Technology Partnerships Research Articles

Differences among white adipose tissue depots in mice

Excess white adipose tissue (WAT) is widely associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In fact, intra‐abdominal fat is better correlated with insulin resistance than subcutaneous fat. However, the physiological impact of adipose depot location is not well understood. Our goal was to investigate cellular and molecular differences between WAT depots. Cell sizes and proteomic profiles from subcutaneous (inguinal) and intra‐abdominal (mesenteric, epididymal and retroperitoneal) fat pads from C57BL6/J mice were analyzed. Proteomes resolved by two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry showed significant differences in proteins involved in glycolysis, energy production, lipid transport, stress resistance, cytoskeleton structure, and others. Some of these proteins showed significant correlations to plasma insulin, leptin and/or adiponectin levels. Mean adipocyte cross‐sectional area was measured by digital image analysis of paraffin embedded tissue and was highest in epididymal and lowest in inguinal and mesenteric fat. Together, these results show marked differences among WAT depots, even within intra‐abdominal fat. This and further studies will help clarify the depot‐specific characteristics and their influence on insulin resistance in an effort to establish new diagnostic and/or therapeutic targets for T2D and CVD.Supported in part by the State of Ohio's Eminent Scholar Program that includes a gift from Milton and Lawrence Goll, by NIH Grants DK075436‐01, AG019899‐06, 1P01AG031736‐01A1, by the Diabetes Research Initiative and the BioMolecular Innovation and Technology Partnership at Ohio University, and by AMVETS.

Technology Partnerships for Challenging Environments

Guest editorial It is widely accepted today that for the remainder of Hydrocarbon Era, global energy stability will rely increasingly upon crude oil and natural gas recovered from giant offshore fields, many of which will be located far from major markets, in hostile environments such as ultradeepwater and the Arctic. Less understood is the fact that large-scale, multibillion-dollar developments are precisely where the principal technological and economic drivers to push beyond technological boundaries are the strongest and where stakeholder participation and partnering is most complex. The different agendas of the various partners and stakeholders in such developments often compound the challenges of technological complexity. For example, a national oil company typically is seeking to ensure long-term domestic political stability and to invigorate the national economy with development of natural resources. A top-tier international oil company is generally aiming to maintain global production, improve unit production costs, and maintain reserves, while, for most smaller operators, the drivers tend to be rapid and reliable realization of assets that feed dynamic balance sheets. In the case of technology providers—namely vendors, constructors, and fabricators—the drivers tend to be stretching applications of established technology, early capitalization of investment in new equipment/assets, maintaining competitiveness, and vying for market share. Against a backdrop of daunting technological challenges, operators, equity owners, and other stakeholders in demanding frontier developments frequently differ on such fundamental issues as contracting strategies; the timing of project milestones; or the program for technology selection, maturation, and implementation. Opinions are often divided, also, over how to balance the costs and risks of technology selection, or the extent of a given technological stepout. Such disagreements are compounded by the very different business drivers and risk appetites of project partners, stakeholders, and technology providers.

Regional convergence platforms in Europe—Innovation for space through technology partnerships

Upcoming European and national space exploration programs and projects require new capabilities and scientific-technological solutions, and therefore external contributions to innovation. On the other hand European core (industrial) regions are searching of partners for innovation to strengthen their regional economy. In this context the German-based company European Space Innovation AG (former Adam Alva Neil)—highly experienced in the area of convergence activities between space and other sectors—has developed the model of regional convergence platforms (named ‘SpaceInnovation’). These platforms are designed to foster technology partnerships between regional companies and institutes from ‘non-space’ and the space sector (agencies/industry). The article reflects this regional approach and shows examples in three different directions: • SpaceInnovation Saar, an benchmark convergence platform initiated by the Saarland region. • SpaceInnovation Europe, an European regions network approach. • European SpaceInnovation Agent, an interface approach for systematic and sustainable convergence activities.

