes, and supplemental oxygen continues to grow in the United States. These children are frequently cared for by their mothers at home following hospital discharge. Research indicates that these mothers are at high risk for negative mental health outcomes that affect both caregiver and care recipient. The purpose of this randomized controlled pilot trial was to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of resourcefulness training (RT), a cognitive-behavioral intervention, among mothers of technology-dependent children. RT was found to be a feasible and acceptable intervention with this population during the 6 week study. The effect size in this pilot study demonstrates initial efficacy and indicates areas for strengthening the intervention protocol. RT is a promising intervention that can be employed by pediatric nurses to assist mothers in the home management of technology-dependent children. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Commercialization of IGCC technology looks promising

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.J.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that a major focus of the latest round of the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Coal Technology Program was three large-scale, high-efficiency electricity generating projects which will rely on coal gasification rather than burning the coal directly. The three projects are: Toms Creek integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) demonstration project. The aim of the project is to demonstrate improved coal-to-power efficiencies in an integrated gasification combined-cycle process. According to the DOE, the Toms Creek project will show that significant reductions in SO 2 and NO x emissions can be accomplished through the use of IGCC technology. On completion of the project, 107 MW of electric capacity will be added to the grid. Pinon Pine IGCC power project. The project's aim is to demonstrate that IGCC plants can be constructed at significantly lower capital costs, and with higher thermal efficiencies, than conventional power generation technologies. It will also demonstrate the effectiveness of hot gas cleanup for low-sulfur western coals. Wasbash River coal gasification repowering project

A Systematic Approach to Identify Promising New Items for Small to Medium Enterprises: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukjae Jeong

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Despite the growing importance of identifying new business items for small and medium enterprises (SMEs, most previous studies focus on conglomerates. The paucity of empirical studies has also led to limited real-life applications. Hence, this study proposes a systematic approach to find new business items (NBIs that help the prospective SMEs develop, evaluate, and select viable business items to survive the competitive environment. The proposed approach comprises two stages: (1 the classification of diversification of SMEs; and (2 the searching and screening of business items. In the first stage, SMEs are allocated to five groups, based on their internal technological competency and external market conditions. In the second stage, based on the types of SMEs identified in the first stage, a set of alternative business items is derived by combining the results of portfolio analysis and benchmarking analysis. After deriving new business items, a market and technology-driven matrix analysis is utilized to screen suitable business items, and the Bruce Merrifield-Ohe (BMO method is used to categorize and identify prospective items based on market attractiveness and internal capability. To illustrate the applicability of the proposed approach, a case study is presented.

Fulfilling a Promise: Standards for Technological Literacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bybee, Rodger W.

2003-01-01

Discusses the place of standards in U.S. education, the development of the Standards for Technological Literacy, and the recent publication of "Advancing Excellence in Technological Literacy: Student Assessment, Professional Development, and Program Standards." (Contains 21 references.) (SK)

Childhood executive function inventory (CHEXI): a promising measure for identifying young children with ADHD?

Science.gov (United States)

Thorell, Lisa B; Eninger, Lilianne; Brocki, Karin C; Bohlin, Gunilla

2010-01-01

The present study investigated whether the Childhood Executive Function Inventory (CHEXI) can discriminate between young children fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and normally developing children. Unlike other executive function rating instruments, the CHEXI focuses specifically on inhibitory control and working memory, without including items that overlap with the diagnostic criteria of ADHD. The CHEXI was found to discriminate very well between children fulfilling the criteria for ADHD and normally developing children, also when controlling for the effect of IQ and socioeconomic status (SES). Both sensitivity and specificity of the two CHEXI subscales were shown to be high using either parent or teacher ratings. The highest overall classification rate was found for parent ratings on the inhibition subscale, with sensitivity and specificity reaching 93.3. To summarize, the CHEXI should be considered a promising measure for identifying young children with ADHD, although it is for future research to determine whether the CHEXI can be successfully used to also discriminate between different psychopathological groups.

Melter Technologies Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez, J.M. Jr. [Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (United States); Schumacher, R.F. [Savannah River Technology Center, Aiken, SC (United States); Forsberg, C.W. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1996-05-01

The problem of controlling and disposing of surplus fissile material, in particular plutonium, is being addressed by the US Department of Energy (DOE). Immobilization of plutonium by vitrification has been identified as a promising solution. The Melter Evaluation Activity of DOE`s Plutonium Immobilization Task is responsible for evaluating and selecting the preferred melter technologies for vitrification for each of three immobilization options: Greenfield Facility, Adjunct Melter Facility, and Can-In-Canister. A significant number of melter technologies are available for evaluation as a result of vitrification research and development throughout the international communities for over 20 years. This paper describes an evaluation process which will establish the specific requirements of performance against which candidate melter technologies can be carefully evaluated. Melter technologies that have been identified are also described.

Three-dimensional imaging technology offers promise in medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Karako, Kenji; Wu, Qiong; Gao, Jianjun

2014-04-01

Medical imaging plays an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Currently, medical equipment mainly has two-dimensional (2D) imaging systems. Although this conventional imaging largely satisfies clinical requirements, it cannot depict pathologic changes in 3 dimensions. The development of three-dimensional (3D) imaging technology has encouraged advances in medical imaging. Three-dimensional imaging technology offers doctors much more information on a pathology than 2D imaging, thus significantly improving diagnostic capability and the quality of treatment. Moreover, the combination of 3D imaging with augmented reality significantly improves surgical navigation process. The advantages of 3D imaging technology have made it an important component of technological progress in the field of medical imaging.

Survey of Promising Technologies for 5G Networks

OpenAIRE

Le, Nam Tuan; Hossain, Mohammad Arif; Islam, Amirul; Kim, Do-yun; Choi, Young-June; Jang, Yeong Min

2016-01-01

As an enhancement of cellular networks, the future-generation 5G network can be considered an ultra-high-speed technology. The proposed 5G network might include all types of advanced dominant technologies to provide remarkable services. Consequently, new architectures and service management schemes for different applications of the emerging technologies need to be recommended to solve issues related to data traffic capacity, high data rate, and reliability for ensuring QoS. Cloud computing, I...

[Absorbable coronary stents. New promising technology].

Science.gov (United States)

Erbel, Raimund; Böse, Dirk; Haude, Michael; Kordish, Igor; Churzidze, Sofia; Malyar, Nasser; Konorza, Thomas; Sack, Stefan

2007-06-01

Coronary stent implantation started in Germany 20 years ago. In the beginning, the progress was very slow and accelerated 10 years later. Meanwhile, coronary stent implantation is a standard procedure in interventional cardiology. From the beginning of permanent stent implantation, research started to provide temporary stenting of coronary arteries, first with catheter-based systems, later with stent-alone technology. Stents were produced from polymers or metal. The first polymer stent implantation failed except the Igaki-Tamai stent in Japan. Newly developed absorbable polymer stents seem to be very promising, as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography have demonstrated. Temporary metal stents were developed based on iron and magnesium. Currently, the iron stent is tested in peripheral arteries. The absorbable magnesium stent (Biotronik, Berlin, Germany) was tested in peripheral arteries below the knee and meanwhile in the multicenter international PROGRESS-AMS (Clinical Performance and Angiographic Results of Coronary Stenting with Absorbable Metal Stents) study. The first magnesium stent implantation was performed on July 30, 2004 after extended experimental testing in Essen. The magnesium stent behaved like a bare-metal stent with low recoil of 5-7%. The stent struts were absorbed when tested with IVUS. Stent struts were not visible by fluoroscopy or computed tomography (CT) as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). That means, that the magnesium stent is invisible and therefore CT and MRI can be used for imaging of interventions. Only using micro-CT the stent struts were visible. The absorption process could be demonstrated in a patient 18 days after implantation due to suspected acute coronary syndrome, which was excluded. IVUS showed a nice open lumen. Stent struts were no longer visible, but replaced by tissue indicating the previous stent location. Coronary angiography after 4 months showed an ischemia-driven target lesion

Stem Cell Technology in Cardiac Regeneration: A Pluripotent Stem Cell Promise.

Science.gov (United States)

Duelen, Robin; Sampaolesi, Maurilio

2017-02-01

Despite advances in cardiovascular biology and medical therapy, heart disorders are the leading cause of death worldwide. Cell-based regenerative therapies become a promising treatment for patients affected by heart failure, but also underline the need for reproducible results in preclinical and clinical studies for safety and efficacy. Enthusiasm has been tempered by poor engraftment, survival and differentiation of the injected adult stem cells. The crucial challenge is identification and selection of the most suitable stem cell type for cardiac regenerative medicine. Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have emerged as attractive cell source to obtain cardiomyocytes (CMs), with potential applications, including drug discovery and toxicity screening, disease modelling and innovative cell therapies. Lessons from embryology offered important insights into the development of stem cell-derived CMs. However, the generation of a CM population, uniform in cardiac subtype, adult maturation and functional properties, is highly recommended. Moreover, hurdles regarding tumorigenesis, graft cell death, immune rejection and arrhythmogenesis need to be overcome in clinical practice. Here we highlight the recent progression in PSC technologies for the regeneration of injured heart. We review novel strategies that might overcome current obstacles in heart regenerative medicine, aiming at improving cell survival and functional integration after cell transplantation. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Stem Cell Technology in Cardiac Regeneration: A Pluripotent Stem Cell Promise

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robin Duelen

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Despite advances in cardiovascular biology and medical therapy, heart disorders are the leading cause of death worldwide. Cell-based regenerative therapies become a promising treatment for patients affected by heart failure, but also underline the need for reproducible results in preclinical and clinical studies for safety and efficacy. Enthusiasm has been tempered by poor engraftment, survival and differentiation of the injected adult stem cells. The crucial challenge is identification and selection of the most suitable stem cell type for cardiac regenerative medicine. Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs have emerged as attractive cell source to obtain cardiomyocytes (CMs, with potential applications, including drug discovery and toxicity screening, disease modelling and innovative cell therapies. Lessons from embryology offered important insights into the development of stem cell-derived CMs. However, the generation of a CM population, uniform in cardiac subtype, adult maturation and functional properties, is highly recommended. Moreover, hurdles regarding tumorigenesis, graft cell death, immune rejection and arrhythmogenesis need to be overcome in clinical practice. Here we highlight the recent progression in PSC technologies for the regeneration of injured heart. We review novel strategies that might overcome current obstacles in heart regenerative medicine, aiming at improving cell survival and functional integration after cell transplantation.

Using hyperspectral imaging technology to identify diseased tomato leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Cuiling; Wang, Xiu; Zhao, Xueguan; Meng, Zhijun; Zou, Wei

2016-11-01

In the process of tomato plants growth, due to the effect of plants genetic factors, poor environment factors, or disoperation of parasites, there will generate a series of unusual symptoms on tomato plants from physiology, organization structure and external form, as a result, they cannot grow normally, and further to influence the tomato yield and economic benefits. Hyperspectral image usually has high spectral resolution, not only contains spectral information, but also contains the image information, so this study adopted hyperspectral imaging technology to identify diseased tomato leaves, and developed a simple hyperspectral imaging system, including a halogen lamp light source unit, a hyperspectral image acquisition unit and a data processing unit. Spectrometer detection wavelength ranged from 400nm to 1000nm. After hyperspectral images of tomato leaves being captured, it was needed to calibrate hyperspectral images. This research used spectrum angle matching method and spectral red edge parameters discriminant method respectively to identify diseased tomato leaves. Using spectral red edge parameters discriminant method produced higher recognition accuracy, the accuracy was higher than 90%. Research results have shown that using hyperspectral imaging technology to identify diseased tomato leaves is feasible, and provides the discriminant basis for subsequent disease control of tomato plants.

The Promise of Technology. Proceedings of the Annual Conference on Rehabilitation Engineering (6th, San Diego, California, June 12-16, 1983). Volume 3.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Bruce R., Ed.

These proceedings contain abstracts of 164 papers in the area of interdisciplinary rehabilitation research, focusing on the theme of "The Promise of Technology." The abstracts are organized into the following sections: "Home and Worksite Modification,""Computers and Microprocessor Systems,""Neuromuscular…

Visualizing Chemistry: The Progess and Promise of Advanced Chemical Imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Committee on Revealing Chemistry Through Advanced Chemical Imaging

2006-09-01

The field of chemical imaging can provide detailed structural, functional, and applicable information about chemistry and chemical engineering phenomena that have enormous impacts on medicine, materials, and technology. In recognizing the potential for more research development in the field of chemical imaging, the National Academies was asked by the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, U.S. Army, and National Cancer Institute to complete a study that would review the current state of molecular imaging technology, point to promising future developments and their applications, and suggest a research and educational agenda to enable breakthrough improvements in the ability to image molecular processes simultaneously in multiple physical dimensions as well as time. The study resulted in a consensus report that provides guidance for a focused research and development program in chemical imaging and identifies research needs and possible applications of imaging technologies that can provide the breakthrough knowledge in chemistry, materials science, biology, and engineering for which we should strive. Public release of this report is expected in early October.

Identifying key performance indicators in food technology contract R&D

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Flipse, S.M.; Sanden, van der M.C.A.; Velden, van der T.; Fortuin, F.T.J.M.; Omta, S.W.F.; Osseweijer, P.

2013-01-01

Innovating companies increasingly rely on outsourcing to Contract Research Organisations (CROs) for their Research and Development (R&D), which are largely understudied. This paper presents the outcome of a case study in the field of food technology contract research, identifying context

Fuelling expectations: A policy-promise lock-in of UK biofuel policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berti, Pietro; Levidow, Les

2014-01-01

Controversy over EU-wide biofuel policy resonated within the UK, fuelling policy disagreements among UK public authorities. They disagreed over how to protect a space for future second-generation biofuels, which were expected to overcome harm from first-generation biofuels. The UK government defended rising targets for available biofuels as a necessary stimulus for industry to help fulfil the UK's EU obligations and eventually develop second-generation biofuels. By contrast, Parliamentary Select Committees opposed biofuel targets on grounds that these would instead lock-in first-generation biofuels, thus delaying or pre-empting second-generation biofuels. Those disagreements can be explained by different institutional responsibilities and reputational stakes towards ‘promise-requirement cycles’, whereby techno-optimistic promises generate future requirements for the actors involved. The UK government's stance illustrates a ‘policy-promise lock-in’, a dilemma whereby promised support is a requirement for credibility towards technology innovators and thus technoscientific development – but may delay the redirection of support from incumbent to preferable emerging technologies. Thus the sociology of expectations – previously applied to technological expectations from technology innovators – can be extended to analyse public authorities. - Highlights: • Controversy over EU-wide biofuel policy resonated within the UK. • At issue was how to stimulate future 2nd-generation biofuels. • The government defended targets for 1st-generation as necessary to stimulate industry. • Parliamentary Committees opposed biofuel targets as locking in 1st-generation. • The UK government′s stance illustrates a ‘policy-promise lock-in’

A Study of Scientometric Methods to Identify Emerging Technologies via Modeling of Milestones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abercrombie, Robert K [ORNL; Udoeyop, Akaninyene W [ORNL; Schlicher, Bob G [ORNL

2012-01-01

This work examines a scientometric model that tracks the emergence of an identified technology from initial discovery (via original scientific and conference literature), through critical discoveries (via original scientific, conference literature and patents), transitioning through Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and ultimately on to commercial application. During the period of innovation and technology transfer, the impact of scholarly works, patents and on-line web news sources are identified. As trends develop, currency of citations, collaboration indicators, and on-line news patterns are identified. The combinations of four distinct and separate searchable on-line networked sources (i.e., scholarly publications and citation, patents, news archives, and online mapping networks) are assembled to become one collective network (a dataset for analysis of relations). This established network becomes the basis from which to quickly analyze the temporal flow of activity (searchable events) for the example subject domain we investigated.

Liposomal solubilization of new 3-hydroxy-quinolinone derivatives with promising anticancer activity: a screening method to identify maximum incorporation capacity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Di Cagno, Massimiliano; Styskala, Jakub; Hlaváč, Jan

2011-01-01

Four new 3-hydroxy-quinolinone derivatives with promising anticancer activity could be solubilized using liposomes as vehicle to an extent that allows their in vitro and in vivo testing without use of toxic solvent(s). A screening method to identify the maximum incorporation capacity of hydrophobic......, resulting in a 200-500-fold increase in apparent solubility. Drug-to-lipid ratios in the range of 2-5 µg/mg were obtained. Interestingly, the four quinolinone derivatives have shown different association tendencies with liposomes, probably due to the physicochemical properties of the different group bonded...

eHealth Applications Promising Strategies for Behavior Change

CERN Document Server

Noar, Seth M

2012-01-01

eHealth Applications: Promising Strategies for Behavior Change provides an overview of technological applications in contemporary health communication research, exploring the history and current uses of eHealth applications in disease prevention and management. This volume focuses on the use of these technology-based interventions for public health promotion and explores the rapid growth of an innovative interdisciplinary field. The chapters in this work discuss key eHealth applications by presenting research examining a variety of technology-based applications. Authors Seth M. Noar and Nancy

Identifying Disruptive Technologies in Design: Horizon Scanning in the Early Stages of Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ernstsen, Sidsel Katrine; Thuesen, Christian; Larsen, Laurids Rolighed

context to anticipate disruption of construction. By means of a 3-step horizon scan, we identify 133 potentially disruptive technologies from across industries. We find that when preparing for disruption, design may benefit from the future-oriented and technology-focused features of horizon scanning....

Identifying and Researching Market Opportunities for New High Technology Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunstan, Peter

Using a product called the synchro-pulse welder as a case study example, this paper discusses the activities of CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) in identifying and marketing new high-technology products. A general discussion of CSIRO's market research plans includes two goals to be attained within the next 5…

The E-Book: Technological Promise for Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Galbreath, Jeremy

2001-01-01

Explores the concept of electronic books and how they fit in with educational technology. Topics include new portable devices that store multiple electronic books; multimedia capabilities; the ability to connect with other electronic devices, including computer networks; and future possibilities that may depend on the acceptance of change. (LRW)

Identifying Ghanaian Pre-Service Teachers' Readiness for Computer Use: A Technology Acceptance Model Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Gyamfi, Stephen Adu

2016-01-01

This study extends the technology acceptance model to identify factors that influence technology acceptance among pre-service teachers in Ghana. Data from 380 usable questionnaires were tested against the research model. Utilising the extended technology acceptance model (TAM) as a research framework, the study found that: pre-service teachers'…

Identifying Disruptive Technologies in Design: Horizon Scanning in the Early Stages of Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ernstsen, Sidsel Katrine; Thuesen, Christian; Larsen, Laurids Rolighed

Technology development is accelerating, driving disruption. Design is seen as key differentiator in creating innovative offerings but few design methods consider future technologies explicitly. In this article, we explore how a foresight method, namely horizon scanning, may be applied in a design...... context to anticipate disruption of construction. By means of a 3-step horizon scan, we identify 133 potentially disruptive technologies from across industries. We find that when preparing for disruption, design may benefit from the future-oriented and technology-focused features of horizon scanning....

New and emerging technologies for the diagnosis and monitoring of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A horizon scanning review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dixon, Louise C; Ward, Derek J; Smith, Joanna; Holmes, Steve; Mahadeva, Ravi

2016-03-11

There is a need for straightforward, novel diagnostic and monitoring technologies to enable the early diagnosis of COPD and its differentiation from other respiratory diseases, to establish the cause of acute exacerbations and to monitor disease progression. We sought to establish whether technologies already in development could potentially address these needs. A systematic horizon scanning review was undertaken to identify technologies in development from a wide range of commercial and non-commercial sources. Technologies were restricted to those likely to be available within 18 months, and then evaluated for degree of innovation, potential for impact, acceptability to users and likelihood of adoption by clinicians and patients with COPD. Eighty technologies were identified, of which 25 were considered particularly promising. Biomarker tests, particularly those using sputum or saliva samples and/or available at the point of care, were positively evaluated, with many offering novel approaches to early diagnosis and to determining the cause for acute exacerbations. Several wrist-worn devices and smartphone-based spirometers offering the facility for self-monitoring and early detection of exacerbations were also considered promising. The most promising identified technologies have the potential to improve COPD care and patient outcomes. Further research and evaluation activities should be focused on these technologies. © The Author(s) 2016.

Considerations for Realizing the Promise of Educational Gaming Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Nancy J.; Fien, Hank; Doabler, Christian T.; Clarke, Ben

2016-01-01

Hope Elementary School recently purchased tablets for all of its students to facilitate the use of technology in the classroom. The principal at Hope Elementary understands that technology can be an efficient and effective way for teachers to access materials and differentiate instruction to support the achievement of all learners. However, some…

Immobilization needs and technology programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gray, L.W.; Kan, T.; Shaw, H.; Armantrout, G.

1995-01-01

In the aftermath of the Cold War, the US and Russia agreed to large reductions in nuclear weapons. To aid in the selection of long-term management options, DOE has undertaken a multifaceted study to select options for storage and disposition of plutonium in keeping with US policy that plutonium must be subjected to the highest standards of safety, security, and accountability. One alternative being considered is immobilization. To arrive at a suitable immobilization form, we first reviewed published information on high-level waste immobilization technologies and identified 72 possible plutonium immobilization forms to be prescreened. Surviving forms were further screened using multi-attribute utility analysis to determine the most promising technology families. Promising immobilization families were further evaluated to identify chemical, engineering, environmental, safety, and health problems that remain to be solved prior to making technical decisions as to the viability of using the form for long- term disposition of plutonium. From this evaluation, a detailed research and development plan has been developed to provide answers to these remaining questions

Developments in gaseous core reactor technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz, N.J.; Dugan, E.T.

1979-01-01

An effort to characterize the most promising concepts for large, central-station electrical generation was done under the auspices of the Nonproliferation Alternative Systems Assessment Program (NASAP). The two leading candidates were identified from this effort: The Mixed-Flow Gaseous Core Reactor (MFGCR) and the Heterogeneous Gas Core Reactor (HGCR). Key advantages over other nuclear concepts are weighed against the disadvantages of an unproven technology and the cost-time for deployment to make a sound decision on RandD support for these promising reactor alternatives. 38 refs

Actuator technology and market outlook: where does the actuator move

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksanin Sergei Andreevich

2013-11-01

There are made conclusions about the "migration" of demand from hydraulic and pneumatic solutions to electromechanical actuators in the aerospace and manufacturing industries. Identify advantages of electromechanics over more traditional actuators in terms of energy efficiency and reliability. Also identify the most promising areas of the drive technological development.

The promise of new ideas and new technology for improving teaching and learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, Joseph D

2003-01-01

There have been enormous advances in our understanding of human learning in the past three decades. There have also been important advances in our understanding of the nature of knowledge and new knowledge creation. These advances, when combined with the explosive development of the Internet and other technologies, permit advances in educational practices at least as important as the invention of the printing press in 1460. We have built on the cognitive learning theory of David Ausubel and various sources of new ideas on epistemology. Our research program has focused on understanding meaningful learning and on developing better methods to achieve such learning and to assess progress in meaningful learning. The concept map tool developed in our program has proved to be highly effective both in promoting meaningful learning and in assessing learning outcomes. Concept mapping strategies are also proving powerful for eliciting, capturing, and archiving knowledge of experts and organizations. New technology for creating concept maps developed at the University of West Florida permits easier and better concept map construction, thus facilitating learning, knowledge capture, and local or distance creation and sharing of structured knowledge, especially when utilized with the Internet. A huge gap exists between what we now know to improve learning and use of knowledge and the practices currently in place in most schools and corporations. There are promising projects in progress that may help to achieve accelerated advances. These include projects in schools at all educational levels, including projects in Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Spain, and the United States, and collaborative projects with corporate organizations and distance learning projects. Results to date have been encouraging and suggest that we may be moving from the lag phase of educational innovation to a phase of exponential growth.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Education: Big Promises-Bigger Challenges%Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Education:Big Promises-Bigger Challenges

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jonathan Michael Spector; Du Jing

2017-01-01

The history of educational technology in the last 50 years contains few instances of dramatic improvements in learning based on the adoption of a particular technology.An example involving artificial intelligence occurred in the 1990s with the development of intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs).What happened with ITSs was that their success was limited to well-defined and relatively simple declarative and procedural leaming tasks (e.g.,learning how to write a recursive function in LISP;doing multi-column addition),and improvements that were observed tended to be more limited than promised (e.g.,one standard deviation improvement at best rather than the promised standard deviation improvement).Still,there was some progress in terms of how to conceptualize learning.A seldom documented limitation was the notion of only viewing learning from only content and cognitive perspectives (i.e.,in terms of memory limitations,prior knowledge,bug libraries,learning hierarchies and sequences etc.).Little attention was paid to education conceived more broadly than developing specific cognitive skills with highly constrained problems.New technologies offer the potential to create dynamic and multi-dimensional models of a particular leamer,and to track large data sets of learning activities,resources,interventions,and outcomes over a great many leamers.Using those data to personalize learning for a particular leamer developing knowledge,competence and understanding in a specific domain of inquiry is finally a real possibility.While the potential to make significant progress is clearly possible,the reality is less not so promising.There are many as yet unmet challenging some of which will be mentioned in this paper.A persistent worry is that educational technologists and computer scientists will again promise too much,too soon at too little cost and with too little effort and attention to the realities in schools and universities.

Innovative new technologies to identify and treat traumatic brain injuries: crossover technologies and approaches between military and civilian applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Doarn, Charles R; McVeigh, Francis; Poropatich, Ronald

2010-04-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become the signature injury of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The use of improvised explosive devices has seen an exponential increase in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In previous conflicts prior to Iraq, survivability of such an injury was far less. Today, technological improvements in trauma care have increased an injured warfighter's chance of survival. A reduction in severe TBI has been achieved but an increase in mild or moderate TBI has been observed. The consequences of this kind of injury can be both physical and mental and can often be hidden or even misdiagnosed. The U.S. Army is interested in pursuing technological solutions for early detection and treatment of TBI to reduce its lasting impact on the warfighter. Such technological breakthroughs have benefit beyond the military, as TBI is a high probable event in nonmilitary settings as well. To gauge what technologies or methods are currently available, the U.S. Army's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center partnered with the American Telemedicine Association to organize and conduct a discipline-specific symposium entitled "Innovative New Technologies to Identify and Treat Traumatic Brain Injuries: Crossover Technologies and Approaches Between Military and Civilian Applications." This symposium was held in Palm Springs, CA, in September 2009. The purpose of the meeting was to provide a unique opportunity for leaders from disparate organizations involved in telemedicine and related other activities to meet and explore opportunities to collaborate in new partnership models. The meeting was designed to help Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center identify opportunities to expand strategic operations and form new alliances. This report summarizes this symposium while raising awareness for collaboration into better ways of adapting and adopting technologies to address this growing health issue.

The Scary Promise of Technology : Developing New Forms of Audience Research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dr. Joke Hermes

2012-01-01

Hoofdstuk 12 uit deel III: Uses of cultural technologies. The essays in this volume discuss both the culture of technology that we live in today, and culture as technology. Within the chapters of the book cultures of technology and cultural technologies are discussed, focussing on a variety of

Technological development and prospect of alkaline fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng Ni; Michael KH Leung; Dennis YC Leung

2006-01-01

This paper reviewed the technological development of alkaline fuel cell (AFC). Although the technology was popular in 1970's and 1980's, there has been a decline in AFC research over the past decade, mainly due to the poisoning of CO 2 . Continuous efforts have demonstrated that CO 2 concentration could be reduced to an acceptable level by a number of viable methods such as absorption, adsorption, electrochemical process, electrolyte circulation, use of liquid hydrogen, and use of solid anionic exchange membranes. Literature survey showed that AFC lifetime could achieve up to 5000 hours. In addition, the use of ammonia as a fuel for AFC was identified as a promising technology. Comparison between AFC and proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was presented to evaluate the AFC technology and its economics. The present review and assessment showed the promise of AFC for the coming hydrogen economy and sustainable development. (authors)

'Capture ready' regulation of fossil fuel power plants - Betting the UK's carbon emissions on promises of future technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markusson, Nils; Haszeldine, Stuart

2010-01-01

Climate change legislation requires emissions reductions, but the market shows interest in investing in new fossil fuelled power plants. The question is whether capture ready policy can reconcile these interests. The term 'capture ready' has been used a few years by the UK Government when granting licences for fossil fuelled power plants, but only recently has the meaning of the term been defined. The policy has been promoted as a step towards CCS and as an insurance against carbon lock-in. This paper draws on literature on technology lock-in and on regulation of technology undergoing development. Further, versions of the capture readiness concept proposed to date are compared. Capture readiness requirements beyond the minimum criterion of space on the site for capture operations are explored. This includes integration of capture and power plant, downstream operations, overall system integration and regulation of future retrofitting. Capture readiness comes with serious uncertainties and is no guarantee that new-built fossil plants will be abatable or abated in the future. As a regulatory strategy, it has been over-promised in the UK.

Biomass torrefaction: A promising pretreatment technology for biomass utilization

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, ZhiWen; Wang, Mingfeng; Ren, Yongzhi; Jiang, Enchen; Jiang, Yang; Li, Weizhen

2018-02-01

Torrefaction is an emerging technology also called mild pyrolysis, which has been explored for the pretreatment of biomass to make the biomass more favorable for further utilization. Dry torrefaction (DT) is a pretreatment of biomass in the absence of oxygen under atmospheric pressure and in a temperature range of 200-300 degrees C, while wet torrrefaction (WT) is a method in hydrothermal or hot and high pressure water at the tempertures within 180-260 degrees C. Torrrefied biomass is hydrophobic, with lower moisture contents, increased energy density and higher heating value, which are more comparable to the characteristics of coal. With the improvement in the properties, torrefied biomass mainly has three potential applications: combustion or co-firing, pelletization and gasification. Generally, the torrefaction technology can accelerate the development of biomass utilization technology and finally realize the maximum applications of biomass energy.

Short-Term and Long-Term Technology Needs/Matching Status at Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Claggett, S.L.

1999-01-01

This report identifies potential technology deployment opportunities for the Environmental Management (EM) programs at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The focus is on identifying candidates for Accelerated Site Technology Deployment (ASTD) proposals within the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management areas. The 86 technology needs on the Site Technology Coordination Group list were verified in the field. Six additional needs were found, and one listed need was no longer required. Potential technology matches were identified and then investigated for applicability, maturity, cost, and performance. Where promising, information on the technologies was provided to INEEL managers for evaluation. Eleven potential ASTD projected were identified, seven for near-term application and four for application within the next five years

Technology transfer of brain-computer interfaces as assistive technology: barriers and opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Nijboer, F

2015-02-01

This paper provides an analysis of perspectives from different stakeholders on the state-of-the-art of BCI. Three barriers for technology transfer of BCIs as access technologies are identified. First, BCIs are developed with a narrow focus on creating a reliable technology, while a broader focus on creating a usable technology is needed. Second, the potential target group, which could benefit from BCIs as access technologies is expected to be very small. Development costs are therefore high, while reimbursements are expected to be low, which challenges the commercial viability. Third, potential target users should be much more included in the design process of BCIs to ensure that the end-products meet technical, ethical, legal and social requirements. These three issues need to be urgently addressed so that target users may benefit from this promising technology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The Scary Promise of Technology: Developing New Forms of Audience Research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dr. Joke Hermes

2012-01-01

The essays in this volume discuss both the culture of technology that we live in today, and culture as technology. Within the chapters of the book cultures of technology and cultural technologies are discussed, focussing on a variety of examples, from varied national contexts. The book brings

Aerospace Technology Innovation. Volume 10

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Janelle (Editor); Cousins, Liz (Editor); Bennett, Evonne (Editor); Vendette, Joel (Editor); West, Kenyon (Editor)

2002-01-01

Whether finding new applications for existing NASA technologies or developing unique marketing strategies to demonstrate them, NASA's offices are committed to identifying unique partnering opportunities. Through their efforts NASA leverages resources through joint research and development, and gains new insight into the core areas relevant to all NASA field centers. One of the most satisfying aspects of my job comes when I learn of a mission-driven technology that can be spun-off to touch the lives of everyday people. NASA's New Partnerships in Medical Diagnostic Imaging is one such initiative. Not only does it promise to provide greater dividends for the country's investment in aerospace research, but also to enhance the American quality of life. This issue of Innovation highlights the new NASA-sponsored initiative in medical imaging. Early in 2001, NASA announced the launch of the New Partnerships in Medical Diagnostic Imaging initiative to promote the partnership and commercialization of NASA technologies in the medical imaging industry. NASA and the medical imaging industry share a number of crosscutting technologies in areas such as high-performance detectors and image-processing tools. Many of the opportunities for joint development and technology transfer to the medical imaging market also hold the promise for future spin back to NASA.

76 FR 10360 - Access to Confidential Business Information by Guident Technologies Inc. and Its Identified...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-24

... Business Information by Guident Technologies Inc. and Its Identified Subcontractors AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: EPA has authorized its contractor, Guident Technologies... information may be claimed or determined to be Confidential Business Information (CBI). DATES: Access to the...

Development of site remediation technologies in European countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunno, T.J.; Hyman, J.A.; Pheiffer, T.

1988-01-01

Site remediation is a pressing issue in European countries due to limited availability of land. Therefore, much progress is being made in the development of effective technologies for remediating contaminated sites. The purpose of this program was to investigate the most successful and innovative technologies for potential application into US markets. This EPA-sponsored project was based on a 9-month research effort which identified 95 innovative technologies in use or being researched in foreign countries. The most promising technologies were studied in-depth through personal interviews with the engineers who research and apply these technologies, and tours of laboratory models and full-scale installations. The most successful full-scale technologies investigated were developed in Holland, West Germany and Belgium. These technologies include vacuum extraction of hydrocarbons from soil, in situ washing of cadmium-polluted soil, rotating biocontractors for treating pesticides in ground water, high-temperature slagging incineration of low-level radioactive wastes, in situ steam stripping, and a number of landfarming and soil washing operations. The paper provides description of 13 site remediation techniques that have shown such promise in laboratory studies or in practice to warrant consideration of their use in the US

Solutions for Failing High Schools: Converging Visions and Promising Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Legters, Nettie; Balfanz, Robert; McPartland, James

Promising solutions to the failings of traditional comprehensive high schools were reviewed to identify basic principles and strategies for improving high schools nationwide. Selected research studies, policy documents, and promising high school programs were reviewed. The review revealed the following principles for helping high schools better…

Technology, Gender, and Power in Africa | IDRC - International ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Part III identifies issues and inter-relations that have not been addressed in previous research and suggests promising ways to frame future research on women and technology in Africa. The social, economic,and technical empowerment of women at the community level is seen as vital to effective development efforts.

Y-12 Plant decontamination and decommissioning technology logic diagram for Building 9201-4. Volume 2: Technology logic diagram

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-09-01

The Y-12 Plant Decontamination and Decommissioning Technology Logic Diagram for Building 9201-4 (TLD) was developed to provide a decision-support tool that relates decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) problems at Bldg. 9201-4 to potential technologies that can remediate these problems. This TLD identifies the research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation needed for sufficient development of these technologies to allow for technology transfer and application to D and D and waste management (WM) activities. It is essential that follow-on engineering studies be conducted to build on the output of this project. These studies will begin by selecting the most promising technologies identified in the TLD and by finding an optimum mix of technologies that will provide a socially acceptable balance between cost and risk. The TLD consists of three fundamentally separate volumes: Vol. 1 (Technology Evaluation), Vol. 2 (Technology Logic Diagram), and Vol. 3 (Technology Evaluation Data Sheets). Volume 2 contains the logic linkages among environmental management goals, environmental problems, and the various technologies that have the potential to solve these problems. Volume 2 has been divided into five sections: Characterization, Decontamination, Dismantlement, Robotics/Automation, and Waste Management. Each section contains logical breakdowns of the Y-12 D and D problems by subject area and identifies technologies that can be reasonably applied to each D and D challenge.

Y-12 Plant decontamination and decommissioning technology logic diagram for Building 9201-4. Volume 2: Technology logic diagram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-09-01

The Y-12 Plant Decontamination and Decommissioning Technology Logic Diagram for Building 9201-4 (TLD) was developed to provide a decision-support tool that relates decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) problems at Bldg. 9201-4 to potential technologies that can remediate these problems. This TLD identifies the research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation needed for sufficient development of these technologies to allow for technology transfer and application to D and D and waste management (WM) activities. It is essential that follow-on engineering studies be conducted to build on the output of this project. These studies will begin by selecting the most promising technologies identified in the TLD and by finding an optimum mix of technologies that will provide a socially acceptable balance between cost and risk. The TLD consists of three fundamentally separate volumes: Vol. 1 (Technology Evaluation), Vol. 2 (Technology Logic Diagram), and Vol. 3 (Technology Evaluation Data Sheets). Volume 2 contains the logic linkages among environmental management goals, environmental problems, and the various technologies that have the potential to solve these problems. Volume 2 has been divided into five sections: Characterization, Decontamination, Dismantlement, Robotics/Automation, and Waste Management. Each section contains logical breakdowns of the Y-12 D and D problems by subject area and identifies technologies that can be reasonably applied to each D and D challenge

Technology in Education: Its Prospects and Its Promises.

Science.gov (United States)

Senese, Donald J.

The impact of advanced technology has increased computer usage at all levels as evidenced by the popularity of video games, increased interest on the part of students using computers to enhance learning, and business/school partnerships forming with such companies as Digital Equipment Corporation, International Business Machines, and Tandy/Radio…

A/M Area Groundwater Corrective Action Southern Sector Remediation Technology Alternatives Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Looney, B.B.; Phifer, M.A.

1994-01-01

Several technologies for clean up of solvents such as trichloroethylene, from groundwater were examined to determine the most reasonable strategy for the southern Sector in A/M Area of Savannah River Site. The most promising options identified were: pump and treat technology, airlift recirculation technology, and bioremediation technology. These options range from baseline/traditional methods to more innovative technologies. The traditional methods would be straightforward to implement, while the innovative methods have the potential to improve efficiency and reduce long term costs

Fuzzy promises

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anker, Thomas Boysen; Kappel, Klemens; Eadie, Douglas

2012-01-01

as narrative material to communicate self-identity. Finally, (c) we propose that brands deliver fuzzy experiential promises through effectively motivating consumers to adopt and play a social role implicitly suggested and facilitated by the brand. A promise is an inherently ethical concept and the article...... concludes with an in-depth discussion of fuzzy brand promises as two-way ethical commitments that put requirements on both brands and consumers....

Materials performance in advanced fossil technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natesan, K.

1991-01-01

A number of advanced technologies are being developed to convert coal into clean fuels for use as a feedstock in chemical plants and for power generation. From the standpoint of component materials, the environments created by coal conversion and combustion in these technologies and their interactions with materials are of interest. This article identifies several modes of materials degradation and possible mechanisms for metal wastage. Available data on the performance of materials in several of the environments are highlighted, and examples of promising research activities to improve the corrosion resistance of materials are presented

Risk and Performance Technologies: Identifying the Keys to Successful Implementation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McClain, Lynn; Smith, Art; O'Regan, Patrick

2002-01-01

The nuclear power industry has been utilizing risk and performance based technologies for over thirty years. Applications of these technologies have included risk assessment (e.g. Individual Plant Examinations), burden reduction (e.g. Risk-Informed Inservice Inspection, RI-ISI) and risk management (Maintenance Rule, 10CFR50.65). Over the last five to ten years the number of risk-informed (RI) burden reduction initiatives has increased. Unfortunately, the efficiencies of some of these applications have been questionable. This paper investigates those attributes necessary to support successful, cost-effective RI-applications. The premise to this paper is that by understanding the key attributes that support one successful application, insights can be gleaned that will streamline/coordinate future RI-applications. This paper is an extension to a paper presented at the Pressure Vessel and Piping (PVP-2001) Conference. In that paper, a number issues and opportunities were identified that needed to be assessed in order to support future (and efficient) RI-applications. It was noted in the paper that a proper understanding and resolution of these issues will facilitate implementation of risk and performance technology in the operation, maintenance and design disciplines. In addition, it will provide the foundation necessary to support regulatory review and approval. (authors)

Superconducting radio frequency technology: Expanding the horizons of physics and technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grunder, H.A.; Leemann, C.W.; Sundelin, R.M.; Hartline, B.K.

1986-01-01

This paper describes a major new technology supporting the further evolution of accelerators: superconducting radio frequency (SRF) technology, which is today on the verge of large-scale application in accelerators. Originally foreseen in the early 1960s as a promising technology, SRF only recently has overcome several technological and practical hurdles. SRF accelerating structures promise low rf losses and high gradients under cw operation. High-quality, intense cw beams can be accelerated without risk of melting the structure and without requiring enormous amounts of input rf power

Stem Cell Technology in Cardiac Regeneration: A Pluripotent Stem Cell Promise

OpenAIRE

Robin Duelen; Maurilio Sampaolesi

2017-01-01

Despite advances in cardiovascular biology and medical therapy, heart disorders are the leading cause of death worldwide. Cell-based regenerative therapies become a promising treatment for patients affected by heart failure, but also underline the need for reproducible results in preclinical and clinical studies for safety and efficacy. Enthusiasm has been tempered by poor engraftment, survival and differentiation of the injected adult stem cells. The crucial challenge is identification and s...

MFTF-progress and promise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomassen, K.I.

1980-01-01

The Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) has been in construction at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for 3 years, and most of the major subsystems are nearing completion. Recently, the scope of this project was expanded to meet new objectives, principally to reach plasma conditions corresponding to energy break-even. To fulfill this promise, the single-cell minimum-B mirror configuration will be replaced with a tandem mirror configuration (MFTF-B). The facility must accordingly be expanded to accomodate the new geometry. This paper briefly discusses the status of the major MFTF subsystems and describes how most of the technological objectives of MFTF will be demonstrated before we install the additional systems necessary to make the tandem. It also summarizes the major features of the expanded facility

KSC Education Technology Research and Development Plan

Science.gov (United States)

Odell, Michael R. L.

2003-01-01

Educational technology is facilitating new approaches to teaching and learning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Cognitive research is beginning to inform educators about how students learn providing a basis for design of more effective learning environments incorporating technology. At the same time, access to computers, the Internet and other technology tools are becoming common features in K-20 classrooms. Encouraged by these developments, STEM educators are transforming traditional STEM education into active learning environments that hold the promise of enhancing learning. This document illustrates the use of technology in STEM education today, identifies possible areas of development, links this development to the NASA Strategic Plan, and makes recommendations for the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Education Office for consideration in the research, development, and design of new educational technologies and applications.

Identifying the science and technology dimensions of emerging public policy issues through horizon scanning.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Miles; Acland, Andrew; Armstrong, Harry J; Bellingham, Jim R; Bland, Jessica; Bodmer, Helen C; Burall, Simon; Castell, Sarah; Chilvers, Jason; Cleevely, David D; Cope, David; Costanzo, Lucia; Dolan, James A; Doubleday, Robert; Feng, Wai Yi; Godfray, H Charles J; Good, David A; Grant, Jonathan; Green, Nick; Groen, Arnoud J; Guilliams, Tim T; Gupta, Sunjai; Hall, Amanda C; Heathfield, Adam; Hotopp, Ulrike; Kass, Gary; Leeder, Tim; Lickorish, Fiona A; Lueshi, Leila M; Magee, Chris; Mata, Tiago; McBride, Tony; McCarthy, Natasha; Mercer, Alan; Neilson, Ross; Ouchikh, Jackie; Oughton, Edward J; Oxenham, David; Pallett, Helen; Palmer, James; Patmore, Jeff; Petts, Judith; Pinkerton, Jan; Ploszek, Richard; Pratt, Alan; Rocks, Sophie A; Stansfield, Neil; Surkovic, Elizabeth; Tyler, Christopher P; Watkinson, Andrew R; Wentworth, Jonny; Willis, Rebecca; Wollner, Patrick K A; Worts, Kim; Sutherland, William J

2014-01-01

Public policy requires public support, which in turn implies a need to enable the public not just to understand policy but also to be engaged in its development. Where complex science and technology issues are involved in policy making, this takes time, so it is important to identify emerging issues of this type and prepare engagement plans. In our horizon scanning exercise, we used a modified Delphi technique. A wide group of people with interests in the science and policy interface (drawn from policy makers, policy adviser, practitioners, the private sector and academics) elicited a long list of emergent policy issues in which science and technology would feature strongly and which would also necessitate public engagement as policies are developed. This was then refined to a short list of top priorities for policy makers. Thirty issues were identified within broad areas of business and technology; energy and environment; government, politics and education; health, healthcare, population and aging; information, communication, infrastructure and transport; and public safety and national security.

Identifying the science and technology dimensions of emerging public policy issues through horizon scanning.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miles Parker

Full Text Available Public policy requires public support, which in turn implies a need to enable the public not just to understand policy but also to be engaged in its development. Where complex science and technology issues are involved in policy making, this takes time, so it is important to identify emerging issues of this type and prepare engagement plans. In our horizon scanning exercise, we used a modified Delphi technique. A wide group of people with interests in the science and policy interface (drawn from policy makers, policy adviser, practitioners, the private sector and academics elicited a long list of emergent policy issues in which science and technology would feature strongly and which would also necessitate public engagement as policies are developed. This was then refined to a short list of top priorities for policy makers. Thirty issues were identified within broad areas of business and technology; energy and environment; government, politics and education; health, healthcare, population and aging; information, communication, infrastructure and transport; and public safety and national security.

Identifying the Science and Technology Dimensions of Emerging Public Policy Issues through Horizon Scanning

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Miles; Acland, Andrew; Armstrong, Harry J.; Bellingham, Jim R.; Bland, Jessica; Bodmer, Helen C.; Burall, Simon; Castell, Sarah; Chilvers, Jason; Cleevely, David D.; Cope, David; Costanzo, Lucia; Dolan, James A.; Doubleday, Robert; Feng, Wai Yi; Godfray, H. Charles J.; Good, David A.; Grant, Jonathan; Green, Nick; Groen, Arnoud J.; Guilliams, Tim T.; Gupta, Sunjai; Hall, Amanda C.; Heathfield, Adam; Hotopp, Ulrike; Kass, Gary; Leeder, Tim; Lickorish, Fiona A.; Lueshi, Leila M.; Magee, Chris; Mata, Tiago; McBride, Tony; McCarthy, Natasha; Mercer, Alan; Neilson, Ross; Ouchikh, Jackie; Oughton, Edward J.; Oxenham, David; Pallett, Helen; Palmer, James; Patmore, Jeff; Petts, Judith; Pinkerton, Jan; Ploszek, Richard; Pratt, Alan; Rocks, Sophie A.; Stansfield, Neil; Surkovic, Elizabeth; Tyler, Christopher P.; Watkinson, Andrew R.; Wentworth, Jonny; Willis, Rebecca; Wollner, Patrick K. A.; Worts, Kim; Sutherland, William J.

