Arrival Of New Technology Research Articles

New Opportunities

The arrival of new technology, in one case a Rollomatic at UK tool grinding firm Marlor and in another an enhancement to ANCA’s EDGe-related software, is, or will, deliver capability to that promises to enhance their users’ cutting tool manufacturing capabilities

Corneal topography and tomography

Devices that evaluate corneal properties are an indispensible tool in a eye clinic nowadays. With the arrival of new technology in addition to placido based devices, the options available now are many. Cornea based refractive surgery in Indian eyes poses a challenge due to relatively thinner corneas. This is also compounded by lack of well defined, rigid and universal criteria for case selection for the same. In this article we attempt to look at the most common methods of corneal assessment in relation to the selection of candidates for corneal refractive surgery with a review of relevant literature. This is not meant to be exhaustive, but a primer to ease the clinician into understanding and taking up to learn and practice corneal evaluation.

Emerging therapies for gait disability and balance impairment: Promises and pitfalls

Therapeutic management of gait and balance impairment during aging and neurodegeneration has long been a neglected topic. This has changed considerably during recent years, for several reasons: (1) an increasing recognition that gait and balance deficits are among the most relevant determinants of an impaired quality of life and increased mortality for affected individuals; (2) the arrival of new technology, which has allowed for new insights into the anatomy and functional (dis)integrity of gait and balance circuits; and (3) based in part on these improved insights, the development of new, more specific treatment strategies in the field of pharmacotherapy, deep brain surgery, and physiotherapy. The initial experience with these emerging treatments is encouraging, although much work remains to be done. The objective of this narrative review is to discuss several promising developments in the field of gait and balance treatment. We also address several pitfalls that can potentially hinder a fast and efficient continuation of this vital progress. Important issues that should be considered in future research include a clear differentiation between gait and balance as two distinctive targets for treatment and recognition of compensatory mechanisms as a separate target for therapeutic intervention.

VENTURE CAPITAL AND INNOVATION: WHICH IS FIRST?

AbstractPolicy‐makers typically interpret positive relations between venture capital (VC) investments and innovations as evidence that VC investments stimulate innovation (VC‐first hypothesis). This interpretation is, however, one‐sided because there may be a reverse causality that innovations induce VC investments (innovation‐first hypothesis): an arrival of new technology increases demand for VC. We analyze this causality issue of VC and innovation in the US manufacturing industry using both total factor productivity growth and patent counts as measures of innovation. We find that, consistent with the innovation‐first hypothesis, total factor productivity growth is often positively and significantly related with future VC investment. We find little evidence that supports the VC‐first hypothesis.

An overview of how to manage patients with heart failure

Sue Simpson provides an overview of the key aspects of care and management of patients with heart failure. She describes the symptoms of heart failure and their classification, which despite the arrival of new technology, have been used for over five decades. The main focus of article, however, is the explanation of the different pharmacological treatment methods of heart failure.

Venture Capital and Innovation: Which is First?

Policy makers typically interpret positive relations between venture capital investments and innovations as an evidence that venture capital investments stimulate innovation (VC-first hypothesis). This interpretation is, however, one-sided because there may be a reverse causality that innovations induce venture capital investments (innovation-first hypothesis): an arrival of new technology increases demands for venture capital by driving new firm startups. We analyze this causality issue of venture capital investments and innovation in the US manufacturing industry using both total factor productivity (TFP) growth and patent counts as measures of innovation. Using a panel AR regression as well as industry-by-industry AR regressions, we find that TFP growth is often positively and significantly related with future VC investment, which is consistent with the innovation-first hypothesis. We find little evidence that supports the VC-first hypothesis. More surprisingly, one-year lagged VC investments are often negatively and significantly related with both TFP growth and patent counts.

Do Technology Shocks Lead to Productivity Slowdowns? Evidence from Patent Data

This paper provides empirical evidence on the response of labor productivity to the arrival of new inventions. The benchmark measure of technological progress is given by data on patent applications in the U.S. over the period 1889-2002. The analysis shows that labor productivity may temporarily fall below trend after technological progress. However, the effects on productivity differ between the pre- and post-World War II periods. The pre-war period shows evidence of a productivity slowdown as a result of the arrival of new technology, whereas the post-World War II period does not. Positive effects of technology shocks tend to show up sooner in the productivity data in the later period.

Do Technology Shocks Lead to Productivity Slowdowns? Evidence from Patent Data

This paper provides empirical evidence on the response of labor productivity to the arrival of new inventions. The benchmark measure of technological progress is given by data on patent applications in the U.S. over the period 1889-2002. The analysis shows that labor productivity may temporarily fall below trend after technological progress. However, the effects on productivity differ between the pre and post-World War II periods. The pre-war period shows evidence of a productivity slowdown as a result of the arrival of new technology, whereas the post-World War II period does not. Positive effects of technology shocks tend to show up sooner in the productivity data in the later period.