The Library–Information Technology Partnership: Challenges and Solutions

ABSTRACT The Klarchek Information Commons is a collaboration between Loyola University Libraries and Information Technology Services (ITS). The Information Commons has been open almost 2 years and was in the planning stages for almost 2 years before its grand opening in January 2008. During that period the library and ITS have learned how to work together to successfully operate this new service hub on campus. In this article, the authors look at the challenges faced by the two groups and how they resolved problems and faced the challenges inherent in running a large, complex, service-oriented organization.

From innovation projects to knowledge networks: the sectoral organisation of innovation in the Brazilian ICT sector

This paper explores the structure of the project-based innovation networks promoted by tax incentives to innovation activities in the Brazilian ICT sector ('ICT Law'). It proposes a framework for characterising the decentralised governance of innovation projects in sectors, identifying: 1) the boundaries between firms and technological partners; 2) the specialisation of actors in types of activities; 3) the speed of change in the collaborations between firms and technological institutes. The empirical analysis is based on the data of more than 10,000 innovation projects conducted between 1997 and 2003. The results show a strong re-organisation of the innovation networks in the sector during the period, attributed mainly to a shift from investments in middleware to software-related innovation activities, the re-specialisation of the subsidiaries of multinational companies, and the emergence of private research institutes as central nodes inside the sectoral innovation system.

Technology transfer strategy: review of successful research centres in the USA and Taiwan

Transferring technology from government-funded research centres to technological partners can generate both opportunities and losses for research and development investment. Formulating an appropriate technology transfer strategy is a challenging task for the technology transfer offices. All the way through technology transfer process, technological collaborations can occur all the time. Therefore, it is difficult to define specific transfer strategy for each customised technology. This research paper intends to review the academic research in the areas of technology transfer strategy and build up the basic factors that a strategist in transferring technology should concern in planning transferring technology to their technology partners. In this paper, technology transfer strategies of leading government-funded research institutes in the USA and Taiwan are reviewed.

A Framework for Monitoring Relational Quality in B2B Technology Partnerships

The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for the monitoring of new technology introduction in a B2B environment. We focus on B2B environments, i.e. on projects where a new technological solution is implemented (and often jointly developed) with a client being either a company or an organization. In such a situation, where a supplier and its client agree to implement a new technology, both are exposed to a risk. The management of these risks can be handled through a couple of approaches: control or trust. The management literature has put a lot of attention on these two modes that play an important role because they drive the quality of the relationship between partners. We will explore their respective roles and build a methodology to monitor them along the life of a buyer-supplier relationship aiming at implementing new technology.

Knowing When to Merge: A Small IT Business in Korea Considers Its Options

This case study focuses on how a Korean software firm, CCMedia, executed a successful global strategy by merging with its technology partner to gain access to international markets. The case study also reviews the key challenges CCMedia faced after the merger. Intangible assets, such as IT technology, could allow CCMedia to earn overseas capital investment through the merger. With capital and human resources backup from IT Inspire Inc., its former technology partner, CCMedia could enter foreign markets. This case examines the transformation of a strategic technology alliance to a hierarchical structure as a result of a merger. It shows that technology-related alliances could play an important role in possible takeover activities. It provides insights into strategies that technology-based small businesses in Korea could follow to enter international markets.

Blind inclusion: new technology designed for the margins

Consumer electronics enter the consumer retail market as virtually old products. While new technologies emerge faster, smaller and lighter than its predecessors, there are many people around the globe who have never owned or accessed many of the electronic products so-called mainstream consumers take for granted. The people without access – the have-nots in the Digital Divide – are often ignored in conversations concerning physical and intellectual access to new technologies, and are largely explicitly ignored during the production and manufacturing process. Using a collaborative research method called swarm, I interrogate a myriad of new technology products, endeavors and partnerships at an ephemeral site to investigate what efforts computer developers and manufacturers are taking to address the needs of un/under-represented populations – racial and ethnic minorities, undereducated, poor and working-class people – persistently disregarded in a rapidly paced technophilic society.