2014-01-01

Public policy requires public support, which in turn implies a need to enable the public not just to understand policy but also to be engaged in its development. Where complex science and technology issues are involved in policy making, this takes time, so it is important to identify emerging issues of this type and prepare engagement plans. In our horizon scanning exercise, we used a modified Delphi technique [1]. A wide group of people with interests in the science and policy interface (drawn from policy makers, policy adviser, practitioners, the private sector and academics) elicited a long list of emergent policy issues in which science and technology would feature strongly and which would also necessitate public engagement as policies are developed. This was then refined to a short list of top priorities for policy makers. Thirty issues were identified within broad areas of business and technology; energy and environment; government, politics and education; health, healthcare, population and aging; information, communication, infrastructure and transport; and public safety and national security. PMID:24879444

The diagnosis and management of pre-invasive breast disease: Promise of new technologies in understanding pre-invasive breast lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeffrey, Stefanie S; Pollack, Jonathan R

2003-01-01

Array-based comparative genomic hybridization, RNA expression profiling, and proteomic analyses are new molecular technologies used to study breast cancer. Invasive breast cancers were originally evaluated because they provided ample quantities of DNA, RNA, and protein. The application of these technologies to pre-invasive breast lesions is discussed, including methods that facilitate their implementation. Data indicate that atypical ductal hyperplasia and ductal carcinoma in situ are precursor lesions molecularly similar to adjacent invasive breast cancer. It is expected that molecular technologies will identify breast tissue at risk for the development of unfavorable subtypes of invasive breast cancer and reveal strategies for targeted chemoprevention or eradication

Promising technology for the melting and decontamination of dismantled metal by an induction cold crucible

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, M.; Tsurumaki, K.; Akiyama, T.; Fukumura, N.; Tanaka, T.; Yoshida, M.; Ikenaga, Y.

1998-01-01

An induction cold crucible melting is one of the most promising technology for the reuse and decontamination of the radioactively contaminated metallic materials generated during the dismantling of nuclear facilities, because the crucible ensures a long life operation without generating the secondary wastes. Based on the knowledge obtained through the fundamental study using the crucible of 45 mm in diameter, the MERC(Melting and Recycling of Metals by -Cold Crucible) process was designed, manufactured and scaled up to 100-140 mm in diameter. Not only cylindrical sectional crucibles but also rectangular slab sectional crucibles were developed. The maximum power of the high frequency generator is 150 kW and the frequency is 25 kHz. In the MERC, either fragments of stainless steel or tubing and pipings with small section, which were the surrogates of contaminated metallic materials, were continuously supplied together with the flux for the decontamination, followed by melting in the crucible and pulling down by the precise withdrawal system ensuring the melt dome to be kept at a suitable level for the melting. The maximal withdrawal velocity employed was 12 mm/min. The Ingot and slab were cut in every 300 mm length by the mechanical saw. They were automatically transported to the outlet of the equipment by the conveying system. Heat efficiency of the MERC was more than 26%. The ingot surface was smooth and crack free, facilitating the removal of radioactive elements concentrated in a slag stuck on the ingot surface. There was no macro segregation inside. Tracer elements of Sr and Hf transferred to the slag, Cs and Zn to the dust. Co and Mn mostly remained in the ingot. However, up to 10% of Co could transfer to the slag. This work was done under the sponsorship of Science and Technology Agency of Japan. (author)

Perpendicular recording: the promise and the problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, Roger; Sonobe, Yoshiaki; Jin Zhen; Wilson, Bruce

2001-01-01

Perpendicular recording has long been advocated as a means of achieving the highest areal densities. In particular, in the context of the 'superparamagnetic limit', perpendicular recording with a soft underlayer promises several key advantages. These advantages include a higher coercivity, thicker media that should permit smaller diameter grains and higher signal-to-noise ratio. Also, the sharper edge-writing will facilitate recording at very high track densities (lower bit aspect ratio). Recent demonstrations of the technology have shown densities comparable with the highest densities reported for longitudinal recording. This paper further examines the promise that perpendicular recording will deliver an increase in areal density two to eight times higher than that achievable with longitudinal recording. There are a number of outstanding issues but the key challenge is to create a low-noise medium with a coercivity that is high and is much larger than the remanent magnetization

Y-12 Plant decontamination and decommissioning technology logic diagram for Building 9201-4. Volume 3: Technology evaluation data sheets; Part A: Characterization, dismantlement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-09-01

The Y-12 Plant Decontamination and Decommissioning Technology Logic Diagram for Building 9201-4 (TLD) was developed to provide a decision-support tool that relates decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) problems at Bldg. 9201-4 to potential technologies that can remediate these problems. The TLD uses information from the Strategic Roadmap for the Oak Ridge Reservation, the Oak Ridge K-25 Site Technology Logic Diagram, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Technology Logic Diagram, and a previous Hanford logic diagram. This TLD identifies the research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation needed for sufficient development of these technologies to allow for technology transfer and application to D and D and waste management (WM) activities. It is essential that follow-on engineering studies be conducted to build on the output of this project. These studies will begin by selecting the most promising technologies identified in the TLD and by finding an optimum mix of technologies that will provide a socially acceptable balance between cost and risk. This report consists of the characterization and dismantlement data sheets.

Y-12 Plant decontamination and decommissioning technology logic diagram for Building 9201-4. Volume 3: Technology evaluation data sheets; Part A: Characterization, dismantlement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-09-01

The Y-12 Plant Decontamination and Decommissioning Technology Logic Diagram for Building 9201-4 (TLD) was developed to provide a decision-support tool that relates decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) problems at Bldg. 9201-4 to potential technologies that can remediate these problems. The TLD uses information from the Strategic Roadmap for the Oak Ridge Reservation, the Oak Ridge K-25 Site Technology Logic Diagram, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Technology Logic Diagram, and a previous Hanford logic diagram. This TLD identifies the research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation needed for sufficient development of these technologies to allow for technology transfer and application to D and D and waste management (WM) activities. It is essential that follow-on engineering studies be conducted to build on the output of this project. These studies will begin by selecting the most promising technologies identified in the TLD and by finding an optimum mix of technologies that will provide a socially acceptable balance between cost and risk. This report consists of the characterization and dismantlement data sheets

Promising design options for the encapsulated nuclear heat source reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conway, L.; Carelli, M.D.; Dzodzo, M.; Hossain, Q.; Brown, N.W.; Wade, D.C.; Sienick, J.J.; Greenspan, E.; Kastenberg, W.E.; Saphier, D.

2001-01-01

Promising design options for the Encapsulated Nuclear Heat Source (ENHS) liquid-metal cooled fast reactor were identified during the first year of the DOE NERI program sponsored feasibility study. Many opportunities for incorporation of innovations in design and fabrication were identified. Three of the innovations are hereby described: a novel IHX (intermediate heat exchanger) made of a relatively small number of rectangular channels, an ENHS module design featuring 100% natural circulation, and a novel conceptual design of core support and fuelling. As a result of the first year study the ENHS concept appears more practical and more promising than perceived at the outset of this study. (authors)

Promising design options for the encapsulated nuclear heat source reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conway, L.; Carelli, M.D.; Dzodzo, M. [Westinghouse Science and Technology, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Hossain, Q.; Brown, N.W. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); Wade, D.C.; Sienick, J.J. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States); Greenspan, E.; Kastenberg, W.E.; Saphier, D. [University of California Dept of Nuclear Engineering, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2001-07-01

Promising design options for the Encapsulated Nuclear Heat Source (ENHS) liquid-metal cooled fast reactor were identified during the first year of the DOE NERI program sponsored feasibility study. Many opportunities for incorporation of innovations in design and fabrication were identified. Three of the innovations are hereby described: a novel IHX (intermediate heat exchanger) made of a relatively small number of rectangular channels, an ENHS module design featuring 100% natural circulation, and a novel conceptual design of core support and fuelling. As a result of the first year study the ENHS concept appears more practical and more promising than perceived at the outset of this study. (authors)

Aptamer-Based Analysis: A Promising Alternative for Food Safety Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonia Amaya-González

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Ensuring food safety is nowadays a top priority of authorities and professional players in the food supply chain. One of the key challenges to determine the safety of food and guarantee a high level of consumer protection is the availability of fast, sensitive and reliable analytical methods to identify specific hazards associated to food before they become a health problem. The limitations of existing methods have encouraged the development of new technologies, among them biosensors. Success in biosensor design depends largely on the development of novel receptors with enhanced affinity to the target, while being stable and economical. Aptamers fulfill these characteristics, and thus have surfaced as promising alternatives to natural receptors. This Review describes analytical strategies developed so far using aptamers for the control of pathogens, allergens, adulterants, toxins and other forbidden contaminants to ensure food safety. The main progresses to date are presented, highlighting potential prospects for the future.

Status of molten carbonate fuel cell technology development

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons, E. L., Jr.; Williams, M. C.; George, T. J.

The MCFC technology has been identified by the DOE as a promising product for commercialization. Development of the MCFC technology supports the National Energy Strategy. Review of the status of the MCFC technology indicates that the MCFC technology developers are making rapid and significant progress. Manufacturing facility development and extensive testing is occurring. Improvements in performance (power density), lower costs, improved packaging, and scale up to full height are planned. MCFC developers need to continue to be responsive to end-users in potential markets. It will be market demands for the correct product definition which will ultimately determine the character of MCFC power plants. There is a need for continued MCFC product improvement and multiple product development tests.

Promising Practices: A Literature Review of Technology Use by Underserved Students

Science.gov (United States)

Zielezinski, Molly B.; Darling-Hammond, Linda

2016-01-01

How can technologies and digital learning experiences be used to support underserved, under-resourced, and underprepared students? For many years, educators, researchers, and policy makers looking for strategies to close the achievement gap and improve student learning have sought solutions involving new uses of technology, especially for students…

Technology survey for real-time monitoring of plutonium in a vitrifier off-gas system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berg, J.M.; Veirs, D.K.

1996-01-01

We surveyed several promising measurement technologies for the real-time monitoring of plutonium in a vitrifier off-gas system. The vitrifier is being developed by Westinghouse Savannah River Corp. and will be used to demonstrate vitrification of plutonium dissolved in nitric acid for fissile material disposition. The risk of developing a criticality hazard in the off-gas processing equipment can be managed by using available measurement technologies. We identified several potential technologies and methods for detecting plutonium that are sensitive enough to detect the accumulation of a mass sufficient to form a criticality hazard. We recommend gross alpha-monitoring technologies as the most promising option for Westinghouse Savannah River Corp. to consider because that option appears to require the least additional development. We also recommend further consideration for several other technologies because they offer specific advantages and because gross alpha-monitoring could prove unsuitable when tested for this specific application

Using Active Learning to Identify Health Information Technology Related Patient Safety Events.

Science.gov (United States)

Fong, Allan; Howe, Jessica L; Adams, Katharine T; Ratwani, Raj M

2017-01-18

The widespread adoption of health information technology (HIT) has led to new patient safety hazards that are often difficult to identify. Patient safety event reports, which are self-reported descriptions of safety hazards, provide one view of potential HIT-related safety events. However, identifying HIT-related reports can be challenging as they are often categorized under other more predominate clinical categories. This challenge of identifying HIT-related reports is exacerbated by the increasing number and complexity of reports which pose challenges to human annotators that must manually review reports. In this paper, we apply active learning techniques to support classification of patient safety event reports as HIT-related. We evaluated different strategies and demonstrated a 30% increase in average precision of a confirmatory sampling strategy over a baseline no active learning approach after 10 learning iterations.

Emerging Cancer Vaccines: The Promise of Genetic Vectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aurisicchio, Luigi; Ciliberto, Gennaro

2011-01-01

Therapeutic vaccination against cancer is an important approach which, when combined with other therapies, can improve long-term control of cancer. In fact, the induction of adaptive immune responses against Tumor Associated Antigens (TAAs) as well as innate immunity are important factors for tumor stabilization/eradication. A variety of immunization technologies have been explored in last decades and are currently under active evaluation, such as cell-based, protein, peptide and heat-shock protein-based cancer vaccines. Genetic vaccines are emerging as promising methodologies to elicit immune responses against a wide variety of antigens, including TAAs. Amongst these, Adenovirus (Ad)-based vectors show excellent immunogenicity profile and have achieved immunological proof of concept in humans. In vivo electroporation of plasmid DNA (DNA-EP) is also a desirable vaccine technology for cancer vaccines, as it is repeatable several times, a parameter required for the long-term maintenance of anti-tumor immunity. Recent findings show that combinations of different modalities of immunization (heterologous prime/boost) are able to induce superior immune reactions as compared to single-modality vaccines. In this review, we will discuss the challenges and requirements of emerging cancer vaccines, particularly focusing on the genetic cancer vaccines currently under active development and the promise shown by Ad and DNA-EP heterologous prime-boost

Nanomedicine: Promising Tiny Machine for the Healthcare in Future-A Review

OpenAIRE

Saha, Moni

2009-01-01

One of the 21st century’s most promising technologies is nanotechnology. Nanomedicine, an offshoot of nanotechnology, refers to highly specific medical intervention at the molecular scale for curing disease or repairing damaged tissues, such as bone, muscle, or nerve. Nanotechnology is a collective term referring to technological developments on the nanometer scale, usually 0.1-100 nm. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, too small to be seen with a conventional laboratory microscope. It ...

Innovation investment area: Technology summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-03-01

The mission of Environmental Management`s (EM) Office of Technology Development (OTD) Innovation Investment Area is to identify and provide development support for two types of technologies that are developed to characterize, treat and dispose of DOE waste, and to remediate contaminated sites. They are: technologies that show promise to address specific EM needs, but require proof-of-principle experimentation; and (2) already proven technologies in other fields that require critical path experimentation to demonstrate feasibility for adaptation to specific EM needs. The underlying strategy is to ensure that private industry, other Federal Agencies, universities, and DOE National Laboratories are major participants in developing and deploying new and emerging technologies. To this end, about 125 different new and emerging technologies are being developed through Innovation Investment Area`s (IIA) two program elements: RDDT&E New Initiatives (RD01) and Interagency Agreements (RD02). Both of these activities are intended to foster research and development partnerships so as to introduce innovative technologies into other OTD program elements for expedited evaluation.

Innovation investment area: Technology summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-03-01

The mission of Environmental Management's (EM) Office of Technology Development (OTD) Innovation Investment Area is to identify and provide development support for two types of technologies that are developed to characterize, treat and dispose of DOE waste, and to remediate contaminated sites. They are: technologies that show promise to address specific EM needs, but require proof-of-principle experimentation; and (2) already proven technologies in other fields that require critical path experimentation to demonstrate feasibility for adaptation to specific EM needs. The underlying strategy is to ensure that private industry, other Federal Agencies, universities, and DOE National Laboratories are major participants in developing and deploying new and emerging technologies. To this end, about 125 different new and emerging technologies are being developed through Innovation Investment Area's (IIA) two program elements: RDDT ampersand E New Initiatives (RD01) and Interagency Agreements (RD02). Both of these activities are intended to foster research and development partnerships so as to introduce innovative technologies into other OTD program elements for expedited evaluation

Decision support for redesigning wastewater treatment technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

McConville, Jennifer R; Künzle, Rahel; Messmer, Ulrike; Udert, Kai M; Larsen, Tove A

2014-10-21

This paper offers a methodology for structuring the design space for innovative process engineering technology development. The methodology is exemplified in the evaluation of a wide variety of treatment technologies for source-separated domestic wastewater within the scope of the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge. It offers a methodology for narrowing down the decision-making field based on a strict interpretation of treatment objectives for undiluted urine and dry feces and macroenvironmental factors (STEEPLED analysis) which influence decision criteria. Such an evaluation identifies promising paths for technology development such as focusing on space-saving processes or the need for more innovation in low-cost, energy-efficient urine treatment methods. Critical macroenvironmental factors, such as housing density, transportation infrastructure, and climate conditions were found to affect technology decisions regarding reactor volume, weight of outputs, energy consumption, atmospheric emissions, investment cost, and net revenue. The analysis also identified a number of qualitative factors that should be carefully weighed when pursuing technology development; such as availability of O&M resources, health and safety goals, and other ethical issues. Use of this methodology allows for coevolution of innovative technology within context constraints; however, for full-scale technology choices in the field, only very mature technologies can be evaluated.

Promising Technologies of Mining and Processing of Solid Minerals

Science.gov (United States)

Shabaev, Sergey; Ivanov, Seregey; Vakhianov, Evgeniy

2017-11-01

The continuing growth in mineral extraction entails an increase in industrial waste, which in turn has a negative impact on the environment. Rubber-tired vehicles, in which the tires wear colossally, is mainly used as a transport for loading, unloading, transportation and other types of work in the extraction of solid minerals. The used tires are not disposed in any way, but are stored in special areas where harmful toxic substances are emitted under the influence of ultraviolet rays. Therefore, a decision was made to find a method for utilization and rational use of industrial waste in the road construction sector. The operating temperature of composite rubber-bituminous binders based on rubber crumb from the used automobile tires is estimated in this paper, which is necessary for assigning technological parameters of production and laying of asphalt-concrete mixtures produced on their basis. It is established that composite rubber-bituminous binders based on rubber chips from the used automobile tires, produced according to the two-stage technology, have the same viscosity as the original petroleum bitumen, at a temperature increased by 20°C.

Considerations for Realizing the Promise of Educational Gaming Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Nancy J.; Fien, Hank; Doabler, Christian T.; Clarke, Ben

2016-01-01

One can barely keep up with the pace at which new educational games and apps are being introduced and digested in the market. With so many choices available, how do schools and teachers decide what to use? How do they have confidence their choices will result in desired outcomes? Education technology offers a number of potential benefits that can…

Technology for Children With Brain Injury and Motor Disability: Executive Summary From Research Summit IV.

Science.gov (United States)

Christy, Jennifer B; Lobo, Michele A; Bjornson, Kristie; Dusing, Stacey C; Field-Fote, Edelle; Gannotti, Mary; Heathcock, Jill C; OʼNeil, Margaret E; Rimmer, James H

Advances in technology show promise as tools to optimize functional mobility, independence, and participation in infants and children with motor disability due to brain injury. Although technologies are often used in adult rehabilitation, these have not been widely applied to rehabilitation of infants and children. In October 2015, the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy sponsored Research Summit IV, "Innovations in Technology for Children With Brain Insults: Maximizing Outcomes." The summit included pediatric physical therapist researchers, experts from other scientific fields, funding agencies, and consumers. Participants identified challenges in implementing technology in pediatric rehabilitation including accessibility, affordability, managing large data sets, and identifying relevant data elements. Participants identified 4 key areas for technology development: to determine (1) thresholds for learning, (2) appropriate transfer to independence, (3) optimal measurement of subtle changes, and (4) how to adapt to growth and changing abilities.

Augmented Reality Based Doppler Lidar Data Visualization: Promises and Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cherukuru N. W.

2016-01-01

As a proof of concept, we used the lidar data from a recent field campaign and developed a smartphone application to view the lidar scan in augmented reality. In this paper, we give a brief methodology of this feasibility study, present the challenges and promises of using AR technology in conjunction with Doppler wind lidars.

NASA's progress in nuclear electric propulsion technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stone, J.R.; Doherty, M.P.; Peecook, K.M.

1993-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has established a requirement for Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) technology for robotic planetary science mission applications with potential future evolution to systems for piloted Mars vehicles. To advance the readiness of NEP for these challenging missions, a near-term flight demonstration on a meaningful robotic science mission is very desirable. The requirements for both near-term and outer planet science missions are briefly reviewed, and the near-term baseline system established under a recent study jointly conducted by the Lewis Research Center (LeRC) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is described. Technology issues are identified where work is needed to establish the technology for the baseline system, and technology opportunities which could provide improvement beyond baseline capabilities are discussed. Finally, the plan to develop this promising technology is presented and discussed. 19 refs

Realization of a universal patient identifier for electronic medical records through biometric technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Leonard, D C; Pons, Alexander P; Asfour, Shihab S

2009-07-01

The technology exists for the migration of healthcare data from its archaic paper-based system to an electronic one, and, once in digital form, to be transported anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds. The advent of universally accessible healthcare data has benefited all participants, but one of the outstanding problems that must be addressed is how the creation of a standardized nationwide electronic healthcare record system in the United States would uniquely identify and match a composite of an individual's recorded healthcare information to an identified individual patients out of approximately 300 million people to a 1:1 match. To date, a few solutions to this problem have been proposed that are limited in their effectiveness. We propose the use of biometric technology within our fingerprint, iris, retina scan, and DNA (FIRD) framework, which is a multiphase system whose primary phase is a multilayer consisting of these four types of biometric identifiers: 1) fingerprint; 2) iris; 3) retina scan; and 4) DNA. In addition, it also consists of additional phases of integration, consolidation, and data discrepancy functions to solve the unique association of a patient to their medical data distinctively. This would allow a patient to have real-time access to all of their recorded healthcare information electronically whenever it is necessary, securely with minimal effort, greater effectiveness, and ease.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: LIMITATIONS OF PREVAILING INNOVATION SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilia van Egmond-deWilde de Ligny

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The diffusion of innovative technologies in the market is usually a complex and difficult process with a varying degree of success and the effects of the diffused innovative technologies are very un-balanced. The objective of our research is to gain insight into the reasons why the diffusion of innovative technology fails, even though they promise a superior performance compared to incumbent technologies. Drawing on innovation systems theories, we have identified and used the concepts of technological regime, actor network and technology sets to analyze technology diffusion in a case study in the dwelling construction industry in Costa Rica. The results showed bottlenecks in the prevailing innovation system that curtailed the diffusion of an innovative construction technology.

Effect of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology in Blood Banking

Science.gov (United States)

Focosi, Daniele

2016-01-01

Summary Population aging has imposed cost-effective alternatives to blood donations. Artificial blood is still at the preliminary stages of development, and the need for viable cells seems unsurmountable. Because large numbers of viable cells must be promptly available for clinical use, stem cell technologies, expansion, and banking represent ideal tools to ensure a regular supply. Provided key donors can be identified, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology could pave the way to a new era in transfusion medicine, just as it is already doing in many other fields of medicine. The present review summarizes the current state of research on iPSC technology in the field of blood banking, highlighting hurdles, and promises. Significance The aging population in Western countries is causing a progressive reduction of blood donors and a constant increase of blood recipients. Because blood is the main therapeutic option to treat acute hemorrhage, cost-effective alternatives to blood donations are being actively investigated. The enormous replication capability of induced pluripotent stem cells and their promising results in many other fields of medicine could be an apt solution to produce the large numbers of viable cells required in transfusion and usher in a new era in transfusion medicine. The present report describes the potentiality, technological hurdles, and promises of induced pluripotent stem cells to generate red blood cells by redifferentiation. PMID:26819256

Promising Technologies of Mining and Processing of Solid Minerals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shabaev Sergey

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The continuing growth in mineral extraction entails an increase in industrial waste, which in turn has a negative impact on the environment. Rubber-tired vehicles, in which the tires wear colossally, is mainly used as a transport for loading, unloading, transportation and other types of work in the extraction of solid minerals. The used tires are not disposed in any way, but are stored in special areas where harmful toxic substances are emitted under the influence of ultraviolet rays. Therefore, a decision was made to find a method for utilization and rational use of industrial waste in the road construction sector. The operating temperature of composite rubber-bituminous binders based on rubber crumb from the used automobile tires is estimated in this paper, which is necessary for assigning technological parameters of production and laying of asphalt-concrete mixtures produced on their basis. It is established that composite rubber-bituminous binders based on rubber chips from the used automobile tires, produced according to the two-stage technology, have the same viscosity as the original petroleum bitumen, at a temperature increased by 20°C.

Identifying influential factors on integrated marketing planning using information technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karim Hamdi

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an empirical investigation to identify important factors influencing integrated marketing planning using information technology. The proposed study designs a questionnaire for measuring integrated marketing planning, which consists of three categories of structural factors, behavioral factors and background factors. There are 40 questions associated with the proposed study in Likert scale. Cronbach alphas have been calculated for structural factors, behavioral factors and background factors as 0.89, 0.86 and 0.83, respectively. Using some statistical test, the study has confirmed the effects of three factors on integrated marketing. In addition, the implementation of Freedman test has revealed that structural factors were the most important factor followed by background factors and behavioral factors.

Review of decontamination technologies for chemical counter-terrorism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volchek, K.; Boudreau, L.; Hornof, M. [SAIC Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Fingas, M.F.; Gamble, R.L. [Environment Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada). Emergencies Science and Technology Div]|[Environment Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada). River Road Environmental Technology Centre

2004-07-01

The two categories of chemical agents that could be used in acts of chemical terrorism are conventional chemical warfare agents and commercial toxic chemicals. Industrial chemicals are easier to access than warfare agents, and must therefore be considered when evaluating decontamination techniques. This study involved a search of public-domain documents to identify decontamination technologies including: physical/mechanical treatment or removal; chemical treatment; and, biological methods including natural degradation and attenuation. The technologies were analyzed with reference to their effectiveness for specific groups of chemical agents, state of development, availability and costs. Results indicate that there are many decontamination methods available, both developed and under development, that work effectively for most agents. The two most common decontamination methods are oxidation and alkali hydrolysis followed by dehalogenation. Technology limitations and gaps were also identified, suggesting a need for more research to further the development of promising processes. 31 refs., 2 tabs.

Y-12 Plant decontamination and decommissioning technology logic diagram for Building 9201-4. Volume 3: Technology evaluation data sheets; Part B: Decontamination, robotics/automation, waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-09-01

The Y-12 Plant Decontamination and Decommissioning Technology Logic Diagram for Building 9201-4 (TLD) was developed to provide a decision-support tool that relates decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) problems at Bldg. 9201-4 to potential technologies that can remediate these problems. The TLD uses information from the Strategic Roadmap for the Oak Ridge Reservation, the Oak Ridge K-25 Site Technology Logic Diagram, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Technology Logic Diagram, and a previous Hanford logic diagram. This TLD identifies the research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation needed for sufficient development of these technologies to allow for technology transfer and application to D and D and waste management (WM) activities. It is essential that follow-on engineering studies be conducted to build on the output of this project. These studies will begin by selecting the most promising technologies identified in the TLD and by finding an optimum mix of technologies that will provide a socially acceptable balance between cost and risk. This report consists of the decontamination, robotics/automation, and WM data sheets

Identifying performance gaps in hydrogen safety sensor technology for automotive and stationary applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boon-Brett, L.; Bousek, J.; Black, G.; Moretto, P.; Castello, P.; Huebert, T.; Banach, U.

2010-01-01

A market survey has been performed of commercially available hydrogen safety sensors, resulting in a total sample size of 53 sensors from 21 manufacturers. The technical specifications, as provided by the manufacturer, have been collated and are displayed herein as a function of sensor working principle. These specifications comprise measuring range, response and recovery times, ambient temperature, pressure and relative humidity, power consumption and lifetime. These are then compared against known performance targets for both automotive and stationary applications in order to establish in how far current technology satisfies current requirements of sensor end users. Gaps in the performance of hydrogen sensing technologies are thus identified and areas recommended for future research and development. (author)

Electron-processing technology: A promising application for the viscose industry

Science.gov (United States)

Stepanik, T. M.; Rajagopal, S.; Ewing, D.; Whitehouse, R.

1998-06-01

In marketing its IMPELA ® line of high power, high-throughput industrial accelerators, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) is working with viscose (rayon) companies world-wide to integrate electron-processing technology as part of the viscose manufacturing process. The viscose industry converts cellulose wood pulp into products such as staple fiber, filament, cord, film, packaging, and non-edible sausage casings. This multibillion dollar industry is currently suffering from high production costs, and is facing increasingly stringent environmental regulations. The use of electron-treated pulp can significantly lower production costs and can provide equally significant environmental benefits. This paper describes our current understanding of the benefits of using electron-treated pulp in this process, and AECL's efforts in developing this technology.

Do promises matter? An exploration of the role of promises in psychological contract breach.

Science.gov (United States)

Montes, Samantha D; Zweig, David

2009-09-01

Promises are positioned centrally in the study of psychological contract breach and are argued to distinguish psychological contracts from related constructs, such as employee expectations. However, because the effects of promises and delivered inducements are confounded in most research, the role of promises in perceptions of, and reactions to, breach remains unclear. If promises are not an important determinant of employee perceptions, emotions, and behavioral intentions, this would suggest that the psychological contract breach construct might lack utility. To assess the unique role of promises, the authors manipulated promises and delivered inducements separately in hypothetical scenarios in Studies 1 (558 undergraduates) and 2 (441 employees), and they measured them separately (longitudinally) in Study 3 (383 employees). The authors' results indicate that breach perceptions do not represent a discrepancy between what employees believe they were promised and were given. In fact, breach perceptions can exist in the absence of promises. Further, promises play a negligible role in predicting feelings of violation and behavioral intentions. Contrary to the extant literature, the authors' findings suggest that promises may matter little; employees are concerned primarily with what the organization delivers.

Promises in intelligent plant control systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otaduy, P.J.

1987-01-01

The control system is the brain of a power plant. The traditional goal of control systems has been productivity. However, in nuclear power plants the potential for disaster requires safety to be the dominant concern, and the worldwide political climate demands trustworthiness for nuclear power plants. To keep nuclear generation as a viable option for power in the future, trust is the essential critical goal which encompasses all others. In most of today's nuclear plants the control system is a hybrid of analog, digital, and human components that focuses on productivity and operates under the protective umbrella of an independent engineered safety system. Operation of the plant is complex, and frequent challenges to the safety system occur which impact on their trustworthiness. Advances in nuclear reactor design, computer sciences, and control theory, and in related technological areas such as electronics and communications as well as in data storage, retrieval, display, and analysis have opened a promise for control systems with more acceptable human brain-like capabilities to pursue the required goals. This paper elaborates on the promise of futuristic nuclear power plants with intelligent control systems and addresses design requirements and implementation approaches

A Numerical and Graphical Review of Energy Storage Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siraj Sabihuddin

2014-12-01

Full Text Available More effective energy production requires a greater penetration of storage technologies. This paper takes a looks at and compares the landscape of energy storage devices. Solutions across four categories of storage, namely: mechanical, chemical, electromagnetic and thermal storage are compared on the basis of energy/power density, specific energy/power, efficiency, lifespan, cycle life, self-discharge rates, capital energy/power costs, scale, application, technical maturity as well as environmental impact. It’s noted that virtually every storage technology is seeing improvements. This paper provides an overview of some of the problems with existing storage systems and identifies some key technologies that hold promise.

Technological advances in the treatment of trauma: a review of promising practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Lisa A; Hassija, Christina M; Clapp, Joshua D

2012-11-01

Given the availability of empirically supported practices for addressing posttraumatic stress disorder and other forms of trauma-related distress, the development and implementation of new technology to deliver these treatments is exciting. Technological innovations in this literature aim to expand availability of empirically based intervention, increase treatment adherence and acceptability, and overcome barriers commonly encountered with conventional trauma-focused treatment. Much of the current research on these technological developments consists of brief reviews and case studies of the separate therapy modalities. Although this work serves to document the appeal and utility of these innovations, it does not provide comprehensive information about the host of options available. To that end, the three general categories of technological advances in trauma therapy (i.e., videoconferencing, e-Health, virtual reality) are reviewed here, including information regarding their empirical support and suggestions for future research and clinical practice.

The promise of e-health--a Canadian perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, Richard C

2004-01-01

Canadians value their health care system above any other social programme. Canada's system of health care faces significant financial and population pressures, relating to cost, access, quality, accountability, and the intergration of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The health-system also faces certain unique challenges that include care delivery within a highly decentralised system of financing and accountability, and care delivery to a significant portion of the population sparsely distributed across a land mass of 10 million square kilometres, in areas of extreme climatic conditions. All of these challenges are significant catalysts in the development of technologies that aim to significantly mitigate or eliminate these selfsame challenges. The system is undergoing widespread review, nationally and within each province and territory, where the bulk of care provision is financed and managed. The challenges are being addressed by national, regional and provincial initiatives in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. The promise of e-health lies in the manner and degree to which it can mitigate or resolve these challenges to the health system and build on advancements in ICTs supporting the development of a health infostructure. Canada is actively developing and implementing technological solutions to deliver health information and health care services across the country. These solutions, while exciting and promising, also present new challenges, particularly in regard to acceptable standards, choice of technologies, overcoming traditional jurisdictional boundaries, up-front investment, and privacy and confidentiality. Many organizations and governments are working to address these challenges. Canada Health Infoway, a not-for-profit corporation, was founded by the first ministers in 2001 to accelerate the establishment of an interoperable, pan-Canadian electronic health record. It works with partners in the federal, provincial and

Proceedings of the Hydrokinetic and Wave Energy Technologies Technical and Environmental Issues Workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2006-03-01

Renewable energy technologies offer the promise of non-polluting alternatives to fossil and nuclear-fueled power plants to meet growing demand for electrical energy. Two emerging categories of renewable energy technologies, hydrokinetic and wave energy conversion devices, offer ways to tap the energy of moving water without impoundment (dams) or diversion required by many conventional hydroelectric facilities. These technologies include devices designed for deployment in natural streams, tidal estuaries, ocean currents, and constructed waterways, as well as devices designed to capture the energy of ocean waves. On October 26-28, 2005, 54 representatives from government, non-governmental organizations, and private business met to (1) identify the varieties of hydrokinetic energy and wave technology devices, their stages of development, and the projected cost to bring each to market; (2) identify where these technologies can best operate; (3) identify the potential environmental issues associated with these technologies and possible mitigation measures; (4) develop a list of research needs and/or practical solutions to address unresolved environmental issues. These workshop proceedings include detailed summaries of the 24 presentations made and the discussions that followed.

Elicited vs. voluntary promises

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ismayilov, H.; Potters, Jan

2017-01-01

We set up an experiment with pre-play communication to study the impact of promise elicitation by trustors from trustees on trust and trustworthiness. When given the opportunity a majority of trustors solicits a promise from the trustee. This drives up the promise making rate by trustees to almost

The promising opportunity of dismantlement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2009-01-01

Civil engineering, mechanics and waste conditioning companies are thriving around the market of nuclear facilities dismantlement which is promised to a huge development in the coming decade. This paper presents a map of the opportunities of the dismantlement market throughout Europe (research and power reactors, fuel fabrication plants, spent fuel reprocessing plants) and a cost estimation of a given dismantling work with respect to the different steps of the work. In France a small core of about twenty companies is involved in nuclear dismantlement but the French market is also looking towards foreign specialists of this activity. The British market is also targeted by the French companies but for all the actors the technological or commercial advance gained today will be determining for the future markets. (J.S.)

Advances in propane ammoxidation catalyst technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prada Silvy, R.; Grange, P. [Unite de Catalyse et Chimie des Materiaux Divises, Univ. Cathologique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium)

2003-09-01

Comparison of the catalytic performance of different propane ammoxidation catalyst systems from the patent literature is established in order to identify the most promising formulation towards process commercialization scale. Vanadium aluminum oxynitride material shows the highest acrylonitrile production level per hour and per amount of catalyst with respect to conventional vanadium-molybdate and vanadium- antimonate mixed oxide propane ammoxidation systems. Acrylonitrile, hydrogen cyanide and acetonitrile production from propane ammoxidation is the key factor for obtaining competitive advantages over current propylene technology. (orig.)

Technological Advances in the Treatment of Trauma: A Review of Promising Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Lisa A.; Hassija, Christina M.; Clapp, Joshua D.

2012-01-01

Given the availability of empirically supported practices for addressing posttraumatic stress disorder and other forms of trauma-related distress, the development and implementation of new technology to deliver these treatments is exciting. Technological innovations in this literature aim to expand availability of empirically based intervention,…

Augmented Reality Based Doppler Lidar Data Visualization: Promises and Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Cherukuru, N. W.; Calhoun, R.

2016-06-01

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology in which the enables the user to view virtual content as if it existed in real world. We are exploring the possibility of using this technology to view radial velocities or processed wind vectors from a Doppler wind lidar, thus giving the user an ability to see the wind in a literal sense. This approach could find possible applications in aviation safety, atmospheric data visualization as well as in weather education and public outreach. As a proof of concept, we used the lidar data from a recent field campaign and developed a smartphone application to view the lidar scan in augmented reality. In this paper, we give a brief methodology of this feasibility study, present the challenges and promises of using AR technology in conjunction with Doppler wind lidars.

Amygdala-enriched genes identified by microarray technology are restricted to specific amygdaloid subnuclei

OpenAIRE

Zirlinger, M.; Kreiman, Gabriel; Anderson, D. J.

2001-01-01

Microarray technology represents a potentially powerful method for identifying cell type- and regionally restricted genes expressed in the brain. Here we have combined a microarray analysis of differential gene expression among five selected brain regions, including the amygdala, cerebellum, hippocampus, olfactory bulb, and periaqueductal gray, with in situ hybridization. On average, 0.3% of the 34,000 genes interrogated were highly enriched in each of the five regions...

Promising Practices in Drug Treatment: Findings from Southeast Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Libretto, Salvatore; Nemes, Susanna; Namur, Jenny; Garrett, Gerald; Hess, Lauren; Kaplan, Linda

2005-01-01

In a study to evaluate the drug treatment and aftercare efforts sponsored by the State Department's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau, residential Therapeutic Community (TC) treatment programs in three countries in Southeast Asia--Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand--were examined to identify promising practices and to…

Optical Manufacturing and Testing Requirements Identified by the NASA Science Instruments, Observatories and Sensor Systems Technology Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Stahl, H. Philip; Barney, Rich; Bauman, Jill; Feinberg, Lee; Mcleese, Dan; Singh, Upendra

2011-01-01

In August 2010, the NASA Office of Chief Technologist (OCT) commissioned an assessment of 15 different technology areas of importance to the future of NASA. Technology assessment #8 (TA8) was Science Instruments, Observatories and Sensor Systems (SIOSS). SIOSS assess the needs for optical technology ranging from detectors to lasers, x-ray mirrors to microwave antenna, in-situ spectrographs for on-surface planetary sample characterization to large space telescopes. The needs assessment looked across the entirety of NASA and not just the Science Mission Directorate. This paper reviews the optical manufacturing and testing technologies identified by SIOSS which require development in order to enable future NASA high priority missions.

Definition and compositions of standard wastestreams for evaluation of Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration treatment technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bates, S.O.

1993-06-01

The Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) Project was organized at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory to support research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation of emerging technologies that offer promising solutions to remediation of buried waste. BWID will identify emerging technologies, screen them for applicability to the identified needs, select technologies for demonstration, and then evaluate the technologies based on prescribed performance objectives. The technical objective of the project is to establish solutions to Environmental Restoration and Waste Management's technological deficiencies and improve baseline remediation systems. This report establishes a set of standard wastestream compositions that will be used by BWID to evaluate the emerging technologies. Five wastestreams are proposed that use four types of waste and a nominal case that is a homogenized combination of the four wastes. The five wastestreams will provide data on the compositional extremes and indicate the technologies' effectiveness over the complete range of expected wastestream compositions

Chelation technology: a promising green approach for resource management and waste minimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Chauhan, Garima; Pant, K K; Nigam, K D P

2015-01-01

Green chemical engineering recognises the concept of developing innovative environmentally benign technologies to protect human health and ecosystems. In order to explore this concept for minimizing industrial waste and for reducing the environmental impact of hazardous chemicals, new greener approaches need to be adopted for the extraction of heavy metals from industrial waste. In this review, a range of conventional processes and new green approaches employed for metal extraction are discussed in brief. Chelation technology, a modern research trend, has shown its potential to develop sustainable technology for metal extraction from various metal-contaminated sites. However, the interaction mechanism of ligands with metals and the ecotoxicological risk associated with the increased bioavailability of heavy metals due to the formation of metal-chelant complexes is still not sufficiently explicated in the literature. Therefore, a need was felt to provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art review of all aspects associated with chelation technology to promote this process as a green chemical engineering approach. This article elucidates the mechanism and thermodynamics associated with metal-ligand complexation in order to have a better understanding of the metal extraction process. The effects of various process parameters on the formation and stability of complexes have been elaborately discussed with respect to optimizing the chelation efficiency. The non-biodegradable attribute of ligands is another important aspect which is currently of concern. Therefore, biotechnological approaches and computational tools have been assessed in this review to illustrate the possibility of ligand degradation, which will help the readers to look for new environmentally safe mobilizing agents. In addition, emerging trends and opportunities in the field of chelation technology have been summarized and the diverse applicability of chelation technology in metal extraction from

The emergent role of digital technologies in the Circular Economy: A review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pagoropoulos, Aris; Pigosso, Daniela Cristina Antelmi; McAloone, Tim C.

2017-01-01

Digital technologies have enabled the formulation of multiple Product Service-Systems (PSS) with considerable economic, environmental and societal benefits. One of the most promising paradigms, which is inspired by business models and value propositions that have already been described in the PSS....... The study concludes by identifying research gaps, reflecting on the application of digital technologies in the field of PSS and proposing suggestions for future research....... literature, is the concept of Circular Economy. Circular Economy is characterized as an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design and is attracting significant attention from researchers and policy makers alike. In light of the recent proliferation of digital technologies such as Big Data...... and the Internet of Things, this article attempts to identify how can digital technologies support the transition to Circular Economy. This article conducted a systematic review of the literature based on a review protocol, in an effort to evaluate the application of key digital technologies in Circular Economy...

Keeping the Promise

Science.gov (United States)

Whissemore, Tabitha

2016-01-01

Since its launch in September 2015, Heads Up America has collected information on nearly 125 promise programs across the country, many of which were instituted long before President Barack Obama announced the America's College Promise (ACP) plan in 2015. At least 27 new free community college programs have launched in states, communities, and at…

Between worst and best: developing criteria to identify promising practices in health promotion and disease prevention for the Canadian Best Practices Portal.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazal, Nadia; Jackson, Suzanne F; Wong, Katy; Yessis, Jennifer; Jetha, Nina

2017-11-01

In health promotion and chronic disease prevention, both best and promising practices can provide critical insights into what works for enhancing the healthrelated outcomes of individuals and communities, and how/why these practices work in different situations and contexts. The promising practices criteria were developed using the Public Health Agency of Canada's (PHAC's) existing best practices criteria as the foundation. They were modified and pilot tested (three rounds) using published interventions. Theoretical and methodological issues and challenges were resolved via consultation and in-depth discussions with a working group. The team established a set of promising practices criteria, which differentiated from the best practices criteria via six specific measures. While a number of complex challenges emerged in the development of these criteria, they were thoroughly discussed, debated and resolved. The Canadian Best Practices Portal's screening criteria allow one to screen for both best and promising practices in the fields of public health, health promotion, chronic disease prevention, and potentially beyond.

Techno-economic and environmental analysis of low carbon energy technologies: Indian perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha, Vijay Prakash; Kumar, Rahul; Kumar, Manish; Deswal, Surinder; Chandna, Pankaj

2010-09-15

In this paper, techno-economic and an environmental investigation and analysis of Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs) has been presented, with special emphasis on India. The paper identify, analyze and recommend, on the basis of available and collected / collated information and data, the promising and potential low carbon energy technology options suited to Indian conditions for grid connected power generation. The evaluation criteria adopted include - emission reduction potential, technological feasibility, and economic viability; and on its basis recommend a detailed action plan and strategy for guiding future research and development with a more focused approach considering current Indian policy framework.

Identifying and Assessing Effective Mechanisms for Technology Transfer

Science.gov (United States)

2007-03-01

There is a distinct manner in which civilian technology is protected; even though secrecy is one option, as is the case with the Coca - Cola formula...done with the appropriate dedicated resources. They also placed heavy emphasis on acquiring early sponsorship for the technology and be able to set

Simple indicator to identify the environmental soundness of growth of consumption and technology: "eco-velocity of consumption".

Science.gov (United States)

Nansai, Keisuke; Kagawa, Shigemi; Suh, Sangwon; Inaba, Rokuta; Moriguchi, Yuichi

2007-02-15

Today's material welfare has been achieved at the expense of consumption of finite resources and generation of environmental burdens. Over the past few decades the volume of global consumption has grown dramatically, while at the same time technological advances have enabled products with greater efficiencies. These two directions of change, consumption growth and technological advance, are the foci of the present paper. Using quantitative measures for these two factors, we define a new indicator, "eco-velocity of consumption", analogous to velocity in physics. The indicator not only identifies the environmental soundness of consumption growth and technological advance but also indicates whether and to what extent our society is shifting toward sustainable consumption. This study demonstrates the practicability of the indicator through a case study in which we calculate the eco-velocities of Japanese household consumption in 2 years: 1995 and 2000. The rate of technological advance during the periods concerned is quantified in terms of the embodied carbon dioxide emission per yen of product. The results show that the current growth rate of Japanese household consumption is greater than the rate of technological advance to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. The eco-velocities at the level of individual commodity groups are also examined, and the sources of changes in eco-velocity for each commodity are identified using structural decomposition analysis.

Communication technologies to improve HPV vaccination initiation and completion: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, Diane B; Cates, Joan R; Wagner, Kyla P Garrett; Zola, Tracey; Fitter, Jenny E; Coyne-Beasley, Tamera

2017-07-01

This systematic review examines the effectiveness of communication technology interventions on HPV vaccination initiation and completion. A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify existing randomized controlled trials testing the impact of computer-, mobile- or internet-based interventions on receipt of any dose of the HPV vaccine. Twelve relevant studies were identified with a total of 38,945 participants. The interventions were delivered using several different methods, including electronic health record (i.e. recall/reminder) prompts, text messaging, automated phone calls, interactive computer videos, and email. Vaccine initiation and completion was greater for technology-based studies relative to their control conditions. There is evidence that interventions utilizing communication technologies as their sole or primary mode for HPV vaccination intervention delivery may increase vaccination coverage. Communication technologies hold much promise for the future of HPV vaccination efforts, especially initiatives in practice-based settings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying the Ethical Challenges Encountered by Information Technology Professionals Working within the Nevada Casino Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Essig, Michael R.

2014-01-01

A thematic analysis qualitative study was used to identify the unethical challenges encountered by Information Technology (IT) professionals working within the Nevada casino industry. Fourteen current and former IT leaders working or who worked in the Nevada casino industry were interviewed. Using thematic analysis, nine themes regarding ethical…

Adoption of Speech Recognition Technology in Community Healthcare Nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Masslawi, Dawood; Block, Lori; Ronquillo, Charlene

2016-01-01

Adoption of new health information technology is shown to be challenging. However, the degree to which new technology will be adopted can be predicted by measures of usefulness and ease of use. In this work these key determining factors are focused on for design of a wound documentation tool. In the context of wound care at home, consistent with evidence in the literature from similar settings, use of Speech Recognition Technology (SRT) for patient documentation has shown promise. To achieve a user-centred design, the results from a conducted ethnographic fieldwork are used to inform SRT features; furthermore, exploratory prototyping is used to collect feedback about the wound documentation tool from home care nurses. During this study, measures developed for healthcare applications of the Technology Acceptance Model will be used, to identify SRT features that improve usefulness (e.g. increased accuracy, saving time) or ease of use (e.g. lowering mental/physical effort, easy to remember tasks). The identified features will be used to create a low fidelity prototype that will be evaluated in future experiments.

Novel technologies for safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Annese, C.; Monteith, A.; Whichello, J.

