Interest In New Technologies Research Articles

Saturación tisular de oxígeno en el paciente crítico

Hemodynamic resuscitation seeks to correct global macrocirculatory parameters of pressure and flow. However, current evidence has shown that despite the normalization of these global parameters, microcirculatory and regional perfusion alterations can persist, and these alterations have been independently associated with a poorer patient prognosis. This in turn has lead to growing interest in new technologies for exploring regional circulation and microcirculation. Near infra-red spectroscopy allows us to monitor tissue oxygen saturation, and has been proposed as a noninvasive, continuous and easy-to-obtain measure of regional circulation. The present review aims to summarize the existing evidence on near infra-red spectroscopy and its potential clinical role in the resuscitation of critically ill patients in shock.

Technology: Education and Training Needs of Older Adults

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. However, age, education, technical knowledge, and technological anxiety affect interest in new technologies, creating a technology divide. Providing more accessible and relevant technologies for today's older adults may make the technology more universally accessible. This article reports the results of a survey on technology and education among a sample of 77 adults between the ages of 52 and 92 who attended a week-long lifelong-learning event at Indiana University. Familiarity with technology, age, education, and gender were found to be correlated with familiarity with new technologies as well as operating and shopping for new electronic devices.

Connecting plug-in vehicles with green electricity through consumer demand

The environmental benefits of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) increase if the vehicles are powered by electricity from ‘green’ sources such as solar, wind or small-scale hydroelectricity. Here, we explore the potential to build a market that pairs consumer purchases of PEVs with purchases of green electricity. We implement a web-based survey with three US samples defined by vehicle purchases: conventional new vehicle buyers (n = 1064), hybrid vehicle buyers (n = 364) and PEV buyers (n = 74). Respondents state their interest in a PEV as their next vehicle, in purchasing green electricity in one of three ways, i.e., monthly subscription, two-year lease or solar panel purchase, and in combining the two products. Although we find that a link between PEVs and green electricity is not presently strong in the consciousness of most consumers, the combination is attractive to some consumers when presented. Across all three respondent segments, pairing a PEV with a green electricity program increased interest in PEVs—with a 23% demand increase among buyers of conventional vehicles. Overall, about one-third of respondents presently value the combination of a PEV with green electricity; the proportion is much higher among previous HEV and PEV buyers. Respondents’ reported motives for interest in both products and their combination include financial savings (particularly among conventional buyers), concerns about air pollution and the environment, and interest in new technology (particularly among PEV buyers). The results provide guidance regarding policy and marketing strategies to advance PEVs and green electricity demand.

Preliminary determination of the suitability of slags resulting from coal gasification as a pozzolanic raw material / Wstępne Określenie Przydatności Żużli Ze Zgazowania Węgla Jako Surowca Pucolanowego

Streszczenie Wymagania dotyczące ochrony środowiska, takie jak: ograniczenie emisji CO2, NOx i SO2 spowodowały coraz większe zainteresowanie nowymi technologiami energetycznego wykorzystania węgla. Jednąz testowanych i promowanych obecnie technologii jest zgazowanie węgla. Jednak, jak każda technologia produkcji energii wykorzystująca węgiel, powoduje ona powstawanie odpadów: popiołów lotnych i żużli. Ze względu na niewielką ilość instalacji zgazowania węgla funkcjonujących obecnie w świecie, odpady te sąwniewielkim stopniupoznane, dlatego też przed podjęciem decyzji o wprowadzaniu technologii zgazowania węgla, powinno się opracować technologię utylizacji powstających w niej odpadów. Najlepszym rozwiązaniem będzie oczywiście opraco­wanie kierunku ich gospodarczego wykorzystania. Jedną z możliwości rozpatrywanych dla gospodarczego wykorzystania żużli ze zgazowania jest zastosowanie ich jako składnika spoiw mineralnych o charakterze pucolanowym. W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań aktywności pucolanowej dwóch żużli: żużla ze zgazowania węgla z instalacji energetycznego zgazowania oraz podziemnego zgazowania. Ze względu na skład chemiczny żużel MI można zaklasyfikować jako żużel zasadowy o składzie chemicznym zbliżonym do krzemionkowego po­piołu lotnego ze spalania węgla kamiennego. Z kolei żużel BA, z powodu czteroktrotnie wyższej zawartości tlenku wapnia, należy do grupy żużli słabozasadowych. Podstawowym i jedynym składnikiem mineralnym żużla MI jest faza szklista. W żużlu BA, obok fazy szklistej, tworzą się również fazy krystaliczne, a mianowicie: mullit 3 AI2O3 · 2 SiO2, kwarc p-SiO2-, anortyt Ca(Al2Si2O8), gehlenit Ca2Al[(Si,Al)2O7], wollastonit Ca3[Si3O9], 2CaO · SiO2 i 4 CaO • Al2O3 • Fe2O3. W wyniku badań stwierdzono, że żużel BA wykazuje większe wartości wskaźnika aktywności pucolanowej (75,1% po 90 dniach) od żużla MI (69,9% po 90 dniach). Niestety, wstępne badania pozwalają stwierdzić, że żużle te charakteryzują się zbyt niską aktywnością pucolanową i nie mogą być traktowane jako materiał pucolanowy w technologii produkcji cementu i betonu.