The death of Smithfield Market: Urbanization and the meat markets of 19th-century London

Although farmers’ markets are making a comeback today, they are nothing like the public food markets of the 19th century, particularly if you are looking for fresh meat. The history of fresh meat markets offers insights into society's relationship to meat, their cities, and to the animals that produce their food. Urban markets, such as the Smithfield Live Cattle Market in central London, became the focus of modernization during the 19th century. In 1852, Parliament passed the Smithfield Market Removal Act to abolish the Smithfield Market, London's historic live cattle market. The removal of the market from the city center was a metaphor for the rupture of modern British society with the old order of pre-industrial Britain. According to George Dodd, who wrote The Food of London in 1856, Smithfield represented a “continued manifestation of prejudiced adherence to an old system,” a “continued display of the meat-buying powers of the London Public,” and a “perennial declaration of the wonderful improvements gradually introduced in the size, quality, and condition of grazing-stock,” a testament to the industrialization and modernization of London. British economic statistics, the arrival of new technology, public discourse, and social reform movements point to a more complicated assessment Smithfield. The interplay between multiple interests includes those of Smithfield's managers, the consumers, butchers, Parliament, and social reformers. Meat would reappear in the city center, but this time as a frozen commodity, separated from live animals and their slaughter. What impact did this have upon the urban food landscape? How did the farmers respond? Perhaps a consideration of the Smithfield Live Cattle Market will shed light on similar market changes in other modern cities during the 19th century.

Pharmacogenetics: antidepressant drug response

An individual taking an antidepressant may respond favourably to it, not at all and/or develop significant side effects. The reasons for this individual variation are numerous, but certainly include genetic causes. The study of these genetic variations and their impact on drug response is known as pharmacogenetics, a rapidly expanding field of research. Amongst others, pharmacogenetic findings include an association between the l allele of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and a better response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and the ability to predict metabolizer status with a high degree of accuracy by genotyping for CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 polymorphisms. In addition, recent discoveries involving genes that regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis such as FKBP5 are also mentioned. With the arrival of new technology in the form of microarrays, studies are no longer limited to a handful of ‘candidate genes’ to investigate, but rather the whole genome is now accessible for further examination. Methodological issues are also mentioned, particularly in relation to some findings that are at present unreplicated. The ultimate goal of pharmacogenetics is individualized drug treatment to maximize the chances of a therapeutic response and to minimize the chances of adverse events. If this is to become a reality, well replicated results from the clinical laboratory will need to be transferred to the patient bedside.

Environmental policy incentives to adopt advanced abatement technology:: Will the true ranking please stand up?

We investigate incentives through environmental policy instruments to adopt advanced abatement technology. First, we study the case where the regulator makes long-term commitments to policy levels and does not anticipate arrival of new technology. We show that taxes provide stronger incentives than permits, auctioned and free permits offer identical incentives, and standards may give stronger incentives than permits. Second, we investigate scenarios where the regulator anticipates new technologies. We show that with taxes and permits the regulator can induce first-best outcomes if he moves after firms have invested, whereas this does not always hold if he moves first.

Voluntary Agreements and the Incentives for Innovation

Various parties have expressed serious concerns regarding the effect of environmental taxes on innovation. The argument is that innovation and investment in emission-abatement technology frequently require capital for investment. Pollution taxes siphon working capital from firms, and new investment becomes more difficult and/or more costly if it is necessary to borrow the capital from banks. In recent years, voluntary agreements have gained increased popularity and have become a central instrument in several countries' environmental policies, the Netherlands perhaps being the most notable example. A core rationale behind voluntary agreements is that they permit collective targets to be set for the entire sector, allowing for a different pace of realization of energy-efficiency improvements among the various individual companies within a sector. This provides the flexibility for firms to set their own goals in a cost-effective manner and to use their own resources to innovate and effect changes in the manner which suits them best. It has been claimed that voluntary agreements provide an improved climate for innovation. How voluntary agreements rate with regard to innovation incentives relative to environmental taxes depends on several factors, in particular the specific design of the agreement and whether the agreements are renegotiated after the market penetration of new technology. The author claims that, whatever advantages voluntary agreements have over the traditional regulatory approach, which makes mandatory particular forms of behavior or specific technological approaches, it is difficult to see that agreements would provide better incentives for innovation. Incentives for innovation may be particularly poor if the regulator requests renegotiation of the agreement with the arrival of new technology that substantially changes marginal conditions. It is proposed that if the authorities for various reasons nevertheless choose to use voluntary agreements as instruments, the agreements should be designed to be incentive-based.

Tomorrow's surgery: Micromotors and microrobots for minimally invasive procedures

SummarySurgical procedures have changed radically over the last few years due to the arrival of new technology. What will technology bring us in the future? This paper examines a few of the forces whose timing is causing new ideas to congeal from the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, micro-machining and smart materials. Intelligence systems for autonomous mobile robots can now enable simple, insect level, behaviors in small amounts of silicon. These software break-throughs, coupled with new techniques for micro-fabrication of miniature sensors and actuators from both silicon and ferroelectric families of materials, offer glimpses of the future where robots will be small, cheap and, potentially, very useful to surgeons. In this paper we relate our recent work with small mobile robots and in fabricating piezoelectric micromotors, in an effort to develop actuator technologies where brawn matches the scale of the brain. We discuss our experiments with thin film piezoelectric ultrasonic motors 2 mm in diameter and larger versions, machined from bulk ceramic, 8 mm in diameter. We also sketch possible applications in the surgical field and discuss larger-scale prototypes for intestine crawlers.