2009-01-01

Full-text: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Novel Technologies Project is providing access to a wider range of methods and instruments, as well as establishing a systematic mechanism to analyse gaps in the inspectorate's technical support capabilities. The project also targets emerging and future inspectorate needs in the areas of verification and the detection of undeclared nuclear activities, materials, and facilities, providing an effective pathway to technologies in support of safeguards implementation. The identification of safeguards-useful nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) indicators and signatures (I and S) is a fundamental sub-task within the Project. It interfaces with other IAEA efforts currently underway to develop future safeguards approaches through undertaking an in-depth review of NFC processes. Primarily, the sub-task aims to identify unique and safeguards-useful 'indicators', which identify the presence of a particular process, and 'signatures', which emanate from that process when it is in operation. The matching of safeguards needs to detection tool capabilities facilitates the identification of gaps where no current method or instrument exists. The Project has already identified several promising technologies based on atmospheric gas sampling and analysis, laser spectrometry and optically stimulated luminescence. Instruments based on these technologies are presently being developed through support programme tasks with Member States. This paper discusses the IAEA's project, Novel Technologies for the Detection of Undeclared Nuclear Activities, Materials and Facilities and its goal to develop improved methods and instruments. The paper also describes the method that has been devised within the Project to identify safeguards-useful NFC I and S and to determine how the sub-task interfaces with other IAEA efforts to establish emerging safeguards approaches. As with all safeguards-targeted research and development (R and D), the IAEA depends

Between worst and best: developing criteria to identify promising practices in health promotion and disease prevention for the Canadian Best Practices Portal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadia Fazal

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: In health promotion and chronic disease prevention, both best and promising practices can provide critical insights into what works for enhancing the healthrelated outcomes of individuals and communities, and how/why these practices work in different situations and contexts. Methods: The promising practices criteria were developed using the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC’s existing best practices criteria as the foundation. They were modified and pilot tested (three rounds using published interventions. Theoretical and methodological issues and challenges were resolved via consultation and in-depth discussions with a working group. Results: The team established a set of promising practices criteria, which differentiated from the best practices criteria via six specific measures. Conclusion: While a number of complex challenges emerged in the development of these criteria, they were thoroughly discussed, debated and resolved. The Canadian Best Practices Portal’s screening criteria allow one to screen for both best and promising practices in the fields of public health, health promotion, chronic disease prevention, and potentially beyond.

A Review of Technology-Based Youth and Family-Focused Interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonell, Kathleen Watson; Prinz, Ronald J

2017-06-01

In the past 10 years, mental and behavioral health has seen a proliferation of technology-based interventions in the form of online and other computer-delivered programs. This paper focuses on technology-based treatment and preventive interventions aimed at benefitting children and adolescents via either involving the parents and families, or only the youth. The review considered only technology-based interventions that had at least one published study with a randomized controlled trial design. Questions being addressed included: (1) What are the technology-based interventions in the mental/behavioral health area that have been systematically evaluated in published studies? (2) What are the common and unique characteristics of these interventions and their application with respect to sample characteristics, target problems, and technology characteristics (platforms, structures, elements, and communication formats)? and (3) Which intervention approaches and strategies have accrued the greatest evidence? The review identified 30 technology-based psychosocial interventions for children and families, 19 of which were parent or family-focused (32 studies) and 11 of which were youth-focused (in 13 studies). For the parent/family-focused interventions, greatest promise was found in those that addressed either youth behavioral problems or depressive/anxious symptoms, as well as more general bolstering of parenting efficacy. The youth-focused interventions showed some promise in reducing depressive/anxious symptoms. Advantages and disadvantages of the technology-based approaches were considered, and areas for future research and development were discussed.

Artificial Intelligence in Surgery: Promises and Perils.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashimoto, Daniel A; Rosman, Guy; Rus, Daniela; Meireles, Ozanan R

2018-07-01

The aim of this review was to summarize major topics in artificial intelligence (AI), including their applications and limitations in surgery. This paper reviews the key capabilities of AI to help surgeons understand and critically evaluate new AI applications and to contribute to new developments. AI is composed of various subfields that each provide potential solutions to clinical problems. Each of the core subfields of AI reviewed in this piece has also been used in other industries such as the autonomous car, social networks, and deep learning computers. A review of AI papers across computer science, statistics, and medical sources was conducted to identify key concepts and techniques within AI that are driving innovation across industries, including surgery. Limitations and challenges of working with AI were also reviewed. Four main subfields of AI were defined: (1) machine learning, (2) artificial neural networks, (3) natural language processing, and (4) computer vision. Their current and future applications to surgical practice were introduced, including big data analytics and clinical decision support systems. The implications of AI for surgeons and the role of surgeons in advancing the technology to optimize clinical effectiveness were discussed. Surgeons are well positioned to help integrate AI into modern practice. Surgeons should partner with data scientists to capture data across phases of care and to provide clinical context, for AI has the potential to revolutionize the way surgery is taught and practiced with the promise of a future optimized for the highest quality patient care.

Applying deep learning technology to automatically identify metaphase chromosomes using scanning microscopic images: an initial investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Yuchen; Lu, Xianglan; Yan, Shiju; Tan, Maxine; Cheng, Samuel; Li, Shibo; Liu, Hong; Zheng, Bin

2016-03-01

Automated high throughput scanning microscopy is a fast developing screening technology used in cytogenetic laboratories for the diagnosis of leukemia or other genetic diseases. However, one of the major challenges of using this new technology is how to efficiently detect the analyzable metaphase chromosomes during the scanning process. The purpose of this investigation is to develop a computer aided detection (CAD) scheme based on deep learning technology, which can identify the metaphase chromosomes with high accuracy. The CAD scheme includes an eight layer neural network. The first six layers compose of an automatic feature extraction module, which has an architecture of three convolution-max-pooling layer pairs. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd pair contains 30, 20, 20 feature maps, respectively. The seventh and eighth layers compose of a multiple layer perception (MLP) based classifier, which is used to identify the analyzable metaphase chromosomes. The performance of new CAD scheme was assessed by receiver operation characteristic (ROC) method. A number of 150 regions of interest (ROIs) were selected to test the performance of our new CAD scheme. Each ROI contains either interphase cell or metaphase chromosomes. The results indicate that new scheme is able to achieve an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.886+/-0.043. This investigation demonstrates that applying a deep learning technique may enable to significantly improve the accuracy of the metaphase chromosome detection using a scanning microscopic imaging technology in the future.

Predictive Validity of an Empirical Approach for Selecting Promising Message Topics: A Randomized-Controlled Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Stella Juhyun; Brennan, Emily; Gibson, Laura Anne; Tan, Andy S. L.; Kybert-Momjian, Ani; Liu, Jiaying; Hornik, Robert

2016-01-01

Several message topic selection approaches propose that messages based on beliefs pretested and found to be more strongly associated with intentions will be more effective in changing population intentions and behaviors when used in a campaign. This study aimed to validate the underlying causal assumption of these approaches which rely on cross-sectional belief–intention associations. We experimentally tested whether messages addressing promising themes as identified by the above criterion were more persuasive than messages addressing less promising themes. Contrary to expectations, all messages increased intentions. Interestingly, mediation analyses showed that while messages deemed promising affected intentions through changes in targeted promising beliefs, messages deemed less promising also achieved persuasion by influencing nontargeted promising beliefs. Implications for message topic selection are discussed. PMID:27867218

Nano technologies, technologies converging and potential biomedical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capuano, V.

2005-01-01

The applications of nano technology to biology and medicine appear really promising for diagnostics, for various therapeutic approaches and in medical instrumentations. The growing synergism among nano technology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive sciences, their convergence (NBIC) from the nano scale, could involve on next decades great changes in medicine, from a reactive to a predictive and preventive approach. It is expected that NBIC converging technologies could achieve tremendous improvements in human abilities and enhance societal achievement of related social and ethical implications, in the framework of a constant dialogue between science and society [it

Identifying promising accessions of cherry tomato: a sensory strategy using consumers and chefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocha, Mariella C; Deliza, Rosires; Ares, Gastón; Freitas, Daniela De G C; Silva, Aline L S; Carmo, Margarida G F; Abboud, Antonio C S

2013-06-01

An increased production of cherry and gourmet tomato cultivars that are harvested at advanced colour stages and sold at a higher price has been observed in the last 10 years. In this context, producers need information on the sensory characteristics of new cultivars and their perception by potential consumers. The aim of the present work was to obtain a sensory characterisation of nine cherry tomato cultivars produced under Brazilian organic cultivation conditions from a chef and consumer perspective. Nine organic cherry tomato genotypes were evaluated by ten chefs using an open-ended question and by 110 consumers using a check-all-that-apply question. Both methodologies provided similar information on the sensory characteristics of the cherry tomato accessions. The superimposed representation of the samples in a multiple factor analysis was similar for consumers' and chefs' descriptions (RV coefficient 0.728), although they used different methodologies. According to both panels, cherry tomatoes were sorted into five groups of samples with similar sensory characteristics. Results from the present work may provide information to help organic producers in the selection of the most promising cultivars for cultivation, taking into account consumers' and chefs' perceptions, as well as in the design of communication and marketing strategies. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Promise of Virtual Teams: Identifying Key Factors in Effectiveness and Failure

Science.gov (United States)

Horwitz, Frank M.; Bravington, Desmond; Silvis, Ulrik

2006-01-01

Purpose: The aim of the investigation is to identify enabling and disenabling factors in the development and operation of virtual teams; to evaluate the importance of factors such as team development, cross-cultural variables, leadership, communication and social cohesion as contributors to virtual team effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach:…

Science in the Wild: Technology Needs and Opportunities in Scientific Fieldwork

Science.gov (United States)

Guice, Jon; Hoffower, Heidi; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

Considering that much contemporary natural science involves field expeditions, fieldwork is an under-studied topic. There is also little information technology specifically designed to support scientific fieldwork, aside from portable scientific instruments. This article describes a variety of fieldwork practices in an interdisciplinary research area, proposes a framework linking types of fieldwork to types of needs in information technology, and identifies promising opportunities for technology development. Technologies that are designed to support the integration of field observations and samples with laboratory work are likely to aid nearly all research teams who conduct fieldwork. However, technologies that support highly detailed representations of field sites will likely trigger the deepest changes in work practice. By way of illustration, we present brief case studies of how fieldwork is done today and how it might be conducted with the introduction of new information technologies.

Promising More Information

Science.gov (United States)

2003-01-01

When NASA needed a real-time, online database system capable of tracking documentation changes in its propulsion test facilities, engineers at Stennis Space Center joined with ECT International, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, to create a solution. Through NASA's Dual-Use Program, ECT developed Exdata, a software program that works within the company's existing Promise software. Exdata not only satisfied NASA s requirements, but also expanded ECT s commercial product line. Promise, ECT s primary product, is an intelligent software program with specialized functions for designing and documenting electrical control systems. An addon to AutoCAD software, Promis e generates control system schematics, panel layouts, bills of material, wire lists, and terminal plans. The drawing functions include symbol libraries, macros, and automatic line breaking. Primary Promise customers include manufacturing companies, utilities, and other organizations with complex processes to control.

Research-practice interactions as reported in recent design research studies: Still promising, still hazy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ormel, Bart; Pareja Roblin, Natalie; McKenney, Susan; Voogt, Joke; Pieters, Jules

2012-01-01

Ormel, B., Pareja Roblin, N., McKenney, S., Voogt, J., & Pieters, J. (2012). Research-practice interactions as reported in recent design research studies: Still promising, still hazy. Educational Technology Research & Development, 60(6), 967-986. doi:10.1007/s11423-012-9261-6

Selecting Security Technology Providers

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Tod

2009-01-01

The world of security technology holds great promise, but it is fraught with opportunities for expensive missteps and misapplications. The quality of the security technology consultants and system integrators one uses will have a direct bearing on how well his school masters this complex subject. Security technology consultants help determine…

Identifying and Assessing Life-Cycle-Related Critical Technology Elements (CTEs) for Technology Readiness Assessments (TRAs)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Mandelbaum, Jay

2006-01-01

.... Because these technologies are not emphasized in the current Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) process this document is intended to improve the focus on life-cycle-related technologies in TRAs...

MBR technology: a promising approach for the (pre-)treatment of hospital wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Beier, S; Cramer, C; Mauer, C; Köster, S; Schröder, H Fr; Pinnekamp, J

2012-01-01

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology is a very reliable and extensively tested solution for biological wastewater treatment. Nowadays, separate treatment of highly polluted wastewater streams especially from hospitals and other health care facilities is currently under investigation worldwide. In this context, the MBR technology will play a decisive role because an effluent widely cleaned up from solids and nutrients is absolutely mandatory for a subsequent further elimination of organic trace pollutants. Taking hospital wastewater as an example, the aim of this study was to investigate to what extent MBR technology is an adequate 'pre-treatment' solution for further elimination of trace pollutants. Therefore, we investigated - within a 2-year period - the performance of a full-scale hospital wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) equipped with a MBR by referring to conventional chemical and microbiological standard parameters. Furthermore, we measured the energy consumption and tested different operating conditions. According to our findings the MBR treatment of the hospital wastewater was highly efficient in terms of the removal of solids and nutrients. Finally, we did not observe any major adverse effects on the operation and performance of the MBR system which potentially could derive from the composition of the hospital wastewater. In total, the present study proved that MBR technology is a very efficient and reliable treatment approach for the treatment of highly polluted wastewater from hospitals and can be recommended as a suitable pre-treatment solution for further trace pollutant removal.

Identifying Effective Policy and Technologic Reforms for Sustainable Groundwater Management in Oman

Science.gov (United States)

Madani, K.; Zekri, S.; Karimi, A.

2014-12-01

Oman has gone through three decades of efforts aimed at addressing groundwater over-pumping and the consequent seawater intrusion. Example of measures adopted by the government since the 1990's include a vast subsidy program of irrigation modernization, a freeze on drilling new wells, delimitation of several no-drill zones, a crop substitution program, re-use of treated wastewater and construction of recharge dams. With no major success through these measures, the government laid the ground for water quotas by creating a new regulation in 1995. Nevertheless, groundwater quotas have not been enforced to date due to the high implementation and monitoring costs of traditional flow meters. This presentation discusses how sustainable groundwater management can be secured in Oman using a suit of policy and technologic reforms at a reasonable economic, political and practical cost. Data collected from farms with smart meters and low-cost wireless smart irrigation systems have been used to propose sustainable groundwater withdrawal strategies for Oman using a detailed hydro-economic model that couples a MODFLOW-SEAWAT model of the coastal aquifers with a dynamic profit maximization model. The hydro-economic optimization model was flexible to be run both as a social planner model to maximize the social welfare in the region, and as an agent-based model to capture the behavior of farmers interested in maximizing their profits independently. This flexibility helped capturing the trade-off between the optimality of the social planner solution developed at the system's level and its practicality (stability) with respect to the concerns and behaviors of the profit-maximizing farmers. The idetified promising policy and technolgical reforms for Oman include strict enforcement of groundwater quotas, smart metering, changing crop mixes, improving irrigation technologies, and revising geographical distribution of the farming activities. The presentation will discuss how different

Emerging educational technologies: Tensions and synergy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Michael Spector

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A review of high level sources with regard to new and emerging technologies was conducted. Three technologies, according to these sources, appear especially promising: (a massive open online courses (MOOCs, (b personalized learning, and (c game-based learning. This paper will review information from the US National Science Foundation, the US Department of Education, the New Media Consortium, and two European Networks of Excellence with regard to new and emerging technologies. A critique will then be provided using established principles pertaining to learning and instruction and a recommended curriculum for advanced learning technologies. The general result is that it appears that some educational technology advocates are overstating the likelihood of these three technologies having a significant and sustained impact in the near future, although there are promising aspects to each of these technologies in the long term.

Identifying concepts for studying implementation of information technology in facilities management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ebbesen, Poul; Bonke, Sten

2014-01-01

. Background: Experiences from the FM sector indicate that IT systems meant to support FM operations and workflows often do not generate the expected added value neither to the FM department itself nor to the basic organization supported by the FM department. Approach (Theory/Methodology): Based on findings......Purpose: To contribute to identifying a conceptual framework for describing and understanding the processes involved when implementing and using Information Technology (IT) in Facilities Management (FM). This paper discusses how basic concepts from different theories can be applied in parallel when...... from exciting research on IT implementation a range of more generic theoretical concepts applicable to the typical setting or situation of IT implementation in FM has been found. These theoretical concepts all clarify and describe different aspects of the implementation process and they may all...

Climate change and eHealth: a promising strategy for health sector mitigation and adaptation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Åsa Holmner

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Climate change is one of today's most pressing global issues. Policies to guide mitigation and adaptation are needed to avoid the devastating impacts of climate change. The health sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in developed countries, and its climate impact in low-income countries is growing steadily. This paper reviews and discusses the literature regarding health sector mitigation potential, known and hypothetical co-benefits, and the potential of health information technology, such as eHealth, in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The promising role of eHealth as an adaptation strategy to reduce societal vulnerability to climate change, and the link's between mitigation and adaptation, are also discussed. The topic of environmental eHealth has gained little attention to date, despite its potential to contribute to more sustainable and green health care. A growing number of local and global initiatives on ‘green information and communication technology (ICT’ are now mentioning eHealth as a promising technology with the potential to reduce emission rates from ICT use. However, the embracing of eHealth is slow because of limitations in technological infrastructure, capacity and political will. Further research on potential emissions reductions and co-benefits with green ICT, in terms of health outcomes and economic effectiveness, would be valuable to guide development and implementation of eHealth in health sector mitigation and adaptation policies.

Climate change and eHealth: a promising strategy for health sector mitigation and adaptation

Science.gov (United States)

Holmner, Åsa; Rocklöv, Joacim; Ng, Nawi; Nilsson, Maria

2012-01-01

Climate change is one of today's most pressing global issues. Policies to guide mitigation and adaptation are needed to avoid the devastating impacts of climate change. The health sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in developed countries, and its climate impact in low-income countries is growing steadily. This paper reviews and discusses the literature regarding health sector mitigation potential, known and hypothetical co-benefits, and the potential of health information technology, such as eHealth, in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The promising role of eHealth as an adaptation strategy to reduce societal vulnerability to climate change, and the link's between mitigation and adaptation, are also discussed. The topic of environmental eHealth has gained little attention to date, despite its potential to contribute to more sustainable and green health care. A growing number of local and global initiatives on ‘green information and communication technology (ICT)’ are now mentioning eHealth as a promising technology with the potential to reduce emission rates from ICT use. However, the embracing of eHealth is slow because of limitations in technological infrastructure, capacity and political will. Further research on potential emissions reductions and co-benefits with green ICT, in terms of health outcomes and economic effectiveness, would be valuable to guide development and implementation of eHealth in health sector mitigation and adaptation policies. PMID:22679398

Virtual Reality and Its Potential Use in Special Education. Identifying Emerging Issues and Trends in Technology for Special Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Woodward, John

As part of a 3-year study to identify emerging issues and trends in technology for special education, this paper addresses the possible contributions of virtual reality technology to educational services for students with disabilities. An example of the use of virtual reality in medical imaging introduces the paper and leads to a brief review of…

Identifying Lead Markets in the European Automotive Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cleff, Thomas; Grimpe, Christoph; Rammer, Christian

2015-01-01

for automobiles and national markets differ considerably in their lead market potential. The German market is found to be most promising to serve as a lead market, while other European countries with a strong automotive tradition like France, Italy, the UK, and Sweden score lower. Our findings suggest that firms......This paper presents an indicator-based methodology to identify lead markets in the European automotive industry. The lead market approach tries to explain why certain countries are better positioned than others for developing and launching new products. While much research stresses the role...... of excellence in technology and interaction among users and producers, the lead market approach focuses on the role of demand characteristics. Based on the concept of innovation design, a lead market is defined as a country where customers prefer that design which subsequently becomes the globally dominant...

JSC research and technology

Science.gov (United States)

1993-01-01

The primary roles and missions of JSC incorporate all aspects of human presence in space. Therefore, the Center is involved in the development of technology that will allow humans to stay longer in Earth orbit, allow safe flight in space, and provide capabilities to explore the Moon and Mars. The Center's technology emphasis areas include human spacecraft development, human support systems and infrastructure, and human spacecraft operations. Safety and reliability are critical requirements for the technologies that JSC pursues for long-duration use in space. One of the objectives of technology development at the Center is to give employees the opportunity to enhance their technological expertise and project management skills by defining, designing, and developing projects that are vital to the Center's strategy for the future. This report is intended to communicate within and outside the Agency our research and technology (R&T) accomplishments, as well as inform Headquarters program managers and their constituents of the significant accomplishments that have promise for future Agency programs. While not inclusive of all R&T efforts, the report presents a comprehensive summary of JSC projects in which substantial progress was made in the 1992 fiscal year. At the beginning of each project description, names of the Principal Investigator (PI) and the Technical Monitor (TM) are given, followed by their JSC mail codes or their company or university affiliations. The funding sources and technology focal points are identified in the index.

Watch IT: The Risks and Promises of Information Technologies for Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Burbules, Nicholas C.; Callister, Thomas A., Jr.

This book is an examination of several critical issues and controversies concerning the potential of new information technology (IT) for education. In a series of interrelated essays, the book explores such issues as access, credibility, new approaches to reading and writing, the glut of information, privacy, censorship, commercialization, and…

Identifying Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration in Instructional Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Yonjoo

2017-01-01

Interdisciplinarity is defined as communication and collaboration across academic disciplines. The instructional technology (IT) field has claimed to have an interdisciplinary nature influenced by neighboring fields such as psychology, communication, and management. However, it has been difficult to find outstanding evidence of the field's…

Ab initio Thermodynamic Approach to Identify Mixed Solid Sorbents for CO2 Capture Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuhua eDuan

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Because the current technologies for capturing CO2 are still too energy intensive, new materials must be developed that can capture CO2 reversibly with acceptable energy costs. At a given CO2 pressure, the turnover temperature (Tt of the reaction of an individual solid that can capture CO2 is fixed. Such Tt may be outside the operating temperature range (ΔTo for a practical capture technology. To adjust Tt to fit the practical ΔTo, in this study, three scenarios of mixing schemes are explored by combining thermodynamic database mining with first principles density functional theory and phonon lattice dynamics calculations. Our calculated results demonstrate that by mixing different types of solids, it’s possible to shift Tt to the range of practical operating temperature conditions. According to the requirements imposed by the pre- and post- combustion technologies and based on our calculated thermodynamic properties for the CO2 capture reactions by the mixed solids of interest, we were able to identify the mixing ratios of two or more solids to form new sorbent materials for which lower capture energy costs are expected at the desired pressure and temperature conditions.

Identifying the key processes for technology transfer through spin-offs in academic institutions : a case study in Flanders and The Netherlands

OpenAIRE

Meysman, Jasmine; Cleyn, De, Sven H.; Braet, Johan

2017-01-01

Abstract: The position and role of technology transfer offices within universities and academic institutions have changed under influence of todays society, with diminishing government subsidies and technology transfer related policies having their impact on the technology transfer processes. In order to find out what the effect of this impact is, we performed a multiple-case study on six technology transfer offices in Flanders and The Netherlands. As a result of the study, we identified two ...

Promises and pitfalls of NGS technology in Clinic: Experience from Kolkata

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atanu Kumar Dutta

2017-12-01

With the help of a series of cases the utility of NGS testing and different flavors of the technology will be outlined. Specifically in the prenatal diagnostic setting dilemma related to testing and not testing will be outlined. The absence of customized CNV assays complimenting the NGS panel will be highlighted.

Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment: A Research-Based Pedagogy for Teaching Science with Classroom Response Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Beatty, Ian D.; Gerace, William J.

2009-01-01

"Classroom response systems" (CRSs) are a promising instructional technology, but most literature on CRS use fails to distinguish between technology and pedagogy, to define and justify a pedagogical perspective, or to discriminate between pedagogies. "Technology-enhanced formative assessment" (TEFA) is our pedagogy for CRS-based science…

Enterococci Isolated from Cypriot Green Table Olives as a New Source of Technological and Probiotic Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dimitrios A. Anagnostopoulos

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Τable olive is one of the main fermented vegetable worldwide and can be processed as treated or natural product. Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB are responsible for the fermentation of treated olives. The aim of this work was to study the technological characteristics and the potential probiotic properties of LAB isolated from Cypriot green table olives. This is the first comprehensive report on the isolation and characterization of LAB isolates retrieved from Cypriot green table olives. From a collection of 92 isolates from spontaneously fermenting green olives, 64 g positive isolates were firstly identified to genus level using biochemical tests, and secondly to species level using multiplex species specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR amplifications of the sodA gene. Moreover, each of our isolates were tested for their technological and probiotics properties, as well as for their safety characteristics, using biochemical and molecular methods, in order to be used as starter cultures. Finally, to discriminate the most promising isolates on the base of their technological and probiotics properties, Principal component analysis was used. All the isolates were identified as Enteroccocus faecium, having interesting technological properties, while pathogenicity determinants were absent. Principal component analysis showed that some isolates had a combination of the tested parameters. These findings demonstrate that enteroccoci from Cypriot table olives should be considered as a new source of potential starter cultures for fermented products, having possibly promising technological and probiotic attributes.

Procedures for identifying reasonably available control technology for stationary sources of PM-10. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fitzpatrick, M.J.; Ellefson, R.

1992-09-01

The guidance document sets forth procedures and identifies sources of information that will assist State and local air pollution control agencies in determining Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for PM-10 (particulate matter having a nominal aerometric diameter of 10 microns or less) emission from existing stationary sources on a case-by-case basis. It provides an annotated bibliography of documents to aid in identifying the activities that cause PM-10 emissions as well as applicable air pollution control measures and their effectiveness in reducing emissions. The most stringent state total particulate matter (PM) emission limits are identified for several categories of PM-10 sources and compared to available emission test data. Finally, guidance is provided on procedures for estimating total capital investment and total annual cost of the control measures which are generally used to control PM-10 emissions

JV Task 106 - Feasibility of CO2 Capture Technologies for Existing North Dakota Lignite-Fired Pulverized Coal Boilers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michael L. Jones; Brandon M. Pavlish; Melanie D. Jensen

2007-05-01

The goal of this project is to provide a technical review and evaluation of various carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) capture technologies, with a focus on the applicability to lignite-fired facilities within North Dakota. The motivation for the project came from the Lignite Energy Council's (LEC's) need to identify the feasibility of CO{sub 2} capture technologies for existing North Dakota lignite-fired, pulverized coal (pc) power plants. A literature review was completed to determine the commercially available technologies as well as to identify emerging CO{sub 2} capture technologies that are currently in the research or demonstration phase. The literature review revealed few commercially available technologies for a coal-fired power plant. CO{sub 2} separation and capture using amine scrubbing have been performed for several years in industry and could be applied to an existing pc-fired power plant. Other promising technologies do exist, but many are still in the research and demonstration phases. Oxyfuel combustion, a technology that has been used in industry for several years to increase boiler efficiency, is in the process of being tailored for CO{sub 2} separation and capture. These two technologies were chosen for evaluation for CO{sub 2} separation and capture from coal-fired power plants. Although oxyfuel combustion is still in the pilot-scale demonstration phase, it was chosen to be evaluated at LEC's request because it is one of the most promising emerging technologies. As part of the evaluation of the two chosen technologies, a conceptual design, a mass and energy balance, and an economic evaluation were completed.

Stem cell therapy: the great promise in lung disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Siniscalco, Dario; Sullo, Nikol; Maione, Sabatino; Rossi, Francesco; D'Agostino, Bruno

2008-06-01

Lung injuries are leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Pulmonary diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease characterized by loss of lung elasticity, small airway tethers, and luminal obstruction with inflammatory mucoid secretions, or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis characterized by excessive matrix deposition and destruction of the normal lung architecture, have essentially symptomatic treatments and their management is costly to the health care system.Regeneration of tissue by stem cells from endogenous, exogenous, and even genetically modified cells is a promising novel therapy. The use of adult stem cells to help with lung regeneration and repair could be a newer technology in clinical and regenerative medicine. In fact, different studies have shown that bone marrow progenitor cells contribute to repair and remodeling of lung in animal models of progressive pulmonary hypertension.Therefore, lung stem cell biology may provide novel approaches to therapy and could represent a great promise for the future of molecular medicine. In fact, several diseases can be slowed or even blocked by stem cell transplantation.

Giving up Technology and Social Media: Why University Lecturers Stop Using Technology in Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Shelton, Chris

2017-01-01

University lecturers use a wide range of technologies when teaching and there has been much research into how particular technologies are adopted. However, there are also many technologies that, despite early promise, are no longer being used in university teaching and have been abandoned by institutions or individuals. This article presents the…

The Fishbone diagram to identify, systematize and analyze the sources of general purpose technologies

OpenAIRE

COCCIA, Mario

2017-01-01

Abstract. This study suggests the fishbone diagram for technological analysis. Fishbone diagram (also called Ishikawa diagrams or cause-and-effect diagrams) is a graphical technique to show the several causes of a specific event or phenomenon. In particular, a fishbone diagram (the shape is similar to a fish skeleton) is a common tool used for a cause and effect analysis to identify a complex interplay of causes for a specific problem or event. The fishbone diagram can be a comprehensive theo...

The promise of two-person neuroscience for developmental psychiatry: Using interaction-based sociometrics to identify disorders of social interaction

OpenAIRE

Leong, Victoria; Schilbach, Leonhard

2018-01-01

Social interactions are fundamental for human development, and disordered social interactions are pervasive in many psychiatric disorders. Recent advances in “two-person neuroscience” have provided new tools for characterising social interactions. Accordingly, interaction-based ‘sociometrics’ hold great promise for developmental psychology and psychiatry, particularly in the early identification of social disorders.

Identifying and Synchronizing Health Information Technology (HIT) Events from FDA Medical Device Reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hong; Wang, Frank; Zhou, Sicheng; Miao, Qi; Gong, Yang

2017-01-01

Health information technology (HIT) events, a subtype of patient safety events, pose a major threat and barrier toward a safer healthcare system. It is crucial to gain a better understanding of the nature of the errors and adverse events caused by current HIT systems. The scarcity of HIT event-exclusive databases and event reporting systems indicates the challenge of identifying the HIT events from existing resources. FDA Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database is a potential resource for HIT events. However, the low proportion and the rapid evolvement of HIT-related events present challenges for distinguishing them from other equipment failures and hazards. We proposed a strategy to identify and synchronize HIT events from MAUDE by using a filter based on structured features and classifiers based on unstructured features. The strategy will help us develop and grow an HIT event-exclusive database, keeping pace with updates to MAUDE toward shared learning.

The Challenge of Ensuring Persistency of Identifier Systems in the World of Ever-Changing Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas J. Car

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The identification of information objects has always been important with library collections with indexes having been created in the most ancient times. Since the digital age, many specialised and generic persistent identifier (PID systems have been used to identify digital objects. Just as many ancient indexes have died over time, so too PID systems have had a lifecycle from inception to active phase to paralysis, and eventually a fall into oblivion. Where the indexes within the Great Library at Alexandria finally succumbed to fire, technology change has been the destroyer of more recent digital indexes. We distil four PID system design principles from observations over the years that we think should be implemented by PID system architects to ensure that their systems survive change. The principles: describe how to ensure identifiers’ system and organisation independence; codify the delivery of essential PID system functions; mandate a separation of PID functions from data delivery mechanisms; and require generation of policies detailing how change is handled. In addition to suggesting specific items for each principle, we propose that a platform-independent model (PIM be established for persistent identifiers – of any sort and with any resolver technology – in order to enable transition between present and future systems and the preservation of the identifiers’ functioning. We detail our PID system—the PID Service—that implements the proposed principles and a data model to some extent and we describe an implementation case study of an organisation’s implementation of PID systems that implement the Pillars further but still not completely. Penultimately, we describe in a Future Work section, an opportunity for the use of both the Pillars and the PIM; that of the World Wide Web Consortium’s Permanent Identifier Community Group who is seeking to “set up and maintain a secure permanent, URL re-direction service for the web”.

Alternative alkali resistant deNO{sub x} technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buus Kristensen, S.; Due-Hansen, J.; Putluru, S.S.R.; Kunov-Kruse, A.; Fehrmann, R.; Degn Jensen, A.

2011-04-15

The aim of the project is to identify, make and test possible alkali resistant deNO{sub x} catalysts for use in biomass, waste or fossil fuelled power plants, where the flue gas typically has a high level of potassium compounds, which rapidly de-activate the traditional V{sub 2}O{sub 5}/TiO{sub 2} catalyst. Furthermore, new technologies are investigated based on a protective coating of the catalyst elements and selective reversible absorption of NO{sub x} with ionic liquids. Several promising alternative deNO{sub x} catalyst types have been made during the project: 1) V, Fe, CU based nano-TiO{sub 2} and nano-TiO{sub 2}-SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} catalysts; 2) V/ZrO{sub 2}-SO{sub 2}- and V/ZrO{sub 2}-CeO{sub 2} catalysts; V, Fe, Cu based Zeolite catalysts; 4) V, Fe, Cu based Heteropoly acid catalysts. Several of these are promising alternatives to the state-of the art industrial reference catalyst. All catalysts prepared in the present project exhibit higher to much higher alkali resistance compared to the commercial reference. Furthermore, two catalysts, i.e. 20 wt% V{sub 2}O-3-TiO{sub 2} nano-catalyst and the 4 wt% CuO-Mordenite zeolite based catalyst have also a higher initial SCR activity compared to the commercial one before alkali poisoning. Thus, those two catalysts might be attractive for SCR deNO{sub x} purposes even under ''normal'' fuel conditions in power plants and elsewhere making them strong candidates for further development. These efforts regarding all the promising catalysts will be pursued after this project has expired through a one year Proof of Concept project granted by the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation. Also the severe rate of deactivation due to alkali poisons can be avoided by coating the vanadium catalyst with Mg. Overall, the protective coating of SCR catalysts developed in the project seems promising and a patent application has been filed for this technology. Finally, a completely different approach to

New technologies for monitoring nuclear materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moran, B.W.

1993-01-01

This paper describes new technologies for monitoring the continued presence of nuclear materials that are being evaluated in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to reduce the effort, cost, and employee exposures associated with conducting nuclear material inventories. These technologies also show promise for the international safeguarding of process systems and nuclear materials in storage, including spent fuels. The identified systems are based on innovative technologies that were not developed for safeguards applications. These advanced technologies include passive and active sensor systems based on optical materials, inexpensive solid-state radiation detectors, dimensional surface characterization, and digital color imagery. The passive sensor systems use specialized scintillator materials coupled to optical-fiber technologies that not only are capable of measuring radioactive emissions but also are capable of measuring or monitoring pressure, weight, temperature, and source location. Small, durable solid-state gamma-ray detection devices, whose components are estimated to cost less than $25 per unit, can be implemented in a variety of configurations and can be adapted to enhance existing monitoring systems. Variations in detector design have produced significantly different system capabilities. Dimensional surface characterization and digital color imaging are applications of developed technologies that are capable of motion detection, item surveillance, and unique identification of items

Literature review on monitoring technologies and their outcomes in independently living elderly people.

Science.gov (United States)

Peetoom, Kirsten K B; Lexis, Monique A S; Joore, Manuela; Dirksen, Carmen D; De Witte, Luc P

2015-07-01

To obtain insight into what kind of monitoring technologies exist to monitor activity in-home, what the characteristics and aims of applying these technologies are, what kind of research has been conducted on their effects and what kind of outcomes are reported. A systematic document search was conducted within the scientific databases Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, PsycINFO and Cinahl, complemented by Google Scholar. Documents were included in this review if they reported on monitoring technologies that detect activities of daily living (ADL) or significant events, e.g. falls, of elderly people in-home, with the aim of prolonging independent living. Five main types of monitoring technologies were identified: PIR motion sensors, body-worn sensors, pressure sensors, video monitoring and sound recognition. In addition, multicomponent technologies and smart home technologies were identified. Research into the use of monitoring technologies is widespread, but in its infancy, consisting mainly of small-scale studies and including few longitudinal studies. Monitoring technology is a promising field, with applications to the long-term care of elderly persons. However, monitoring technologies have to be brought to the next level, with longitudinal studies that evaluate their (cost-) effectiveness to demonstrate the potential to prolong independent living of elderly persons. [Box: see text].

Technology development for recirculating heavy-ion accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newton, M.A.; Kirbie, H.C.

1993-01-01

The open-quotes recirculator,close quotes a recirculating heavy-ion accelerator has been identified as a promising approach for an inertial fusion driver. System studies have been conducted to evaluate the recirculator on the basis of feasibility and cost. The recirculator has been shown to have significant cost advantages over other potential driver schemes, but some of the performance requirements exceed the capabilities of present technology. The system studies identified the high leverage areas where advances in technology will significantly impact the cost and performance of a recirculator. One of the high leverage areas is the modulator system which generates the acceleration potentials in the induction cells. The modulator system must be capable of generating the acceleration potentials at peak repetition rates in excess of 100 kHz with variable pulse widths. LLNL is developing a modulator technology capable of driving induction cells using the latest in solid state MOSFET technology. A small scale modulator has been built and tested to prove the concept and the next version is presently being designed. The objective is to demonstrate a modulator operating at 5 kV, 1 kA, with 0.2--1 μs pulse widths while driving an induction cell at >100 kHz within the next year. This paper describes the recirculator, the technology requirements necessary to implement it and the modulator system development that is being pursued to meet these requirements

Desalination and Water Security: The Promise and Perils of a Technological Fix to the Water Crisis in Baja California Sur, Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamie McEvoy

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Across the globe, desalination is increasingly being considered as a new water supply source. This article examines how the introduction of desalinated water into the municipal water supply portfolio has affected water security in the coastal tourist city of Cabo San Lucas in Baja California Sur (BCS, Mexico. It also analyses the competing discourses surrounding desalination in the region and discusses alternative water management options for achieving water security. This article challenges the notion that desalination is an appropriate and sufficient technological solution for arid regions. The findings provide evidence of increased yet delimited water security at a neighbourhood scale while identifying new vulnerabilities related to desalination, particularly in the context of the global South. This article concludes that implementing a technological fix on top of a water management system that is plagued with more systemic and structural problems does little to improve long-term water management and is likely to foreclose or forestall other water management options. This multi-scalar analysis contributes to the emerging literature on water security by considering both a narrow and broad framing of water security and identifying a range of factors that influence water security.

Football refereeing: Identifying innovative methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza MohammadKazemi

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study is to identify the potentials innovation in football industry. Data were collected from 10 national and international referees, assistant referees and referees’ supervisors in Iran. In this study, technological innovations are identified that assist better refereeing performances. The analysis revealed a significant relationship between using new technologies and referees ‘performance. The results indicate that elite referees, assistant referees and supervisors agreed to use new technological innovations during the game. According to their comments, this kind of technology causes the referees’ performance development.

The Promise of E-Platform Technology in Medical Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawd, Siraj

2016-03-01

Increasing the number as well as improving the capacity and quality of medical professionals to achieve an equitable health care for all is a global priority and a global challenge. In developing countries, which are facing the largest burden of disease, to achieve the above stated objective, there is a big need for more well-trained, competent and dedicated health care providers. Currently, there is a well-documented shortage of trained health workers globally, with the poorest countries having the greatest shortfalls. The time tested, traditional approach of training health care force by importing professionals from overseas is not only prohibitively expensive but also not sufficient to achieve the scale and pace of the required human capacity building. Considering this fact, distance learning programs, which include m-Health as well as other information technology (IT) platforms and tools, can provide unique, timely, cost-effective, easily scalable and valuable opportunities to expand access to training health care manpower in developing countries where the shortage is critical.

Microbial fuel cells: a promising alternative for power generation and waste treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vazquez-Larios, A. L.; Solorza-Feria, O.; Rinderknecht-Seijas, N.; Poggi-Varaldo, H. M.

2009-01-01

The current energy crisis has launched a renewed interest on alternative energy sources and non-fossil fuels. One promising technology is the direct production of electricity from organic matter or wastes in microbial fuel cells (MFC). A MFC can be envisioned as an bio-electrochemical reactor that converts the chemical energy stored in chemical bonds into electrical energy via the catalytic activity of microorganisms under anoxic conditions. (Author)

The Promise of Education Information Systems: How Technology Can Improve School Management and Success

Science.gov (United States)

Levenson, Nathan; Boser, Ulrich

2014-01-01

Many school district strategic plans and education conferences are aggressively embracing technology to improve teaching and learning. Classroom technology typically includes blended learning, personalized learning, online courses for students, and professional development for teachers, among many other things. As districts wrestle with tighter…

DICOM standard in computer-aided medical technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plotnikov, A.V.; Prilutskij, D.A.; Selishchev, S.V.

1997-01-01

The paper outlines one of the promising standards to transmit images in medicine, in radiology in particular. the essence of the standard DICOM is disclosed and promises of its introduction into computer-aided medical technologies

Harness the Power of Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, Arne

2011-01-01

Today, U.S. educators are teaching in the midst of a technological revolution. Technology promises to provide innovative solutions in the nation's classrooms, just as it has transformed the way people communicate, socialize, and conduct business. In this article, the author argues that now is the time to harness technology to revolutionize the way…

AFCI Safeguards Enhancement Study: Technology Development Roadmap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Leon E.; Dougan, A.; Tobin, Stephen; Cipiti, B.; Ehinger, Michael H.; Bakel, A. J.; Bean, Robert; Grate, Jay W.; Santi, P.; Bryan, Steven; Kinlaw, M. T.; Schwantes, Jon M.; Burr, Tom; Lehn, Scott A.; Tolk, K.; Chichester, David; Menlove, H.; Vo, D.; Duckworth, Douglas C.; Merkle, P.; Wang, T. F.; Duran, F.; Nakae, L.; Warren, Glen A.; Friedrich, S.; Rabin, M.

2008-12-31

The Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) Safeguards Campaign aims to develop safeguards technologies and processes that will significantly reduce the risk of proliferation in the U.S. nuclear fuel cycle of tomorrow. The Safeguards Enhancement Study was chartered with identifying promising research and development (R&D) directions over timescales both near-term and long-term, and under safeguards oversight both domestic and international. This technology development roadmap documents recognized gaps and needs in the safeguarding of nuclear fuel cycles, and outlines corresponding performance targets for each of those needs. Drawing on the collective expertise of technologists and user-representatives, a list of over 30 technologies that have the potential to meet those needs was developed, along with brief summaries of each candidate technology. Each summary describes the potential impact of that technology, key research questions to be addressed, and prospective development milestones that could lead to a definitive viability or performance assessment. Important programmatic linkages between U.S. agencies and offices are also described, reflecting the emergence of several safeguards R&D programs in the U.S. and the reinvigoration of nuclear fuel cycles across the globe.

Leveraging technology to enhance addiction treatment and recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsch, Lisa A

2012-01-01

Technology such as the Internet and mobile phones offers considerable promise for affecting the assessment, prevention, and treatment of and recovery from substance use disorders. Technology may enable entirely new models of behavioral health care within and outside of formal systems of care. This article reviews the promise of technology-based therapeutic tools for affecting the quality and reach of addiction treatment and recovery support systems, as well as the empirical support to date for this approach. Potential models for implementing technology-based interventions targeting substance use disorders are described. Opportunities to optimize the effectiveness and impact of technology-based interventions targeting addiction and recovery, along with outstanding research needs, are discussed.

The promise of molecular epidemiology in defining the association between radiation and cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neta, R.

2000-01-01

Molecular epidemiology involves the inclusion in epidemiologic studies of biologic measurements made at a genetic and molecular level and aims to improve the current knowledge of disease etiology and risk. One of the goals of molecular epidemiology studies of cancer is to determine the role of environmental and genetic factors in initiation and progression of malignancies and to use this knowledge to develop preventive strategies. This approach promises extraordinary opportunities for revolutionizing the practice of medicine and reducing risk. However, this will be accompanied by the need to address and resolve many challenges, such as ensuring the appropriate interpretation of molecular testing and resolving associated ethical, legal, and social issues. Traditional epidemiologic approaches determined that exposure to ionizing radiation poses significantly increased risk of leukemia and several other types of cancer. Such studies provided the basis for setting exposure standards to protect the public and the workforce from potentially adverse effects of ionizing radiation. These standards were set by using modeling approaches to extrapolate from the biological effects observed in high-dose radiation studies to predicted, but mostly immeasurable, effects at low radiation doses. It is anticipated that the addition of the molecular parameters to the population-based studies will help identify the genes and pathways characteristic of cancers due to radiation exposure of individuals, as well as identify susceptible or resistant subpopulations. In turn, the information about the molecular mechanisms should aid to improve risk assessment. While studies on radiogenic concerns are currently limited to only a few candidate genes, the exponential growth of scientific knowledge and technology promises expansion of knowledge about identity of participating genes and pathways in the future. This article is meant to provide an introductory overview of recent advances in

Review on absorption technology with emphasis on small capacity absorption machines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Labus Jerko M.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to review the past achievements in the field of absorption systems, their potential and possible directions for future development. Various types of absorption systems and research on working fluids are discussed in detail. Among various applications, solar cooling and combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP are identified as two most promising applications for further development of absorption machines. Under the same framework, special attention is given to the small capacity absorption machines and their current status at the market. Although this technology looks promising, it is still in development and many issues are open. With respect to that fact, this paper covers all the relevant aspects for further development of small capacity absorption machines.

Promising designs of compact heat exchangers for modular HTRs using the Brayton cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pra, Franck; Tochon, Patrice; Mauget, Christian; Fokkens, Jan; Willemsen, Sander

2008-01-01

The presented study was carried out within the Work Package 2 'Recuperator' of the High Temperature Reactor-E European program. High Temperature gas cooled Reactor concepts with a direct cycle have become potentially interesting for the future. Theoretically, these concepts provide higher efficiency than a classical steam cycle. Within the Brayton cycle the helium/helium recuperator, required to achieve the high efficiency, has to work under very harsh conditions (temperature, pressure, and pressure difference between circuits). Within the project the most promising technologies for the compact recuperator were investigated. First, the requirements for the recuperator to operate under the direct Brayton cycle have been defined. Based on these requirements the various potential technologies available on the market have been investigated. Two particular technologies (HEATRIC Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger, NORDON plate fin concept) have been selected as most promising. For the former, a precise description has been given and a mock-up has been fabricated and tested in the Claire loop at CEA. In the Claire loop the Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger mock-up has been subjected to thermal shocks, which are considered to be representative for a recuperator. Prior to the experimental testing coupled Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) and Finite Element analyses have been performed to give insight into the thermal and mechanical behaviour of the mock-ups during the thermal shock. Based on these results the experimental measuring program has been optimized. Upon completion of the tests the experimental and numerical results have been compared. Based on the results from the investigation performed recommendations are given for the full-size recuperator using the selected technologies

Promising Practices in Citywide Afterschool Initiatives. CityWorks: Focus on Infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Georgia

This brief is the first in a series featuring promising practices in city-wide after-school initiatives, with a focus at the infrastructure level, focusing on the infrastructure representing the underlying elements or framework that hold a system or initiative together. The brief identifies practices to support the public relations function and…

QuEST: Qualifying Environmentally Sustainable Technologies. Volume 2

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Christina (Editor)

2007-01-01

TEERM focuses its validation efforts on technologies that have shown promise in laboratory testing, but lack testing under realistic or field environment. Mature technologies have advantages over those that are still in the developmental stage such as being more likely to be transitioned into a working environment. One way TEERM begins to evaluate the suitability of technologies is through Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). TRLs are a systematic metric/measurement system that supports assessments of the maturity of a particular technology and the consistent comparison of maturity between different types of technology. TEERM generally works on demonstrating/validating alternatives that fall within TRLs 5-9. In instances where a mature technology does not exist for a particular Agency application, TEERM works with technology development groups and programs such as NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP). The IPP's purpose is to identify and document available technologies in light of NASA's needs, evaluate and prioritize those technologies, and reach out to find new partners. All TEERM projects involve multiple partners. Partnering reduces duplication of effort that otherwise might occur if individuals worked their problems alone. Partnering also helps reduce individual contributors' shares of the total cost of technology validation. Through collaboration and financial commitment from project stakeholders and third-party sources, it is possible to fully fund expensive demonstration/validation efforts.