Evolving perspectives on biofuels in the United States

Biofuels represent an important source of renewable energy and may play a crucial role in developing sustainable energy strategies for many countries and the world as a whole. The pros and cons of biofuels, however, have been debated both scientifically and politically. They remain a topic of controversy. In this paper, the evolvement of the perspectives and policies on biofuels in the United States in the past several decades was reviewed. Four different periods, that is, the period prior to 1978 (marked by the passage of the Energy Act in 1978); 1978–1989 (ending with the passage of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990); 1990–2004 (ending with the passage of the energy act of 2005); and 2005 to the present, which were characterized by defining events of major policy importance were identified. Each time period was assessed using the Ostrom institutional analysis and development (IAD) framework to show the impact of the evolving interests and influences of global players on policy choices related to biofuels in the United States. The US has a long history of supporting corn-based ethanol and more recently advanced biofuels. Changes in perspectives on biofuels from largely unrelated groups led to changes in policy and market dynamics. Until the late 1990s, most perspectives and policies tended to be aligned and significantly supportive of corn-based ethanol in the United States. In the early 2000s, it became clear that the complications associated with first generation biofuels and corn-based ethanol in particular, were too numerous and too severe to overlook. The need for better options has spurred interest in new technologies and more environmentally benign feedstocks, but, there is little prospect for biofuels playing a significant role in the near term without greater alignment among key players.

Evaluation of different types of dynamic speed display signs

There is considerable interest in new technology that has the potential for reducing speed and thus improving traffic safety. This paper investigates the effectiveness of three different types of dynamic speed display sign (DSDS) for reducing speed: (i) a standard DSDS with numeric values corresponding to the driver’s actual speed; (ii) a standard DSDS with numeric values corresponding to the driver’s actual speed which are highlighted in red or green depending on whether the car driver complied with or exceeded the local speed limit; and (iii) a verbal coloured DSDS where the word THANK YOU appears in green letters when the car driver kept the speed limit and the word SLOW in red letters when the driver exceeded the speed limit. The different signs were installed one after the other at the same test site in a residential area in Berlin (Germany). Speed was measured with a radar device continuously 1 month before the installation, 2–3 months during operation, and 1–6 months after dismounting. All DSDS reduce average speed, 85th percentage speed, and the percentage of vehicles exceeding the speed limit. After dismounting speed levels returned to its baseline for all three DSDS. The verbal coloured DSDS reduces speed most followed by the numeric coloured DSDS and the numeric DSDS. The verbal coloured DSDS also exhibits no habituation effects in contrast to both numeric DSDS. Speed distribution analysis revealed that the verbal coloured DSDS influence speed from the first speed interval above the posted speed limit whereas both numeric DSDS influence speed only from the second speed interval onwards. The differences between the DSDS are explained with different priming mechanism initiated by traffic signs.

Polyamide 4T: A New Lead-Free Solderable Polymer Enabling Packaging Technology Through Micro Molding and LDS

The continuous trend towards convergence and miniaturization is recently generating significant interest in new technologies for Electronics. This requires the integration of Semiconductors and Magnetics, two entirely different industries with different players in the value chain. In this paper, we demonstrate, a packaging technology which allows three dimensional stacking of Magnets and Semiconductors. We realized the integration of a Semiconductor chip - which provides protection against electro static discharge (ESD) – and a common mode filter (CMF) into one thermoplastic package. For the first time ever, this filter is integrated directly into the thermoplastic part which is used as the substrate, filter and housing at the same time. Laser direct structuring in combination with Stanyl® ForTiiTM as an ultra high performance, entirely halogen-free high temperature thermoplastic omits any wires for the realized coil, and also facilitates high flexibility in design and manufacturing, allowing ultra small footprints and the realization of components suitable for surface mount technology. As an example of this new technology, we demonstrate a component which can provide full ESD protection and common mode filtering for a high speed USB2.0 interface.

Impact of Conventional and Sustainable Soil Tillage and Sowing Technologies on Physical-Mechanical Soil Properties

Application of sustainable tillage and sowing technologies are rapidly increasing all over the world stimulating an interest in new technologies and their possibilities to reduce an impact of agricultural machinery on natural processes in Lithuania. This work aims to investigate the impact of different soil tillage and sowing technologies on physical-mechanical soil properties. Research was carried out in the periods of 2000-2002 and 2005-2007 in three Lithuanian districts with different soil properties: Kaunas, Marijampolė and Pasvalys. The interest was concentrated on the impact of conventional and sustainable soil tillage and sowing technologies on soil hardness, soil moisture and distribution of clods in the upper soil layers. The experimental studies have established that irrespective of soil heaviness, soil hardness in non-ploughed soils is greater than that after conventional ploughing. The increasing soil hardness changes the conditions for seed insertion into soil. Research results show that under Lithuanian conditions reduction in soil tillage intensity can save a considerably higher amount of soil moisture, which enables the improvement of seed germination. Analysis of clods distribution in the upper soil layers (< 15 mm) shows that the quantity of fine (< 2 mm) clods in non-ploughed soil is lower than that in the ploughed one which reduces the crust formation on the soil surface and the possible consequences of soil erosion.

Cortical and trabecular architecture are altered in postmenopausal women with fractures

On the one-year anniversary of Professor Pierre Delmas’ death, we wish to reflect on his impact on us personally and on the field of osteoporosis research. In the past year, we have had time to think of how extremely fortunate we were to have had the opportunity to work for many years with Prof. Delmas. Elisabeth Sornay-Rendu has served as the primary clinical investigator of the OFELY study since its inception, development and implementation 18 years ago; Francoise Munoz has served as the research unit statistician since 2000; Stephanie Boutroy joined the unit in 2004 as an engineer, and completed her PhD on the in vivo assessment of bone microarchitecture in 2008; and Mary Bouxsein joined the unit as a biomechanics consultant and collaborator in 2003. Pierre’s vision to establish the OFELY cohort and more recently the STRAMBO cohort has allowed the investigation of a number of key issues in skeletal health, including the roles of BMD, bone loss and bone turnover in skeletal fragility. He recognized that there was more to bone fragility than BMD, even renaming his research unit “Qualite Osseuse dans L’osteoporose” or “Bone Quality in Osteoporosis”. His keen interest in new technology led us to explore in vivo assessment of bone microarchitecture, as detailed in the accompanying review. The OFELY cohort has contributed more than 50 publications that have advanced our knowledge of the pathophysiology of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Pierre’s commitment and energy have allowed us to continue studying and enrolling subjects in the OFELY cohort, and we expect to continue using this cohort to ask pertinent and important questions. Pierre’s dynamism, inquisitive mind and scientific rigor defined how he led his research group. He demanded excellent, rigorous research without compromise. While he is not here to discuss data or inquire, with a twinkle in his eye, about the progress on the next manuscript, he continues to influence our work by inspiring us to conduct our research with passion, purpose and rigor. His spirit endures in our hearts and in the excellent research we aim to achieve.

Diabetes technology—now and in the future

Without technology (defined here as drugs and devices) for diabetes management, we would not remotely be where we are today in reducing the terrible burden of this disease. Although for decades effective technology has been available to manage diabetes, the pace with which new technology has been introduced has accelerated greatly in recent years, and we now have a wide panoply of drugs and devices. Moreover, interest in new technology for diabetes is not diminishing, because the well from which it springs is stoked by the fact that more people in the world will probably develop diabetes in greater numbers than ever before, which, coupled with the chronic nature of the disease, means that useful technology for this disease is a high-growth industry.

Active Control of Landing Gear Shock Absorber Characteristic Using Magnetoreological Fluids

Smart materials are being used in much larger scale in mechanical solutions. Aviation usage of these materials seems to be natural because of interest in new technologies use in this industry. In this article authors discuss characteristics of magnetoreological fluids as a smart materials, examples of its industrial usage, requirements on landing gear characteristics, design and lab tests of model shock absorber in which MRF was used as damping fluid.