A flow cytometric assay technology based on quantum dots-encoded beads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Haiqiao; Liu Tiancai; Cao Yuancheng; Huang Zhenli; Wang Jianhao; Li Xiuqing; Zhao Yuandi

2006-01-01

A flow cytometric detecting technology based on quantum dots (QDs)-encoded beads has been described. Using this technology, several QDs-encoded beads with different code were identified effectively, and the target molecule (DNA sequence) in solution was also detected accurately by coupling to its complementary sequence probed on QDs-encoded beads through DNA hybridization assay. The resolution of this technology for encoded beads is resulted from two longer wavelength fluorescence identification signals (yellow and red fluorescent signals of QDs), and the third shorter wavelength fluorescence signal (green reporting signal of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)) for the determination of reaction between probe and target. In experiment, because of QDs' unique optical character, only one excitation light source was needed to excite the QDs and probe dye FITC synchronously comparing with other flow cytometric assay technology. The results show that this technology has present excellent repeatability and good accuracy. It will become a promising multiple assay platform in various application fields after further improvement

Transition Analysis of Promising U.S. Future Fuel Cycles Using ORION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sunny, Eva E.; Worrall, Andrew; Peterson, Joshua L.; Powers, Jeffrey J.; Gehin, Jess C.; Gregg, Robert

2015-01-01

The US Department of Energy Office of Fuel Cycle Technologies performed an evaluation and screening (E&S) study of nuclear fuel cycle options to help prioritize future research and development decisions. Previous work for this E&S study focused on establishing equilibrium conditions for analysis examples of 40 nuclear fuel cycle evaluation groups (EGs) and evaluating their performance according to a set of 22 standardized metrics. Following the E&S study, additional studies are being conducted to assess transitioning from the current US fuel cycle to future fuel cycle options identified by the E&S study as being most promising. These studies help inform decisions on how to effectively achieve full transition, estimate the length of time needed to undergo transition from the current fuel cycle, and evaluate performance of nuclear systems and facilities in place during the transition. These studies also help identify any barriers to achieve transition. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Fuel Cycle Options Campaign team used ORION to analyze the transition pathway from the existing US nuclear fuel cycle—the once-through use of low-enriched-uranium (LEU) fuel in thermal-spectrum light water reactors (LWRs)—to a new fuel cycle with continuous recycling of plutonium and uranium in sodium fast reactors (SFRs). This paper discusses the analysis of the transition from an LWR to an SFR fleet using ORION, highlights the role of lifetime extensions of existing LWRs to aid transition, and discusses how a slight delay in SFR deployment can actually reduce the time to achieve an equilibrium fuel cycle.

Technology tools to support reading in the digital age.

Science.gov (United States)

Biancarosa, Gina; Griffiths, Gina G

2012-01-01

Advances in digital technologies are dramatically altering the texts and tools available to teachers and students. These technological advances have created excitement among many for their potential to be used as instructional tools for literacy education. Yet with the promise of these advances come issues that can exacerbate the literacy challenges identified in the other articles in this issue. In this article Gina Biancarosa and Gina Griffiths characterize how literacy demands have changed in the digital age and how challenges identified in other articles in the issue intersect with these new demands. Rather than seeing technology as something to be fit into an already crowded education agenda, Biancarosa and Griffiths argue that technology can be conceptualized as affording tools that teachers can deploy in their quest to create young readers who possess the higher levels of literacy skills and background knowledge demanded by today's information-based society. Biancarosa and Griffiths draw on research to highlight some of the ways technology has been used to build the skills and knowledge needed both by children who are learning to read and by those who have progressed to reading to learn. In their review of the research, Biancarosa and Griffiths focus on the hardware and software used to display and interface with digital text, or what they term e-reading technology. Drawing on studies of e-reading technology and computer technology more broadly, they also reflect on the very real, practical challenges to optimal use of e-reading technology. The authors conclude by presenting four recommendations to help schools and school systems meet some of the challenges that come with investing in e-reading technology: use only technologies that support Universal Design for Learning; choose evidence-based tools; provide technology users with systemic supports; and capitalize on the data capacities and volume of information that technology provides.

Living Technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2010-01-01

This book is aimed at anyone who is interested in learning more about living technology, whether coming from business, the government, policy centers, academia, or anywhere else. Its purpose is to help people to learn what living technology is, what it might develop into, and how it might impact...... our lives. The phrase 'living technology' was coined to refer to technology that is alive as well as technology that is useful because it shares the fundamental properties of living systems. In particular, the invention of this phrase was called for to describe the trend of our technology becoming...... increasingly life-like or literally alive. Still, the phrase has different interpretations depending on how one views what life is. This book presents nineteen perspectives on living technology. Taken together, the interviews convey the collective wisdom on living technology's power and promise, as well as its...

Updated Generation IV Reactors Integrated Materials Technology Program Plan, Revision 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corwin, William R [ORNL; Burchell, Timothy D [ORNL; Halsey, William [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL); Hayner, George [Idaho National Laboratory (INL); Katoh, Yutai [ORNL; Klett, James William [ORNL; McGreevy, Timothy E [ORNL; Nanstad, Randy K [ORNL; Ren, Weiju [ORNL; Snead, Lance Lewis [ORNL; Stoller, Roger E [ORNL; Wilson, Dane F [ORNL

2005-12-01

The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Program will address the research and development (R&D) necessary to support next-generation nuclear energy systems. Such R&D will be guided by the technology roadmap developed for the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) over two years with the participation of over 100 experts from the GIF countries. The roadmap evaluated over 100 future systems proposed by researchers around the world. The scope of the R&D described in the roadmap covers the six most promising Generation IV systems. The effort ended in December 2002 with the issue of the final Generation IV Technology Roadmap [1.1]. The six most promising systems identified for next generation nuclear energy are described within the roadmap. Two employ a thermal neutron spectrum with coolants and temperatures that enable hydrogen or electricity production with high efficiency (the Supercritical Water Reactor - SCWR and the Very High Temperature Reactor - VHTR). Three employ a fast neutron spectrum to enable more effective management of actinides through recycling of most components in the discharged fuel (the Gas-cooled Fast Reactor - GFR, the Lead-cooled Fast Reactor - LFR, and the Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor - SFR). The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) employs a circulating liquid fuel mixture that offers considerable flexibility for recycling actinides, and may provide an alternative to accelerator-driven systems. A few major technologies have been recognized by DOE as necessary to enable the deployment of the next generation of advanced nuclear reactors, including the development and qualification of the structural materials needed to ensure their safe and reliable operation. Accordingly, DOE has identified materials as one of the focus areas for Gen IV technology development.

Mastering JavaScript promises

CERN Document Server

Hussain, Muzzamil

2015-01-01

This book is for all the software and web engineers wanting to apply the promises paradigm to their next project and get the best outcome from it. This book also acts as a reference for the engineers who are already using promises in their projects and want to improve their current knowledge to reach the next level. To get the most benefit from this book, you should know basic programming concepts, have a familiarity with JavaScript, and a good understanding of HTML.

Coalitional game theory as a promising approach to identify candidate autism genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Anika; Sun, Min Woo; Paskov, Kelley Marie; Stockham, Nate Tyler; Jung, Jae-Yoon; Wall, Dennis Paul

2018-01-01

Despite mounting evidence for the strong role of genetics in the phenotypic manifestation of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the specific genes responsible for the variable forms of ASD remain undefined. ASD may be best explained by a combinatorial genetic model with varying epistatic interactions across many small effect mutations. Coalitional or cooperative game theory is a technique that studies the combined effects of groups of players, known as coalitions, seeking to identify players who tend to improve the performance--the relationship to a specific disease phenotype--of any coalition they join. This method has been previously shown to boost biologically informative signal in gene expression data but to-date has not been applied to the search for cooperative mutations among putative ASD genes. We describe our approach to highlight genes relevant to ASD using coalitional game theory on alteration data of 1,965 fully sequenced genomes from 756 multiplex families. Alterations were encoded into binary matrices for ASD (case) and unaffected (control) samples, indicating likely gene-disrupting, inherited mutations in altered genes. To determine individual gene contributions given an ASD phenotype, a "player" metric, referred to as the Shapley value, was calculated for each gene in the case and control cohorts. Sixty seven genes were found to have significantly elevated player scores and likely represent significant contributors to the genetic coordination underlying ASD. Using network and cross-study analysis, we found that these genes are involved in biological pathways known to be affected in the autism cases and that a subset directly interact with several genes known to have strong associations to autism. These findings suggest that coalitional game theory can be applied to large-scale genomic data to identify hidden yet influential players in complex polygenic disorders such as autism.

Nanomaterials and future aerospace technologies: opportunities and challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Vaia, Richard A.

2012-06-01

Two decades of extensive investment in nanomaterials, nanofabrication and nanometrology have provided the global engineering community a vast array of new technologies. These technologies not only promise radical change to traditional industries, such as transportation, information and aerospace, but may create whole new industries, such as personalized medicine and personalized energy harvesting and storage. The challenge today for the defense aerospace community is determining how to accelerate the conversion of these technical opportunities into concrete benefits with quantifiable impact, in conjunction with identifying the most important outstanding scientific questions that are limiting their utilization. For example, nanomaterial fabrication delivers substantial tailorablity beyond a traditional material data sheet. How can we integrate this tailorability into agile manufacturing and design methods to further optimize the performance, cost and durability of future resilient aerospace systems? The intersection of nano-based metamaterials and nanostructured devices with biotechnology epitomizes the technological promise of autonomous systems and enhanced human-machine interfaces. What then are the key materials and processes challenges that are inhibiting current lab-scale innovation from being integrated into functioning systems to increase effectiveness and productivity of our human resources? Where innovation is global, accelerating the use of breakthroughs, both for commercial and defense, is essential. Exploitation of these opportunities and finding solutions to the associated challenges for defense aerospace will rely on highly effective partnerships between commercial development, scientific innovation, systems engineering, design and manufacturing.

The value added of conducting regional versus local stakeholder involvement in evaluating technology acceptance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCabe, G.H.

1995-06-01

Battelle has conducted a three-year effort, funded by the U. S Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Technology Development, to involve stakeholders in evaluating innovative technologies to clean up volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination at arid sites. Stakeholders have been encouraged to participate in the demonstration of these innovative technologies in order to improve decisions made by DOE and its contractors about technology development, demonstration, and deployment. The basic approach is to identify people and organizations with a stake in the remediation process, and hence in the demonstration of innovative technologies. Stakeholders have included public interest group and environmental group representatives, regulators, technology users, Native Americans, Hispanic community members, and local elected officials. These people are invited to be involved and they are presented with substantive information about the technologies. Their input in terms of identifying issues and concerns, defining the kinds of information needed from the demonstrations, and assessing the acceptability of the technologies for deployment, will help ensure that only broadly promising technologies are carried forward. This approach is designed to increase the likelihood of successful deployment of the new technologies needed to accomplish environmental restoration throughout the DOE complex and at private facilities. The hypothesis in conducting this regional stakeholder involvement program is that there will be different data requirements for different sites due to geographical, institutional, programmatic, and cultural differences at the sites. Identifying the broadest set of data requirements, collecting this information during the technology demonstration, and providing the results of the demonstration to stakeholders will enhance the acceptance of the technology at these sites and, thereby, enhance the technology's deployability

SEQUENCING BATCH REACTOR: A PROMISING TECHNOLOGY IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. H. Mahvi

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Discharge of domestic and industrial wastewater to surface or groundwater is very dangerous to the environment. Therefore treatment of any kind of wastewater to produce effluent with good quality is necessary. In this regard choosing an effective treatment system is important. Sequencing batch reactor is a modification of activated sludge process which has been successfully used to treat municipal and industrial wastewater. The process could be applied for nutrients removal, high biochemical oxygen demand containing industrial wastewater, wastewater containing toxic materials such as cyanide, copper, chromium, lead and nickel, food industries effluents, landfill leachates and tannery wastewater. Of the process advantages are single-tank configuration, small foot print, easily expandable, simple operation and low capital costs. Many researches have been conducted on this treatment technology. The authors had been conducted some investigations on a modification of sequencing batch reactor. Their studies resulted in very high percentage removal of biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total suspended solids respectively. This paper reviews some of the published works in addition to experiences of the authors.

Overview of existing cartilage repair technology.

Science.gov (United States)

McNickle, Allison G; Provencher, Matthew T; Cole, Brian J

2008-12-01

Currently, autologous chondrocyte implantation and osteochondral grafting bridge the gap between palliation of cartilage injury and resurfacing via arthroplasty. Emerging technologies seek to advance first generation techniques and accomplish several goals including predictable outcomes, cost-effective technology, single-stage procedures, and creation of durable repair tissue. The biologic pipeline represents a variety of technologies including synthetics, scaffolds, cell therapy, and cell-infused matrices. Synthetic constructs, an alternative to biologic repair, resurface a focal chondral defect rather than the entire joint surface. Scaffolds are cell-free constructs designed as a biologic "net" to augment marrow stimulation techniques. Minced cartilage technology uses stabilized autologous or allogeneic fragments in 1-stage transplantation. Second and third generation cell-based methods include alternative membranes, chondrocyte seeding, and culturing onto scaffolds. Despite the promising early results of these products, significant technical obstacles remain along with unknown long-term durability. The vast array of developing technologies has exceptional promise and the potential to revolutionize the cartilage treatment algorithm within the next decade.

WiMAX technology and network evolution

CERN Document Server

Etemad, Kamran

2010-01-01

WiMAX, the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, represents a paradigm shift in telecommunications technology. It offers the promise of cheaper, smaller, and simpler technology compared to existing broadband options such as DSL, cable, fiber, and 3G wireless.

Benevolent technotopias and hitherto unimaginable meats: Tracing the promises of in vitro meat

OpenAIRE

Jönsson, Erik

2016-01-01

Today, in vitro (Latin: in glass) meat researchers strive to overhaul meat production technologies by producing meat outside animal bodies, primarily by culturing cells. In the process, meat should become healthier, more environmentally friendly and kinder to animals. In this article, I scrutinize (and problematize) this promissory discourse by examining the world that proponents envision alongside the world from which promises emerge. First, I trace the increasing number of publications stri...

Technologies for the people: a future in the making

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, D.C.

2004-09-01

India's post-independence policy of using science and technology for national development, and investment in research and development infrastructure resulted in success in space, atomic energy, missile development and supercomputing. Use of space technology has impacted directly or indirectly the vast majority of India's billion plus population. Developments in a number of emerging technologies in recent years hold the promise of impacting the future of ordinary Indians in significant ways, if a proper policy and enabling environment are provided. New telecom technologies - a digital rural exchange and a wireless access system - are beginning to touch the lives of common people. Development of a low-cost hand held computing device, use of hybrid telemedicine systems to extend modem healthcare to the unreached, and other innovative uses of IT at the grassroots also hold promise for the future. Biotechnology too has the potential to deliver cost-effective vaccines and drugs, but the future of GM crops is uncertain due to growing opposition. Some of these emerging technologies hold promise for future, provided a positive policy and enabling environment. (author)

Image is more than a uniform: the promise of assurance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wocial, Lucia D; Sego, Kelly; Rager, Carrie; Laubersheimer, Shellee; Everett, Linda Q

2014-05-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the meaning of the phrase "image of the nurse" in the context of the desired brand experience of assurance. A brand is a promise that lives in the minds of consumers. Nurses play a key role in delivering on the brand promise of a hospital. Using focus groups, the authors applied a deductive approach to generate data. Discussion transcripts were analyzed by establishing codes and identifying themes. The most frequent comment from participants was that for nurses to communicate assurance, they must 1st be clean, well groomed, and understated in overall appearance. Nurse behaviors that reassure patients include being present with patients, helping patients know what to expect, and demonstrating a consistent team approach. Overall appearance and behaviors define the image of nurses and contribute significantly to the brand of assurance.

Assessment of global trends and competitiveness of domestic scientific and technological capacity in the field of the plants cultivation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. V. Cherchenko

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The patent and market analysis one of the most intensive and rapidly developing technology areas – developing new ways of breeding, hybridization and changes in genetic characteristics of cultivated plants was made for the assessment of the potential of the Russian agroindustry. Special attention is paid to new technological the areas identified by experts among the most promising for the development of domestic agricultural production: the development of new methods of obtaining high-performance plant varieties; the development of fundamentally new approaches in biotechnology to accelerate breeding of agricultural plants based on genomic technologies and DNA labeling (marker assisted selection.

Autofluorescence imaging can identify preinvasive or clinically occult lesions in fallopian tube epithelium: a promising step towards screening and early detection.

Science.gov (United States)

McAlpine, J N; El Hallani, S; Lam, S F; Kalloger, S E; Luk, M; Huntsman, D G; MacAulay, C; Gilks, C B; Miller, D M; Lane, P M

2011-03-01

cohort (73%; 83%; 57%; 91%) and in a subgroup that excluded non-serous histology (87.5%; 92%; 78%; 96%). Abnormal FT lesions can be identified using ex vivo optical imaging technologies. With this platform, we will move towards genomic interrogation of identified lesions, and developing in vivo screening modalities via falloposcopy. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rock disposal problems identified

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knox, R

1978-06-01

Mathematical models are the only way of examining the return of radioactivity from nuclear waste to the environment over long periods of time. Work in Britain has helped identify areas where more basic data is required, but initial results look very promising for final disposal of high level waste in hard rock repositories. A report by the National Radiological Protection Board of a recent study, is examined.

Paving the Way to Successful Implementation: Identifying Key Barriers to Use of Technology-Based Therapeutic Tools for Behavioral Health Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramsey, Alex; Lord, Sarah; Torrey, John; Marsch, Lisa; Lardiere, Michael

2016-01-01

This study aimed to identify barriers to use of technology for behavioral health care from the perspective of care decision makers at community behavioral health organizations. As part of a larger survey of technology readiness, 260 care decision makers completed an open-ended question about perceived barriers to use of technology. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), qualitative analyses yielded barrier themes related to characteristics of technology (e.g., cost and privacy), potential end users (e.g., technology literacy and attitudes about technology), organization structure and climate (e.g., budget and infrastructure), and factors external to organizations (e.g., broadband accessibility and reimbursement policies). Number of reported barriers was higher among respondents representing agencies with lower annual budgets and smaller client bases relative to higher budget, larger clientele organizations. Individual barriers were differentially associated with budget, size of client base, and geographic location. Results are discussed in light of implementation science frameworks and proactive strategies to address perceived obstacles to adoption and use of technology-based behavioral health tools.

Allogeneic cell therapy bioprocess economics and optimization: single-use cell expansion technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Simaria, Ana S; Hassan, Sally; Varadaraju, Hemanthram; Rowley, Jon; Warren, Kim; Vanek, Philip; Farid, Suzanne S

2014-01-01

For allogeneic cell therapies to reach their therapeutic potential, challenges related to achieving scalable and robust manufacturing processes will need to be addressed. A particular challenge is producing lot-sizes capable of meeting commercial demands of up to 10(9) cells/dose for large patient numbers due to the current limitations of expansion technologies. This article describes the application of a decisional tool to identify the most cost-effective expansion technologies for different scales of production as well as current gaps in the technology capabilities for allogeneic cell therapy manufacture. The tool integrates bioprocess economics with optimization to assess the economic competitiveness of planar and microcarrier-based cell expansion technologies. Visualization methods were used to identify the production scales where planar technologies will cease to be cost-effective and where microcarrier-based bioreactors become the only option. The tool outputs also predict that for the industry to be sustainable for high demand scenarios, significant increases will likely be needed in the performance capabilities of microcarrier-based systems. These data are presented using a technology S-curve as well as windows of operation to identify the combination of cell productivities and scale of single-use bioreactors required to meet future lot sizes. The modeling insights can be used to identify where future R&D investment should be focused to improve the performance of the most promising technologies so that they become a robust and scalable option that enables the cell therapy industry reach commercially relevant lot sizes. The tool outputs can facilitate decision-making very early on in development and be used to predict, and better manage, the risk of process changes needed as products proceed through the development pathway. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Study of Future Communications Concepts and Technologies for the National Airspace System - Part II

Science.gov (United States)

Ponchak, Denise S.; Apaza, Rafael D.; Haynes, Brian; Wichgers, Joel M.; Roy, Aloke

2014-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC) is investigating current and anticipated wireless communications concepts and technologies that the National Airspace System (NAS) may need in the next 50 years. NASA has awarded three NASA Research Announcements (NAR) studies with the objective to determine the most promising candidate technologies for air-to-air and air-to-ground data exchange and analyze their suitability in a post-NextGen NAS environment. This paper will present progress made in the studies and describe the communications challenges and opportunities that have been identified during the studies' first year.

A Study of Future Communications Concepts and Technologies for the National Airspace System - Part IV

Science.gov (United States)

Ponchak, Denise S.; Apaza, Rafael D.; Wichgers, Joel M.; Haynes, Brian; Roy, Aloke

2015-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC) is investigating current and anticipated wireless communications concepts and technologies that the National Airspace System (NAS) may need in the next 50 years. NASA has awarded three NASA Research Announcements (NAR) studies with the objective to determine the most promising candidate technologies for air-to-air and air-to-ground data exchange and analyze their suitability in a post-NextGen NAS environment. This paper will present the final results describing the communications challenges and opportunities that have been identified as part of the study.

Key technologies for expeditions to Mars.

Science.gov (United States)

French, J. R., Jr.

A round-trip manned Mars landing mission, while difficult, is within the realm of today's technology. However, better understood and more practical advanced technologies offer promising improvements in mass performance, and some also enhance certain aspects of self-reliance for manned missions.

Accelerators in Science and Technology

CERN Document Server

Kailas, S

2002-01-01

Accelerators built for basic research in frontier areas of science have become important and inevitable tools in many areas of science and technology. Accelerators are examples of science driven high technology development. Accelerators are used for a wide ranging applications, besides basic research. Accelerator based multidisciplinary research holds great promise

Challenges in Optimizing a Prostate Carcinoma Binding Peptide, Identified through the Phage Display Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jürgen Debus

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The transfer of peptides identified through the phage display technology to clinical applications is difficult. Major drawbacks are the metabolic degradation and label instability. The aim of our work is the optimization of DUP-1, a peptide which was identified by phage display to specifically target human prostate carcinoma. To investigate the influence of chelate conjugation, DOTA was coupled to DUP-1 and labeling was performed with 111In. To improve serum stability cyclization of DUP-1 and targeted D-amino acid substitution were carried out. Alanine scanning was performed for identification of the binding site and based on the results peptide fragments were chemically synthesized. The properties of modified ligands were investigated in in vitro binding and competition assays. In vivo biodistribution studies were carried out in mice, carrying human prostate tumors subcutaneously. DOTA conjugation resulted in different cellular binding kinetics, rapid in vivo renal clearance and increased tumor-to-organ ratios. Cyclization and D-amino acid substitution increased the metabolic stability but led to binding affinity decrease. Fragment investigation indicated that the sequence NRAQDY might be significant for target-binding. Our results demonstrate challenges in optimizing peptides, identified through phage display libraries, and show that careful investigation of modified derivatives is necessary in order to improve their characteristics.

Radioactivity measurements using storage phosphor technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Y.T.; Hwang, J.; Hutchinson, M.R.

1995-01-01

We propose to apply a recently developed charged particle radiation imaging concept in bio-medical research for fast, cost-effective characterization of radionuclides in contaminated sites and environmental samples. This concept utilizes sensors with storage photostimulable phosphor (SPP) technology as radiation detectors. They exhibit high sensitivity for all types of radiation and the response is linear over a wide dynamic range (>10 5 ), essential for quantitative analysis. These new sensors have an active area of up to 35 cm x 43 cm in size and a spatial resolution as fine as 50 μm. They offer considerable promise as large area detectors for fast characterization of radionuclides with an added ability to locate and identify hot spots

Ground-based Nuclear Detonation Detection (GNDD) Technology Roadmap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casey, Leslie A.

2014-01-01

This GNDD Technology Roadmap is intended to provide guidance to potential researchers and help management define research priorities to achieve technology advancements for ground-based nuclear explosion monitoring science being pursued by the Ground-based Nuclear Detonation Detection (GNDD) Team within the Office of Nuclear Detonation Detection in the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Four science-based elements were selected to encompass the entire scope of nuclear monitoring research and development (R&D) necessary to facilitate breakthrough scientific results, as well as deliver impactful products. Promising future R&D is delineated including dual use associated with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Important research themes as well as associated metrics are identified along with a progression of accomplishments, represented by a selected bibliography, that are precursors to major improvements to nuclear explosion monitoring.

Ground-based Nuclear Detonation Detection (GNDD) Technology Roadmap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casey, Leslie A.

2014-01-13

This GNDD Technology Roadmap is intended to provide guidance to potential researchers and help management define research priorities to achieve technology advancements for ground-based nuclear explosion monitoring science being pursued by the Ground-based Nuclear Detonation Detection (GNDD) Team within the Office of Nuclear Detonation Detection in the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Four science-based elements were selected to encompass the entire scope of nuclear monitoring research and development (R&D) necessary to facilitate breakthrough scientific results, as well as deliver impactful products. Promising future R&D is delineated including dual use associated with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Important research themes as well as associated metrics are identified along with a progression of accomplishments, represented by a selected bibliography, that are precursors to major improvements to nuclear explosion monitoring.

Evaluation of promising technologies for soil salinity amelioration in Timpaki (Crete): a participatory approach

Science.gov (United States)

Panagea, I. S.; Daliakopoulos, I. N.; Tsanis, I. K.; Schwilch, G.

2016-02-01

Soil salinity management can be complex, expensive, and time demanding, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Besides taking no action, possible management strategies include amelioration and adaptation measures. Here we apply the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) framework for the systematic analysis and evaluation and selection of soil salinisation amelioration technologies in close collaboration with stakeholders. The participatory approach is applied in the RECARE (Preventing and Remediating degradation of soils in Europe through Land Care) project case study of Timpaki, a semi-arid region in south-central Crete (Greece) where the main land use is horticulture in greenhouses irrigated by groundwater. Excessive groundwater abstractions have resulted in a drop of the groundwater level in the coastal part of the aquifer, thus leading to seawater intrusion and in turn to soil salinisation. The documented technologies are evaluated for their impacts on ecosystem services, cost, and input requirements using a participatory approach and field evaluations. Results show that technologies which promote maintaining existing crop types while enhancing productivity and decreasing soil salinity are preferred by the stakeholders. The evaluation concludes that rainwater harvesting is the optimal solution for direct soil salinity mitigation, as it addresses a wider range of ecosystem and human well-being benefits. Nevertheless, this merit is offset by poor financial motivation making agronomic measures more attractive to users.

Lost and misplaced items and assistive devices in nursing homes: Identifying problems and technological opportunities through participatory design research.

Science.gov (United States)

Oude Weernink, C E; Sweegers, L; Relou, L; van der Zijpp, T J; van Hoof, J

2018-02-06

Modern healthcare, including nursing home care, goes together with the use of technologies to support treatment, the provision of care and daily activities. The challenges concerning the implementation of such technologies are numerous. One of these emerging technologies are location technologies (RTLS or Real-Time Location Systems). that can be utilized in the nursing home for monitoring the use and location of assets. This paper describes a participatory design study of RTLS based on context mapping, conducted in two nursing home organizations. Rather than investigating the technological possibilities, this study investigates the needs and wishes from the perspective of the care professional. The study identified semantic themes that relate to the practicalities of lost and misplaced items in the nursing home, as well as latent themes that cover the wishes regarding technology in the nursing homes. The organizational culture and building typology may play a role in losing items. The participants in this study indicated that RTLS can provide a solution to some of the challenges that they encounter in the workplace. However, the implementation of new technologies should be done with care and should be integrated into existing ICT systems in order to minimize additional training and posing a burden on the workload.

Managed access technology to combat contraband cell phones in prison: Findings from a process evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Grommon, Eric

2018-02-01

Cell phones in correctional facilities have emerged as one of the most pervasive forms of modern contraband. This issue has been identified as a top priority for many correctional administrators in the United States. Managed access, a technology that utilizes cellular signals to capture transmissions from contraband phones, has received notable attention as a promising tool to combat this problem. However, this technology has received little evaluative attention. The present study offers a foundational process evaluation and draws upon output measures and stakeholder interviews to identify salient operational challenges and subsequent lessons learned about implementing and maintaining a managed access system. Findings suggest that while managed access captures large volumes of contraband cellular transmissions, the technology requires significant implementation planning, personnel support, and complex partnerships with commercial cellular carriers. Lessons learned provide guidance for practitioners to navigate these challenges and for scholars to improve future evaluations of managed access. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transition analysis of promising U.S. future fuel cycles using ORION - 5114

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sunny, E.; Worrall, A.; Peterson, J.; Powers, J.; Gehin, J.

2015-01-01

The US Department of Energy Office of Fuel Cycle Technologies performed an evaluation and screening (E/S) study of nuclear fuel cycle options to help prioritize future research and development decisions. Previous work for this E/S study focused on establishing equilibrium conditions for analysis examples of 40 nuclear fuel cycle evaluation groups and evaluating their performance according to a set of 22 standardized metrics. Following the E/S study, additional studies are being conducted to assess transition period from the current US fuel cycle to future fuel cycle options identified by the E/S study as being most promising. These studies help inform decisions on how to effectively achieve full transition, estimate the length of time needed to undergo transition from the current fuel cycle, and evaluate performance of nuclear systems and facilities in place during the transition. These studies also help identify any barriers to achieve transition. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Fuel Cycle Options Campaign team used ORION to analyze the transition pathway from the existing US nuclear fuel cycle - the once-through use of low-enriched-uranium (LEU) fuel in thermal-spectrum light water reactors (LWRs) - to a new fuel cycle with continuous recycling of plutonium and uranium in sodium fast reactors (SFRs). This paper discusses the analysis of the transition from an LWR to an SFR fleet using ORION, highlights the role of lifetime extensions of existing LWRs to aid transition, and discusses how a slight delay in SFR deployment can actually reduce the time to achieve an equilibrium fuel cycle. (authors)

Long-term affected energy production of waste to energy technologies identified by use of energy system analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Münster, M; Meibom, P

2010-12-01

Affected energy production is often decisive for the outcome of consequential life-cycle assessments when comparing the potential environmental impact of products or services. Affected energy production is however difficult to determine. In this article the future long-term affected energy production is identified by use of energy system analysis. The focus is on different uses of waste for energy production. The Waste-to-Energy technologies analysed include co-combustion of coal and waste, anaerobic digestion and thermal gasification. The analysis is based on optimization of both investments and production of electricity, district heating and bio-fuel in a future possible energy system in 2025 in the countries of the Northern European electricity market (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Germany). Scenarios with different CO(2) quota costs are analysed. It is demonstrated that the waste incineration continues to treat the largest amount of waste. Investments in new waste incineration capacity may, however, be superseded by investments in new Waste-to-Energy technologies, particularly those utilising sorted fractions such as organic waste and refuse derived fuel. The changed use of waste proves to always affect a combination of technologies. What is affected varies among the different Waste-to-Energy technologies and is furthermore dependent on the CO(2) quota costs and on the geographical scope. The necessity for investments in flexibility measures varies with the different technologies such as storage of heat and waste as well as expansion of district heating networks. Finally, inflexible technologies such as nuclear power plants are shown to be affected. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accident tolerant fuel cladding development: Promise, status, and challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Terrani, Kurt A.

2018-04-01

The motivation for transitioning away from zirconium-based fuel cladding in light water reactors to significantly more oxidation-resistant materials, thereby enhancing safety margins during severe accidents, is laid out. A review of the development status for three accident tolerant fuel cladding technologies, namely coated zirconium-based cladding, ferritic alumina-forming alloy cladding, and silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix composite cladding, is offered. Technical challenges and data gaps for each of these cladding technologies are highlighted. Full development towards commercial deployment of these technologies is identified as a high priority for the nuclear industry.

NEW GENOTYPES AND TECHNOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF WINTER TRITICALE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Z.

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of the research was to conduct basic screening of new lines and cultivars of winter hexaploid triticale by the technological and molecular genetics indicators. Molecular and genetic research conducted by polymerase chain reaction allelic variants of gene loci Wx-A1, Wx-B1, and quality parameters of grain, flour and bread – on technological markers. The new cultivars and lines of winter hexaploid triticale of Nosivka Breeding and Research Station of Remeslo Myronivka Institute of Wheat by technological indicators of grain, flour and bread quality were studied. According to representative criteria’s the most promising genotypes, which are the main products in terms Forest-Steppe ecotypes’ and a high-quality raw materials for bakeries and bioethanol were identified. Molecular and genetic identifications of allelic variants of genes loci Wx-A1, Wx-B1 triticale, which in the early stages of ontogenesis to predict targeted uses genotypes were conducted. The first among a series of triticale cultivars and lines Forest-Steppe ecotypes and biotypes with nonfunctional b gene allele WxA1, which defines a high content of amylopectin of starch, an important release for more ethanol was identified. It was found that technological characteristics of grain, flour and bread of new cultivars and lines of winter triticale meet the modern requirements production dietetic food and bioenergy products is important and relevant in the context of food security of Ukraine.

Artificial intelligence technology assessment for the US Army Depot System Command

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pennock, K A

1991-07-01

This assessment of artificial intelligence (AI) has been prepared for the US Army's Depot System Command (DESCOM) by Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The report describes several of the more promising AI technologies, focusing primarily on knowledge-based systems because they have been more successful in commercial applications than any other AI technique. The report also identifies potential Depot applications in the areas of procedural support, scheduling and planning, automated inspection, training, diagnostics, and robotic systems. One of the principal objectives of the report is to help decisionmakers within DESCOM to evaluate AI as a possible tool for solving individual depot problems. The report identifies a number of factors that should be considered in such evaluations. 22 refs.

Distress detection, location, and communications using advanced space technology

Science.gov (United States)

Sivertson, W. E., Jr.

1977-01-01

This paper briefly introduces a concept for low-cost, global, day-night, all-weather disaster warning and assistance. Evolving, advanced space technology with passive radio frequency reflectors in conjunction with an imaging synthetic aperture radar is employed to detect, identify, locate, and provide passive communication with earth users in distress. This concept evolved from a broad NASA research on new global search and rescue techniques. Appropriate airborne radar test results from this research are reviewed and related to potential disaster applications. The analysis indicates the approach has promise for disaster communications relative to floods, droughts, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and severe storms.

Advanced supersonic technology and its implications for the future

Science.gov (United States)

Driver, C.

1979-01-01

A brief overview of the NASA Supersonic Cruise Research (SCR) program is presented. The SCR program has identified significant improvements in the areas of aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, noise reduction, takeoff and landing procedures, and advanced configuration concepts. These improvements tend to overcome most of the problems which led to the cancellation of the National SST program. They offer the promise of an advanced SST family of aircraft which are environmentally acceptable, have flexible range-payload capability, and are economically viable. The areas of technology addressed by the SCR program have direct application to advanced military aircraft and to supersonic executive aircraft.

Imaginaries of nuclear energy in the Portuguese parliament: Between promise, risk, and democracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos Pereira, Tiago; Carvalho, António; Fonseca, Paulo F C

2017-04-01

This article explores the evolution of the nuclear energy debate and its associated controversies in the Portuguese parliament. The analysis focuses on the dictatorial regime of the New State (from the beginning of the nuclear program in 1951 until the 1974 revolution) and on the democratic period (post-1974). Portugal, as an exporting country of uranium minerals, significantly invested in the development of a national capacity in nuclear research, but never developed an endogenous nuclear power infrastructure. Through the analysis of parliamentary debates, this article characterizes the dynamic evolution of the Portuguese sociotechnical imaginary on nuclear energy and technology interlinked with ambivalent representations, including the promise of nuclear energy as key for the constitution of a technological Nation or as prompting new sociotechnical risks.

Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Waste Area Groups 1-7 and 10 Technology Logic Diagram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Brien, M.C.; Meservey, R.H.; Little, M.; Ferguson, J.S.; Gilmore, M.C.

1993-09-01

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) Technology Logic Diagram (TLD) was developed to provide a decision support tool that relates Environmental Restoration (ER) and Waste Management (WM) problems at the INEL to potential technologies that can remediate these problems. The TLD identifies the research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation needed to develop these technologies to a state that allows technology transfer and application to an environmental restoration need. It is essential that follow-on engineering and system studies be conducted to build on the output of this project. These studies will begin by selecting the most promising technologies identified in this TLD and finding an optimum mix of technologies that will provide a socially acceptable balance between cost and risk to meet the site windows of opportunity. The TLD consists of three separate volumes: Volume I includes the purpose and scope of the TLD, a brief history of the INEL Waste Area Groups, and environmental problems they represent. A description of the TLD, definitions of terms, a description of the technology evaluation process, and a summary of each subelement, is presented. Volume II (this volume) describes the overall layout and development of the TLD in logic diagram format. This section addresses the environmental restoration of contaminated INEL sites. Specific INEL problem areas/contaminants are identified along with technology solutions, the status of the technologies, precise science and technology needs, and implementation requirements. Volume III provides the Technology Evaluation Data Sheets (TEDS) for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) activities that are referenced by a TEDS codenumber in Volume II. Each of these sheets represents a single logic trace across the TLD. These sheets contain more detail than provided for technologies in Volume II

Nanomedicine: Perspective and promises with ligand-directed molecular imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan Dipanjan [Department of Medicine, Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO (United States)], E-mail: dipanjan@wustl.edu; Lanza, Gregory M.; Wickline, Samuel A. [Department of Medicine, Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO (United States); Caruthers, Shelton D. [Department of Medicine, Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO (United States); Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA (United States)], E-mail: scaruthers@cmrl.wustl.edu

2009-05-15

Molecular imaging and targeted drug delivery play an important role toward personalized medicine, which is the future of patient management. Of late, nanoparticle-based molecular imaging has emerged as an interdisciplinary area, which shows promises to understand the components, processes, dynamics and therapies of a disease at a molecular level. The unprecedented potential of nanoplatforms for early detection, diagnosis and personalized treatment of diseases, have found application in every biomedical imaging modality. Biological and biophysical barriers are overcome by the integration of targeting ligands, imaging agents and therapeutics into the nanoplatform which allow for theranostic applications. In this article, we have discussed the opportunities and potential of targeted molecular imaging with various modalities putting a particular emphasis on perfluorocarbon nanoemulsion-based platform technology.

Nanomedicine: Perspective and promises with ligand-directed molecular imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Dipanjan; Lanza, Gregory M.; Wickline, Samuel A.; Caruthers, Shelton D.

2009-01-01

Molecular imaging and targeted drug delivery play an important role toward personalized medicine, which is the future of patient management. Of late, nanoparticle-based molecular imaging has emerged as an interdisciplinary area, which shows promises to understand the components, processes, dynamics and therapies of a disease at a molecular level. The unprecedented potential of nanoplatforms for early detection, diagnosis and personalized treatment of diseases, have found application in every biomedical imaging modality. Biological and biophysical barriers are overcome by the integration of targeting ligands, imaging agents and therapeutics into the nanoplatform which allow for theranostic applications. In this article, we have discussed the opportunities and potential of targeted molecular imaging with various modalities putting a particular emphasis on perfluorocarbon nanoemulsion-based platform technology.

Technological Innovations in Forensic Genetics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wienroth, Matthias; Morling, Niels; Williams, Robin

2014-01-01

This paper discusses the nature of four waves of technological innovations in forensic genetics alongside the social, legal and ethical aspect of these innovations. It emphasises the way in which technological advances and their socio-legal frameworks are co-produced, shaping technology...... expectations, social identities, and legal institutions. It also considers how imagined and actual uses of forensic genetic technologies are entangled with assertions about social order, affirmations of common values and civil rights, and promises about security and justice. Our comments seek to encourage...

Sonographic Examination of The Fetus Vis-à-Vis Shoulder Dystocia: A Vexing Promise.

Science.gov (United States)

Doty, Morgen S; Al-Hafez, Leen; Chauhan, Suneet P

2016-12-01

Since antepartum and intrapartum risk factors are poor at identifying women whose labor is complicated by shoulder dystocia, sonographic examination of the fetus holds promise. Though there are several measurements of biometric parameters to identify the parturient who will have shoulder dystocia, none are currently clinically useful. Three national guidelines confirm that sonographic measurements do not serve as appropriate diagnostic tests to identify women who will have shoulder dystocia with or without concurrent injury. In summary, biometric measurements of the fetus should not be used to alter clinical management with the aim of averting shoulder dystocia.

The application of digital image plane holography technology to identify Chinese herbal medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Huaying; Guo, Zhongjia; Liao, Wei; Zhang, Zhihui

2012-03-01

In this paper, the imaging technology of digital image plane holography to identify the Chinese herbal medicine is studied. The optical experiment system of digital image plane holography which is the special case of pre-magnification digital holography was built. In the record system, one is an object light by using plane waves which illuminates the object, and the other one is recording hologram by using spherical light wave as reference light. There is a Micro objective lens behind the object. The second phase factor which caus ed by the Micro objective lens can be eliminated by choosing the proper position of the reference point source when digital image plane holography is recorded by spherical light. In this experiment, we use the Lygodium cells and Onion cells as the object. The experiment results with Lygodium cells and Onion cells show that digital image plane holography avoid the process of finding recording distance by using auto-focusing approach, and the phase information of the object can be reconstructed more accurately. The digital image plane holography is applied to the microscopic imaging of cells more effectively, and it is suit to apply for the identify of Chinese Herbal Medicine. And it promotes the application of digital holographic in practice.

Realizing the promises of marine biotechnology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luiten, EEM; Akkerman, [No Value; Koulman, A; Kamermans, P; Reith, H; Barbosa, MJ; Sipkema, D; Wijffels, RH

High-quality research in the field of marine biotechnology is one of the key-factors for successful innovation in exploiting the vast diversity of marine life. However, fascinating scientific research with promising results and claims on promising potential applications (e.g. for pharmaceuticals,

Realizing the promises of marine biotechnology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luiten, E.E.M.; Akkerman, I.; Koulman, A.; Kamermans, P.; Reith, H.; Barbosa, M.J.; Sipkema, D.; Wijffels, R.H.

2003-01-01

High-quality research in the field of marine biotechnology is one of the key-factors for successful innovation in exploiting the vast diversity of marine life. However, fascinating scientific research with promising results and claims on promising potential applications (e.g. for pharmaceuticals,

Benevolent technotopias and hitherto unimaginable meats: Tracing the promises of in vitro meat.

Science.gov (United States)

Jönsson, Erik

2016-10-01

Today, in vitro (Latin: in glass) meat researchers strive to overhaul meat production technologies by producing meat outside animal bodies, primarily by culturing cells. In the process, meat should become healthier, more environmentally friendly and kinder to animals. In this article, I scrutinize (and problematize) this promissory discourse by examining the world that proponents envision alongside the world from which promises emerge. First, I trace the increasing number of publications striving to pinpoint the nature of in vitro meat to unveil the creation of an in vitro meat canon wherein perceived possibilities become taken for granted. Second, I investigate how the promissory discourse is often relatively silent on key aspects of how this technology could remake the world. Wet laboratories, animals and end products become foregrounded at the expense of political economy and the biophysical properties of cultured cells. Thus, questions concerning how funding requirements shape representations of this new technology, together with in vitro meat's particular socio-spatial and socio-ecological implications, become problematically de-emphasized.

New technologies for information retrieval to achieve situational awareness and higher patient safety in the surgical operating room: the MRI institutional approach and review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Kranzfelder, Michael; Schneider, Armin; Gillen, Sonja; Feussner, Hubertus

2011-03-01

Technical progress in the operating room (OR) increases constantly, but advanced techniques for error prevention are lacking. It has been the vision to create intelligent OR systems ("autopilot") that not only collect intraoperative data but also interpret whether the course of the operation is normal or deviating from the schedule ("situation awareness"), to recommend the adequate next steps of the intervention, and to identify imminent risky situations. Recently introduced technologies in health care for real-time data acquisition (bar code, radiofrequency identification [RFID], voice and emotion recognition) may have the potential to meet these demands. This report aims to identify, based on the authors' institutional experience and a review of the literature (MEDLINE search 2000-2010), which technologies are currently most promising for providing the required data and to describe their fields of application and potential limitations. Retrieval of information on the functional state of the peripheral devices in the OR is technically feasible by continuous sensor-based data acquisition and online analysis. Using bar code technologies, automatic instrument identification seems conceivable, with information given about the actual part of the procedure and indication of any change in the routine workflow. The dynamics of human activities also comprise key information. A promising technology for continuous personnel tracking is data acquisition with RFID. Emotional data capture and analysis in the OR are difficult. Although technically feasible, nonverbal emotion recognition is difficult to assess. In contrast, emotion recognition by speech seems to be a promising technology for further workflow prediction. The presented technologies are a first step to achieving an increased situational awareness in the OR. However, workflow definition in surgery is feasible only if the procedure is standardized, the peculiarities of the individual patient are taken into account

Identifying the most promising genotypes in lentil for cultivation in a wide range of environments of Pakistan using various yield stability measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, A.; Zahid, M.A.

2012-01-01

The present study was aimed to identify the most promising high yielding lentil genotype for a wide range of environments of Pakistan using 8 stability measures. The experiment consisted of 12 lentil genotypes grown at 11 locations falling in different agro-ecological zones of Pakistan for 2 years during 2006/07 and 2007/08 under national uniform yield testing. The General Linear Model (GLM) of MINITAB (version 15) was used for two-way analysis of variance for lentil yield data to examine the total variation into genotypes, environments and genotype x environment interaction. The percent variation of 2 major contributors, environment and GxE interaction, was permissible to perform stability analysis to evaluate stable genotypes across the environments. The genotype x environment interaction means were used for eight stability measures (genotype mean, genotype variance, coefficient of variation, ecovalence, interaction variance, regression slope, deviation mean square, coefficient of determination). The stability measures depicted that the genotype NARC-06-1 with high mean yield (1140 kg/ha -1/), regression slope (1.09) close to unity and less statistics of remaining stability measures except high value of R/sup 2/ for yield proved to be the best within the pool of studied genotypes. The results clearly suggest that the genotype NARC-06-1 may prove to be a widely adapted high yielding stable variety for a broad spectrum of environments of Pakistan. (author)

Political Reputations and Campaign Promises

OpenAIRE

Aragones, Enriqueta; Palfrey, Thomas R.; Postlewaite, Andrew

2006-01-01

We analyze conditions under which candidates' reputations may affect voters' beliefs over what policy will be implemented by the winning candidate of an election. We develop a model of repeated elections with complete information in which candidates are purely ideological. We analyze an equilibrium in which voters' strategies involve a credible threat to punish candidates who renege on their campaign promises and in which all campaign promises are believed by voters and honored by candidates....