Interactive Forecasting Tool for Impact of New Engine Technologies on Fuel Consumption and Emissions

Recent gasoline price spikes have heightened interest in new technologies to improve vehicle fuel economy. Indeed, policies in the United States and abroad often target new vehicles as a means to improve fuel economy and reduce passenger vehicle emissions. Although fuel economy and emissions performance of new vehicles are easily compared on an individual basis to the extant vehicle stock, information about long-term aggregate effects is much more difficult to obtain. This project addresses this limitation with the development of an interactive tool that allows users to investigate how scenarios of the penetration of new vehicle technologies would affect future fleet fuel consumption and vehicle emissions (CO, HC, NOx, PM, CO2). The attractiveness of this approach is in the transparency of the assumptions, the ease with which input variables can be manipulated, and the incorporation of uncertainty. Users can vary a number of parameter inputs (e.g., growth of the passenger vehicle fleet, the rates of technological diffusion, and future emissions and fuel economy of these technologies) and generate instantaneous forecasts of pollution and fuel consumption compared with 2005 levels, as well as a baseline technology scenario, for the period 2005 to 2020. Currently, the tool runs as an Excel spreadsheet application with 15 variable inputs and output for four criteria pollutants, CO2, and future fuel consumption. This paper describes the motivation for the model, explains its development as a spreadsheet application, and demonstrates its utility with a number of examples. Future work will improve the sophistication of certain default assumptions and upgrade the software from a spreadsheet application to an interactive website.

Dynamic Model of a Pressurized SOFC/Gas Turbine Hybrid Power Plant for the Development of Control Concepts

Abstract In a situation where fossil energy resources globally run short and the greenhouse effect increases, the interest in new technologies of energy conversion to reduce the demand of primary energy and emission of pollutants grows. The use of high temperature fuel cells like solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), especially in combination with gas turbines (GTs), promises remarkable room for improvement in the areas mentioned, compared to other state-of-the-art technologies. But design and handling of such complex plants require efficient control strategies to promote safe and reliable operation. The development of powerful control algorithms is based on an exact knowledge of the operating behavior, which can be obtained using dynamic system models. In this paper a nonlinear model with bulk parameters and 19 dynamic states is presented; the main assumptions and the underlying equations are given. The simulated system consists of a compressor, a SOFC, a turbine, a recuperator, an ejector with a diffusor, a reformer, and a load. Additionally, from the nonlinear model a linear one in state-space representation is derived at nominal conditions. The results of both models are compared. The agreement of the dynamic behavior and of steady state final values is satisfactory. Thus in future studies, methods of linear control theory could be used with the linear model to develop efficient control strategies.

Exploring Attitudes Toward Older Workers Among Australian Employers

Research suggests that negative stereotyping is at the heart of age discrimination in not hiring older workers. As the aging of the population creates pressures to maintain older adults in the work force, it is important to gain knowledge of such stereotyping. A random sample of 128 hiring decision-makers across Australian industries responded to a questionnaire that was specifically developed to assess attitudes toward older workers. Results showed systematic negative stereotyping: Respondents indicated that they were unlikely to hire older workers. The likelihood of hiring significantly correlated with employers' attitudes. Specific attributes for which older workers were seen as inferior compared to younger workers included trainability, adaptability, creativity, and interest in new technology. The findings could inform policymakers and be utilized to develop interventions aimed to reduce hiring discrimination.

DIGITAL REPOSITORIES: ALL HYPE AND NO SUBSTANCE?

The development of digital repositories has been a recent one, starting in late 2000 when the UK's University of Southampton released a software package called E-Prints. Since that time, the establishment of digital repositories has gained momentum. Factors such as the falling costs for online storage, the increase of broadband and gigabit networking technologies, as well as the development of metadata standards to describe repository content, have all contributed to their current popularity. Questions to be asked are: to what extent are digital repositories, as a method for communicating scientific and scholarly information, accepted or are they just hype?; how mature are institutional repositories as a technology?; and, to what extent are institutional repositories used by faculty and researchers? The Gartner hype curve is a tool introduced by the Gartner Group in the 1990s to explain general phenomena of interest in new technologies. This framework plots the typical progression of a technology from its early introduction through its maturation to broad market acceptance. The first question is answered by an investigation into the status of digital repositories in the context of the Gartner hype curve. The second question is answered by plotting institutional repositories on the product life cycle (Sigmoid curve) and the third question is answered by applying the diffusion of innovation theory to institutional repositories.

Quels moyens de formation en chirurgie ? À propos d’une enquête aux hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg auprès des internes en chirurgie

Objective. – Numerous tools for surgical educations are available. The objective of the study is to know how future surgeons do feel about these differents possibilities to learn and what do they think about the place of e-learning, or virtual universities and on-line training and learning in their formation. Methods. – A questionnaire has been sent to each surgical student of Strasbourg University. Learning and training methods were evaluated: observation, felloship, Internet, reading videos, reading books or scientific journals, discovery of pathology by oneself or performing surgical procedures by oneself, sharing meetings, playing pedagogic games. Results. – Fellowship is voted by plebiscite, as using Internet which grows the usual book contents thanks to interactivity, videos, quickenings and actuality of the inquiries. The difficulties to approach this tool is emphasized : the cost, availability, time consuming, lack of any tutor, ability with a computer. Dissection of corpses or live animals is wished by the majority of young surgeons. Using simulators or robots remains something for the future and must be evaluated. Conclusion. – Fellowship is voted by plebiscite for learning surgery. The interest for new technologies of communication is more out of curiosity than necessity.

Robert Noyce and Fairchild Semiconductor, 1957–1968

Robert Noyce's career at Fairchild Semiconductor sheds light on several developments that were central to the growth of Silicon Valley and the semiconductor industry: entrepreneurship, technical leadership, and the management of growth in a high-technology company. Noyce served as Fairchild Semiconductors first head of R&amp;D and as its general manager for the six years of the company's most dramatic growth. His technical orientation, personal interest in new technologies, and hands-off management style helped establish a culture at the firm that welcomed innovations in research, process technology, manufacturing, and marketing. As Fairchild Semiconductor grew into a multidivisional mass producer, Noyce's entrepreneurial leadership proved inadequate. Communication breakdowns between divisions, coupled with a series of poor decisions by the parent company, further contributed to the decline of Fairchild Semiconductor.

The evolution of IS-136 TDMA for third-generation wireless services

A number of factors have motivated most spectrum owners to make plans to deploy upbanded second-generation cellular technologies for use in the PCS bands in the United States. However, the second-generation cellular technologies will need to be enhanced to provide third-generation services. There is interest in using the PCS and cellular spectra to broaden the market of users and the range of use of wireless beyond where it stands today, and beyond the primary applications that drove the development of the technologies being deployed. There is also interest in new technologies to improve the performance of cellular and PCS services, reduce the cost, and improve availability. This article considers evolutionary changes to IS-136 TDMA to enable it to provide a variety of PCS concepts. These evolutionary changes are presented in the form of options that would (1) provide high-quality voice service for indoor and pedestrian systems such as cellular office systems and personal base stations; (2) support enhanced-bit-rate packet wireless data access to the Internet as well as circuit data access; (3) provide smart antenna technology to improve coverage, quality, and capacity; (4) automatically assign frequencies for operation and provide for dynamic channel reconfiguration; (5) support microcellular arrangements to provide low-cost and high-capacity service in dense areas; and (6) support a future high-speed packet data access mode through a wideband system that is complementary to IS-136 TDMA and supports single-terminal operation.

Computers Enhancing the Lives of Older People

A survey of 312 older people was conducted to ascertain the extent to which they use modern devices, and their attitudes towards modern technology. Although respondents expressed interest in new technology and confidence in learning to use modern devices, few owned or used a computer. Based on these findings, the “Seniors‐On‐Line” program was established with the aim of providing older people with the opportunity to enhance their lives through the use of computers. Participants were aged from 55 to 89. Teaching methods address the particular learning needs of this age group: egalitarian leadership, encouragement of questions, classes consisting of same age students, and freedom to work at one's own pace. Of a total of 369 participants, 98% have completed the course.

Energy efficiency: A hard sell

Two decades ago, when the US was mired in an energy crisis that had Americans turning down their thermostats and waiting in long lines for gasoline, energy conservation was a way of life for many utility customers. Back then, energy efficiency in itself would have been sufficient to pique consumer interest in new technologies. Not anymore. After the Arab nations lifted their ban on oil exports to the US, the cost of oil plummeted, and Americans turned their thermostats back up and filled their gas tanks to the brim. Energy efficiency took a back seat to more immediate concerns like comfort and convenience. This article examines EPRI research on common barriers that can hinder adoption of energy-efficient technologies and suggests actions that utilities can take to overcome them.