The Promise and Challenges of Ultra High Bypass Ratio Engine Technology and Integration

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Chris

2011-01-01

In this presentation, an overview of the research being conducted by the ERA Project in Ultra High Bypass aircraft propulsion and in partnership with Pratt & Whitney with their Geared TurboFan (GTF) is given. The ERA goals are shown followed by a discussion of what areas need to be addressed on the engine to achieve the goals and how the GTF is uniquely qualified to meet the goals through a discussion of what benefits the cycle provides. The first generation GTF architecture is then shown highlighting the areas of collaboration with NASA, and the fuel burn, noise and emissions reductions possible based on initial static ground test and flight test data of the first GTF engine. Finally, a 5 year technology roadmap is presented focusing on Ultra High Bypass propulsion technology research areas that are being pursued and being planned by ERA and P&W under their GTF program.

Promising new vaccine candidates against Campylobacter in broilers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marine Meunier

Full Text Available Campylobacter is the leading cause of human bacterial gastroenteritis in the European Union. Birds represent the main reservoir of the bacteria, and human campylobacteriosis mainly occurs after consuming and/or handling poultry meat. Reducing avian intestinal Campylobacter loads should impact the incidence of human diseases. At the primary production level, several measures have been identified to reach this goal, including vaccination of poultry. Despite many studies, however, no efficient vaccine is currently available. We have recently identified new vaccine candidates using the reverse vaccinology strategy. This study assessed the in vivo immune and protective potential of six newly-identified vaccine antigens. Among the candidates tested on Ross broiler chickens, four (YP_001000437.1, YP_001000562.1, YP_999817.1, and YP_999838.1 significantly reduced cecal Campylobacter loads by between 2 and 4.2 log10 CFU/g, with the concomitant development of a specific humoral immune response. In a second trial, cecal load reductions results were not statistically confirmed despite the induction of a strong immune response. These vaccine candidates need to be further investigated since they present promising features.

Information and Communication Technology Inside Out

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riis, Søren

2017-01-01

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become the great technological fix of our time and not the least in the education system. There seems to be no end to the hype of ICT and the accompanying promises that education will be revolutionized—“smart” pupils will be made and the so...

Advancement and application of bubble detector technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buckner, M.A.; Casson, W.H.; Sims, C.S.

1991-01-01

A new technology is vying for position in the dosimetry community. This relatively young technology is building upon the foundation of the bubble chamber, conceptualized by Glaser in 1952. Although the attitudes surrounding this technology are somewhat mixed, applications of this technology hold great promise for the future of neutron dosimetry. The Dosimetry Applications Research facility of Oak Ridge National Laboratory is looking into some innovative applications of this technology. The authors are investigating options for overcoming its limiting features in hopes of achieving an unprecedented level of proficiency in neutron detection. Among these are the developing and testing of a Combination Area Neutron Spectrometer, CANS, assessing the plausibility of extremity applications, the assembly of an alternative reader for research, investigation of temperature-related effects and how to correct for them and considerations on the coming of age of neutron dosimetry via real time detection of bubble formation in Bubble Technology Industries Inc. detectors. The authors attempt to answer the questions: (1) What areas hold the greatest promise for application of this emerging technology?; (2) What obstacles must be overcome before full-blown application becomes a reality?; and (3) What might the future hold?

Imagining value, imagining users: academic technology transfer for health innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Fiona Alice; Sanders, Carrie B; Lehoux, Pascale

2009-04-01

Governments have invested heavily in the clinical and economic promise of health innovation and express increasing concern with the efficacy and efficiency of the health innovation system. In considering strategies for 'better' health innovation, policy makers and researchers have taken a particular interest in the work of universities and related public research organizations: How do these organizations identify and transfer promising innovations to market, and do these efforts make best use of public sector investments? We conducted an ethnographic study of technology transfer offices (TTOs) in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada, to consider the place of health and health system imperatives in judgments of value in early-stage health innovation. Our analysis suggests that the valuation process is poorly specified as a set of task-specific judgments. Instead, we argue that technology transfer professionals are active participants in the construction of the innovation and assign value by 'imagining' the end product in its 'context of use'. Oriented as they are to the commercialization of health technology, TTOs understand users primarily as market players. The immediate users of TTOs' efforts are commercial partners (i.e., licensees, investors) who are capable of translating current discoveries into future commodities. The ultimate end users - patients, clinicians, health systems - are the future consumers of the products to be sold. Attention to these proximate and more distal users in the valuation process is a complex and constitutive feature of the work of health technology transfer. At the same time, judgements about individual technologies are made in relation to a broader imperative through which TTOs seek to imagine and construct sustainable innovation systems. Judgments of value are rendered sensible in relation to the logic of valuation for systems of innovation that, in turn, configure users of health innovation in systemic ways.

Ultrasonication and food technology: A review

OpenAIRE

Ishrat Majid; Gulzar Ahmad Nayik; Vikas Nanda

2015-01-01

With increasing consumers demand and tightening of food and environmental regulations, traditional food-processing techniques have lost their optimum performance which gave rise to new and powerful technologies. Ultrasonic is a one of the fast, versatile, emerging, and promising non-destructive green technology used in the food industry from last few years. The ultrasound is being carried out in various areas of food technology namely crystallization, freezing, bleaching, degassing, extractio...

Ethics, Deafness, and New Medical Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Hintermair, Manfred; Albertini, John A.

2005-01-01

In the last 50 years, several new technologies have become enormously important within the Deaf community and have helped significantly to improve deaf people's lives in a hearing world. Current public attention and admiration, however, seems unduly focused on medical technologies that promise to solve "the problem" of being deaf. One reason for…

A Bright Promise but a Dim Future. Researchers Examine Potential of Educational Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitts, Marcella R., Ed.

Concerns about the current educational technology movement are discussed in these four papers which were presented during a seminar of 20 representatives from 10 Council for Educational Development and Research (CEDaR) member institutions. The first by Marcella Pitts and E. Joseph Schneider provides an overview of the educational technology…

Application of advanced technology to LMR control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindsay, R.W.

1989-01-01

This paper reports that key issues must be resolved to preserve the nuclear option; including new considerations for safety, economics, waste, transportation, diversion, etc. The programs at the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) are now carefully focused to provide answers to the above concerns in connection with the Integral Fast Reactor program at Argonne. Safety features that are inherent in plant design, coupled with automating plant control to help achieve the above objectives are more than just an issue of installing controllers and exotic algorithms, they include the complete integration of plant design, control strategy, and information presentation. Current technology development, both at Argonne and elsewhere includes efforts relating to the use of Artificial Intelligence, sensor/signal validation in many forms, pattern recognition, optimal control technologies, etc. The eBR-II effort is to identify needs, develop and/or adopt promising technologies, and integrate them into an operating power plant for proof of value. After they have proven useful at EBR-II, it is expected that they can be incorporated into advanced designs such as PRISM and/or included in backfit activities as well

New and Emerging Technologies in Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms From Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Nikhil K; Gange, Steven N; McVary, Kevin T

2018-03-29

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) from bladder outlet obstruction from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) occur in a large percentage of urologic patients. Treatment of this condition with medical and surgical therapy provides symptom relief but has serious adverse effects and causes sexual dysfunction. New technologies to treat BPH-associated LUTS aim to effectively treat urinary symptoms and minimize side effects and sexual dysfunction. To review the efficacy of new and emerging therapies for treatment of LUTS from BPH. A literature search was performed to identify therapies for LUTS from BPH with early outcomes data within the past 5 years. Improvement in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and effect on sexual functions such as erectile and ejaculatory functions as measured on the International Index of Erectile Function and the Male Sexual Health Questionnaire. Technologies introduced within the past 5 years include techniques using intraprostatic injectables, mechanical devices, and prostatic tissue ablation. Most technologies remain in the development phase and have only phase I and II studies available that show promising alleviation of urinary symptoms. Injectables have not typically surpassed placebo or sham effects, although special cohorts could be exceptions. Thus far, convective water vapor ablation therapy and prostatic urethral lift have shown the most promise, with short- and medium-term data available on phase III studies demonstrating significant improvement in IPSS with minimal impact on sexual function. Many of these technologies are limited in their potential treatment population by prostate size and conformation, whereas other therapies might be more generalizable. Many new technologies aim to treat LUTS from BPH and minimize sexual side effects. Most therapies remain experimental, although prostatic urethral lift and water vapor ablation therapy have been brought to market and show promise. Long-term durability of symptom relief

Current-day precision oncology: from cancer prevention, screening, drug development, and treatment - have we fallen short of the promise?

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Gilberto; Aftimos, Philippe; Awada, Ahmad

2016-09-01

Precision oncology has been a strategy of prevention, screening, and treatment. Although much has been invested, have the results fallen so far short of the promise? The advancement of technology and research has opened new doors, yet a variety of pitfalls are present. This review presents the successes, failures, and opportunities of precision oncology in the current landscape. The use of targeted gene sequencing and the overwhelming results of superresponders have generated much excitement and support for precision oncology from the medical community. Despite notable successes, many challenges still pave the way of precision oncology: intratumoral heterogeneity, the need for serial biopsies, availability of treatments, target prioritization, ethical issues with germline incidental findings, medical education, clinical trial design, and costs. Precision oncology shows much potential through the use of next-generation sequencing and molecular advances, but does this potential warrant the investment? There are many obstacles on the way of this technology that should make us question if the investment (both monetary and man-hours) will live up to the promise. The review aims to not criticize this technology, but to give a realistic view of where we are, especially regarding cancer treatment and prevention.

Policy implications of technologies for cognitive enhancement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarewitz, Daniel R. (Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ); Karas, Thomas H.

2007-02-01

The Advanced Concepts Group at Sandia National Laboratory and the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University convened a workshop in May 2006 to explore the potential policy implications of technologies that might enhance human cognitive abilities. The group's deliberations sought to identify core values and concerns raised by the prospect of cognitive enhancement. The workshop focused on the policy implications of various prospective cognitive enhancements and on the technologies/nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science--that enable them. The prospect of rapidly emerging technological capabilities to enhance human cognition makes urgent a daunting array of questions, tensions, ambitions, and concerns. The workshop elicited dilemmas and concerns in ten overlapping areas: science and democracy; equity and justice; freedom and control; intergenerational issues; ethics and competition; individual and community rights; speed and deliberations; ethical uncertainty; humanness; and sociocultural risk. We identified four different perspectives to encompass the diverse issues related to emergence of cognitive enhancement technologies: (1) Laissez-faire--emphasizes freedom of individuals to seek and employ enhancement technologies based on their own judgment; (2) Managed technological optimism--believes that while these technologies promise great benefits, such benefits cannot emerge without an active government role; (3) Managed technological skepticism--views that the quality of life arises more out of society's institutions than its technologies; and (4) Human Essentialism--starts with the notion of a human essence (whether God-given or evolutionary in origin) that should not be modified. While the perspectives differ significantly about both human nature and the role of government, each encompasses a belief in the value of transparency and reliable information that can allow public discussion and

Autism spectrum disorders in the era of mobile technologies: impact on caregivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Anna A; Shane, Howard C

2014-04-01

This paper explores possible connections among existing literature on parental stress, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and use of mobile technology for persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A narrative review of the literature. Parental support contributes to positive outcomes for children who use AAC. Parents identify communication as a high priority, but describe the process as challenging. AAC is often used with children with ASD, a population in which parental stress is especially high. Though there is research evidence that mobile technology is a promising tool for individuals with ASD, potentially misleading media anecdotes exist, and the effects on parental expectations and stress remain unstudied questions. Increased understanding of the connections in these research areas should help clarify the potential impact of mobile technologies on parental stress level, help to define appropriate future research directions, and contribute to development of appropriate caregiver training.

Role of the CSIR/WRC Sanitation Technology Demonstration Centre in creating awareness, sharing information and in decision-making regarding sanitation technologies

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mema, V

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The CSIR and the Water Research Commission (WRC) have envisioned a Sanitation Technology Demonstration Centre to provide a cutting-edge environment for bringing to light old and new, as well as promising sanitation technologies. The purpose...

Limits to leapfrogging in energy technologies? Evidence from the Chinese automobile industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallagher, Kelly Sims

2006-01-01

Limits to leapfrogging in energy technologies? One of the most attractive notions in the field of sustainable energy development is the concept of energy-technology 'leapfrogging'. Leapfrogging through international technology transfer can be especially problematic because often developing countries do not have the technological capabilities to produce or integrate the advanced energy technologies themselves. Until they have acquired the capabilities to produce the advanced technologies themselves, most late-industrializing countries buy their new technologies from industrialized countries, usually through licensing or joint-venture arrangements. Empirical case studies of the three main Sino-US passenger-car joint ventures reveal that until the late 1990s, little energy or environmental leapfrogging occurred in the Chinese automobile industry as the result of the introduction of US automotive technology. An improvement in Chinese capabilities and more stringent Chinese energy and environmental policies are needed to induce energy leapfrogging in the Chinese automobile industry. Foreign firms also have a social responsibility to contribute to China's sustainable industrial development. In order to realize the promise of the leapfrogging, the limits to leapfrogging must be identified and acknowledged so that strategies can be devised to surmount the barriers to the introduction of advanced energy technologies in developing countries

Identifying Teacher Belief Systems Regarding Classroom Technology Use--Planning for Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Petty, Michael F.

2012-01-01

Across the United States, millions of taxpayer dollars are spent on the integration of technology into America's classrooms to increase student achievement and preparation for a 21st century global workforce. The problem is teachers are not using available technology to its fullest capacity. While several studies outlined in the literature review…

Rigorous Screening Technology for Identifying Suitable CO2 Storage Sites II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

George J. Koperna Jr.; Vello A. Kuuskraa; David E. Riestenberg; Aiysha Sultana; Tyler Van Leeuwen

2009-06-01

This report serves as the final technical report and users manual for the 'Rigorous Screening Technology for Identifying Suitable CO2 Storage Sites II SBIR project. Advanced Resources International has developed a screening tool by which users can technically screen, assess the storage capacity and quantify the costs of CO2 storage in four types of CO2 storage reservoirs. These include CO2-enhanced oil recovery reservoirs, depleted oil and gas fields (non-enhanced oil recovery candidates), deep coal seems that are amenable to CO2-enhanced methane recovery, and saline reservoirs. The screening function assessed whether the reservoir could likely serve as a safe, long-term CO2 storage reservoir. The storage capacity assessment uses rigorous reservoir simulation models to determine the timing, ultimate storage capacity, and potential for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery. Finally, the economic assessment function determines both the field-level and pipeline (transportation) costs for CO2 sequestration in a given reservoir. The screening tool has been peer reviewed at an Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) technical meeting in March 2009. A number of useful observations and recommendations emerged from the Workshop on the costs of CO2 transport and storage that could be readily incorporated into a commercial version of the Screening Tool in a Phase III SBIR.

New and emerging technologies for genetic toxicity testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, Anthony M; Sasaki, Jennifer C; Elespuru, Rosalie; Jacobson-Kram, David; Thybaud, Véronique; De Boeck, Marlies; Aardema, Marilyn J; Aubrecht, Jiri; Benz, R Daniel; Dertinger, Stephen D; Douglas, George R; White, Paul A; Escobar, Patricia A; Fornace, Albert; Honma, Masamitsu; Naven, Russell T; Rusling, James F; Schiestl, Robert H; Walmsley, Richard M; Yamamura, Eiji; van Benthem, Jan; Kim, James H

2011-04-01

The International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) Project Committee on the Relevance and Follow-up of Positive Results in In Vitro Genetic Toxicity (IVGT) Testing established an Emerging Technologies and New Strategies Workgroup to review the current State of the Art in genetic toxicology testing. The aim of the workgroup was to identify promising technologies that will improve genotoxicity testing and assessment of in vivo hazard and risk, and that have the potential to help meet the objectives of the IVGT. As part of this initiative, HESI convened a workshop in Washington, DC in May 2008 to discuss mature, maturing, and emerging technologies in genetic toxicology. This article collates the abstracts of the New and Emerging Technologies Workshop together with some additional technologies subsequently considered by the workgroup. Each abstract (available in the online version of the article) includes a section addressed specifically to the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with the respective technology. Importantly, an overview of the technologies and an indication of how their use might be aligned with the objectives of IVGT are presented. In particular, consideration was given with regard to follow-up testing of positive results in the standard IVGT tests (i.e., Salmonella Ames test, chromosome aberration assay, and mouse lymphoma assay) to add weight of evidence and/or provide mechanism of action for improved genetic toxicity risk assessments in humans. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Promise Zones for Applicants

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Housing and Urban Development — This tool assists applicants to HUD's Promise Zone initiative prepare data to submit with their application by allowing applicants to draw the exact location of the...

Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Waste Area Groups 1-7 and 10 Technology Logic Diagram. Volume 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O`Brien, M.C.; Meservey, R.H.; Little, M.; Ferguson, J.S.; Gilmore, M.C.

1993-09-01

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) Technology Logic Diagram (TLD) was developed to provide a decision support tool that relates Environmental Restoration (ER) and Waste Management (WM) problems at the INEL to potential technologies that can remediate these problems. The TLD identifies the research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation needed to develop these technologies to a state that allows technology transfer and application to an environmental restoration need. It is essential that follow-on engineering and system studies be conducted to build on the output of this project. These studies will begin by selecting the most promising technologies identified in this TLD and finding an optimum mix of technologies that will provide a socially acceptable balance between cost and risk to meet the site windows of opportunity. The TLD consists of three separate volumes: Volume I includes the purpose and scope of the TLD, a brief history of the INEL Waste Area Groups, and environmental problems they represent. A description of the TLD, definitions of terms, a description of the technology evaluation process, and a summary of each subelement, is presented. Volume II (this volume) describes the overall layout and development of the TLD in logic diagram format. This section addresses the environmental restoration of contaminated INEL sites. Specific INEL problem areas/contaminants are identified along with technology solutions, the status of the technologies, precise science and technology needs, and implementation requirements. Volume III provides the Technology Evaluation Data Sheets (TEDS) for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) activities that are referenced by a TEDS codenumber in Volume II. Each of these sheets represents a single logic trace across the TLD. These sheets contain more detail than provided for technologies in Volume II.

Using TV white space spectrum to practise telemedicine: A promising technology to enhance broadband internet connectivity within healthcare facilities in rural regions of developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Chavez, Afton; Littman-Quinn, Ryan; Ndlovu, Kagiso; Kovarik, Carrie L

2016-06-01

The following correspondence provides an overview of TV White Space (TVWS) technology, regulations, and potential applications to the health care sector. This report also introduces "Project Kgolagano," a Botswana-based initiative representing the first endeavour to utilize TVWS internet connection for practising telemedicine. TV "white space" refers to the previously unused, wasted spectrum within TV radiofrequency channels that can now be leveraged to obtain broadband internet access. TVWS represents a less costly, faster, and farther-reaching internet connection that is a promising option for connecting the previously unconnected populations of remote and underserved areas. The Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership, Microsoft, Botswana Innovation Hub, Vista Life Sciences, and Global Broadband Solutions have partnered together to bring TVWS wireless broadband access to healthcare facilities in poorly connected regions of Botswana (Lobatse, Francistown, Maun, Gaborone) in order to improve healthcare delivery and facilitate telemedicine in dermatology, cervical cancer screening, and family medicine (HIV/AIDS, TB, general adult and pediatric medicine). © The Author(s) 2015.

Acquisition Modernization: Transitioning Technology Into Warfighter Capability

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-01

to test and evaluate the technology and integrate the new capability into operational weapon systems (Figure 4). This funding model creates stove...misalignment between missions, TRLs, and the RDT&E funding model is a major 11 contributor to the valley of death. Technologies become obsolete on... funding model of the acquisition system. Create an individual budget account to fund the development of promising technologies. The Acquisition

Feasibility study of technologies to aid in the diagnosis of nuclear plant transients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertch, W.J.; Bray, M.A.; Esparza, V.; Fink, R.K.; Shepherd, J.C.; Venhuizen, J.R.

1985-08-01

A technical feasibility study was performed to identify and evaluate the various computerized techniques available to diagnose and identify nuclear power plant transients in support of improving operator response to emergencies. Five categories of methods were investigated: expert system technology, computerized alarm handling, data driven displays, estimation and failure detection, and fault tree/event tree techniques. Literature searches and personal contacts were used to obtain information on specific methods and their applications within these categories. A set of evaluation criteria was established and an Analytic Hierarchy Process evaluation of the methods was performed. An integrated approach for a computerized operator aid, combining the strong features from the various methods, appears to be the most promising. 91 refs., 1 tab

Objectivity in Grading: The Promise of Bar Codes

Science.gov (United States)

Jae, Haeran; Cowling, John

2009-01-01

This article proposes the use of a new technology to assure student anonymity and reduce bias hazards: identifying students by using bar codes. The limited finding suggests that the use of bar codes for assuring student anonymity could potentially cause students to perceive that grades are assigned more fairly and reassure teachers that they are…

Barriers and benefits to using mobile health technology after operation: A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Abelson, Jonathan S; Kaufman, Elinore; Symer, Matthew; Peters, Alexander; Charlson, Mary; Yeo, Heather

2017-09-01

Recently, mobile health technology has emerged as a promising avenue for improving physician-patient communication and patient outcomes. The objective of our study was to determine the public's perception of barriers and benefits to using mobile health technology technologies to enhance recovery after operation. We used the Empire State Poll to ask 2 open-ended questions to 800 participants assessing their perceptions of benefits and barriers to use mobile health technology after operation. All responses were coded independently, and any discrepancies were resolved by consensus. We used grounded theory to allow themes to arise from the codes. Interrater reliability was calculated using Cohen's Kappa. Participants identified a range of possible barriers to using mobile health technology apps after operation including: protecting personal health information, technology effectiveness and failure, preference for face-to-face interaction with their surgeon, level of effort required, and ability of the older adults to navigate mobile health technology. Participants identified multiple possible benefits including: better monitoring, improved communication with their surgeon, minimizing follow-up visits, improved convenience, and increased patient knowledge. In the study, 15% of all respondents stated there were no barriers whereas 6% stated there were no benefits. Participants were receptive to the many potential benefits of this technology to enhance not only their relationships with providers and the convenience of access, but also their health outcomes. We must address participants concerns about data security and their fears of losing a personal relationship with their doctor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Technology Trends Analysis Using Patent Landscaping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey Vsevolodovich Kortov

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the analysis and the choice of the priorities in technology development and, particularly, to the use of patent landscaping as a tool for the study of technology trends. Currently, patent activity indicators are often used for technology foresight and for competitive intelligence as well. Nevertheless, causal relationship between these indicators, on the one hand, and strategic and tactical decisions in the sphere of technological development on meso- and microeconomic level, on the other hand, are not adequately investigated to solve practical tasks. The goal of the work is to systemize the challenges of technology trends analysis, which could be effectively solved on the base of patent landscape analysis. The article analyses the patent landscaping methodology and tools, as well as their use for evaluating the current competitive environment and technology foresight. The authors formulated the generalized classification for the criteria of promising technologies for a selected region. To assess the compliance of a technology with these criteria, we propose a system of corresponding indicators of patenting activity. Using the proposed methodology, we have analysed the patent landscape to select promising technologies for the Sverdlovsk region. The research confirmed the hypothesis of the patent landscapes performance in evaluating such technology indicators as stages of the life cycle stage, universality (applicability in different industries, pace of worldwide development, innovations and science availability in the region and potential possibilities for scientific collaboration with international research institutions and universities. The results of the research may be useful to the wide audience, including representatives small and medium enterprises, large companies and regional authorities for the tasks concerned with the technology trends analysis and technology strategy design

Treatment technology for organic radioactive waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahn, S. J.; Lee, Y. H.; Shon, J. S. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea)

1999-12-01

In this report, various alternative technologies to the incineration for the treatment of radioactive organic wastes were described and reviewed, fallen into two groups of low temperature technologies and high temperature technologies. These technologies have the advantages of low volume gaseous emission, few or no dioxin generation, and operation at low enough temperature that radionuclides are not volatilized. Delphi chemical oxidation, mediated electrochemical oxidation, and photolytic ultraviolet oxidation appear to be the most promising low temperature oxidation process and steam reforming and supercritical water oxidation in the high temperature technologies. 52 refs., 39 figs., 2 tabs. (Author)

Applications of solar reforming technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spiewak, I. [Weizmann Inst. of Science, Rehovoth (Israel); Tyner, C.E. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Langnickel, U. [Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Koeln (Germany)

1993-11-01

Research in recent years has demonstrated the efficient use of solar thermal energy for driving endothermic chemical reforming reactions in which hydrocarbons are reacted to form synthesis gas (syngas). Closed-loop reforming/methanation systems can be used for storage and transport of process heat and for short-term storage for peaking power generation. Open-loop systems can be used for direct fuel production; for production of syngas feedstock for further processing to specialty chemicals and plastics and bulk ammonia, hydrogen, and liquid fuels; and directly for industrial processes such as iron ore reduction. In addition, reforming of organic chemical wastes and hazardous materials can be accomplished using the high-efficiency destruction capabilities of steam reforming. To help identify the most promising areas for future development of this technology, we discuss in this paper the economics and market potential of these applications.

Evolution of technology convergence networks in Korea: Characteristics of temporal changes in R&D according to institution type

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jae Young; Jeong, Seongkyoon

2018-01-01

This study investigates the temporal changes in development of technology convergence networks by institution type, i.e., public research institute (PRI), university and industry. Using the co-classification of technological domains of patents, we identified technology convergence of Korean patents, which were filed at Korea Intellectual Properties Office (KIPO) from 1997 to 2011. We conducted a network analysis at the technology level to search for the key technology fields and frequent instances of technology convergence. The results show that technology convergence networks have grown significantly in the recent period regardless of the institution type. While industries started to conspicuously engage in technology convergence in the late 1990s, universities or PRIs did not do so until the mid-2000s. This discrepancy in the phase of technology convergence is attributed to the temporal difference in R&D stage (e.g., basic research and commercial product development). Our findings imply that corporal and governmental R&D management decision on promising technology fields will be more effective if the decision makers carefully consider the type of R&D entity in analyzing technological landscapes. PMID:29420574

Evolution of technology convergence networks in Korea: Characteristics of temporal changes in R&D according to institution type.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jae Young; Jeong, Seongkyoon; Jung, Jung-Kyu

2018-01-01

This study investigates the temporal changes in development of technology convergence networks by institution type, i.e., public research institute (PRI), university and industry. Using the co-classification of technological domains of patents, we identified technology convergence of Korean patents, which were filed at Korea Intellectual Properties Office (KIPO) from 1997 to 2011. We conducted a network analysis at the technology level to search for the key technology fields and frequent instances of technology convergence. The results show that technology convergence networks have grown significantly in the recent period regardless of the institution type. While industries started to conspicuously engage in technology convergence in the late 1990s, universities or PRIs did not do so until the mid-2000s. This discrepancy in the phase of technology convergence is attributed to the temporal difference in R&D stage (e.g., basic research and commercial product development). Our findings imply that corporal and governmental R&D management decision on promising technology fields will be more effective if the decision makers carefully consider the type of R&D entity in analyzing technological landscapes.

The promises and challenges of future reactor system developments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S. H.; Chang, M. H.; Kim, H. J.

2007-01-01

improved economy when compared to currently the existing plants. The APR 1400 has been developed since 1991 and it is expected that its first commercial operation will be in 2012. In the short term by 2011, the APR-1400 design will be improved from the viewpoints of safety, economics and performance. We are also developing a small integral reactor SMART, which is a promising advanced small and medium-size power category of nuclear reactors. It is an integral type reactor with a sensible mixture of new innovative design features and proven technologies aimed at achieving a highly enhanced safety and improved economics. SMART is purposed for dual applications such as for seawater desalination and electricity generation. Since the SMART technology is technically sound and has sufficient economics, the SMART desalination plant has good prospects of being deployed as a nuclear desalination plant. We are also actively participating in the GEN IV collaboration (GIF: GEN IV International Forum) for a VHTR and a SFR technology development. Through close collaboration with GIF, a proliferation-resistant SFR technology will be developed based on KALIMAER for an effective uranium utilization and waste minimization. Also a high temperature reactor is currently under development to demonstrate a nuclear based hydrogen production technology. Korea is really looking ahead by developing new generation of advanced nuclear reactor systems for a sustainable development, economical benefits, a clean environment and public confidence. In this paper, Korean nuclear reactor technology development program is described together with lessons learned from self-reliance in nuclear reactor technology. In addition, this paper presents the status of the next generation reactor system development program and the future reactor system development program for addressing these challenges

Technology Base Research Project for electrochemical energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Kinoshita, K.

1985-06-01

The DOE Electrochemical Energy Storage Program is divided into two projects: (1) the exploratory technology development and testing (ETD) project and (2) the technology base research (TBR) project. The role of the TBR Project is to perform supporting research for the advanced battery systems under development by the ETD Project, and to evaluate new systems with potentially superior performance, durability and/or cost characteristics. The specific goal of the TBR Project is to identify the most promising electrochemical technologies and transfer them to industry and/or the ETD Project for further development and scale-up. This report summarizes the research, financial, and management activities relevant to the TBR Project in CY 1984. General problem areas addressed by the project include identification of new electrochemical couples for advanced batteries, determination of technical feasibility of the new couples, improvements in battery components and materials, establishment of engineering principles applicable to electrochemical energy storage and conversion, and the assessment of fuel-cell technology for transportation applications. Major emphasis is given to applied research which will lead to superior performance and lower life-cycle costs. The TBR Project is divided into three major project elements: exploratory research, applied science research, and air systems research.

Advanced technologies management for retailing : frameworks and cases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pantano, E.; Timmermans, H.J.P.

2011-01-01

The application of advanced technologies to point of sale systems is a promising and relatively unexplored field of study, in particular when considering the introduction of digital content and technologies allowing consumers to interact with products in new ways. Many e-retailers already exploit

Gravitational-wave astronomy: delivering on the promises

Science.gov (United States)

Schutz, B. F.

2018-05-01

Now that LIGO and Virgo have begun to detect gravitational-wave events with regularity, the field of gravitational-wave astronomy is beginning to realize its promise. Binary black holes and, very recently, binary neutron stars have been observed, and we are already learning much from them. The future, with improved sensitivity, more detectors and detectors like LISA in different frequency bands, has even more promise to open a completely hidden side of the Universe to our exploration. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue `The promises of gravitational-wave astronomy'.

Thoughts on identifiers

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2005-01-01

As business processes and information transactions have become an inextricably intertwined with the Web, the importance of assignment, registration, discovery, and maintenance of identifiers has increased. In spite of this, integrated frameworks for managing identifiers have been slow to emerge. Instead, identification systems arise (quite naturally) from immediate business needs without consideration for how they fit into larger information architectures. In addition, many legacy identifier systems further complicate the landscape, making it difficult for content managers to select and deploy identifier systems that meet both the business case and long term information management objectives. This presentation will outline a model for evaluating identifier applications and the functional requirements of the systems necessary to support them. The model is based on a layered analysis of the characteristics of identifier systems, including: * Functional characteristics * Technology * Policy * Business * Social T...

Aligning Digital Video Technology with Game Pedagogy in Physical Education

Science.gov (United States)

Koekoek, Jeroen; van der Mars, Hans; van der Kamp, John; Walinga, Wytse; van Hilvoorde, Ivo

2018-01-01

The rapid development of digital technology has expanded the prospects and promises for its application in physical education programs. Physical educators are becoming increasingly interested in technology but often remain inadequately equipped to effectively integrate these technological resources in their daily practice, and/or lack the…

Citizen Science in the Classroom: Perils and Promise of the New Web

Science.gov (United States)

Loughran, T.; Dirksen, R.

2010-12-01

Classroom citizen science projects invite students to generate, curate, post, query, and analyze data, publishing and discussing results in potentially large collaborative contexts. The new web offers a rich palette of such projects for any STEM educator to select from or create. This easy access to citizen science in the classroom is full of both promise and peril for science education. By offering examples of classroom citizen science projects in particle physics, earth and environmental sciences, each supported by a common mashup of technologies available to ordinary users, we will illustrate something of the promise of these projects for science education, and point to some of the challenges and failure modes--the peril--raised by easy access and particularly easy publication of data. How one sensibly responds to this promise and peril depends on how one views the goals of science (or more broadly, STEM) education: either as the equipping of individual students with STEM knowledge and skills so as to empower them for future options, or as the issuing of effective invitations into STEM communities. Building on the claim that these are complementary perspectives, both of value, we will provide an example of a classroom citizen science project analyzed from both perspectives. The BOSCO classroom-to-classroom water source mapping project provides students both in Northern Uganda and in South Dakota a collaborative platform for analyzing and responding to local water quality concerns. Students gather water quality data, use Google Forms embedded in a project wiki to enter data in a spreadsheet, which then automatically (through Mapalist, a free web service) gets posted to a Google Map, itself embedded in the project wiki. Using these technologies, data is thus collected and posted for analysis in a collaborative environment: the stage is set for classroom citizen science. In the context of this project we will address the question of how teachers can take advantage

The Concept of Resource Use Efficiency as a Theoretical Basis for Promising Coal Mining Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Mikhalchenko, Vadim

2017-11-01

The article is devoted to solving one of the most relevant problems of the coal mining industry - its high resource use efficiency, which results in high environmental and economic costs of operating enterprises. It is shown that it is the high resource use efficiency of traditional, historically developed coal production systems that generates a conflict between indicators of economic efficiency and indicators of resistance to uncertainty and variability of market environment parameters. The traditional technological paradigm of exploitation of coal deposits also predetermines high, technology-driven, economic risks. The solution is shown and a real example of the problem solution is considered.

Monitoring innovation in electrochemical energy storage technologies: A patent-based approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, Simon C.; Sandner, Philipp G.; Welpe, Isabell M.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Grid effects of intermittent sources show increasing need for decentralized storage. • Novel patent classification is applied to monitor competing technologies. • Up-to-date geographical, organizational, and qualitative insight is given. • Redox flow patenting shows strong growth, lithium also strong absolute numbers. • Revealed patents allow the expectation of improved modules in the future. - Abstract: Due to the suitability to balance the intermittency in decentralized systems with renewable sources, electrochemical energy storage possibilities have been analyzed in several studies, all highlighting the need for improvements in relevant techno-economic parameters. Particularly a reduction in the costs per cycle is much needed, which could either come from innovation in more cost-efficient manufacturing methods, a higher endurance of charge/discharge sequences or higher capacities. Looking at patent applications as a metric allows us to determine whether the necessary technological progress is indeed occurring, as the mandatory publication of the underlying inventions provides access to otherwise hidden R and D activities. Our paper contributes to the literature with a compilation of technological classes related to important battery types in the novel Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC), which can be used to identify relevant patent applications of the competing technologies. Using the worldwide patent statistical database (PATSTAT), we find that promising technologies have been showing increasing patent counts in recent years. For example, the number of patent applications related to regenerative fuel cells (e.g. redox flow batteries) doubled from 2009 to 2011. Nevertheless, the volume of patent filings in technologies related to lithium remains unchallenged. Patent applications in this area are still growing, which indicates that the introduction of improved modules will continue. Using citation analysis, we have identified

Fundamental Technology Development for Gas-Turbine Engine Health Management

Science.gov (United States)

Mercer, Carolyn R.; Simon, Donald L.; Hunter, Gary W.; Arnold, Steven M.; Reveley, Mary S.; Anderson, Lynn M.

2007-01-01

Integrated vehicle health management technologies promise to dramatically improve the safety of commercial aircraft by reducing system and component failures as causal and contributing factors in aircraft accidents. To realize this promise, fundamental technology development is needed to produce reliable health management components. These components include diagnostic and prognostic algorithms, physics-based and data-driven lifing and failure models, sensors, and a sensor infrastructure including wireless communications, power scavenging, and electronics. In addition, system assessment methods are needed to effectively prioritize development efforts. Development work is needed throughout the vehicle, but particular challenges are presented by the hot, rotating environment of the propulsion system. This presentation describes current work in the field of health management technologies for propulsion systems for commercial aviation.

Tennessee Promise: A Response to Organizational Change

Science.gov (United States)

Littlepage, Ben; Clark, Teresa; Wilson, Randal; Stout, Logan

2018-01-01

Community colleges in Tennessee, either directly or indirectly, experienced unprecedented change as a result of Tennessee Promise. The present study explored how student support service administrators at three community colleges responded to organizational change as a result of the Tennessee Promise legislation. Investigators selected community…

Gravitational-wave astronomy: delivering on the promises.

Science.gov (United States)

Schutz, B F

2018-05-28

Now that LIGO and Virgo have begun to detect gravitational-wave events with regularity, the field of gravitational-wave astronomy is beginning to realize its promise. Binary black holes and, very recently, binary neutron stars have been observed, and we are already learning much from them. The future, with improved sensitivity, more detectors and detectors like LISA in different frequency bands, has even more promise to open a completely hidden side of the Universe to our exploration.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The promises of gravitational-wave astronomy'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Financial Technology: Blockchain - Down to Earth

OpenAIRE

Demary, Markus; Demary, Vera

2017-01-01

The blockchain technology offers the promise to be cheaper, faster, less error-prone and safer compared to traditional financial services. Whether a market for blockchain services will emerge, depends, however, on several criteria.

Electronic aroma detection technology for forensic and law enforcement applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barshick, S.-A.; Griest, W.H.; Vass, A.A.

1996-12-31

A major problem hindering criminal investigations is the lack of appropriate tools for proper crime scene investigations. Often locating important pieces of evidence means relying on the ability of trained detection canines. Development of analytical technology to uncover and analyze evidence, potentially at the scene, could serve to expedite criminal investigations, searches, and court proceedings. To address this problem, a new technology based on gas sensor arrays was investigated for its applicability to forensic and law enforcement problems. The technology employs an array of sensors that respond to volatile chemical components yielding a characteristic `fingerprint` pattern representative of the vapor- phase composition of a sample. Sample aromas can be analyzed and identified using artificial neural networks that are trained on known aroma patterns. Several candidate applications based on known technological needs of the forensic and law enforcement communities have been investigated. These applications have included the detection of aromas emanating from cadavers to aid in determining time since death, drug detection for deterring the manufacture, sale, and use of drugs of abuse, and the analysis of fire debris for accelerant identification. The results to date for these applications have been extremely promising and demonstrate the potential applicability of this technology for forensic use.

Perspectives on micropole undulators in synchrotron radiation technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tatchyn, R.; Csonka, P.; Toor, A.

1989-01-01

Micropole undulators promise to advance synchrotron radiation (SR) technology in two distinct ways. The first is in the development of economical, low-energy storage rings, or linacs, as soft x-ray sources, and the second is in the opening up of gamma-ray spectral ranges on high-energy storage rings. In this paper the promise and current status of micropole undulator (MPU) technology are discussed, and a review of some practical obstacles to the implementation of MPU's on present-day storage rings is given. Some successful results of recent performance measurements of micropole undulators on the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory linac are briefly summarized

Perspectives on micropole undulators in synchrotron radiation technology

Science.gov (United States)

Tatchyn, Roman; Csonka, Paul; Toor, Arthur

1989-07-01

Micropole undulators promise to advance synchrotron radiation (SR) technology in two distinct ways. The first is in the development of economical, low-energy storage rings, or linacs, as soft x-ray sources, and the second is in the opening up of gamma-ray spectral ranges on high-energy storage rings. In this paper the promise and current status of micropole undulator (MPU) technology are discussed, and a review of some practical obstacles to the implementation of MPU's on present-day storage rings is given. Some successful results of recent performance measurements of micropole undulators on the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory linac are briefly summarized.

Identifying and prioritizing the factors influencing the success of science and technology foresight in the field of economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Afsaneh Raieninezhad

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Promoting complex global environment, tremendous growth and increase of network communication technology in the world, strategic planning and foresight activities in science and technology have become very important. Gradually, organizations and businesses are realizing the importance of foresight; many organizations attempt to execute such activities. However, this concept is not still well known in our country and among our organizations. Therefore, recognizing the factors influencing the success of this concept is a kind of issues that the organizations and activists are faced. Thus, this research seeks to identify and to rank the factors, particularly in the areas of economy, and it has developed five hypotheses. In this paper, factors affecting the success of foresight are given in four groups of rational, structure, scope, and results. Data collection for this study is a questionnaire and the binomial tests, Pearson correlation and Friedman test have been used to prove the hypothesis. According to the analysis of data obtained from the questionnaire conducted by SPSS software, all research hypotheses were confirmed. It also became clear that the rational component had the greatest impact on the future success of science and technology in the field of economic.

On Education and Training Appropriate Information Technology for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

While information technology (IT) potentially holds promise in the technological advancement of developing countries, it is a revolution whose diffusion needs to be assessed. With the advent of IT in developing societies, education and training should play a significant role in IT policy dissemination and initiatives. Education ...

Technology Candidates for Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground Data Exchange

Science.gov (United States)

Haynes, Brian D.

2015-01-01

Technology Candidates for Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground Data Exchange is a two-year research effort to visualize the U. S. aviation industry at a point 50 years in the future, and to define potential communication solutions to meet those future data exchange needs. The research team, led by XCELAR, was tasked with identifying future National Airspace System (NAS) scenarios, determining requirements and functions (including gaps), investigating technical and business issues for air, ground, & air-to-ground interactions, and reporting on the results. The project was conducted under technical direction from NASA and in collaboration with XCELAR's partner, National Institute of Aerospace, and NASA technical representatives. Parallel efforts were initiated to define the information exchange functional needs of the future NAS, and specific communication link technologies to potentially serve those needs. Those efforts converged with the mapping of each identified future NAS function to potential enabling communication solutions; those solutions were then compared with, and ranked relative to, each other on a technical basis in a structured analysis process. The technical solutions emerging from that process were then assessed from a business case perspective to determine their viability from a real-world adoption and deployment standpoint. The results of that analysis produced a proposed set of future solutions and most promising candidate technologies. Gap analyses were conducted at two points in the process, the first examining technical factors, and the second as part of the business case analysis. In each case, no gaps or unmet needs were identified in applying the solutions evaluated to the requirements identified. The future communication solutions identified in the research comprise both specific link technologies and two enabling technologies that apply to most or all specific links. As a result, the research resulted in a new analysis approach, viewing the

Mobile technology aids law enforcement in identifying forgeries in record management systems

OpenAIRE

Center for Homeland Defense and Security

2010-01-01

Center for Homeland Defense and Security, OUT OF THE CLASSROOM Download the paper: Arizona Law Enforcement Mobile Identification Technology for Law Enforcement” As the technology program manager with the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, Bill Kalaf is using his time at...

Fostering Sustainable Energy Entrepreneurship among Students: The Business Oriented Technological System Analysis (BOTSA Program at Eindhoven University of Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mara Wijnker

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The Business Oriented Technological System Analysis (BOTSA program is a new teaching and learning concept developed by Eindhoven University of Technology (the Netherlands with participation from innovative companies in renewable energy. It is designed to stimulate sustainable entrepreneurship among engineering students in this field. The program combines the placement of students in companies to study and contribute to the development and incubation of sustainable energy innovations, with a curriculum at the university designed to support these internships from a scientific perspective. The teaching method assists students in developing a broad system view that enables them to analyze the potential of, and bottlenecks to promising innovations from a realistic business perspective. This empowers students to identify those techno-economic aspects that are critical to innovation success, and advise the entrepreneurs about these aspects. Experience indicates that teachers, students, and entrepreneurs find BOTSA a valuable way of coaching, learning and working. Theoretical support for this method is found in system analysis originating in evolutionary innovation theory in combination with concepts of entrepreneurship, business model generation and sustainable/green innovation.

Smart Gun Technology project. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weiss, D.R.

1996-05-01

The goal of the Smart Gun Technology project is to eliminate the capability of an unauthorized user form firing a law officer`s firearm by implementing user-recognizing-and-authorizing (or {open_quotes}smart{close_quotes}) surety technologies. This project was funded by the National Institute of Justice. This report lists the findings and results of the project`s three primary objectives. First, to find and document the requirements for a smart firearm technology that law enforcement officers will value. Second, to investigate, evaluate, and prioritize technologies that meet the requirements for a law enforcement officer`s smart firearm. Third, to demonstrate and document the most promising technology`s usefulness in models of a smart firearm.

A dual-color fluorescence-based platform to identify selective inhibitors of Akt signaling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aranzazú Rosado

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Inhibition of Akt signaling is considered one of the most promising therapeutic strategies for many cancers. However, rational target-orientated approaches to cell based drug screens for anti-cancer agents have historically been compromised by the notorious absence of suitable control cells. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In order to address this fundamental problem, we have developed BaFiso, a live-cell screening platform to identify specific inhibitors of this pathway. BaFiso relies on the co-culture of isogenic cell lines that have been engineered to sustain interleukin-3 independent survival of the parental Ba/F3 cells, and that are individually tagged with different fluorescent proteins. Whilst in the first of these two lines cell survival in the absence of IL-3 is dependent on the expression of activated Akt, the cells expressing constitutively-activated Stat5 signaling display IL-3 independent growth and survival in an Akt-independent manner. Small molecules can then be screened in these lines to identify inhibitors that rescue IL-3 dependence. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: BaFiso measures differential cell survival using multiparametric live cell imaging and permits selective inhibitors of Akt signaling to be identified. BaFiso is a platform technology suitable for the identification of small molecule inhibitors of IL-3 mediated survival signaling.

Teen Culture, Technology and Literacy Instruction: Urban Adolescent Students' Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jia; Snow, Catherine; White, Claire

2015-01-01

Modern teens have pervasively integrated new technologies into their lives, and technology has become an important component of teen popular culture. Educators have pointed out the promise of exploiting technology to enhance students' language and literacy skills and general academic success. However, there is no consensus on the effect of…

Smart technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruckner, D.G.

1991-01-01

The success of smart technology in the pursuit of the Gulf War has accentuated the awareness of how the Safeguards and Security disciplines are changing in response to new weaponry. Throughout the Department of Energy Integrated Complex (IC) Safeguards and Security efforts such as: Protection Programs Operations; Materials, Controls and Accountability; Information Security; Computer Security; Operational Security; Personnel Security, Safeguards and/or Security (S and S) surveys, and Inspections and Evaluations are undergoing a reassessment and refocusing. Some of this is in response to such things as the DOE initiated Freeze Report and the Drell Report. An important aspect is also technological, adjusting the way business is done in light of the weapons, tools and processes/procedures becoming available. This paper addresses the S and S issues with the promise of using smart technology to develop new approaches and equipment across the IC

Promise-based management: the essence of execution.

Science.gov (United States)

Sull, Donald N; Spinosa, Charles

2007-04-01

Critical initiatives stall for a variety of reasons--employee disengagement, a lack of coordination between functions, complex organizational structures that obscure accountability, and so on. To overcome such obstacles, managers must fundamentally rethink how work gets done. Most of the challenges stem from broken or poorly crafted commitments. That's because every company is, at its heart, a dynamic network of promises made between employees and colleagues, customers, outsourcing partners, or other stakeholders. Executives can overcome many problems in the short-term and foster productive, reliable workforces for the long-term by practicing what the authors call "promise-based management," which involves cultivating and coordinating commitments in a systematic way. Good promises share five qualities: They are public, active, voluntary, explicit, and mission based. To develop and execute an effective promise, the "provider" and the "customer" in the deal should go through three phases of conversation. The first, achieving a meeting of minds, entails exploring the fundamental questions of coordinated effort: What do you mean? Do you understand what I mean? What should I do? What will you do? Who else should we talk to? In the next phase, making it happen, the provider executes on the promise. In the final phase, closing the loop, the customer publicly declares that the provider has either delivered the goods or failed to do so. Leaders must weave and manage their webs of promises with great care-encouraging iterative conversation and making sure commitments are fulfilled reliably. If they do, they can enhance coordination and cooperation among colleagues, build the organizational agility required to seize new business opportunities, and tap employees' entrepreneurial energies.

Social Relations and Technology: Continuity, Context, and Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonucci, Toni C; Ajrouch, Kristine J; Manalel, Jasmine A

2017-11-01

Social relations, although basic to human nature, health and well-being, have become increasingly complicated as a result of changing population demography and technology. In this essay, we provide a historical overview of social relations, especially as they affect older people. We briefly review the evolution of theory and measurement surrounding social relations as well as early empirical evidence. We consider how social relations have changed over time as well as continuity and change regarding basic characteristics of social relations. Of special interest is the emerging influence of technology on how people maintain contact, especially the changing ways people can use technology to increase, decrease, maintain, or avoid social relations. We consider both negative and positive aspects of these new technologies and their influence on health and well-being. Finally, we conclude that new and emerging technologies hold great promise for the future by overcoming traditional barriers to maintaining social contact, support exchange, and information acquisition. Nevertheless, we caution that these new technologies can have the dehumanizing effect of distance thus creating the potential for insensitivity and increased negativity. In sum, we are cautiously optimistic about the promise of technology to expand, but not replace, traditional forms of social contact.

Photonic crystals: emerging biosensors and their promise for point-of-care applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Inan, Hakan; Poyraz, Muhammet; Inci, Fatih; Lifson, Mark A; Baday, Murat; Cunningham, Brian T; Demirci, Utkan

2017-01-23

Biosensors are extensively employed for diagnosing a broad array of diseases and disorders in clinical settings worldwide. The implementation of biosensors at the point-of-care (POC), such as at primary clinics or the bedside, faces impediments because they may require highly trained personnel, have long assay times, large sizes, and high instrumental cost. Thus, there exists a need to develop inexpensive, reliable, user-friendly, and compact biosensing systems at the POC. Biosensors incorporated with photonic crystal (PC) structures hold promise to address many of the aforementioned challenges facing the development of new POC diagnostics. Currently, PC-based biosensors have been employed for detecting a variety of biotargets, such as cells, pathogens, proteins, antibodies, and nucleic acids, with high efficiency and selectivity. In this review, we provide a broad overview of PCs by explaining their structures, fabrication techniques, and sensing principles. Furthermore, we discuss recent applications of PC-based biosensors incorporated with emerging technologies, including telemedicine, flexible and wearable sensing, smart materials and metamaterials. Finally, we discuss current challenges associated with existing biosensors, and provide an outlook for PC-based biosensors and their promise at the POC.

National Nuclear Technology Map Development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, J. I.; Lee, T. J.; Yoon, S. W.

2005-03-01

The objective of NuTRM is to prepare a plan of nuclear R and D and technological innovations which is very likely to make nuclear technology a promising power source for future national developments. The NuTRM finds out systematically the nuclear R and D vision and the high-value-added strategic technologies to be developed by the efficient cooperation of actors including government, industry, academy and research institute by 2020. In other words, NuTRM aims at a long-term strategic planning of nuclear R and D and technological innovation in order to promote the socio-economic contributions of nuclear science and technology for the nation's future competitiveness and sustainable development and to raise the global status of the Korean nuclear R and D and Industry

Technology: Education and Training Needs of Older Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Lesa; Watson, Carol

2014-01-01

The impact of the global aging of the population on social, economic, political, and health care institutions is unequaled. Parallel to this, evolving developments in technology promise opportunities for sales and product development to support positive aging. Older adults are excited to utilize technologies that they perceive as practical.…

SATB2 is a Promising Biomarker for Identifying a Colorectal Origin for Liver Metastatic Adenocarcinomas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Jun Zhang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available SATB2 (Special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2 has recently been shown to be a specific biomarker of colorectal cancer (CRC. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic potential of SATB2 as a means of detecting a CRC origin for liver metastases. SATB2 expression was examined in a resection cohort of 101 CRC and 273 non-CRC adenocarcinoma samples using immunohistochemistry (IHC. The diagnostic accuracy of CRC origins of liver metastases based on SATB2 and a three marker panel of SATB2, CK20 and CDX2 was evaluated using an independent cohort of 192 liver biopsies. IHC showed 97 of the 101 (96.0% primary CRC samples were SATB2 positive, compared to only 6 of the 273 (2.1% samples of other cancer types. The sensitivity, specificity and AUC values of SATB2 expression in resection samples were 97%, 97.1% and 0.977, respectively. Meanwhile, for the liver biopsy samples, the sensitivity, specificity and AUC values of a CRC liver metastases was 92.2%, 97.8% and 0.948 for SATB2, 95.1%, 91.0% and 0.959 for CK20, and 100%, 85.4% and 0.976 for CDX2, respectively. Further analysis demonstrated that all three-marker positivity was detected in 92/103 (89.3% CRC and 2/89 (2.2% non-CRC liver metastases sampled by biopsy. Our findings suggest that SATB2, as measured by IHC, could serve as a promising diagnostic biomarker of CRC metastases. Combining evaluation of SATB2 with CK20 and CDX2 to form a three marker panel further improved the detection of metastatic CRCs in liver biopsy tissues.

Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Waste Area Groups 1-7 and 10 Technology Logic Diagram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Brien, M.C.; Meservey, R.H.; Little, M.; Ferguson, J.S.; Gilmore, M.C.

1993-09-01

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) Technology Logic Diagram (TLD) was developed to provide a decision support tool that relates Environmental Restoration (ER) and Waste Management (WM) problems at the INEL to potential technologies that can remediate these problems. The TLD identifies the research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation needed to develop these technologies to a state that allows technology transfer and application to an environmental restoration need. It is essential that follow-on engineering and system studies be conducted to build on the output of this project. These studies will begin by selecting the most promising technologies identified in this TLD and finding an optimum mix of technologies that will provide a socially acceptable balance between cost and risk to meet the site windows of opportunity. The TLD consists of three separate volumes: Volume I includes the purpose and scope of the TLD, a brief history of the INEL Waste Area Groups, and environmental problems they represent. A description of the TLD, definitions of terms, a description of the technology evaluation process, and a summary of each subelement, is presented. Volume II describes the overall layout and development of the TLD in logic diagram format. This section addresses the environmental restoration of contaminated INEL sites. Volume III (this volume) provides the Technology Evaluation Data Sheets (TEDS) for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) activities that are reference by a TEDS code number in Volume II. Each of these sheets represents a single logic trace across the TLD. These sheets contain more detail than provided for technologies in Volume II. Data sheets are arranged alphanumerically by the TEDS code number in the upper right corner of each sheet

Technology Games: Using Wittgenstein for Understanding and Evaluating Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Coeckelbergh, Mark

2017-08-15

In the philosophy of technology after the empirical turn, little attention has been paid to language and its relation to technology. In this programmatic and explorative paper, it is proposed to use the later Wittgenstein, not only to pay more attention to language use in philosophy of technology, but also to rethink technology itself-at least technology in its aspect of tool, technology-in-use. This is done by outlining a working account of Wittgenstein's view of language (as articulated mainly in the Investigations) and by then applying that account to technology-turning around Wittgenstein's metaphor of the toolbox. Using Wittgenstein's concepts of language games and form of life and coining the term 'technology games', the paper proposes and argues for a use-oriented, holistic, transcendental, social, and historical approach to technology which is empirically but also normatively sensitive, and which takes into account implicit knowledge and know-how. It gives examples of interaction with social robots to support the relevance of this project for understanding and evaluating today's technologies, makes comparisons with authors in philosophy of technology such as Winner and Ihde, and sketches the contours of a phenomenology and hermeneutics of technology use that may help us to understand but also to gain a more critical relation to specific uses of concrete technologies in everyday contexts. Ultimately, given the holism argued for, it also promises a more critical relation to the games and forms of life technologies are embedded in-to the ways we do things.

Improvement of fuel combustion technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tumanovskii, A.G.; Babii, V.I.; Enyakin, Y.P.; Kotler, V.R.; Ryabov, G.V.; Verbovetskii, E.K.; Nadyrov, I.I. [All-Russian Thermal Engineering Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation)

1996-07-01

The main problems encountered in the further development of fuel combustion technologies at thermal power stations in Russia are considered. Experience is generalized and results are presented on the efficiency with which nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced by means of technological methods when burning natural gas, fuel oil, and coal. The problems that arise in the introduction of new combustion technologies and in using more promising grades of coal are considered. The results studies are presented that show that low grade Russian coals can be burnt in circulating fluidized bed boilers. 14 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.

Configuration and technology implications of potential nuclear hydrogen system applications.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conzelmann, G.; Petri, M.; Forsberg, C.; Yildiz, B.; ORNL

2005-11-05

Nuclear technologies have important distinctions and potential advantages for large-scale generation of hydrogen for U.S. energy services. Nuclear hydrogen requires no imported fossil fuels, results in lower greenhouse-gas emissions and other pollutants, lends itself to large-scale production, and is sustainable. The technical uncertainties in nuclear hydrogen processes and the reactor technologies needed to enable these processes, as well waste, proliferation, and economic issues must be successfully addressed before nuclear energy can be a major contributor to the nation's energy future. In order to address technical issues in the time frame needed to provide optimized hydrogen production choices, the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI) must examine a wide range of new technologies, make the best use of research funding, and make early decisions on which technology options to pursue. For these reasons, it is important that system integration studies be performed to help guide the decisions made in the NHI. In framing the scope of system integration analyses, there is a hierarchy of questions that should be addressed: What hydrogen markets will exist and what are their characteristics? Which markets are most consistent with nuclear hydrogen? What nuclear power and production process configurations are optimal? What requirements are placed on the nuclear hydrogen system? The intent of the NHI system studies is to gain a better understanding of nuclear power's potential role in a hydrogen economy and what hydrogen production technologies show the most promise. This work couples with system studies sponsored by DOE-EE and other agencies that provide a basis for evaluating and selecting future hydrogen production technologies. This assessment includes identifying commercial hydrogen applications and their requirements, comparing the characteristics of nuclear hydrogen systems to those market requirements, evaluating nuclear hydrogen configuration options

Young children mostly keep, and expect others to keep, their promises.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanngiesser, Patricia; Köymen, Bahar; Tomasello, Michael

2017-07-01

Promises are speech acts that create an obligation to do the promised action. In three studies, we investigated whether 3- and 5-year-olds (N=278) understand the normative implications of promising in prosocial interactions. In Study 1, children helped a partner who promised to share stickers. When the partner failed to uphold the promise, 3- and 5-year-olds protested and referred to promise norms. In Study 2, when children in this same age range were asked to promise to continue a cleaning task-and they agreed-they persisted longer on the task and mentioned their obligation more frequently than without such a promise. They also persisted longer after a promise than after a cleaning reminder (Study 3). In prosocial interactions, thus, young children feel a normative obligation to keep their promises and expect others to keep their promises as well. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solving real-life problems: future mobile technology sophistication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafiq, F.; Ahsan, K.; Nadeem, A.

2016-01-01

Almost all the human being real life concerned domains are taking advantage of latest technologies for enhancing their process, procedures and operations. This integration of technological innovations provides ease of access, flexibility, transparency, reliability and speed for the concerned process and procedures. Rapid growth of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and MT (Mobile Technology) provides opportunity to redesign and re-engineered the human routines life activities process and procedures. Technology integration and adoption in routine life activities may serves compensatory mechanism to assist the population in different manner such as monitoring older adults and children at homes, provides security assistance, monitoring and recording patients vital signs automatically, controlling and monitoring equipments and devices, providing assistance in shopping, banking and education as well. Disasters happened suddenly, destroy everything indiscriminately. Adoption and integration of latest technologies including ICT and MT can enhance the current disaster management process, procedures and operations. This research study focuses the impacts of latest and emerging technology trends in routine life activities and surrounds their potential strength to improve and enhance disaster management activities. MT is providing a promising platform for facilitating people to enhance their routine life activities. This research argue that integration and adoption of mobile computing in disaster management domain can enhance disaster management activities with promising minimizing error, quick information assembling, quick response based on technology manipulation and prioritizing action. (author)

Solving Real-Life Problems: Future Mobile Technology Sophistication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FARHAN SHAFIQ

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Almost all the human being real life concerned domains are taking advantage of latest technologies for enhancing their process, procedures and operations. This integration of technological innovations provides ease of access, flexibility, transparency, reliability and speed for the concerned process and procedures. Rapid growth of ICT (Information and Communication Technology and MT (Mobile Technology provides opportunity to redesign and reengineered the human routines? life activities process and procedures. Technology integration and adoption in routine life activities may serves compensatory mechanism to assist the population in different manner such as monitoring older adults and children at homes, provides security assistance, monitoring and recording patients vital signs automatically, controlling and monitoring equipments and devices, providing assistance in shopping, banking and education as well. Disasters happened suddenly, destroy everything indiscriminately. Adoption and integration of latest technologies including ICT and MT can enhance the current disaster management process, procedures and operations. This research study focuses the impacts of latest and emerging technology trends in routine life activities and surrounds their potential strength to improve and enhance disaster management activities. MT is providing a promising platform for facilitating people to enhance their routine life activities. This research argue that integration and adoption of mobile computing in disaster management domain can enhance disaster management activities with promising minimizing error, quick information assembling, quick response based on technology manipulation and prioritizing action.

Finding the Needle in the Haystack—the Use of Microfluidic Droplet Technology to Identify Vitamin-Secreting Lactic Acid Bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Chen

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Efficient screening technologies aim to reduce both the time and the cost required for identifying rare mutants possessing a phenotype of interest in a mutagenized population. In this study, we combined a mild mutagenesis strategy with high-throughput screening based on microfluidic droplet technology to identify Lactococcus lactis variants secreting vitamin B2 (riboflavin. Initially, we used a roseoflavin-resistant mutant of L. lactis strain MG1363, JC017, which secreted low levels of riboflavin. By using fluorescence-activated droplet sorting, several mutants that secreted riboflavin more efficiently than JC017 were readily isolated from the mutagenesis library. The screening was highly efficient, and candidates with as few as 1.6 mutations per million base pairs (Mbp were isolated. The genetic characterization revealed that riboflavin production was triggered by mutations inhibiting purine biosynthesis, which is surprising since the purine nucleotide GTP is a riboflavin precursor. Purine starvation in the mutants induced overexpression of the riboflavin biosynthesis cluster ribABGH. When the purine starvation was relieved by purine supplementation in the growth medium, the outcome was an immediate downregulation of the riboflavin biosynthesis cluster and a reduction in riboflavin production. Finally, by applying the new isolates in milk fermentation, the riboflavin content of milk (0.99 mg/liter was improved to 2.81 mg/liter, compared with 0.66 mg/liter and 1.51 mg/liter by using the wild-type strain and the original roseoflavin-resistant mutant JC017, respectively. The results obtained demonstrate how powerful classical mutagenesis can be when combined with droplet-based microfluidic screening technology for obtaining microorganisms with useful attributes.

Emerging desalination technologies for water treatment: a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramani, Arun; Jacangelo, Joseph G

2015-05-15

In this paper, a review of emerging desalination technologies is presented. Several technologies for desalination of municipal and industrial wastewater have been proposed and evaluated, but only certain technologies have been commercialized or are close to commercialization. This review consists of membrane-based, thermal-based and alternative technologies. Membranes based on incorporation of nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes or graphene-based ones show promise as innovative desalination technologies with superior performance in terms of water permeability and salt rejection. However, only nanocomposite membranes have been commercialized while others are still under fundamental developmental stages. Among the thermal-based technologies, membrane distillation and adsorption desalination show the most promise for enhanced performance with the availability of a waste heat source. Several alternative technologies have also been developed recently; those based on capacitive deionization have shown considerable improvements in their salt removal capacity and feed water recovery. In the same category, microbial desalination cells have been shown to desalinate high salinity water without any external energy source, but to date, scale up of the process has not been methodically evaluated. In this paper, advantages and drawbacks of each technology is discussed along with a comparison of performance, water quality and energy consumption. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Membrane-based processes for wastewater nutrient recovery: Technology, challenges, and future direction.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Ming; Shon, Ho Kyong; Gray, Stephen R; Elimelech, Menachem

2016-02-01

Wastewater nutrient recovery holds promise for more sustainable water and agricultural industries. We critically review three emerging membrane processes - forward osmosis (FO), membrane distillation (MD) and electrodialysis (ED) - that can advance wastewater nutrient recovery. Challenges associated with wastewater nutrient recovery were identified. The advantages and challenges of applying FO, MD, and ED technologies to wastewater nutrient recovery are discussed, and directions for future research and development are identified. Emphasis is given to exploration of the unique mass transfer properties of these membrane processes in the context of wastewater nutrient recovery. We highlight that hybridising these membrane processes with existing nutrient precipitation process will lead to better management of and more diverse pathways for near complete nutrient recovery in wastewater treatment facilities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying Tracks Duplicates via Neural Network

CERN Document Server

Sunjerga, Antonio; CERN. Geneva. EP Department

2017-01-01

The goal of the project is to study feasibility of state of the art machine learning techniques in track reconstruction. Machine learning techniques provide promising ways to speed up the pattern recognition of tracks by adding more intelligence in the algorithms. Implementation of neural network to process of track duplicates identifying will be discussed. Different approaches are shown and results are compared to method that is currently in use.

Theoretical and experimental fundamentals of designing promising technological equipment to improve efficiency and environmental safety of highly viscous oil recovery from deep oil reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Moiseyev, V. A.; Nazarov, V. P.; Zhuravlev, V. Y.; Zhuykov, D. A.; Kubrikov, M. V.; Klokotov, Y. N.

2016-12-01

The development of new technological equipment for the implementation of highly effective methods of recovering highly viscous oil from deep reservoirs is an important scientific and technical challenge. Thermal recovery methods are promising approaches to solving the problem. It is necessary to carry out theoretical and experimental research aimed at developing oil-well tubing (OWT) with composite heatinsulating coatings on the basis of basalt and glass fibers. We used the method of finite element analysis in Nastran software, which implements complex scientific and engineering calculations, including the calculation of the stress-strain state of mechanical systems, the solution of problems of heat transfer, the study of nonlinear static, the dynamic transient analysis of frequency characteristics, etc. As a result, we obtained a mathematical model of thermal conductivity which describes the steady-state temperature and changes in the fibrous highly porous material with the heat loss by Stefan-Boltzmann's radiation. It has been performed for the first time using the method of computer modeling in Nastran software environments. The results give grounds for further implementation of the real design of the OWT when implementing thermal methods for increasing the rates of oil production and mitigating environmental impacts.

Promising Compilation to ARMv8 POP

OpenAIRE

Podkopaev, Anton; Lahav, Ori; Vafeiadis, Viktor

2017-01-01

We prove the correctness of compilation of relaxed memory accesses and release-acquire fences from the "promising" semantics of [Kang et al. POPL'17] to the ARMv8 POP machine of [Flur et al. POPL'16]. The proof is highly non-trivial because both the ARMv8 POP and the promising semantics provide some extremely weak consistency guarantees for normal memory accesses; however, they do so in rather different ways. Our proof of compilation correctness to ARMv8 POP strengthens the results of the Kan...

Perspectives on next-generation technology for environmental sensor networks

Science.gov (United States)

Barbara J. Benson; Barbara J. Bond; Michael P. Hamilton; Russell K. Monson; Richard Han

2009-01-01

Sensor networks promise to transform and expand environmental science. However, many technological difficulties must be overcome to achieve this potential. Partnerships of ecologists with computer scientists and engineers are critical in meeting these challenges. Technological issues include promoting innovation in new sensor design, incorporating power optimization...

The Technological Society: Implications for Women in the Workplace.

Science.gov (United States)

Cianni, Mary; Weitz, Anna D.

1986-01-01

Although increased technology is altering the nature of work, familiar barriers continue to exist for women. Examines the equity of access to technology, the career implications for those employed at home, and the realities of newly promised occupational opportunities. Implications for counselors are discussed. (Author/BL)

Robotics in rehabilitation: technology as destiny.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Joel

2012-11-01

Robotic aids for rehabilitation hold considerable promise but have not yet achieved widespread clinical adoption. Barriers to adoption include the limited data on efficacy, the single-purpose design of existing robots, financial considerations, and clinician lack of familiarity with this technology. Although the path forward to clinical adoption may be slow and have several false starts, the labor-saving aspect of robotic technology will ultimately ensure its adoption.

Review of early assessment models of innovative medical technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Fasterholdt, Iben; Krahn, Murray; Kidholm, Kristian; Yderstræde, Knud Bonnet; Pedersen, Kjeld Møller

2017-08-01

Hospitals increasingly make decisions regarding the early development of and investment in technologies, but a formal evaluation model for assisting hospitals early on in assessing the potential of innovative medical technologies is lacking. This article provides an overview of models for early assessment in different health organisations and discusses which models hold most promise for hospital decision makers. A scoping review of published studies between 1996 and 2015 was performed using nine databases. The following information was collected: decision context, decision problem, and a description of the early assessment model. 2362 articles were identified and 12 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. An additional 12 studies were identified and included in the review by searching reference lists. The majority of the 24 early assessment studies were variants of traditional cost-effectiveness analysis. Around one fourth of the studies presented an evaluation model with a broader focus than cost-effectiveness. Uncertainty was mostly handled by simple sensitivity or scenario analysis. This review shows that evaluation models using known methods assessing cost-effectiveness are most prevalent in early assessment, but seems ill-suited for early assessment in hospitals. Four models provided some usable elements for the development of a hospital-based model. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lab-on-fiber technology

CERN Document Server

Cusano, Andrea; Crescitelli, Alessio; Ricciardi, Armando

2014-01-01

This book focuses on a research field that is rapidly emerging as one of the most promising ones for the global optics and photonics community: the "lab-on-fiber" technology. Inspired by the well-established 'lab on-a-chip' concept, this new technology essentially envisages novel and highly functionalized devices completely integrated into a single optical fiber for both communication and sensing applications.Based on the R&D experience of some of the world's leading authorities in the fields of optics, photonics, nanotechnology, and material science, this book provides a broad and accurate de

Ultrasonication and food technology: A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ishrat Majid

2015-12-01

Full Text Available With increasing consumers demand and tightening of food and environmental regulations, traditional food-processing techniques have lost their optimum performance which gave rise to new and powerful technologies. Ultrasonic is a one of the fast, versatile, emerging, and promising non-destructive green technology used in the food industry from last few years. The ultrasound is being carried out in various areas of food technology namely crystallization, freezing, bleaching, degassing, extraction, drying, filtration, emulsification, sterilization, cutting, etc. Ultrasound is being applied as an effective preservation tool in many food-processing fields viz. vegetables and fruits, cereal products, honey, gels, proteins, enzymes, microbial inactivation, cereal technology, water treatment, diary technology, etc. This review summarizes the latest knowledge on impact and application of ultrasound in food technology.

Organizational technologies for transforming care: measures and strategies for pursuit of IOM quality aims.

Science.gov (United States)

Gamm, Larry; Kash, Bita; Bolin, Jane

2007-01-01

Progress on the Institute of Medicine's (IOM's) 6 aims to bridge the "quality chasm" requires both measurement and the concerting of multiple organizational technologies. The basic thesis of this article is that rapid progress on the IOM's multiple aims calls for transformative change within and among healthcare organizations. The promise of a number of types of transformative approaches is closely linked to their ability to simultaneously build upon several organizational technologies: clinical, social, information, and administrative technologies. To encourage and advance such efforts, this article identifies illustrative measures of attainment of the IOM's 6 aims or targeted areas for improvement that reflect the contributions of the 4 organizational technologies. It discusses examples of relationships between the IOM aims and the organizational technologies considered. Finally, the article offers illustrations of the interplay of these organizational technologies and IOM aims-across an array of organizational innovations with transformative potential. Included among such innovations are information technology in the form of electronic medical records, computer-based physician order entry, and patient health records; organization-wide patient-centered cultural change such as Studer's Hardwiring Excellence; Six Sigma and Toyota Production Management/LEAN; major clinical technology change, for example, minimally invasive cardiac surgery and broader treatment innovations such as disease management.

Incorporating technology buying behaviour into UK-based long term domestic stock energy models to provide improved policy analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Timothy; Yao, Runming

2013-01-01

The UK has a target for an 80% reduction in CO 2 emissions by 2050 from a 1990 base. Domestic energy use accounts for around 30% of total emissions. This paper presents a comprehensive review of existing models and modelling techniques and indicates how they might be improved by considering individual buying behaviour. Macro (top-down) and micro (bottom-up) models have been reviewed and analysed. It is found that bottom-up models can project technology diffusion due to their higher resolution. The weakness of existing bottom-up models at capturing individual green technology buying behaviour has been identified. Consequently, Markov chains, neural networks and agent-based modelling are proposed as possible methods to incorporate buying behaviour within a domestic energy forecast model. Among the three methods, agent-based models are found to be the most promising, although a successful agent approach requires large amounts of input data. A prototype agent-based model has been developed and tested, which demonstrates the feasibility of an agent approach. This model shows that an agent-based approach is promising as a means to predict the effectiveness of various policy measures. - Highlights: ► Long term energy models are reviewed with a focus on UK domestic stock models. ► Existing models are found weak in modelling green technology buying behaviour. ► Agent models, Markov chains and neural networks are considered as solutions. ► Agent-based modelling (ABM) is found to be the most promising approach. ► A prototype ABM is developed and testing indicates a lot of potential.

The Promise of a College Scholarship Transforms a District

Science.gov (United States)

Ritter, Gary W.; Ash, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Promise programs are place-based scholarships, generally tied to a city or school district, offering near-universal access to all living in the "place." While Promise programs share some characteristics with other scholarship programs, they're unique because they seek to change communities and schools. Underlying such promise programs is…

Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program: Program update 1991 (as of December 31, 1991)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-02-01

The Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program (also referred to as the CCT Program) is a government and industry cofunded technology development effort to demonstrate a new generation of innovative coal utilization processes in a series of large-scale ''showcase'' facilities built across the country. The program takes the most promising advanced coal-based technologies and moves them into the commercial marketplace through demonstration. These demonstrations are on a scale large enough to generate all the data, from design, construction and operation, that are necessary for the private sector to judge commercial potential and make informed, confident decisions on commercial readiness. The CCT Program has been identified in the National Energy Strategy as major initiative supporting the strategy's overall goals to: increase efficiency of energy use; secure future energy supplies; enhance environmental quality; fortify foundations. The technologies being demonstrated under the CCT Program when commercially available will enable coal to reach its full potential as a source of energy for the nation and the international marketplace. The goal of the program is to furnish the US and international energy marketplaces with a number of advanced, highly efficient, and environmentally acceptable coal-using technologies

Telepsychiatry in the developing world: Whither promised joy?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subho Chakrabarti

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Telepsychiatry, the use of information and communication technologies to provide psychiatric services from a distance, has matured as a mode of service delivery and has expanded its reach since its inception. Telepsychiatry promotes equality of access to high-quality specialized care for underserved users. It enables, empowers and brings about high levels of satisfaction among users. Telepsychiatry can deliver a broad array of clinical services and support several other nonclinical activities. Accumulated evidence demonstrates that clinical outcomes of telepsychiatric interventions are comparable to conventional treatment among patients of all ages, ethnicities, cultures, and diagnostic groups across diverse clinical settings. However, negative attitudes, concerns about the quality of the evidence, doubts about cost-effectiveness, technological vagaries, uncertainty regarding the doctor–patient alliance, and a number of legal, ethical and regulatory hurdles continue to hinder the widespread implementation of telepsychiatric services. A particularly disappointing aspect has been the lack of development of telepsychiatric services in developing countries, where they are required the most because of the large mental-health gap in care with the more traditional forms of services. Problems of costs, lack of infrastructure and connectivity, shortage of trained personnel, sociocultural differences, limited data on effectiveness, and lack of institutional support are the principal challenges to the wider adoption of telepsychiatry in these resource-constrained countries. It is evident that much more effort by all stakeholders, innovative solutions, and hybrid models of care are required before telepsychiatry is able to fulfil its true potential and bring about the promised change in mental health outcomes in the developing world.

Decontamination technology assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, R.P.; Konzek, G.J.; Schneider, K.R.; Smith, R.I.

1988-10-01

This study identifies and technically assesses foreign decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) technology developments that may represent significant improvements over D and D technology currently available or under development in the United States. Technology need areas for nuclear power reactor decommissioning operations were identified and prioritized using the results of past light water reactor (LWR) decommissioning studies to quantitatively evaluate the potential for reducing cost and decommissioning worker radiation dose for each major decommissioning activity. Based on these identified needs, current foreign D and D technologies of potential interest to the US were identified through personal contacts and the collection and review of an extensive body of D and D literature. These technologies were then assessed qualitatively to evaluate their uniqueness, potential for a significant reduction in D and D costs and/or worker radiation dose, development status, and other factors affecting their value and applicability to US needs. 4 refs

Artificial Intelligence Applications for Education: Promise, ...Promises.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Dennis M.; Hamm, Mary

1988-01-01

Surveys the current status of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Discusses intelligent tutoring systems, robotics, and applications for educators. Likens the status of AI at present to that of aviation in the very early 1900s. States that educators need to be involved in future debates concerning AI. (CW)

Technology-assisted rehabilitation interventions following pediatric brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, Shari L; Narad, Megan E; Shultz, Emily L; Kurowski, Brad G; Miley, Aimee E; Aguilar, Jessica M; Adlam, Anna-Lynne R

2018-04-01

Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), children experience a variety of physical, motor, speech, and cognitive deficits that can have a long-term detrimental impact. The emergence and popularity of new technologies has led to research into the development of various apps, gaming systems, websites, and robotics that might be applied to rehabilitation. The objective of this narrative review was to describe the current literature regarding technologically-assisted interventions for the rehabilitation of motor, neurocognitive, behavioral, and family impairments following pediatric TBI. We conducted a series of searches for peer-reviewed manuscripts published between 2000 and 2017 that included a technology-assisted component in the domains of motor, language/communication, cognition, behavior, social competence/functioning, family, and academic/school-based functioning. Findings suggested several benefits of utilizing technology in TBI rehabilitation including facilitating engagement/adherence, increasing access to therapies, and improving generalizability across settings. There is fairly robust evidence regarding the efficacy of online family problem-solving therapy in improving behavior problems, executive functioning, and family functioning. There was less compelling, but still promising, evidence regarding the efficacy other technology for motor deficits, apps for social skills, and computerized programs for cognitive skills. Overall, many studies were limited in the rigor of their methodology due to small heterogeneous samples and lack of control groups. Technology-assisted interventions have the potential to enhance pediatric rehabilitation after TBI. Future research is needed to further support their efficacy with larger controlled trials and to identify characteristics of children who are most likely to benefit.

Identifying and Integrating Relevant Educational/Instructional Technology (E/IT) for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Students with Disabilities in Urban Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Monica R.

2013-01-01

The aim of this manuscript is to address the significant void in the literature related to technology integration for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students with disabilities living in urban communities. Given that the vast majority of CLD students attend school within urban districts, the focus of this article is to (a) identify and…

Concept definition and aerodynamic technology studies for single-engine V/STOL fighter/attack aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Nelms, W. P.; Durston, D. A.

1981-01-01

The results obtained in the early stages of a research program to develop aerodynamic technology for single-engine V/STOL fighter/attack aircraft projected for the post-1990 period are summarized. This program includes industry studies jointly sponsored by NASA and the Navy. Four contractors have identified promising concepts featuring a variety of approaches for providing propulsive lift. Vertical takeoff gross weights range from about 10,000 to 13,600 kg (22,000 to 30,000 lb). The aircraft have supersonic capability, are highly maneuverable, and have significant short takeoff overload capability. The contractors have estimated the aerodynamics and identified aerodynamic uncertainties associated with their concepts. Wind-tunnel research programs will be formulated to investigate these uncertainties. A description of the concepts is emphasized.

New technologies and electricity production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pantoja Lopez, A.

1993-01-01

This paper presents a general overview about the new electrical energy generation technologies, under development, in some cases with the spanish electrical utilities cooperation. The content has a brief introductory description about the highly changing scenario for the utilities, the most promising generation technologies from the point of view of efficiency, cost investment, and minimum environmental impact, and the main actions included in the Spanish Energetic Research Plan (PEN-91-2000). After a short presentation for the advanced clean coal technologies, as PFC,IGCC, fuel cells and MHD, as well as some ongoing research projects, it has been included a group of nuclear and renewable energy generation technologies and the main environmental control technologies, all of them with great interest for the near term electric utilities power generation. (Author)

Advertising and drugs: a world of images and promises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jurema Barros Dantas

2010-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to discuss the relation between the contemporary use and advertising of pharmaceutical drugs based on the so-called culture of consumption. We discuss advertising as a means of strengthening the belief in the power of these drugs, presenting them as a synthesis of science and technology to promote health and well being and, particularly, as a quick solution for typical problems of the contemporary world. The obligation to buy the latest medicines is becoming a symbol of social affirmation as well as the only way to weaken our daily problems. Using a logic of consumption as ownership, we create, with the help of advertising, a world of promises concerning immediate solutions, easily sold through on line shopping, supermarkets, department stores and shopping centers. We discuss this set of contemporary practices and values which are turning our way of life into a disposable product.   Keywords: advertising; consumption; pharmaceutical drugs.

Wearable technology for spine movement assessment: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Papi, Enrica; Koh, Woon Senn; McGregor, Alison H

2017-11-07

Continuous monitoring of spine movement function could enhance our understanding of low back pain development. Wearable technologies have gained popularity as promising alternative to laboratory systems in allowing ambulatory movement analysis. This paper aims to review the state of art of current use of wearable technology to assess spine kinematics and kinetics. Four electronic databases and reference lists of relevant articles were searched to find studies employing wearable technologies to assess the spine in adults performing dynamic movements. Two reviewers independently identified relevant papers. Customised data extraction and quality appraisal form were developed to extrapolate key details and identify risk of biases of each study. Twenty-two articles were retrieved that met the inclusion criteria: 12 were deemed of medium quality (score 33.4-66.7%), and 10 of high quality (score >66.8%). The majority of articles (19/22) reported validation type studies. Only 6 reported data collection in real-life environments. Multiple sensors type were used: electrogoniometers (3/22), strain gauges based sensors (3/22), textile piezoresistive sensor (1/22) and accelerometers often used with gyroscopes and magnetometers (15/22). Two sensors units were mainly used and placing was commonly reported on the spine lumbar and sacral regions. The sensors were often wired to data transmitter/logger resulting in cumbersome systems. Outcomes were mostly reported relative to the lumbar segment and in the sagittal plane, including angles, range of motion, angular velocity, joint moments and forces. This review demonstrates the applicability of wearable technology to assess the spine, although this technique is still at an early stage of development. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

MicroRNA: a new and promising potential biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of ovarian cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pal, Manish K.; Jaiswar, Shyam P.; Dwivedi, Vinaya N.; Tripathi, Amit K.; Dwivedi, Ashish; Sankhwar, Pushplata

2015-01-01

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of death among all gynecological malignancies. Despite the technological and medical advances over the past four decades, such as the development of several biological markers (mRNA and proteins biomarkers), the mortality rate of ovarian cancer remains a challenge because of its late diagnosis, which is specifically attributed to low specificities and sensitivities. Under this compulsive scenario, recent advances in expression biology have shifted in identifying and developing specific and sensitive biomarkers, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. MiRNAs are a novel class of small non-coding RNAs that deregulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level, either by translational repression or by mRNA degradation. These mechanisms may be involved in a complex cascade of cellular events associated with the pathophysiology of many types of cancer. MiRNAs are easily detectable in tissue and blood samples of cancer patients. Therefore, miRNAs hold good promise as potential biomarkers in ovarian cancer. In this review, we attempted to provide a comprehensive profile of key miRNAs involved in ovarian carcinoma to establish miRNAs as more reliable non-invasive clinical biomarkers for early detection of ovarian cancer compared with protein and DNA biomarkers

Commercialization of aquifer thermal energy storage technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hattrup, M.P.; Weijo, R.O.

1989-09-01

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) conducted this study for the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Storage and Distribution. The purpose of the study was to develop and screen a list of potential entry market applications for aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES). Several initial screening criteria were used to identify promising ATES applications. These include the existence of an energy availability/usage mismatch, the existence of many similar applications or commercial sites, the ability to utilize proven technology, the type of location, market characteristics, the size of and access to capital investment, and the number of decision makers involved. The in-depth analysis identified several additional screening criteria to consider in the selection of an entry market application. This analysis revealed that the best initial applications for ATES are those where reliability is acceptable, and relatively high temperatures are allowable. Although chill storage was the primary focus of this study, applications that are good candidates for heat ATES were also of special interest. 11 refs., 3 tabs.

Technology in the management of diabetes mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ranjit Unnikrishnan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The explosive increase in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in resource-strapped regions of the world demands innovative solutions in healthcare. Advances in information technology, diagnostics and food technology have the potential to make diagnosis and treatment of diabetes simpler, cost-effective and patient-friendly. Newer methods of glucose testing such as the ambulatory glucose profile promise to make clinical decision-making easier and more robust. More advanced modes of insulin delivery are likely to help larger proportions of patients achieve their glycaemic goals with minimal risk of hypoglycaemia. Use of telemedicine and electronic medical records represents a significant advance in improving delivery of diabetes care and monitoring its outcomes. Efforts are also on to harness the wide penetrance of mobile phones in spreading awareness about diabetes and its prevention as well as in screening for retinopathy. Advances in technology also promise to favourably alter the food habits of the population, with the advent of the novel high-fibre white rice being a case in point. This narrative review aims to discuss some of the ways in which emerging technologies are making diabetes monitoring and treatment easier, more effective and pleasant for the patient.

Sustainable In-Space Manufacturing through Rapid Prototyping Technology

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In space manufacturing is crucial to humanity’s continued exploration and habitation of space. While new spacecraft and propulsion technologies promise higher...

[Identifying transcription factors involved in Arabidopsis adventious shoot regeneration by RNA-Seq technology].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xingchun; Chen, Zhao; Fan, Juan; He, Miaomiao; Han, Yuanhuai; Yang, Zhirong

2015-04-01

Transcriptional regulation is one of the major regulations in plant adventious shoot regeneration, but the exact mechanism remains unclear. In our study, the RNA-seq technology based on the IlluminaHiSeq 2000 sequencing platform was used to identify differentially expressed transcription factor (TF) encoding genes during callus formation stage and adventious shoot regeneration stage between wild type and adventious shoot formation defective mutant be1-3 and during the transition from dedifferentiation to redifferentiation stage in wildtype WS. Results show that 155 TFs were differentially expressed between be1-3 mutant and wild type during callus formation, of which 97 genes were up-regulated, and 58 genes were down-regulated; and that 68 genes were differentially expressed during redifferentiation stage, with 40 genes up-regulated and 28 genes down-regulated; whereas at the transition stage from dedifferentiation to redifferention in WS wild type explants, a total of 231 differentially expressed TF genes were identified, including 160 up-regualted genes and 71 down-regulated genes. Among these TF genes, the adventious shoot related transcription factor 1 (ART1) gene encoding a MYB-related (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog) TF, was up-regulated 3 217 folds, and was the highest up-regulated gene during be1-3 callus formation. Over expression of the ART1 gene caused defects in callus formation and shoot regeneration and inhibited seedling growth, indicating that the ART1 gene is a negative regulator of callus formation and shoot regeneration. This work not only enriches our knowledge about the transcriptional regulation mechanism of adventious shoot regeneration, but also provides valuable information on candidate TF genes associated with adventious shoot regeneration for future research.

A review of radio frequency identification technology for the anatomic pathology or biorepository laboratory: Much promise, some progress, and more work needed.

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, Jerry J; Andrechak, Gary; Riben, Michael; Yong, William H

2011-01-01

Patient safety initiatives throughout the anatomic laboratory and in biorepository laboratories have mandated increasing emphasis on the need for accurately identifying and tracking biospecimen assets throughout their production lifecycle and for archiving/retrieval purposes. However, increasing production volume along with complex workflow characteristics, reliance on manual production processes, and required asset movement to disparate destinations throughout asset lifecycles continue to challenge laboratory efforts. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, use of radio waves to communicate data between electronic tags attached to objects and a reader, shows significant potential to facilitate and overcome these hurdles. Advantages over traditional barcode labeling include readability without direct line-of-sight alignment to the reader, ability to read multiple tags simultaneously, higher data storage capacity, faster data transmission rate, and capacity to perform multiple read-writes of data to the tag. Most importantly, use of radio waves decreases the need to manually scan each asset, and at each step, identification or tracking event is needed. Temperature monitoring by on-board sensors and three-dimensional position tracking are additional potential benefits of using RFID technology. To date, barriers to implementation of RFID systems in the anatomic laboratory include increased associated costs of tags and readers, system software, data security concerns, lack of specific data standards for stored information, and potential for technological obsolescence during decades of specimen storage. Novel RFID production techniques and increased production capacity are projected to lower costs of some tags to a few cents each. Potentially, information security concerns can be addressed by techniques such as shielding, data encryption, and tag pseudonyms. Commitment by stakeholder groups to develop RFID tag data standards for anatomic pathology and

A review of radio frequency identification technology for the anatomic pathology or biorepository laboratory: Much promise, some progress, and more work needed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerry J Lou

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Patient safety initiatives throughout the anatomic laboratory and in biorepository laboratories have mandated increasing emphasis on the need for accurately identifying and tracking biospecimen assets throughout their production lifecycle and for archiving/retrieval purposes. However, increasing production volume along with complex workflow characteristics, reliance on manual production processes, and required asset movement to disparate destinations throughout asset lifecycles continue to challenge laboratory efforts. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID technology, use of radio waves to communicate data between electronic tags attached to objects and a reader, shows significant potential to facilitate and overcome these hurdles. Advantages over traditional barcode labeling include readability without direct line-of-sight alignment to the reader, ability to read multiple tags simultaneously, higher data storage capacity, faster data transmission rate, and capacity to perform multiple read-writes of data to the tag. Most importantly, use of radio waves decreases the need to manually scan each asset, and at each step, identification or tracking event is needed. Temperature monitoring by on-board sensors and three-dimensional position tracking are additional potential benefits of using RFID technology. To date, barriers to implementation of RFID systems in the anatomic laboratory include increased associated costs of tags and readers, system software, data security concerns, lack of specific data standards for stored information, and potential for technological obsolescence during decades of specimen storage. Novel RFID production techniques and increased production capacity are projected to lower costs of some tags to a few cents each. Potentially, information security concerns can be addressed by techniques such as shielding, data encryption, and tag pseudonyms. Commitment by stakeholder groups to develop RFID tag data standards for anatomic

Fiscal 1975 Sunshine Project research report. Technology assessment on hydrogen energy technology. Part 2; 1975 nendo suiso energy gijutsu no technology assessment seika hokokuksho. 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1976-03-31

This research assesses the impact of development of practical hydrogen energy technology on the economy, society and environment in Japan, and proposes some effective countermeasures, the required technical development target and a promising promotion system. The example of technology assessment assuming practical technology several tens years after is hardly found. Hydrogen energy technology is in the first stage among (1) initial planning stage, (2) technical research and development stage, (3) practical technology stage and (4) service operation stage. In the first fiscal year, as the first stage of determination of the communication route between society and technology, study was made on the concrete system image of practical technology. In this fiscal year, study was made entirely on preparation of the scenario for imaging the future economy and society concretely, modifying the planning of the hydrogen energy system. Through comparison of the scenario and system, the meaning and problem of the hydrogen energy technology were clarified. (NEDO)

The Fourth Revolution; Instructional Technology in Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Carnegie Commission on Higher Education , Berkeley, CA.

The technology of communications and data processing that has had a profound impact on American Society generally in recent decades promises to have powerful influences on higher education as well. What these influences may be and what steps should be taken to assure that the benefits of instructional technology will be realized in an orderly and…

Review and assessment of technologies for the separation of cesium from acidic media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orth, R.J.; Brooks, K.P.; Kurath, D.E.

1994-09-01

A preliminary literature survey has been conducted to identify and evaluate methods for the separation of cesium from acidic waste. The most promising solvent extraction, precipitation, and ion exchange methods, along with some of the attributes for each method, are listed. The main criteria used in evaluating the separation methods were as follows: (1) good potential for cesium separation must be demonstrated (i.e., cesium decontamination factors on the order of 50 to 100). (2) Good selectivity for cesium over bulk components must be demonstrated. (3) The method must show promise for evolving into a practical and fairly simple process. (4) The process should be safe to operate. (5) The method must be robust (i.e., capable of separating cesium from various acidic waste types). (6) Secondary waste generation must be minimized. (7) The method must show resistance to radiation damage. The most promising separation methods did not necessarily satisfy all of the above criteria, thus key areas requiring further development are suggested for each method. The report discusses in detail these and other areas requiring further development, as well as alternative solvent extraction, precipitation, ion exchange, and {open_quote}other{close_quote} technologies that, based on current information, show less promise for the separation of cesium from acidic wastes because of significant process limitations. When appropriate, the report recommends areas of future development.

THz spectroscopy: An emerging technology for pharmaceutical development and pharmaceutical Process Analytical Technology (PAT) applications

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Huiquan; Khan, Mansoor

2012-08-01

As an emerging technology, THz spectroscopy has gained increasing attention in the pharmaceutical area during the last decade. This attention is due to the fact that (1) it provides a promising alternative approach for in-depth understanding of both intermolecular interaction among pharmaceutical molecules and pharmaceutical product quality attributes; (2) it provides a promising alternative approach for enhanced process understanding of certain pharmaceutical manufacturing processes; and (3) the FDA pharmaceutical quality initiatives, most noticeably, the Process Analytical Technology (PAT) initiative. In this work, the current status and progress made so far on using THz spectroscopy for pharmaceutical development and pharmaceutical PAT applications are reviewed. In the spirit of demonstrating the utility of first principles modeling approach for addressing model validation challenge and reducing unnecessary model validation "burden" for facilitating THz pharmaceutical PAT applications, two scientific case studies based on published THz spectroscopy measurement results are created and discussed. Furthermore, other technical challenges and opportunities associated with adapting THz spectroscopy as a pharmaceutical PAT tool are highlighted.

BUSINESS MODEL PATTERNS FOR DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES

OpenAIRE

BENJAMIN AMSHOFF; CHRISTIAN DÜLME; JULIAN ECHTERFELD; JÜRGEN GAUSEMEIER

2015-01-01

Companies nowadays face a myriad of business opportunities as a direct consequence of manifold disruptive technology developments. As a basic characteristic, disruptive technologies lead to a severe shift in value-creation networks giving rise to new market segments. One of the key challenges is to anticipate the business logics within these nascent and formerly unknown markets. Business model patterns promise to tackle this challenge. They can be interpreted as proven business model elements...

Valuing technology: A qualitative interview study with physicians about insulin pump therapy for children with type 1 diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Shulman, Rayzel; Miller, Fiona A; Daneman, Denis; Guttmann, Astrid

2016-01-01

Insulin pumps for children with type 1 diabetes have been broadly adopted despite equivocal evidence about comparative effectiveness. To understand why and inform policy related to public funding for new technologies, we explored how physicians interpret the value of pumps. We conducted open-ended, semi-structured interviews with 16 physicians from a pediatric diabetes network in Ontario, Canada, and analyzed the data using interpretive description. Respondents recognized that pumps fell short of expectations because they required hard work, as well as family and school support. Yet, pumps were valued for their status as new technologies and as a promising step in developing future technology. In addition, they were valued for their role within a therapeutic relationship, given the context of chronic childhood disease. These findings identify the types of beliefs that influence the adoption and diffusion of technologies. Some beliefs bear on hopes for new technology that may inappropriately hasten adoption, creating excess cost with little benefit. On the other hand, some beliefs identify potential benefits that are not captured in effectiveness studies, but may warrant consideration in resource allocation decisions. Still others suggest the need for remediation, such as those bearing on disparity in pump use by socioeconomic status. Understanding how technologies are valued can help stakeholders decide how to address such beliefs and expectations in funding decisions and implementation protocols. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technologies for pre-screening IAEA swipe samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Nicholas A.; Steeb, Jennifer L.; Lee, Denise L.; Huckabay, Heath A.; Ticknor, Brian W.

2015-01-01

During the course of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections, many samples are taken for the purpose of verifying the declared facility activities and identifying any possible undeclared activities. One of these sampling techniques is the environmental swipe sample. Due to the large number of samples collected, and the amount of time that is required to analyze them, prioritizing these swipes in the field or upon receipt at the Network of Analytical Laboratories (NWAL) will allow sensitive or mission-critical analyses to be performed sooner. As a result of this study, technologies were placed into one of three categories: recommended, promising, or not recommended. Both neutron activation analysis (NAA) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) are recommended for further study and possible field deployment. These techniques performed the best in initial trials for pre-screening and prioritizing IAEA swipes. We learned that for NAA more characterization of cold elements (such as calcium and magnesium) would need to be emphasized, and for XRF it may be appropriate to move towards a benchtop XRF versus a handheld XRF due to the increased range of elements available on benchtop equipment. Promising techniques that will require additional research and development include confocal Raman microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and infrared (IR) microscopy. These techniques showed substantive responses to uranium compounds, but expensive instrumentation upgrades (confocal Raman) or university engagement (fluorescence microscopy) may be necessary to investigate the utility of the techniques completely. Point-and-shoot (handheld) Raman and attenuated total reflectance–infrared (ATR-IR) measurements are not recommended, as they have not shown enough promise to continue investigations.

Technologies for pre-screening IAEA swipe samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Nicholas A. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Steeb, Jennifer L. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Lee, Denise L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Huckabay, Heath A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Ticknor, Brian W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2015-11-09

During the course of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections, many samples are taken for the purpose of verifying the declared facility activities and identifying any possible undeclared activities. One of these sampling techniques is the environmental swipe sample. Due to the large number of samples collected, and the amount of time that is required to analyze them, prioritizing these swipes in the field or upon receipt at the Network of Analytical Laboratories (NWAL) will allow sensitive or mission-critical analyses to be performed sooner. As a result of this study, technologies were placed into one of three categories: recommended, promising, or not recommended. Both neutron activation analysis (NAA) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) are recommended for further study and possible field deployment. These techniques performed the best in initial trials for pre-screening and prioritizing IAEA swipes. We learned that for NAA more characterization of cold elements (such as calcium and magnesium) would need to be emphasized, and for XRF it may be appropriate to move towards a benchtop XRF versus a handheld XRF due to the increased range of elements available on benchtop equipment. Promising techniques that will require additional research and development include confocal Raman microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and infrared (IR) microscopy. These techniques showed substantive responses to uranium compounds, but expensive instrumentation upgrades (confocal Raman) or university engagement (fluorescence microscopy) may be necessary to investigate the utility of the techniques completely. Point-and-shoot (handheld) Raman and attenuated total reflectance–infrared (ATR-IR) measurements are not recommended, as they have not shown enough promise to continue investigations.

Technology for People, Not Disabilities: Ensuring Access and Inclusion

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, Alan; Ferri, Beth A.

2012-01-01

The potential of technology to connect people and provide access to education, commerce, employment and entertainment has never been greater or more rapidly changing. Communication technologies and new media promise to "revolutionize our lives" by breaking down barriers and expanding access for disabled people. Yet, it is also true that technology…

The Social Shaping Approach to Technology Foresight

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard; Jørgensen, Ulrik; Clausen, Christian

2009-01-01

The social shaping of technology (SST) approach has been developed as a response and extension to the ideas of techno-economic rationality and linear conceptions of technology development and its consequences. The SST approach seems especially promising in areas of technology where visions......-economic networks are unstable or under construction and social and environmental potentials and risks difficult, if not impossible to assess. The paper explores the potential of a social shaping of technology approach to technology foresight within such technology areas and presents the methodological aspects...... herein: structure versus contingency, actor-network approach, laboratory programmes, techno-economic networks, actor worlds, development arenas. Experiences based on a recent Danish green technology foresight project concerned with environmental risks and opportunities related to nano-, bio...

Enabling technologies promise to revitalize the role of nursing in an era of patient safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Marion J; Weaver, Charlotte; Abbott, Patricia A

2003-01-01

The application of information technology (IT) in health care has the potential to transform the delivery of care, as well as the health care work environment, by streamlining processes, making procedures more accurate and efficient, and reducing the risk of human error. For nurses, a major aspect of this transformation is the refocusing of their work on direct patient care and away from being a conduit of information and communication among departments. Several of the technologies discussed, such as physician order entry and bar code technology, have existed for years as standalone systems. Many others are just being developed and are being integrated into complex clinical information systems (CISs) with clinical decision support at their core. While early evaluation of these systems shows positive outcome measurements, financial, technical, and organizational hurdles to widespread implementation still remain. One major issue is defining the role nurses, themselves, will play in the selection and implementation of these systems as they become more steeped in the knowledge of nursing informatics. Other challenges revolve around issues of job satisfaction and the attraction and retention of nursing staff in the midst of a serious nursing shortage. Despite these concerns, it is expected that, in the long run, the creation of an electronic work environment with systems that integrate all functions of the health care team will positively impact cost-effectiveness, productivity, and patient safety while helping to revitalize nursing practice. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.

Plasmonics for emerging quantum technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.; Mortensen, N. Asger

2017-01-01

Expanding the frontiers of information processing technologies and, in particular, computing with ever increasing speed and capacity has long been recognized an important societal challenge, calling for the development of the next generation of quantum technologies. With its potential...... to exponentially increase computing power, quantum computing opens up possibilities to carry out calculations that ordinary computers could not finish in the lifetime of the Universe, while optical communications based on quantum cryptography become completely secure. At the same time, the emergence of Big Data...... and the ever increasing demands of miniaturization and energy saving technologies bring about additional fundamental problems and technological challenges to be addressed in scientific disciplines dealing with light-matter interactions. In this context, quantum plasmonics represents one of the most promising...

Plasmonics for emerging quantum technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.; Mortensen, N. Asger

2017-01-01

Expanding the frontiers of information processing technologies and, in particular, computing with ever-increasing speed and capacity has long been recognized as an important societal challenge, calling for the development of the next generation of quantum technologies. With its potential...... to exponentially increase computing power, quantum computing opens up possibilities to carry out calculations that ordinary computers could not finish in the lifetime of the universe, whereas optical communications based on quantum cryptography become completely secure. At the same time, the emergence of Big Data...... and the ever-increasing demands of miniaturization and energy-saving technologies bring about additional fundamental problems and technological challenges to be addressed in scientific disciplines dealing with light-matter interactions. In this context, quantum plasmonics represents one of the most promising...

When a desired home death does not occur: the consequences of broken promises.

Science.gov (United States)

Topf, Lorrianne; Robinson, Carole A; Bottorff, Joan L

2013-08-01

Evidence shows that most people prefer to die at home; however, the majority of expected deaths occur away from home. Although home deaths require family caregiver (FCG) commitment and care, we understand very little about their experiences in this context. The study's aim was to gain a better understanding of the experiences of FCGs when circumstances prevented a desired home death for a family member with advanced cancer. An interpretive description approach was used. Data collection involved semistructured interviews. Field notes and reflective journaling aided interpretive and analytical processes. The study was conducted in western Canada and included 18 bereaved FCGs. FCGs were committed to the promises made to care for their family member at home until death. These promises were challenged by a lack of preparedness for caregiving, difficulty accessing professional support and information, and frustration with the inadequate help they received. The events that precipitated dying family members leaving their home for hospital or hospice were unexpected and often influenced by FCGs' lack of situation-specific knowledge and ability to cope with complex caregiving responsibilities. FCGs found it extremely challenging to reconcile with breaking their promise to care at home until death and many were unable to do so. FCGs' despair about not being able to keep their promise for a home death was related to complicated bereavement. Prospective studies of the experiences of FCGs who are aiming for home deaths are needed to identify both short- and long-term interventions to effectively support death at home.

Technological learning in offshore wind energy: Different roles of the government

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, T.; Junginger, M.; Smits, R.E.H.M.

2007-01-01

Offshore wind energy is a promising source of renewable electricity, even though its current costs prevent large-scale implementation. Technological learning has improved the technology and its economic performance already, and could result in significant further improvements. This study

Plasma technology for treatment of waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cohn, D [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States). Plasma Fusion Center

1997-12-31

Meeting goals for waste cleanup will require new technology with improved environmental attractiveness and reduced cost. Plasma technology appears promising because of the high degree of controllability; capability to process waste without the adverse effects of combustion; and a very wide temperature range of operation. At the Plasma Fusion Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a range of plasma technologies are being investigated. `Hot` thermal plasmas produced by DC arc technology are being examined for treatment of solid waste. In conjunction with this activity, new diagnostics are being developed for monitoring arc furnace operating parameters and gaseous emissions. Electron-beam generated plasma technology is being investigated as a means of producing non-thermal `cold` plasmas for selective processing of dilute concentrations of gaseous waste. (author). 4 figs., 5 refs.

Development of a Technology Transfer Score for Evaluating Research Proposals: Case Study of Demand Response Technologies in the Pacific Northwest

Science.gov (United States)

Estep, Judith

Investment in Research and Development (R&D) is necessary for innovation, allowing an organization to maintain a competitive edge. The U.S. Federal Government invests billions of dollars, primarily in basic research technologies to help fill the pipeline for other organizations to take the technology into commercialization. However, it is not about just investing in innovation, it is about converting that research into application. A cursory review of the research proposal evaluation criteria suggests that there is little to no emphasis placed on the transfer of research results. This effort is motivated by a need to move research into application. One segment that is facing technology challenges is the energy sector. Historically, the electric grid has been stable and predictable; therefore, there were no immediate drivers to innovate. However, an aging infrastructure, integration of renewable energy, and aggressive energy efficiency targets are motivating the need for research and to put promising results into application. Many technologies exist or are in development but the rate at which they are being adopted is slow. The goal of this research is to develop a decision model that can be used to identify the technology transfer potential of a research proposal. An organization can use the model to select the proposals whose research outcomes are more likely to move into application. The model begins to close the chasm between research and application--otherwise known as the "valley of death". A comprehensive literature review was conducted to understand when the idea of technology application or transfer should begin. Next, the attributes that are necessary for successful technology transfer were identified. The emphasis of successful technology transfer occurs when there is a productive relationship between the researchers and the technology recipient. A hierarchical decision model, along with desirability curves, was used to understand the complexities of the

De Novo Human Cardiac Myocytes for Medical Research: Promises and Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veronique Hamel

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The advent of cellular reprogramming technology has revolutionized biomedical research. De novo human cardiac myocytes can now be obtained from direct reprogramming of somatic cells (such as fibroblasts, from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs, which are reprogrammed from somatic cells, and from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs. Such de novo human cardiac myocytes hold great promise for in vitro disease modeling and drug screening and in vivo cell therapy of heart disease. Here, we review the technique advancements for generating de novo human cardiac myocytes. We also discuss several challenges for the use of such cells in research and regenerative medicine, such as the immature phenotype and heterogeneity of de novo cardiac myocytes obtained with existing protocols. We focus on the recent advancements in addressing such challenges.

Clinical manufacturing of CAR T cells: foundation of a promising therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiuyan; Rivière, Isabelle

2016-01-01

The treatment of cancer patients with autologous T cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is one of the most promising adoptive cellular therapy approaches. Reproducible manufacturing of high-quality, clinical-grade CAR-T cell products is a prerequisite for the wide application of this technology. Product quality needs to be built-in within every step of the manufacturing process. We summarize herein the requirements and logistics to be considered, as well as the state of the art manufacturing platforms available. CAR-T cell therapy may be on the verge of becoming standard of care for a few clinical indications. Yet, many challenges pertaining to manufacturing standardization and product characterization remain to be overcome in order to achieve broad usage and eventual commercialization of this therapeutic modality. PMID:27347557

Clinical manufacturing of CAR T cells: foundation of a promising therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiuyan Wang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The treatment of cancer patients with autologous T cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR is one of the most promising adoptive cellular therapy approaches. Reproducible manufacturing of high-quality, clinical-grade CAR-T cell products is a prerequisite for the wide application of this technology. Product quality needs to be built-in within every step of the manufacturing process. We summarize herein the requirements and logistics to be considered, as well as the state of the art manufacturing platforms available. CAR-T cell therapy may be on the verge of becoming standard of care for a few clinical indications. Yet, many challenges pertaining to manufacturing standardization and product characterization remain to be overcome in order to achieve broad usage and eventual commercialization of this therapeutic modality.

Pharmaceutical technology management--profitable business avenue.

Science.gov (United States)

Puthli, Shivanand P

2010-01-01

Growing research expenditure, regulatory framework and generic erosion have forced pharmaceutical companies globally to resort to pharmaceutical technology management (PTM). Indeed, the pharmaceutical industry has witnessed the impact of innovative drug delivery and device technologies and their influence on business. PTM has given a new business insight with greater profits and enhancement of product franchise. Promising breakthrough technologies have not been able to reach a commercial platform largely owing to lack of capital at the preliminary stages of the product development program. Intellectual property plays a considerable role in protecting innovative technologies. Joint ventures and strategic alliances also become important for commercializing a new technology. The synergy of PTM with options of in-licensing is expected to infuse newer opportunities to the pharmaceutical business.

High-throughput matrix screening identifies synergistic and antagonistic antimalarial drug combinations

Science.gov (United States)

Mott, Bryan T.; Eastman, Richard T.; Guha, Rajarshi; Sherlach, Katy S.; Siriwardana, Amila; Shinn, Paul; McKnight, Crystal; Michael, Sam; Lacerda-Queiroz, Norinne; Patel, Paresma R.; Khine, Pwint; Sun, Hongmao; Kasbekar, Monica; Aghdam, Nima; Fontaine, Shaun D.; Liu, Dongbo; Mierzwa, Tim; Mathews-Griner, Lesley A.; Ferrer, Marc; Renslo, Adam R.; Inglese, James; Yuan, Jing; Roepe, Paul D.; Su, Xin-zhuan; Thomas, Craig J.

2015-01-01

Drug resistance in Plasmodium parasites is a constant threat. Novel therapeutics, especially new drug combinations, must be identified at a faster rate. In response to the urgent need for new antimalarial drug combinations we screened a large collection of approved and investigational drugs, tested 13,910 drug pairs, and identified many promising antimalarial drug combinations. The activity of known antimalarial drug regimens was confirmed and a myriad of new classes of positively interacting drug pairings were discovered. Network and clustering analyses reinforced established mechanistic relationships for known drug combinations and identified several novel mechanistic hypotheses. From eleven screens comprising >4,600 combinations per parasite strain (including duplicates) we further investigated interactions between approved antimalarials, calcium homeostasis modulators, and inhibitors of phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). These studies highlight important targets and pathways and provide promising leads for clinically actionable antimalarial therapy. PMID:26403635

Distress detection, location, and communications using advanced space technology. [satellite-borne synthetic aperture radar

Science.gov (United States)

Sivertson, W. E., Jr.

1977-01-01

This paper briefly introduces a concept for low-cost, global, day-night, all-weather disaster warning and assistance. Evolving, advanced space technology with passive radio frequency reflectors in conjunction with an imaging synthetic aperture radar is employed to detect, identify, locate, and provide passive communication with earth users in distress. This concept evolved from a broad NASA research on new global search and rescue techniques. Appropriate airborne radar test results from this research are reviewed and related to potential disaster applications. The analysis indicates the approach has promise for disaster communications relative to floods, droughts, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and severe storms.

2016 National Algal Biofuels Technology Review Fact Sheet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2016-06-01

Algae-based biofuels and bioproducts offer great promise in contributing to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO’s) vision of a thriving and sustainable bioeconomy fueled by innovative technologies. The state of technology for producing algal biofuels continues to mature with ongoing investment by DOE and the private sector, but additional research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) is needed to achieve widespread deployment of affordable, scalable, and sustainable algal biofuels.

Wearable technology for spine movement assessment: A systematic review

OpenAIRE

Papi, Enrica; Koh, Woon Senn; McGregor, Alison H.

2017-01-01

Continuous monitoring of spine movement function could enhance our understanding of low back pain development. Wearable technologies have gained popularity as promising alternative to laboratory systems in allowing ambulatory movement analysis. This paper aims to review the state of art of current use of wearable technology to assess spine kinematics and kinetics. Four electronic databases and reference lists of relevant articles were searched to find studies employing wearable technologies t...

Glaucomatous patterns in Frequency Doubling Technology (FDT) perimetry data identified by unsupervised machine learning classifiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowd, Christopher; Weinreb, Robert N; Balasubramanian, Madhusudhanan; Lee, Intae; Jang, Giljin; Yousefi, Siamak; Zangwill, Linda M; Medeiros, Felipe A; Girkin, Christopher A; Liebmann, Jeffrey M; Goldbaum, Michael H

2014-01-01

The variational Bayesian independent component analysis-mixture model (VIM), an unsupervised machine-learning classifier, was used to automatically separate Matrix Frequency Doubling Technology (FDT) perimetry data into clusters of healthy and glaucomatous eyes, and to identify axes representing statistically independent patterns of defect in the glaucoma clusters. FDT measurements were obtained from 1,190 eyes with normal FDT results and 786 eyes with abnormal FDT results from the UCSD-based Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study (DIGS) and African Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study (ADAGES). For all eyes, VIM input was 52 threshold test points from the 24-2 test pattern, plus age. FDT mean deviation was -1.00 dB (S.D. = 2.80 dB) and -5.57 dB (S.D. = 5.09 dB) in FDT-normal eyes and FDT-abnormal eyes, respectively (p<0.001). VIM identified meaningful clusters of FDT data and positioned a set of statistically independent axes through the mean of each cluster. The optimal VIM model separated the FDT fields into 3 clusters. Cluster N contained primarily normal fields (1109/1190, specificity 93.1%) and clusters G1 and G2 combined, contained primarily abnormal fields (651/786, sensitivity 82.8%). For clusters G1 and G2 the optimal number of axes were 2 and 5, respectively. Patterns automatically generated along axes within the glaucoma clusters were similar to those known to be indicative of glaucoma. Fields located farther from the normal mean on each glaucoma axis showed increasing field defect severity. VIM successfully separated FDT fields from healthy and glaucoma eyes without a priori information about class membership, and identified familiar glaucomatous patterns of loss.

Decontamination technology assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, R.P.; Konzek, G.J.; Schneider, K.J.; Smith, R.I.

1988-01-01

This study was conducted by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to identify and technically assess foreign decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) technology developments that may represent significant improvements over D and D technology currently available or under development in the United States. Technology need areas for nuclear power reactor decommissioning operations were identified and prioritized using the results of past light water rector (LWR) decommissioning studies to quantitatively evaluate the potential for reducing cost and decommissioning worker radiation dose for each major decommissioning activity. Based on these identified needs, current foreign D and D technologies of potential interest to the U.S. were identified through personal contacts and the collection and review of an extensive body of D and D literature. These technologies were then assessed qualitatively to evaluate their uniqueness, potential for a significant reduction in D and D costs and/or worker radiation dose, development status, and other factors affecting their value and applicability to U.S. needs

Establishing an ISO 10001-based promise in inpatients care.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman; Karapetrovic, Stanislav

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore ISO 10001:2007 in planning, designing and developing a customer satisfaction promise (CSP) intended for inpatients care. Through meetings and interviews with research participants, who included a program manager, unit managers and registered nurses, information about potential promises and their implementation was obtained and analyzed. A number of promises were drafted and one was finally selected to be developed as a CSP. Applying the standard required adaptation and novel interpretation. Additionally, ISO 10002:2004 (Clause 7) was used to design the feedback handling activities. A promise initially chosen for development turned out to be difficult to implement, experience that helped in selecting and developing the final promise. Research participants found the ISO 10001-based method useful and comprehensible. This paper presents a specific health care example of how to adapt a standard's guideline in establishing customer promises. The authors show how a promise can be used in alleviating an existing issue (i.e. communication between carers and patients). The learning can be beneficial in various health care settings. To the knowledge, this paper shows the first example of applying ISO 10001:2007 in a health care case. A few activities suggested by the standard are further detailed, and a new activity is introduced. The integrated use of ISO 10001:2007 and 10002:2004 is presented and how one can be "augmented" by the other is demonstrated.

Developing an integrated technology roadmapping process to meet regional technology planning needs: the e-bike pilot study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cowan, Kelly R.; Daim, Tugrul U.; Walsh, Steven Thomas; Kocaoglu, Dundar F.; Anderson, Timothy R.; Daim, Tugrul U.; Kozanoglu, Dilek Cetindamar; Niwa, Kiyoshi; Perman, Gary

2014-01-01

Smart grid is a promising class of new technologies offering many potential benefits for electric utility systems, including possibilities for smart appliances which can communicate with power systems and help to better match supply and demand. Additional services include the ability to better

Stem cell therapy in spinal cord injury: Hollow promise or promising science?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aimee Goel

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Spinal cord injury (SCI remains one of the most physically, psychologically and socially debilitating conditions worldwide. While rehabilitation measures may help limit disability to some extent, there is no effective primary treatment yet available. The efficacy of stem cells as a primary therapeutic option in spinal cord injury is currently an area under much scrutiny and debate. Several laboratory and some primary clinical studies into the use of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells or embryonic stem cell-derived oligodentrocyte precursor cells have shown some promising results in terms of remyelination and regeneration of damaged spinal nerve tracts. More recently,laboratory and early clinical experiments into the use of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells, a type of glial cell derived from olfactory bulb and mucosa have provided some phenomenal preliminary evidence as to their neuroregenerative and neural bridging capacity. This report compares and evaluates some current research into selected forms of embryonic and mesenchymal stem cell therapy as well as olfactory ensheathing cell therapy in SCI, and also highlights some legal and ethical issues surrounding their use. While early results shows promise, more rigorous large scaleclinical trials are needed to shed light on the safety, efficacy and long term viability of stem cell and cellular transplant techniques in SCI.

Decision support for selecting exportable nuclear technology using the analytic hierarchy process: A Korean case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Deok Joo; Hwang, Jooho

2010-01-01

The Korean government plans to increase strategically focused R and D investment in some promising nuclear technology areas to create export opportunities of technology in a global nuclear market. The purpose of this paper is to present a decision support process for selecting promising nuclear technology with the perspective of exportability by using the AHP based on extensive data gathered from nuclear experts in Korea. In this study, the decision criteria for evaluating the export competitiveness of nuclear technologies were determined, and a hierarchical structure for the decision-making process was systematically developed. Subsequently relative weights of decision criteria were derived using AHP methodology and the export competitiveness of nuclear technology alternatives was quantified to prioritize them. We discuss the implications of our results with a viewpoint toward national nuclear technology policy.

Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Waste Area Groups 1-7 and 10 Technology Logic Diagram. Volume 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O`Brien, M.C.; Meservey, R.H.; Little, M.; Ferguson, J.S.; Gilmore, M.C.

1993-09-01

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) Technology Logic Diagram (TLD) was developed to provide a decision support tool that relates Environmental Restoration (ER) and Waste Management (WM) problems at the INEL to potential technologies that can remediate these problems. The TLD identifies the research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation needed to develop these technologies to a state that allows technology transfer and application to an environmental restoration need. It is essential that follow-on engineering and system studies be conducted to build on the output of this project. These studies will begin by selecting the most promising technologies identified in this TLD and finding an optimum mix of technologies that will provide a socially acceptable balance between cost and risk to meet the site windows of opportunity. The TLD consists of three separate volumes: Volume I includes the purpose and scope of the TLD, a brief history of the INEL Waste Area Groups, and environmental problems they represent. A description of the TLD, definitions of terms, a description of the technology evaluation process, and a summary of each subelement, is presented. Volume II describes the overall layout and development of the TLD in logic diagram format. This section addresses the environmental restoration of contaminated INEL sites. Volume III (this volume) provides the Technology Evaluation Data Sheets (TEDS) for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) activities that are reference by a TEDS code number in Volume II. Each of these sheets represents a single logic trace across the TLD. These sheets contain more detail than provided for technologies in Volume II. Data sheets are arranged alphanumerically by the TEDS code number in the upper right corner of each sheet.

Tradeoffs in fuel cycle performance for most promising options - 15346

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taiwo, T.; Kim, T.K.; Feng, B.; Stauff, N.; Hoffman, E.; Ganda, F.; Todosow, M.; Brown, N.; Raitses, G.; Gehin, J.; Powers, J.; Youinou, G.; Hiruta, H.; Wigeland, R.

2015-01-01

A recent Evaluation and Screening (E/S) study of nuclear fuel cycle options was conducted by grouping all potential options into 40 Evaluation Groups (EGs) based on similarities in fundamental physics characteristics and fuel cycle performance. Through a rigorous evaluation process considering benefit and challenge metrics, 4 of these EGs were identified by the E/S study as 'most promising'. All 4 involve continuous recycle of U/Pu or U/TRU with natural uranium feed in fast critical reactors. However, these most promising EGs also include fuel cycle groups with variations on feed materials, neutron spectra, and reactor criticality. Therefore, the impacts of the addition of natural thorium fuel feed to a system that originally only used natural uranium fuel feed, using an intermediate spectrum instead of a fast spectrum, and using externally-driven systems versus critical reactors were evaluated. It was found that adding thorium to the natural uranium feed mixture leads to lower burnup, higher mass flows, and degrades fuel cycle benefit metrics (waste management, resource utilization, etc.) for fuel cycles that continuously recycle U/Pu or U/TRU. Adding thorium results in fissions of 233 U instead of just 239 Pu and in turn results in a lower average number of neutrons produced per absorption (η) for the fast reactor system. For continuous recycling systems, the lower η results in lower excess reactivity and subsequently lower achievable fuel burnup. This in turn leads to higher mass flows (fabrication, reprocessing, disposal, etc.) to produce a given amount of energy and subsequent lower metrics performance. The investigated fuel cycle options with intermediate spectrum reactors also exhibited degraded performance in the benefit metrics compared to fast spectrum reactors. Similarly, this is due to lower η values as the spectrum softens. The best externally-driven systems exhibited similar performance as fast critical reactors in terms of mass flows

Environmental assessment of digestate treatment technologies using LCA methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Vázquez-Rowe, Ian; Golkowska, Katarzyna; Lebuf, Viooltje; Vaneeckhaute, Céline; Michels, Evi; Meers, Erik; Benetto, Enrico; Koster, Daniel

2015-09-01

The production of biogas from energy crops, organic waste and manure has augmented considerably the amounts of digestate available in Flanders. This has pushed authorities to steadily introduce legislative changes to promote its use as a fertilising agent. There is limited arable land in Flanders, which entails that digestate has to compete with animal manure to be spread. This forces many anaerobic digestion plants to further treat digestate in such a way that it can either be exported or the nitrogen be removed. Nevertheless, the environmental impact of these treatment options is still widely unknown, as well as the influence of these impacts on the sustainability of Flemish anaerobic digestion plants in comparison to other regions where spreading of raw digestate is allowed. Despite important economic aspects that must be considered, the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is suggested in this study to identify the environmental impacts of spreading digestate directly as compared to four different treatment technologies. Results suggest relevant environmental gains when the digestate mix is treated using the examined conversion technologies prior to spreading, although important trade-offs between impact categories were observed and discussed. The promising results of digestate conversion technologies suggest that further LCA analyses should be performed to delve into, for instance, the appropriateness to shift to nutrient recovery technologies rather than digestate conversion treatments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Delphi Technique in Identifying Learning Objectives for the Development of Science, Technology and Society Modules for Palestinian Ninth Grade Science Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Abualrob, Marwan M. A.; Daniel, Esther Gnanamalar Sarojini

2013-01-01

This article outlines how learning objectives based upon science, technology and society (STS) elements for Palestinian ninth grade science textbooks were identified, which was part of a bigger study to establish an STS foundation in the ninth grade science curriculum in Palestine. First, an initial list of STS elements was determined. Second,…

First-principles engineering of charged defects for two-dimensional quantum technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Feng; Galatas, Andrew; Sundararaman, Ravishankar; Rocca, Dario; Ping, Yuan

2017-12-01

Charged defects in two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerging applications in quantum technologies such as quantum emitters and quantum computation. The advancement of these technologies requires a rational design of ideal defect centers, demanding reliable computation methods for the quantitatively accurate prediction of defect properties. We present an accurate, parameter-free, and efficient procedure to evaluate the quasiparticle defect states and thermodynamic charge transition levels of defects in 2D materials. Importantly, we solve critical issues that stem from the strongly anisotropic screening in 2D materials, that have so far precluded the accurate prediction of charge transition levels in these materials. Using this procedure, we investigate various defects in monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (h -BN ) for their charge transition levels, stable spin states, and optical excitations. We identify CBVN (nitrogen vacancy adjacent to carbon substitution of boron) to be the most promising defect candidate for scalable quantum bit and emitter applications.

Novel treatment technologies for PFAS compounds: A critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kucharzyk, Katarzyna H; Darlington, Ramona; Benotti, Mark; Deeb, Rula; Hawley, Elisabeth

2017-12-15

Perfluorinated compounds such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) have recently drawn great attention due to their wide distribution in aquatic environments. The understanding of the physicochemical properties and fate and transport of PFAs in groundwater is still limited. Preliminary studies indicate that these compounds can readily bioaccumulate and pose human and animal health concerns. Due to their physicochemical properties, PFOS and PFOA are water soluble, nonvolatile and persistent in the environment, which is a cause of concern related to their treatment with conventional remediation technologies. Extraction with inefficient carbon adsorption is one of the most common treatment technologies for remediation of PFOS- or PFOA-impacted groundwater. Several other innovative and promising technologies, including sonochemistry, bioremediation and photolysis, have been tested for their effectiveness in removal of perfluorinated compounds. This paper provides a baseline for understanding research needs to better develop treatment technologies for PFOA and PFOS in groundwater. Frontiers for improving the state of practice for PFOA and PFOS treatment include the development of more cost-effective ex situ treatment methods and the development and demonstration of promising in situ treatment technologies at the pilot and full scale. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solar Energy: Its Technologies and Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Auh, P. C.

1978-06-01

Solar heat, as a potential source of clean energy, is available to all of us. Extensive R and D efforts are being made to effectively utilize this renewable energy source. A variety of different technologies for utilizing solar energy have been proven to be technically feasible. Here, some of the most promising technologies and their applications are briefly described. These are: Solar Heating and Cooling of Buildings (SHACOB), Solar Thermal Energy Conversion (STC), Wind Energy Conversion (WECS), Bioconversion to Fuels (BCF), Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), and Photovoltaic Electric Power Systems (PEPS). Special emphasis is placed on the discussion of the SHACOB technologies, since the technologies are being expeditiously developed for the near commercialization.

Quantifying nitrous oxide production pathways in wastewater treatment systems using isotope technology - A critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Haoran; Ye, Liu; Erler, Dirk; Ni, Bing-Jie; Yuan, Zhiguo

2017-10-01

Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is an important greenhouse gas and an ozone-depleting substance which can be emitted from wastewater treatment systems (WWTS) causing significant environmental impacts. Understanding the N 2 O production pathways and their contribution to total emissions is the key to effective mitigation. Isotope technology is a promising method that has been applied to WWTS for quantifying the N 2 O production pathways. Within the scope of WWTS, this article reviews the current status of different isotope approaches, including both natural abundance and labelled isotope approaches, to N 2 O production pathways quantification. It identifies the limitations and potential problems with these approaches, as well as improvement opportunities. We conclude that, while the capabilities of isotope technology have been largely recognized, the quantification of N 2 O production pathways with isotope technology in WWTS require further improvement, particularly in relation to its accuracy and reliability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applying blockchain technology for hyperconnected logistics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hofman, W.J.; Spek, J.C.; Brewster, C.

2017-01-01

Blockchain technology receives a lot of interest and investments the last three years. It promises a trusted environment for (un)permissioned data sharing. With respect to logistics, enterprises and authorities can (near) real time share state information. Whenever a stakeholder changes the state of

Models for Building Knowledge in a Technology-Rich Setting: Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

MacKinnon, Gregory R.; Aylward, M. Lynn

2009-01-01

Technology offers promising opportunities for creating new types of classroom learning environments. This paper describes three technology models used by teacher education interns: electronic portfolios, negotiative concept mapping, cognote-supported electronic discussions. As implemented in the current study, these models invoke graduated…

Computational enzymology for degradation of chemical warfare agents: promising technologies for remediation processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Chemical weapons are a major worldwide problem, since they are inexpensive, easy to produce on a large scale and difficult to detect and control. Among the chemical warfare agents, we can highlight the organophosphorus compounds (OP, which contain the phosphorus element and that have a large number of applications. They affect the central nervous system and can lead to death, so there are a lot of works in order to design new effective antidotes for the intoxication caused by them. The standard treatment includes the use of an anticholinergic combined to a central nervous system depressor and an oxime. Oximes are compounds that reactivate Acetylcholinesterase (AChE, a regulatory enzyme responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses, which is one of the molecular targets most vulnerable to neurotoxic agents. Increasingly, enzymatic treatment becomes a promising alternative; therefore, other enzymes have been studied for the OP degradation function, such as phosphotriesterase (PTE from bacteria, human serum paraoxonase 1 (HssPON1 and diisopropyl fluorophosphatase (DFPase that showed significant performances in OP detoxification. The understanding of mechanisms by which enzymes act is of extreme importance for the projection of antidotes for warfare agents, and computational chemistry comes to aid and reduce the time and costs of the process. Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics and QM/MM (quantum-mechanics/molecular-mechanics are techniques used to investigate the molecular interactions between ligands and proteins.

Metabolomics-based promising candidate biomarkers and pathways in Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Jian; Lu, Jingli; Zhang, Xiaojian

2015-05-01

Pathologically, loss of synapses and neurons, extracellular senile plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are observed in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). These features are associated with changes Aβ (amyloid β) 40, Aβ42, total tau and phosphorylated tau (p-tau), which are as definitely biomarkers for severe AD state. However, biomarkers for effectively diagnosing AD in the pre-clinical state for directing therapeutic strategies are lacking. Metabolic profiling as a powerful tool to identify new biomarkers is receiving increasing attention in AD. This review will focus on metabolomics-based detection of promising candidate biomarkers and pathways in AD to facilitate the discovery of new medicines and disease pathways.

Service Users perspectives in PROMISE and research.

Science.gov (United States)

Rae, Sarah

2017-09-01

Since its inception in 2013, PROMISE (PROactive Management of Integrated Services and Environments) has been supporting service users and staff at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) on a journey to reduce reliance on force. The author's own personal experiences led to the founding of PROMISE and illustrates how individual experiences can influence a patient to lead change. Coproduction is actively embedded in PROMISE. Patients have been meaningfully involved because they are innovators and problem solvers who bring an alternative viewpoint by the very nature of their condition. A patient is more than just a person who needs to be 'fixed' they are individuals with untapped skills and added insight. There have been 2 separate Patient Advisory Groups (PAGs) since the project was first established. The first Patient Advisory Group was recruited to work with the PROMISE researchers on a study which used a participatory qualitative approach. Drawing on their lived experience and different perspectives the PAG was instrumental in shaping the qualitative study, including the research questions. Their active involvement helped to ensure that that the study was sensitively designed, methodologically robust and ethically sound. The 2 nd PAG was formed in 2016 to give the project an overall steer. Patients in this group contributed to the work on the 'No' Audit and reviewed several CPFT policies such as the Seclusion and Segregation policy which has impacted on frontline practice. They also made a significant contribution to the study design for a funding application that was submitted by the PROMISE team to the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Both PAGs were supported by funding from East of England Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC EoE) and were influential in different ways. An evaluation of the 2 nd PAG which was conducted in June 2017 showed very high satisfaction levels. The free text

Targets and results of the Brazilian Biodiesel Incentive Program – Has it reached the Promised Land?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathmann, Régis; Szklo, Alexandre; Schaeffer, Roberto

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We test the assumptions that justified the Brazilian Biodiesel Production Program. ► The “Promised Land” has not been reached, particularly from a socioeconomic standpoint. ► The generation of jobs in the agricultural sector has been much lower than expected. -- Abstract: This study tests the assumptions that justified the establishment of the Brazilian Biodiesel Production Program (PNPB), to see whether this program has achieved its promised results. Given the connection between socioeconomic, political, technological and environmental issues, the study performs an analysis covering these different dimensions. From the socioeconomic standpoint, findings of the study show that the generation of jobs in the agricultural sector has been much lower than the expected 1.3-million-job creation figure. From the standpoint of reducing the outflow of foreign exchange because of potentially lower demand for imported diesel, the option for the methanol instead of ethanol production route has led to an increased net outflow, as the greater need to import methanol to produce biodiesel more than offsets the lesser need to import mineral diesel. Nevertheless, even though the “Promised Land” has not been reached, particularly from a socioeconomic standpoint, the premises of energy efficiency and the potential to mitigate GHG emissions appear to be on solid ground. In this respect, the input/output energy ratio of producing soy-based biodiesel and the GHG mitigation potential of pure biodiesel justify the continuing effort to improve the PNPB to achieve more promising results in relation to the other indicators.

The Promise of Neuroprotective Agents in Parkinson’s Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judith ePotashkin

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Parkinson’s Disease is characterized by loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. Since there are limited treatment options for PD, neuroprotective agents are currently being tested as a means to slow disease progression. Agents targeting oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation are prime candidates for neuroprotection. This review identifies Rasagiline, Minocycline and creatine, as the most promising neuroprotective agents for PD, and they are all currently in phase III trials. Other agents possessing protective characteristics in delaying PD include stimulants, vitamins, supplements, and other drugs. Additionally, combination therapies also show benefits in slowing PD progression. The identification of neuroprotective agents for PD provides us with therapeutic opportunities for modifying the course of disease progression and, perhaps, reducing the risk of onset when preclinical biomarkers become available.

BMI-1, a promising therapeutic target for human cancer

Science.gov (United States)

WANG, MIN-CONG; LI, CHUN-LI; CUI, JIE; JIAO, MIN; WU, TAO; JING, LI; NAN, KE-JUN

2015-01-01

BMI-1 oncogene is a member of the polycomb-group gene family and a transcriptional repressor. Overexpression of BMI-1 has been identified in various human cancer tissues and is known to be involved in cancer cell proliferation, cell invasion, distant metastasis, chemosensitivity and patient survival. Accumulating evidence has revealed that BMI-1 is also involved in the regulation of self-renewal, differentiation and tumor initiation of cancer stem cells (CSCs). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these biological processes remain unclear. The present review summarized the function of BMI-1 in different human cancer types and CSCs, and discussed the signaling pathways in which BMI-1 is potentially involved. In conclusion, BMI-1 may represent a promising target for the prevention and therapy of various cancer types. PMID:26622537

Understanding retirement: the promise of life-span developmental frameworks.

Science.gov (United States)

Löckenhoff, Corinna E

2012-09-01

The impending retirement of large population cohorts creates a pressing need for practical interventions to optimize outcomes at the individual and societal level. This necessitates comprehensive theoretical models that acknowledge the multi-layered nature of the retirement process and shed light on the dynamic mechanisms that drive longitudinal patterns of adjustment. The present commentary highlights ways in which contemporary life-span developmental frameworks can inform retirement research, drawing on the specific examples of Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model, Baltes and Baltes Selective Optimization with Compensation Framework, Schulz and Heckhausen's Motivational Theory of Life-Span Development, and Carstensen's Socioemotional Selectivity Theory. Ultimately, a life-span developmental perspective on retirement offers not only new interpretations of known phenomena but may also help to identify novel directions for future research as well as promising pathways for interventions.

Object technology: A white paper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jordan, S.R.; Arrowood, L.F.; Cain, W.D.; Stephens, W.M.; Vickers, B.D.

1992-05-11

Object-Oriented Technology (OOT), although not a new paradigm, has recently been prominently featured in the trade press and even general business publications. Indeed, the promises of object technology are alluring: the ability to handle complex design and engineering information through the full manufacturing production life cycle or to manipulate multimedia information, and the ability to improve programmer productivity in creating and maintaining high quality software. Groups at a number of the DOE facilities have been exploring the use of object technology for engineering, business, and other applications. In this white paper, the technology is explored thoroughly and compared with previous means of developing software and storing databases of information. Several specific projects within the DOE Complex are described, and the state of the commercial marketplace is indicated.

Digital Games as Educational Technology: Promise and Challenges in the Use of Games to Teach

Science.gov (United States)

Tobias, Sigmund; Fletcher, J. Dexter; Chen, Fei

2015-01-01

Digital games were reviewed as an emerging tool in educational technology. Factors such as instructional effectiveness, time on task, relationship to curricula, student socio-economic status, violence in games, and game mechanics were considered. Despite considerable variability among studies, larger overall effect sizes for the impact of games on…

Technology Student Characteristics: Course Taking Patterns as a Pathway to STEM Disciplines

Science.gov (United States)

Asunda, Paul A.; Kim, Eun Sook; Westberry, Richard

2015-01-01

Rising concern about America's ability to maintain its competitive position in the global economy has renewed interest in STEM education. The power and the promise of STEM education is based on the need for technological literacy. Technology education is a discipline devoted to the delivery of technological literacy for all. Nevertheless, a…

The Promised Savior in Pre-Islamic Great Religions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahin Arab

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Since the ancient times the belief in the rise of the Reformer has been a fundamental principle. Many of the holy prophets have announced the advent of new prophet. Moreover in the announcements and indications of predecessors there are always allusions to "the Last Promised" and "the Savior of Last Days" under such titles as "Kalki", "Fifth Buddha", "Soshyans", "Messiah", "The Son of Man" and so on and so forth. Of course there are different types of belief in the last reformer in religions. In one place the Savior is merely a social reformer while in another place he is only after the spiritual salvation of people and even sometimes he undertakes both tasks. On the other hand, the Last Promised is once nationalist and once seeks to save the whole world.    This essay seeks to assay the views of pre-Islamic great religions including Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism as to the Promised Savior. This essay is an analytico-descriptive research which has based itself on the first hand works comprising the sacred scriptures of religions and proceeds through the typological analyses of idea of the Promised in religions.    Zoroastrianism: the idea of the Promised has been tied to the notion of Soshyant. Generally speaking, this notion alludes to a group of people who periodically emerge at the end of every millennium of the last three millennia of world's age so as to uproot evil and renew the world, the last one of these reformers is Soshyans. According to the aforementioned typology, Zoroastrian idea of Last Savior is among the Promised who saves the whole world. Moreover Zoroastrian Promised cannot be declared only a social savior as he is not wholly detached from people's spirituality too. From another point of view, Zoroastrian idea of the Promised represents a universal and not nationalist savior who is relatively a human and not divine entity who emerges in the last millennium of world's age.    Judaism: in the

The Promised Savior in Pre-Islamic Great Religions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahin Arab

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Since the ancient times the belief in the rise of the Reformer has been a fundamental principle. Many of the holy prophets have announced the advent of new prophet. Moreover in the announcements and indications of predecessors there are always allusions to "the Last Promised" and "the Savior of Last Days" under such titles as "Kalki", "Fifth Buddha", "Soshyans", "Messiah", "The Son of Man" and so on and so forth. Of course there are different types of belief in the last reformer in religions. In one place the Savior is merely a social reformer while in another place he is only after the spiritual salvation of people and even sometimes he undertakes both tasks. On the other hand, the Last Promised is once nationalist and once seeks to save the whole world.    This essay seeks to assay the views of pre-Islamic great religions including Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism as to the Promised Savior. This essay is an analytico-descriptive research which has based itself on the first hand works comprising the sacred scriptures of religions and proceeds through the typological analyses of idea of the Promised in religions.    Zoroastrianism: the idea of the Promised has been tied to the notion of Soshyant. Generally speaking, this notion alludes to a group of people who periodically emerge at the end of every millennium of the last three millennia of world's age so as to uproot evil and renew the world, the last one of these reformers is Soshyans. According to the aforementioned typology, Zoroastrian idea of Last Savior is among the Promised who saves the whole world. Moreover Zoroastrian Promised cannot be declared only a social savior as he is not wholly detached from people's spirituality too. From another point of view, Zoroastrian idea of the Promised represents a universal and not nationalist savior who is relatively a human and not divine entity who emerges in the last millennium of world's age.    Judaism: in the

Promising technological innovations in cognitive training to treat eating-related behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Forman, Evan M; Goldstein, Stephanie P; Flack, Daniel; Evans, Brittney C; Manasse, Stephanie M; Dochat, Cara

2018-05-01

One potential reason for the suboptimal outcomes of treatments targeting appetitive behavior, such as eating and alcohol consumption, is that they do not target the implicit cognitive processes that may be driving these behaviors. Two groups of related neurocognitive processes that are robustly associated with dysregulated eating and drinking are attention bias (AB; selective attention to specific stimuli) and executive function (EF; a set of cognitive control processes such as inhibitory control, working memory, set shifting, that govern goal-directed behaviors). An increasing body of work suggests that EF and AB training programs improve regulation of appetitive behaviors, especially if trainings are frequent and sustained. However, several key challenges, such as adherence to the trainings in the long term, and overall potency of the training, remain. The current manuscript describes five technological innovations that have the potential to address difficulties related to the effectiveness and feasibility of EF and AB trainings: (1) deployment of training in the home, (2) training via smartphone, (3) gamification, (4) virtual reality, and (5) personalization. The drawbacks of these innovations, as well as areas for future research, are also discussed. The above-mentioned innovations are likely to be instrumental in the future empirical work to develop and evaluate effective EF and AB trainings for appetitive behaviors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Open Technologies for prototyping the Internet of Things

OpenAIRE

Martínez Abascal, María Jesús

2013-01-01

The worldwide "hyper-connection" of any object around us is the challenge that promises to cover the paradigm of the Internet of Things. If the Internet has colonized the daily life of more than 2000 million1 people around the globe, the Internet of Things faces of connecting more than 100000 million2 "things" by 2020. The underlying Internet of Things’ technologies are the cornerstone that promises to solve interrelated global problems such as exponential population growth, energy management...

BIM: Promises and reality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svetel Igor

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The building information modeling - BIM is a technology developed toward creation of computer based information model that encompasses whole building lifecycle. Toward that goal a number of information technology standards have been developed that enable different professions in AEC to cooperatively develop electronic building model. The paper gives overview of essential technologies, discusses their intended purpose, and gives outline of the currently achieved functionality.

Community health workers and mobile technology: a systematic review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Braun, Rebecca; Catalani, Caricia; Wimbush, Julian; Israelski, Dennis

2013-01-01

In low-resource settings, community health workers are frontline providers who shoulder the health service delivery burden. Increasingly, mobile technologies are developed, tested, and deployed with community health workers to facilitate tasks and improve outcomes. We reviewed the evidence for the use of mobile technology by community health workers to identify opportunities and challenges for strengthening health systems in resource-constrained settings. We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature from health, medical, social science, and engineering databases, using PRISMA guidelines. We identified a total of 25 unique full-text research articles on community health workers and their use of mobile technology for the delivery of health services. Community health workers have used mobile tools to advance a broad range of health aims throughout the globe, particularly maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, and sexual and reproductive health. Most commonly, community health workers use mobile technology to collect field-based health data, receive alerts and reminders, facilitate health education sessions, and conduct person-to-person communication. Programmatic efforts to strengthen health service delivery focus on improving adherence to standards and guidelines, community education and training, and programmatic leadership and management practices. Those studies that evaluated program outcomes provided some evidence that mobile tools help community health workers to improve the quality of care provided, efficiency of services, and capacity for program monitoring. Evidence suggests mobile technology presents promising opportunities to improve the range and quality of services provided by community health workers. Small-scale efforts, pilot projects, and preliminary descriptive studies are increasing, and there is a trend toward using feasible and acceptable interventions that lead to positive program outcomes through operational improvements and

Community health workers and mobile technology: a systematic review of the literature.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca Braun

Full Text Available In low-resource settings, community health workers are frontline providers who shoulder the health service delivery burden. Increasingly, mobile technologies are developed, tested, and deployed with community health workers to facilitate tasks and improve outcomes. We reviewed the evidence for the use of mobile technology by community health workers to identify opportunities and challenges for strengthening health systems in resource-constrained settings.We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature from health, medical, social science, and engineering databases, using PRISMA guidelines. We identified a total of 25 unique full-text research articles on community health workers and their use of mobile technology for the delivery of health services.Community health workers have used mobile tools to advance a broad range of health aims throughout the globe, particularly maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, and sexual and reproductive health. Most commonly, community health workers use mobile technology to collect field-based health data, receive alerts and reminders, facilitate health education sessions, and conduct person-to-person communication. Programmatic efforts to strengthen health service delivery focus on improving adherence to standards and guidelines, community education and training, and programmatic leadership and management practices. Those studies that evaluated program outcomes provided some evidence that mobile tools help community health workers to improve the quality of care provided, efficiency of services, and capacity for program monitoring.Evidence suggests mobile technology presents promising opportunities to improve the range and quality of services provided by community health workers. Small-scale efforts, pilot projects, and preliminary descriptive studies are increasing, and there is a trend toward using feasible and acceptable interventions that lead to positive program outcomes through operational

Does technology really enhance nurse education?

Science.gov (United States)

Goodchild, Tim

2018-07-01

Technology has clearly impacted upon our working lives, and the purpose of this paper is to offer a critical insight into the ubiquitous presence of technology in nurse education. This paper argues that technology enhanced learning is predicated on the promise of potential and purported transformation of teaching and learning. It suggests that there is a lack of critical engagement in the academic field of technology enhanced learning, and adds a critical voice to some of the emerging arguments in this area. There is also a lack of systematic evidence supporting the enhancement offered by technology, and yet the technology enhanced project continues to persist. The discourse surrounding technology enhanced learning has become so dominant, so pervasive, that those of us within it can no longer see alternatives. But there are alternatives, and this paper argues that we need to challenge the dominance of technology enhanced learning, and become aware of its contingent nature. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching with Technology: North Carolina Agriculture Teachers' Knowledge Acquisition, Attitudes, and Identified Barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Maegen R.; Warner, Wendy J.; Flowers, James L.; Croom, D. Barry

2014-01-01

In order for agricultural education teachers to adapt to an ever-changing educational environment, they must possess the skills necessary to integrate technology into their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence North Carolina agriculture teachers' ability to integrate educational technology. This study…

Technology survey on video face tracking

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Tong; Gomes, Herman Martins

2014-03-01

With the pervasiveness of monitoring cameras installed in public areas, schools, hospitals, work places and homes, video analytics technologies for interpreting these video contents are becoming increasingly relevant to people's lives. Among such technologies, human face detection and tracking (and face identification in many cases) are particularly useful in various application scenarios. While plenty of research has been conducted on face tracking and many promising approaches have been proposed, there are still significant challenges in recognizing and tracking people in videos with uncontrolled capturing conditions, largely due to pose and illumination variations, as well as occlusions and cluttered background. It is especially complex to track and identify multiple people simultaneously in real time due to the large amount of computation involved. In this paper, we present a survey on literature and software that are published or developed during recent years on the face tracking topic. The survey covers the following topics: 1) mainstream and state-of-the-art face tracking methods, including features used to model the targets and metrics used for tracking; 2) face identification and face clustering from face sequences; and 3) software packages or demonstrations that are available for algorithm development or trial. A number of publically available databases for face tracking are also introduced.

Emerging technologies in engineering education: can we make it work?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klaassen, R.G.; de Vries, P.; Kamp, A.

2017-01-01

This paper deals with an explorative research into the use of emerging technologies for teaching and learning. An important stimulus for this research is the skills gap. The rapid changing demand puts a lot of pressure on education and the promise is that technology might help to solve the problem.

Educating the Adolescent for Technological Changes: Some Implications for Teaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheong, Lau Kam

Generally concerned with how the schools can better educate the adolescent for adulthood, this paper briefly discusses the adolescent's need for work as a means of attaining adulthood, some promises and threats of technology, and effects of technological advances on society. Particular attention is given to four main effects having direct…

Technology Transience and Distance Education in the Second Machine Age

Science.gov (United States)

Swan, Karen

2015-01-01

In this article, the author explores how technological change is affecting most aspects of our society. In this vein, it is noted that even though education has historically been more resistant to technological change than other societal sectors, recent advances in distance education, specifically online learning, promise to radically disrupt…

Space and Industrial Brine Drying Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Harry W.; Wisniewski, Richard S.; Flynn, Michael; Shaw, Hali

2014-01-01

This survey describes brine drying technologies that have been developed for use in space and industry. NASA has long considered developing a brine drying system for the International Space Station (ISS). Possible processes include conduction drying in many forms, spray drying, distillation, freezing and freeze drying, membrane filtration, and electrical processes. Commercial processes use similar technologies. Some proposed space systems combine several approaches. The current most promising candidates for use on the ISS use either conduction drying with membrane filtration or spray drying.

Advances in Ultrasound Technology in Oncologic Urology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gravas, Stavros; Mamoulakis, Charalampos; Rioja, Jorge; Tzortzis, Vassilios; de Reijke, Theodor; Wijkstra, Hessel; de la Rosette, Jean

2009-01-01

Continuous innovations and clinical research in ultrasound (US) technology have upgraded the position of US in the imaging armamentarium of urologists. In particular, contrast-enhanced US and sonoelastography seem to be promising in the diagnosis of urologic cancers, implementation of ablative

Identifying, Licensing, and Commercializing Technology: An Entrepreneur's View

Science.gov (United States)

Appel, Kris

2013-03-01

A linguist by trade, Kris Appel left government service to pursue entrepreneurship. She knew she wanted to start a company, but she did not have a business idea. After researching various technologies available for commercialization, she began to focus on a prototype medical device at the University of Maryland Medical School, which had been developed to help stroke survivors recover their arm movement. The device was based upon emerging science into brain re-training, and was backed by very convincing clinical trials. Working closely with University researchers, she licensed the rights to the device, developed a commercial version, and launched it in 2009. Today the device is used around the globe, and has helped thousands of stroke and brain injury survivors improve their arm function and way of life. Kris will tell the story of the device, and how it got from idea to prototype to successful rehabilitation product.

Technology Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pilkington, Alan

2014-01-01

This paper reports a bibliometric analysis (co-citation network analysis) of 10 journals in the management of technology (MOT) field. As well as introducing various bibliometric ideas, network analysis tools identify and explore the concepts covered by the field and their inter-relationships. Spe......This paper reports a bibliometric analysis (co-citation network analysis) of 10 journals in the management of technology (MOT) field. As well as introducing various bibliometric ideas, network analysis tools identify and explore the concepts covered by the field and their inter......-relationships. Specific results from different levels of analysis show the different dimensions of technology management: • Co-word terms identify themes • Journal co-citation network: linking to other disciplines • Co-citation network show concentrations of themes The analysis shows that MOT has a bridging role...

Identifying breakthrough technologies for the production of basic chemicals. A long term view on the sustainable production of ammonia, olefins and aromatics in the European region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benner, J.; Van Lieshout, M.; Croezen, H.

2012-01-15

The European Commission's Roadmap for a competitive and low carbon economy in 2050 indicates that greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in all sectors should be significantly reduced to meet the European Union (EU) objective of 80 to 95% greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. The European Commission indicated in the Roadmap that the EU's industrial sectors should reduce emissions by 83 to 87% domestically by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. The objective of this study is to explore breakthrough abatement technologies in three processes in the European chemical industry that can considerably contribute to achieving the required greenhouse gas emission reductions. In this context we have assessed the processes for the production of: (1) Ammonia; (2) Olefins; (3) Aromatics (BTX). For all three processes possible breakthrough abatement technologies were found, allowing for reductions in GHG emissions varying between 50 and 100% compared to the conventional processes. Our finding regarding the chemical industry and our earlier findings regarding options in the steel, cement and pulp and paper industries show that promising breakthrough abatement technologies are available for European energy-intensive industries to contribute to a low-carbon economy. However, large scale deployment requires an integrated EU industry and energy policy allowing for a resource efficient and sustainable use of available biomass, CCS storage capacity and renewable energy capacity.

Identifying breakthrough technologies for the production of basic chemicals. A long term view on the sustainable production of ammonia, olefins and aromatics in the European region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benner, J.; Van Lieshout, M.; Croezen, H.

2012-01-15

The European Commission's Roadmap for a competitive and low carbon economy in 2050 indicates that greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in all sectors should be significantly reduced to meet the European Union (EU) objective of 80 to 95% greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. The European Commission indicated in the Roadmap that the EU's industrial sectors should reduce emissions by 83 to 87% domestically by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. The objective of this study is to explore breakthrough abatement technologies in three processes in the European chemical industry that can considerably contribute to achieving the required greenhouse gas emission reductions. In this context we have assessed the processes for the production of: (1) Ammonia; (2) Olefins; (3) Aromatics (BTX). For all three processes possible breakthrough abatement technologies were found, allowing for reductions in GHG emissions varying between 50 and 100% compared to the conventional processes. Our finding regarding the chemical industry and our earlier findings regarding options in the steel, cement and pulp and paper industries show that promising breakthrough abatement technologies are available for European energy-intensive industries to contribute to a low-carbon economy. However, large scale deployment requires an integrated EU industry and energy policy allowing for a resource efficient and sustainable use of available biomass, CCS storage capacity and renewable energy capacity.

Proliferation Persuasion. Coercive Bargaining with Nuclear Technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volpe, Tristan A. [George Washington Univ., Washington, DC (United States)

2015-08-31

Why do states wait for prolonged periods of time with the technical capacity to produce nuclear weapons? Only a handful of countries have ever acquired the sensitive nuclear fuel cycle technology needed to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons. Yet the enduring trend over the last five decades is for these states to delay or forgo exercising the nuclear weapons option provided by uranium enrichment or plutonium reprocessing capabilities. I show that states pause at this threshold stage because they use nuclear technology to bargain for concessions from both allies and adversaries. But when does nuclear latency offer bargaining benefits? My central argument is that challengers must surmount a dilemma to make coercive diplomacy work: the more they threaten to proliferate, the harder it becomes to reassure others that compliance will be rewarded with nuclear restraint. I identify a range of mechanisms able to solve this credibility problem, from arms control over breakout capacity to third party mediation and confidence building measures. Since each step towards the bomb raises the costs of implementing these policies, a state hits a sweet spot when it first acquires enrichment and/or reprocessing (ENR) technology. Subsequent increases in proliferation capability generate diminishing returns at the bargaining table for two reasons: the state must go to greater lengths to make a credible nonproliferation promise, and nuclear programs exhibit considerable path dependency as they mature over time. Contrary to the conventional wisdom about power in world politics, less nuclear latency thereby yields more coercive threat advantages. I marshal new primary source evidence from archives and interviews to identify episodes in the historical record when states made clear decisions to use ENR technology as a bargaining chip, and employ this theory of proliferation persuasion to explain how Japan, North Korea, and Iran succeeded and failed to barter concessions from the

Do-it-yourself biology: challenges and promises for an open science and technology movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Landrain, Thomas; Meyer, Morgan; Perez, Ariel Martin; Sussan, Remi

2013-09-01

The do-it-yourself biology (DIYbio) community is emerging as a movement that fosters open access to resources permitting modern molecular biology, and synthetic biology among others. It promises in particular to be a source of cheaper and simpler solutions for environmental monitoring, personal diagnostic and the use of biomaterials. The successful growth of a global community of DIYbio practitioners will depend largely on enabling safe access to state-of-the-art molecular biology tools and resources. In this paper we analyze the rise of DIYbio, its community, its material resources and its applications. We look at the current projects developed for the international genetically engineered machine competition in order to get a sense of what amateur biologists can potentially create in their community laboratories over the coming years. We also show why and how the DIYbio community, in the context of a global governance development, is putting in place a safety/ethical framework for guarantying the pursuit of its activity. And finally we argue that the global spread of DIY biology potentially reconfigures and opens up access to biological information and laboratory equipment and that, therefore, it can foster new practices and transversal collaborations between professional scientists and amateurs.

Identifying genetic relatives without compromising privacy.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Dan; Furlotte, Nicholas A; Hormozdiari, Farhad; Joo, Jong Wha J; Wadia, Akshay; Ostrovsky, Rafail; Sahai, Amit; Eskin, Eleazar

2014-04-01

The development of high-throughput genomic technologies has impacted many areas of genetic research. While many applications of these technologies focus on the discovery of genes involved in disease from population samples, applications of genomic technologies to an individual's genome or personal genomics have recently gained much interest. One such application is the identification of relatives from genetic data. In this application, genetic information from a set of individuals is collected in a database, and each pair of individuals is compared in order to identify genetic relatives. An inherent issue that arises in the identification of relatives is privacy. In this article, we propose a method for identifying genetic relatives without compromising privacy by taking advantage of novel cryptographic techniques customized for secure and private comparison of genetic information. We demonstrate the utility of these techniques by allowing a pair of individuals to discover whether or not they are related without compromising their genetic information or revealing it to a third party. The idea is that individuals only share enough special-purpose cryptographically protected information with each other to identify whether or not they are relatives, but not enough to expose any information about their genomes. We show in HapMap and 1000 Genomes data that our method can recover first- and second-order genetic relationships and, through simulations, show that our method can identify relationships as distant as third cousins while preserving privacy.

Strategies to design clinical studies to identify predictive biomarkers in cancer research.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Gracia, Jose Luis; Sanmamed, Miguel F; Bosch, Ana; Patiño-Garcia, Ana; Schalper, Kurt A; Segura, Victor; Bellmunt, Joaquim; Tabernero, Josep; Sweeney, Christopher J; Choueiri, Toni K; Martín, Miguel; Fusco, Juan Pablo; Rodriguez-Ruiz, Maria Esperanza; Calvo, Alfonso; Prior, Celia; Paz-Ares, Luis; Pio, Ruben; Gonzalez-Billalabeitia, Enrique; Gonzalez Hernandez, Alvaro; Páez, David; Piulats, Jose María; Gurpide, Alfonso; Andueza, Mapi; de Velasco, Guillermo; Pazo, Roberto; Grande, Enrique; Nicolas, Pilar; Abad-Santos, Francisco; Garcia-Donas, Jesus; Castellano, Daniel; Pajares, María J; Suarez, Cristina; Colomer, Ramon; Montuenga, Luis M; Melero, Ignacio

2017-02-01

The discovery of reliable biomarkers to predict efficacy and toxicity of anticancer drugs remains one of the key challenges in cancer research. Despite its relevance, no efficient study designs to identify promising candidate biomarkers have been established. This has led to the proliferation of a myriad of exploratory studies using dissimilar strategies, most of which fail to identify any promising targets and are seldom validated. The lack of a proper methodology also determines that many anti-cancer drugs are developed below their potential, due to failure to identify predictive biomarkers. While some drugs will be systematically administered to many patients who will not benefit from them, leading to unnecessary toxicities and costs, others will never reach registration due to our inability to identify the specific patient population in which they are active. Despite these drawbacks, a limited number of outstanding predictive biomarkers have been successfully identified and validated, and have changed the standard practice of oncology. In this manuscript, a multidisciplinary panel reviews how those key biomarkers were identified and, based on those experiences, proposes a methodological framework-the DESIGN guidelines-to standardize the clinical design of biomarker identification studies and to develop future research in this pivotal field. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Speculative promise as a driver in climate engineering research: The case of Paul Crutzen's back-of-the-envelope calculation on solar dimming with sulfate aerosols

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hemert, M.

2017-01-01

In this paper, I study the generative role of speculative promise in climate engineering research. My analysis operationalizes Alfred Nordmann's call for a 'forensics of wishing', a variety of technology assessment which scrutinizes the politics of anticipation in technoscience. Using scientific

Technologies to remediate hazardous waste sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falco, J.W.

1990-03-01

Technologies to remediate hazardous wastes must be matched with the properties of the hazardous materials to be treated, the environment in which the wastes are imbedded, and the desired extent of remediation. Many promising technologies are being developed, including biological treatment, immobilization techniques, and in situ methods. Many of these new technologies are being applied to remediate sites. The management and disposal of hazardous wastes is changing because of federal and state legislation as well as public concern. Future waste management systems will emphasize the substitution of alternatives for the use of hazardous materials and process waste recycling. Onsite treatment will also become more frequently adopted. 5 refs., 7 figs

Technology readiness levels for the new millennium program

Science.gov (United States)

Moynihan, P. I.; Minning, C. P.; Stocky, J. F.

2003-01-01

NASA's New Millennium Program (NMP) seeks to advance space exploration by providing an in-space validating mechanism to verify the maturity of promising advanced technologies that cannot be adequately validated with Earth-based testing alone. In meeting this objective, NMP uses NASA Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) as key indicators of technology advancement and assesses development progress against this generalized metric. By providing an opportunity for in-space validation, NMP can mature a suitable advanced technology from TRL 4 (component and/or breadboard validation in laboratory environment) to a TRL 7 (system prototype demonstrated in an Earth-based space environment). Spaceflight technology comprises a myriad of categories, types, and functions, and as each individual technology emerges, a consistent interpretation of its specific state of technological advancement relative to other technologies is problematic.

Nurturing Mathematical Promise in a Regular Elementary Classroom: Exploring the Role of the Teacher and Classroom Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitriadis, Christos

2016-01-01

This article presents findings from a case study of an in-classroom program based on ability grouping for Year 2 (ages 6-7) primary (elementary) children identified as high ability in mathematics. The study examined the role of classroom setting, classroom environment, and teacher's approach in realizing and developing mathematical promise. The…

Technological Determinism in Educational Technology Research: Some Alternative Ways of Thinking about the Relationship between Learning and Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, M.

2011-01-01

This paper argues that research on the educational uses of technology frequently overemphasizes the influence of technology. Research in the field is considered a form of critical perspective, and assumptions about technology are questioned. Technological determinism is introduced, and different positions on this concept are identified. These are…

Aqueous mercury treatment technology review for NPDES Outfall 49 Y-12 Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lanning, J.M.

1993-04-01

During 1950 to 1955, Building 9201-2 at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant was used to house development facilities for processes that employed elemental mercury to separate lithium isotopes as part of the thermonuclear weapons production operations. As a result of several spills, this building area and several other areas associated with the separation process were contaminated with mercury and became a source of continuing contamination of the Y-12 Plant discharge water to East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC). Mercury concentrations in the outfalls south of Building 9201-2 have ranged up to 80 ppb, with the highest concentrations being experienced at Outfall 49. As a result, this outfall was chosen as a test site for future mercury treatment technology evaluation and development at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. A literature review and vendor survey has identified several promising materials and technologies that may be applicable to mercury removal at the Outfall 49 site. This document summarizes those findings.

Fiber Optic Communications Technology. A Status Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Hull, Joseph A.

Fiber optic communications (communications over very pure glass transmission channels of diameter comparable to a human hair) is an emerging technology which promises most improvements in communications capacity at reasonable cost. The fiber transmission system offers many desirable characteristics representing improvements over conventional…

Technology in geriatrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Pilotto, Alberto; Boi, Raffaella; Petermans, Jean

2018-03-13

Recently, the interest of industry, government agencies and healthcare professionals in technology for aging people has increased. The challenge is whether technology may play a role in enhancing independence and quality of life and in reducing individual and societal costs of caring. Information and communication technologies, i.e. tools aimed at communicating and informing, assistive technologies designed to maintain older peoples' independence and increasing safety, and human-computer interaction technologies for supporting older people with motility and cognitive impairments as humanoid robots, exoskeletons, rehabilitation robots, service robots and companion-type are interdisciplinary topics both in research and in clinical practice. The most promising clinical applications of technologies are housing and safety to guarantee older people remaining in their own homes and communities, mobility and rehabilitation to improve mobility and gait and communication and quality of life by reducing isolation, improve management of medications and transportation. Many factors impair a broad use of technology in older age, including psychosocial and ethical issues, costs and fear of losing human interaction. A substantial lack of appropriate clinical trials to establish the clinical role of technologies to improve physical or cognitive performances and/or quality of life of subjects and their caregivers may suggest that the classical biomedical research model may not be the optimal choice to evaluate technologies in older people. In conclusion, successful technology development requires a great effort in interdisciplinary collaboration to integrate technologies into the existing health and social service systems with the aim to fit into the older adults' everyday life.

International workshop on greenhouse gas mitigation technologies and measures: Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-12-31

More than 150 countries are now Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), which seeks to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases at a level that would prevent dangerous human interference with the global climate system. Climate change country studies are a significant step for developing countries and countries with economies in transition to meet their national reporting commitments to the FCCC. These studies also provide the basis for preparation of National Climate Change Action Plans and implementation of technologies and practices which reduce greenhouse gas emissions or enhance carbon sinks. The broad goals of the workshop were to: (1) present results of country study mitigation assessments, (2) identify promising no-regrets greenhouse gas mitigation options in land-use and energy sectors, (3) share information on development of mitigation technologies and measures which contribute to improved National Climate Change Actions Plans, and (4) begin the process of synthesizing mitigation assessments for use by FCCC subsidiary bodies. The 59 papers are arranged into the following topical sections: (1) national mitigation assessments, technology priorities, and measures; (2) sector-specific mitigation assessment results, subdivided further into: energy sector; non-energy sector; renewable energy; energy efficiency in industry and buildings; transportation; electricity supply; forestry; and methane mitigation; (3) support for mitigation technologies and measures; and (4) activities implemented jointly. Selected papers are indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

Testing and analysis SDN technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taher Abdullah

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The Software Defined Networking (SDN is currently one of the most promising technologies in mobile backhaul networks based on the OpenFlow protocol. OpenFlow provides a specification to migrate the control logic from a switch into the controller. In this paper we apply Mininet software to verify the OpenFlow protocol messages.

FY 1998 Blue Book: Computing, Information, and Communications: Technologies for the 21st Century

Data.gov (United States)

Networking and Information Technology Research and Development, Executive Office of the President — As the 21st century approaches, the rapid convergence of computing, communications, and information technology promises unprecedented opportunities for scientific...

Identifying problematic drugs based on the characteristics of their targets.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopes, Tiago J S; Shoemaker, Jason E; Matsuoka, Yukiko; Kawaoka, Yoshihiro; Kitano, Hiroaki

2015-01-01

Identifying promising compounds during the early stages of drug development is a major challenge for both academia and the pharmaceutical industry. The difficulties are even more pronounced when we consider multi-target pharmacology, where the compounds often target more than one protein, or multiple compounds are used together. Here, we address this problem by using machine learning and network analysis to process sequence and interaction data from human proteins to identify promising compounds. We used this strategy to identify properties that make certain proteins more likely to cause harmful effects when targeted; such proteins usually have domains commonly found throughout the human proteome. Additionally, since currently marketed drugs hit multiple targets simultaneously, we combined the information from individual proteins to devise a score that quantifies the likelihood of a compound being harmful to humans. This approach enabled us to distinguish between approved and problematic drugs with an accuracy of 60-70%. Moreover, our approach can be applied as soon as candidate drugs are available, as demonstrated with predictions for more than 5000 experimental drugs. These resources are available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/psin/.

Identifying problematic drugs based on the characteristics of their targets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiago Jose eDa Silva Lopes

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Identifying promising compounds during the early stages of drug development is a major challenge for both academia and the pharmaceutical industry. The difficulties are even more pronounced when we consider multi-target pharmacology, where the compounds often target more than one protein, or multiple compounds are used together. Here, we address this problem by using machine learning and network analysis to process sequence and interaction data from human proteins to identify promising compounds. We used this strategy to identify properties that make certain proteins more likely to cause harmful effects when targeted; such proteins usually have domains commonly found throughout the human proteome. Additionally, since currently marketed drugs hit multiple targets simultaneously, we combined the information from individual proteins to devise a score that quantifies the likelihood of a compound being harmful to humans. This approach enabled us to distinguish between approved and problematic drugs with an accuracy of 60%¬–70%. Moreover, our approach can be applied as soon as candidate drugs are available, as demonstrated with predictions for more than 5000 experimental drugs. These resources are available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/psin/.

Avatar-based depression self-management technology: promising approach to improve depressive symptoms among young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto, Melissa D; Hickman, Ronald L; Clochesy, John; Buchner, Marc

2013-02-01

Major depressive disorder is prevalent among American young adults and predisposes young adults to serious impairments in psychosocial functioning. Without intervention, young adults with depressive symptoms are at high risk for worsening of depressive symptoms and developing major depressive disorder. Young adults are not routinely taught effective depression self management skills to reduce depressive symptoms and preempt future illness. This study reports initial results of a randomized controlled trial among young adults (18-25 years of age) with depressive symptoms who were exposed to an avatar-based depression self-management intervention, eSMART-MH. Participants completed self-report measures of depressive symptoms at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks follow-up. Participants who received eSMART-MH had a significant reduction in depressive symptoms over 3 months, while individuals in the attention-control condition had no change in symptoms. In this study, eSMART-MH demonstrated initial efficacy and is a promising developmentally appropriate depression self-management intervention for young adults. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low-cost fabrication technologies for nanostructures: state-of-the-art and potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, A; Deen, M J; Marsal, L F

2015-01-01

In the last decade, some low-cost nanofabrication technologies used in several disciplines of nanotechnology have demonstrated promising results in terms of versatility and scalability for producing innovative nanostructures. While conventional nanofabrication technologies such as photolithography are and will be an important part of nanofabrication, some low-cost nanofabrication technologies have demonstrated outstanding capabilities for large-scale production, providing high throughputs with acceptable resolution and broad versatility. Some of these nanotechnological approaches are reviewed in this article, providing information about the fundamentals, limitations and potential future developments towards nanofabrication processes capable of producing a broad range of nanostructures. Furthermore, in many cases, these low-cost nanofabrication approaches can be combined with traditional nanofabrication technologies. This combination is considered a promising way of generating innovative nanostructures suitable for a broad range of applications such as in opto-electronics, nano-electronics, photonics, sensing, biotechnology or medicine. (topical review)

Low-cost fabrication technologies for nanostructures: state-of-the-art and potential

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, A.; Deen, M. J.; Marsal, L. F.

2015-01-01

In the last decade, some low-cost nanofabrication technologies used in several disciplines of nanotechnology have demonstrated promising results in terms of versatility and scalability for producing innovative nanostructures. While conventional nanofabrication technologies such as photolithography are and will be an important part of nanofabrication, some low-cost nanofabrication technologies have demonstrated outstanding capabilities for large-scale production, providing high throughputs with acceptable resolution and broad versatility. Some of these nanotechnological approaches are reviewed in this article, providing information about the fundamentals, limitations and potential future developments towards nanofabrication processes capable of producing a broad range of nanostructures. Furthermore, in many cases, these low-cost nanofabrication approaches can be combined with traditional nanofabrication technologies. This combination is considered a promising way of generating innovative nanostructures suitable for a broad range of applications such as in opto-electronics, nano-electronics, photonics, sensing, biotechnology or medicine.

Monochromatic and identifiable photons used in photonuclear research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beil, Hans; Bergere, Roland.

1980-07-01

A general overview is given of the most common experimental procedures for the production and utilisation of monochromatic and (or) identifiable photon probes actually operational in 1979. Their basic characteristics, merits and drawbacks, together with their respective major domains of experimental physics to which they are usually applied, are also investigated. Methods for producing such monochromatic and (or) identifiable photon probes, with a continuously variable energy from a few MeV up till about 180 GeV, are treated in some detail. Some of the most promising future trends in the ulterior development of such electromagnetic probes are also mentioned

Design A Situated Learning Environment Using Mixed Reality Technology - A Case Study

OpenAIRE

Rasimah Che Mohd Yusoff; Halimah Badioze Zaman; Azlina Ahmad

2010-01-01

Mixed Reality (MR) is one of the newest technologies explored in education. It promises the potential to promote teaching and learning and making learners- experience more "engaging". However, there still lack of research on designing a virtual learning environment using MR technology. In this paper, we describe the Mixed Reality technology, the characteristics of situated learning as instructional design for virtual environment using mixed reality technology. We also exp...

Health technology funding decision-making processes around the world: the same, yet different.

Science.gov (United States)

Stafinski, Tania; Menon, Devidas; Philippon, Donald J; McCabe, Christopher

2011-06-01

All healthcare systems routinely make resource allocation decisions that trade off potential health gains to different patient populations. However, when such trade-offs relate to the introduction of new, promising health technologies, perceived 'winners' and 'losers' are more apparent. In recent years, public scrutiny over such decisions has intensified, raising the need to better understand how they are currently made and how they might be improved. The objective of this paper is to critically review and compare current processes for making health technology funding decisions at the regional, state/provincial and national level in 20 countries. A comprehensive search for published, peer-reviewed and grey literature describing actual national, state/provincial and regional/institutional technology decision-making processes was conducted. Information was extracted by two independent reviewers and tabulated to facilitate qualitative comparative analyses. To identify strengths and weaknesses of processes identified, websites of corresponding organizations were searched for commissioned reviews/evaluations, which were subsequently analysed using standard qualitative methods. A total of 21 national, four provincial/state and six regional/institutional-level processes were found. Although information on each one varied, they could be grouped into four sequential categories: (i) identification of the decision problem; (ii) information inputs; (iii) elements of the decision-making process; and (iv) public accountability and decision implementation. While information requirements of all processes appeared substantial and decision-making factors comprehensive, the way in which they were utilized was often unclear, as were approaches used to incorporate social values or equity arguments into decisions. A comprehensive inventory of approaches to implementing the four main components of all technology funding decision-making processes was compiled, from which areas for future

Societal impacts of information and communications technology

OpenAIRE

Rahul Dé

2016-01-01

The promise of information and communications technology (ICT) to deliver change is attractive and draws practitioners to experiment and build. Academics and researchers too believe in such benefits but point to certain challenges: changing processes and people to adapt to a new technology, which is invariably an import from a Western nation; the conflicts arising from the changes introduced by ICT, with some groups benefitting over others; and ensuring that the social change that is desired ...

The Maker Movement, the Promise of Higher Education, and the Future of Work

Science.gov (United States)

Wigner, Aubrey

The 21st century will be the site of numerous changes in education systems in response to a rapidly evolving technological environment where existing skill sets and career structures may cease to exist or, at the very least, change dramatically. Likewise, the nature of work will also change to become more automated and more technologically intensive across all sectors, from food service to scientific research. Simply having technical expertise or the ability to process and retain facts will in no way guarantee success in higher education or a satisfying career. Instead, the future will value those educated in a way that encourages collaboration with technology, critical thinking, creativity, clear communication skills, and strong lifelong learning strategies. These changes pose a challenge for higher education's promise of employability and success post-graduation. Addressing how to prepare students for a technologically uncertain future is challenging. One possible model for education to prepare students for the future of work can be found within the Maker Movement. However, it is not fully understood what parts of this movement are most meaningful to implement in education more broadly, and higher education in particular. Through the qualitative analysis of nearly 160 interviews of adult makers, young makers and young makers' parents, this dissertation unpacks how makers are learning, what they are learning, and how these qualities are applicable to education goals and the future of work in the 21st century. This research demonstrates that makers are learning valuable skills to prepare them for the future of work in the 21st century. Makers are learning communication skills, technical skills in fabrication and design, and developing lifelong learning strategies that will help prepare them for life in an increasingly technologically integrated future. This work discusses what aspects of the Maker Movement are most important for integration into higher education.

Nanocrystals Technology for Pharmaceutical Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Zhongyao; Lian, Yumei; Kamal, Zul; Ma, Xin; Chen, Jianjun; Zhou, Xinbo; Su, Jing; Qiu, Mingfeng

2018-05-17

Nanocrystals technology is a promising method for improving the dissolution rate and enhancing the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. In recent years, it has been developing rapidly and applied to drug research and engineering. Nanocrystal drugs can be formulated into various dosage forms. This review mainly focused on the nanocrystals technology and its application in pharmaceutical science. Firstly, different preparation methods of nanocrystal technology and the characterization of nanocrystal drugs are briefly described. Secondly, the application of nanocrystals technology in pharmaceutical science is mainly discussed followed by the introduction of sustained release formulations. Then, the scaling up process, marketed nanocrystal drug products and regulatory aspects about nanodrugs are summarized. Finally, the specific challenges and opportunities of nanocrystals technology for pharmaceutical science are summarized and discussed. This review will provide a comprehensive guide for scientists and engineers in the field of pharmaceutical science and biochemical engineering. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Sludge technology assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krause, T.R.; Cunnane, J.C.; Helt, J.E.

1994-12-01

The retrieval, processing, and generation of final waste forms from radioactive tank waste sludges present some of the most challenging technical problems confronting scientists and engineers responsible for the waste management programs at the various Department of Energy laboratories and production facilities. Currently, the Department of Energy is developing a strategy to retrieve, process, and generate a final waste form for the sludge that meets the acceptance criteria for the final disposition. An integral part of this strategy will be use of separation processes that treat the sludge; the goal is to meet feed criteria for the various processes that will generate the final waste form, such as vitrification or grouting. This document is intended to (1) identify separation technologies which are being considered for sludge treatment at various DOE sites, (2) define the current state of sludge treatment technology, (3) identify what research and development is required, (4) identify current research programs within either DOE or academia developing sludge treatment technology, and (5) identify commercial separation technologies which may be applicable. Due to the limited scope of this document, technical evaluations regarding the need for a particular separations technology, the current state of development, or the research required for implementation, are not provided

New NOx cleansing technology can reduce industry emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

The Norwegian, Bergen-based company ECO Energy has recently launched a new cleaning technology halving NO x emissions from industry plants without requiring large investments. Thus, governmental promises to finance NO x cleaning equipment for Norwegian industry have become less expensive to reach. ECO Energy has ensured world patent on the 'stopNOx' technology. Its method consists of adding water and urea to oil before the combustion process. The technology has been applied in Italy, reducing NO x emissions from industry in average with above 50 percent (ml)

TECHNOLOGY OF PRODUCTION OF CERAMIC TILES BASED ON DOLERITE AND FUSIBLE CLAY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pleshko Marianna Viktorovna

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a completely new composition of the ceramic mass for production of ceramic tiles for interior lining of walls, on the basis of fusible clay. The optimal compositions of jade engobe and glossy glaze, the most suitable for this composition, are determined. A new technological scheme is developed for production of ceramic tiles for interior lining based on dolerite and fusible clay. The curve of firing, which is the most suitable for charge masses and decorative coating compositions being used, has been constructed. Subject: ceramic mass for the production of ceramic facing tiles. Ceramic tiles are the most popular building material in Russia. The most promising technology for its production from the standpoint of technical and economic efficiency is the technology of rapid single firing, which is rarely used at the plants of our country. In this regard, the development and implementation of new effective compositions of ceramic masses and decorative coatings that are the most compatible with the specifics of rapid single firing technology, based on new unconventional raw materials, are very relevant and promising. Research objectives: development of technological parameters, compositions of ceramic masses and decorative coatings of ceramic tiles for the internal wall lining that provide an increase in tiles production efficiency using the technology of rapid single firing through the use of non-traditional plagioclase-pyroxene raw materials: dolerites, loam and technogenic raw materials. Materials and methods: technological, numerical and experimental studies were conducted. To select the optimal composition of the ceramic mass, the method of mathematical planning was used, namely the simplex-centroid design of Scheffe. To identify the scientific foundations of the energy-efficient production technology being developed, differential thermal and X-ray phase, optical, electron microscopic and dilatometric studies were applied

Using Data to Individualize a Multicomponent, Technology-Based Self-Monitoring Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Bruhn, Allison Leigh; Vogelgesang, Kari; Fernando, Josephine; Lugo, Wilbeth

2016-01-01

Technology in schools is abundant as is the call for evidence-based interventions for students who need additional support to be successful. One promising use of technology is for self-monitoring interventions aimed at improving classroom behavior. In this study, two middle school students with disabilities used a multicomponent, self-monitoring…

Transforming global health with mobile technologies and social enterprises: global health and innovation conference.

Science.gov (United States)

Kayingo, Gerald

2012-09-01

More than 2,000 people convened for the ninth annual Global Health and Innovation Conference at Yale University on April 21-22, 2012. Participants discussed the latest innovations, ideas in development, lessons learned, opportunities and challenges in global health activities. Several themes emerged, including the important role of frontline workers, strengthening health systems, leveraging social media, and sustainable and impact-driven philanthropy. Overall, the major outcome of the conference was the increased awareness of the potential of mobile technologies and social enterprises in transforming global health. Experts warned that donations and technological advances alone will not transform global health unless there are strong functioning health infrastructures and improved workforce. It was noted that there is a critical need for an integrated systems approach to global health problems and a need for scaling up promising pilot projects. Lack of funding, accountability, and sustainability were identified as major challenges in global health.

State of the art of D ampersand D Instrumentation Technology: Alpha counting in the presence of high background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickerman, C.E.

1995-08-01

Discrimination of alpha activity in the presence of a high radiation background has been identified as an area of concern to be studied for D ampersand D applications. Upon evaluating the range of alpha detection needs for D ampersand D operations, we have expanded this study to address the operational concern of greatly expediting alpha counting of rough surfaces and rubble. Note that the term, ''rough surfaces'' includes a wide range of practical cases, including contaminated equipment and work surfaces. We have developed provisional applications requirements for instrumentation of this type; and we also have generated the scope of a program of instrument evaluation and testing, with emphasis on practical implementation. In order to obtain the full operational benefit of alpha discrimination in the presence of strong beta-gamma radiation background, the detection system must be capable of some form of remote or semi-remote operation in order to reduce operator exposure. We have identified a highly promising technique, the long-range alpha detector (LRAD), for alpha discrimination in the presence of high radiation background. This technique operates upon the principle of transporting alphaionized air to an ionization detector. A transport time within a few seconds is adequate. Neither the provisional requirements nor the evaluation and testing scope were expressly tailored to force the selection of a LRAD technology, and they could be used as a basis for studies of other promising technologies. However, a technology that remotely detects alpha-ionized air (e. g., LRAD) is a natural fit to the key requirements of rejection of high background at the survey location and operator protection. Also, LRAD appears to be valuable for D ampersand D applications as a means of greatly expediting surface alpha-activity surveys that otherwise would require performing time-consuming scans over surfaces of interest with alpha detector probes, and even more labor-intensive surface

Forecasting the experience of future entertainment technology: “Interactive Storytelling” and media enjoyment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klimmt, C.; Roth, C.; Vermeulen, I.E.; Vorderer, P.A.; Roth, F.S.

2012-01-01

Advances in gaming and other entertainment technologies are evolving rapidly and create new conceptual challenges for understanding and explaining the user experiences they can facilitate. The present article reports a prospective study on a particularly promising entertainment technology of the

Helium Ion Microscopy: A Promising Tool for Probing Biota-Mineral Interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Lybrand, R.; Zaharescu, D. G.; Gallery, R. E.

2017-12-01

The study of biogeochemical interfaces in soil requires powerful technologies that can enhance our ability to characterize mineral surfaces and interacting organisms at micro- to nanoscale resolutions. We aim to demonstrate potential applications of Helium Ion Microscopy in the earth and ecological sciences using, as an example, samples from a field experiment. We assessed samples deployed for one year along climatic and topographic gradients in two Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs): a desert to mixed conifer forest gradient (Catalina CZO) and a humid hardwood forest (Calhoun CZO). Sterile ground rock (basalt, quartz, and granite; 53-250 µm) was sealed into nylon mesh bags and buried in the surface soils of both CZOs. We employed helium ion and scanning electron microscopies to compare retrieved ground rock samples with sterile unreacted mineral controls in conjunction with the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA. Our work showed early colonization of mesh bag materials by fungal and bacterial organisms from the field systems and identified morphological changes in mineral grains following exposure to the soil environment. Biological specimens observed on grain surfaces exhibited contrasting features depending on mineral type and ecosystem location, including fungal hyphae that varied in length, diameter, and surface morphologies. We also present imagery that provides evidence for incipient stages of mineral transformation at the fungal-mineral interface. Our findings demonstrate that helium ion microscopy can be successfully used to characterize grain features and biological agents of weathering in experimental field samples, representing a promising avenue for research in the biogeosciences. Future directions of this work will couple high resolution imaging with measures of aqueous and solid geochemistry, fungal morphological characterization, and microbial profiling to better understand mineral

Big Data for Global History: The Transformative Promise of Digital Humanities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joris van Eijnatten

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the promises and challenges of digital humanitiesmethodologies for historical inquiry. In order to address the great outstanding question whether big data will re-invigorate macro-history, a number of research projects are described that use cultural text mining to explore big data repositories of digitised newspapers. The advantages of quantitative analysis, visualisation and named entity recognition in both exploration and analysis are illustrated in the study of public debates on drugs, drug trafficking, and drug users in the early twentieth century (wahsp, the comparative study of discourses about heredity, genetics, and eugenics in Dutch and German newspapers, 1863-1940 (biland and the study of trans-Atlantic discourses (Translantis. While many technological and practical obstacles remain, advantages over traditional hermeneutic methodology are found in heuristics, analytics, quantitative trans-disciplinarity, and reproducibility, offering a quantitative and trans-national perspective on the history of mentalities.

New detection technologies for ultra-high energy cosmic rays and neutrinos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Böser Sebastian

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Even with an accumulated data set from an integrated six years of lifetime from the Auger experiment, no point sources of charged cosmic rays have be identified at the highest energies. Significantly increased apertures such as promised by the JEMEUSO mission will be required to identify these sources from the cosmic ray signatures themselves. However, in employing water-cherenkov surface detectors as well as fluorescence telescopes, Auger has demonstrated the power provided by the hybrid technology approach. New detection technologies thus provide a valuable tool, in particular for the study of systematic effects. Over the past decade, in particular radio detection of cosmic ray air-showers has become a viable future detection technology to enhance and complement existing air-shower experiments. Following the proof-of-principle provided by the Lopes experiment, this technology is now being pursued in all major air-shower detectors. In the MHz regime, the radio signal is dominated by geomagnetic emission from the electrons deflected in the earth magnetic field, with secondary contributions from a global charge excess. As the majority of the energy in the shower is carried by these electron and the radio signal traverses the atmosphere basically unattenuated, this approach not only promises superior energy resolution but may also provide an independent handle on the longitudinal shower development and hence the primary composition. Theoretical signal predictions provided by detailed Monte-Carlo simulations as well as analytic shower parametrizations are in good agreement with measurements provided by the AERA and Codalema experiments. Recent efforts also include studies of the radio emission in the GHz regime, where the ambient noise is significantly reduced, yet the emission mechanism in this regime has not been firmly established yet. As neutrinos are not deflected in the intergalactic magnetic fields, the detection of neutrino-induced cascades

Technology Transfer Report

Science.gov (United States)

2000-01-01

Since its inception, Goddard has pursued a commitment to technology transfer and commercialization. For every space technology developed, Goddard strives to identify secondary applications. Goddard then provides the technologies, as well as NASA expertise and facilities, to U.S. companies, universities, and government agencies. These efforts are based in Goddard's Technology Commercialization Office. This report presents new technologies, commercialization success stories, and other Technology Commercialization Office activities in 1999.

Medical big data: promise and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Choong Ho; Yoon, Hyung-Jin

2017-03-01

The concept of big data, commonly characterized by volume, variety, velocity, and veracity, goes far beyond the data type and includes the aspects of data analysis, such as hypothesis-generating, rather than hypothesis-testing. Big data focuses on temporal stability of the association, rather than on causal relationship and underlying probability distribution assumptions are frequently not required. Medical big data as material to be analyzed has various features that are not only distinct from big data of other disciplines, but also distinct from traditional clinical epidemiology. Big data technology has many areas of application in healthcare, such as predictive modeling and clinical decision support, disease or safety surveillance, public health, and research. Big data analytics frequently exploits analytic methods developed in data mining, including classification, clustering, and regression. Medical big data analyses are complicated by many technical issues, such as missing values, curse of dimensionality, and bias control, and share the inherent limitations of observation study, namely the inability to test causality resulting from residual confounding and reverse causation. Recently, propensity score analysis and instrumental variable analysis have been introduced to overcome these limitations, and they have accomplished a great deal. Many challenges, such as the absence of evidence of practical benefits of big data, methodological issues including legal and ethical issues, and clinical integration and utility issues, must be overcome to realize the promise of medical big data as the fuel of a continuous learning healthcare system that will improve patient outcome and reduce waste in areas including nephrology.