Management of Multi Alliances for Innovation

Sona Koyo Steering Systems Limited (SKSSL) is one of the major automobile component manufacturing organizations in India. A decade ago, SKSSL realized that they could not totally depend upon their technology partners for orders but needed to expand independently within the global market. The company had to become a partner of choice for its technical partners as well as for its global corporate customers. It was facing constraints because of contractual obligations under which the organization could not supply auto components to its partners’ customers. Further constraints were imposed by the Research and Development (R&D) investments and establishments. This case is about how Dr Surinder Kapur, founder chairman of SKSSL, was able to strategically increase the company’s global customer base and take the organization on the path of innovation.

Working Together: A Literature Review of Campus Information Technology Partnerships

This article reviews the recent literature about the essential but often uneasy alliances made between content experts (archivists and librarians) and technology experts. Differing professional cultures, misunderstandings of one another, limited abilities to envision change, and lack of support from top-level administrators are the most often cited reasons for the persistent difficulty in working together. Failure to collaborate may result in the marginalization or exclusion of content experts from projects where their professional skills are most needed. In spite of these problems, successful models for working together do exist. True collaborations are mutually beneficial, open opportunities for continuing relationships, and involve complex interpersonal connections. They are based on trust, mutual understanding, and respect for one another's skills and respective professions.

DOE invites partners in green technology

“Entrepreneurs-in-residence” aim to spin off labs’ energy technologies.

Marketing automation systems integration: The art and engineering to make it all work seamlessly

The successful implementation of any complex information technology (IT) solution is challenging, but integrating a marketing automation solution into an organisation brings additional and unique considerations. The key decision points range from how to perform appropriate business process modelling and requirements analysis, through to the selection of customer data integration technology, software applications and implementation partners. There are aspects of both art and engineering required to make this integration appear seamless. The current economic downturn places additional pressures on marketing and IT budgets, but a successful implementation of marketing automation systems can simultaneously cut costs and drive additional revenue. This paper identifies success criteria for marketing automation systems integration, and presents the four key factors influencing the outcome of such integration projects.

Nighttime Visibility of Prototype Work Zone Markings under Dry, Wet-Recovery, and Rain Conditions

This paper presents the findings of a dynamic pavement marking visibility study conducted as part of the FHWA Highways for LIFE Technology Partnerships Program Temporary Wet-Weather Pavement Markings for Work Zones project. Three prototype optics-on-paint marking systems employing high refractive index dual-optics drop-on elements were evaluated at night under dry, wet-recovery (immediately after rainfall), and rain conditions. These three prototypes were chosen based on their durability from an initial pool of 22 experimental systems evaluated in a test deck. This dual-optic system was designed to provide good visibility in both dry and wet weather conditions. Two commercially available marking systems were also evaluated as industry benchmarks (one glass beads-on-paint system, one wet-reflective removable tape). Thirty participants driving through simulated work zones on a closed course viewed all of the marking types at night under all three weather conditions. Each driver's task was to identify the direction of work zone lane shift tapers delineated by the markings. In wet recovery, all three prototype marking systems and the wet-reflective tape sustained 60% to 80% of their dry average detection distances, and in rain, they sustained 50% to 70% of their dry average detection distances. In contrast, the average wet-recovery and rain detection distances for the conventional glass beads-on-paint benchmark system dropped to 28% and 17% of the dry detection distance, respectively. In addition, participants failed to detect the conventional glass beads-on-paint benchmark system in nearly half of the observations in the rain condition.

STRUCTURAL HOLES, TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES, AND INNOVATION: A STUDY OF AN INTERFIRM R&D NETWORK.

I examine how two partner attributes alter a firm's innovative performance stemming from access to structural holes in its network of R&D alliances. My results suggest that effects of access to structural holes are modified individually and jointly by (i) partners' technological resources and (ii) partners' access to structural holes.

Technology partnership between Assembléon and Valor

Technology partnership between Assembléon and Valor

Feasibility proof of a legged locomotion capsule for the GI tract

A colonoscopy and a gastroscopy are the most important screening measures for malignant diseases in the GI tract. One of the main limitations is the lack of patient adherence to come in for a flexible endoscopy, especially in asymptomatic conditions. The feasibility proof of a new generation of endoscopic capsules based on a novel propelling mechanism that features electromechanical legs. Teleoperated endoscopic 8-legged capsule. Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy, and novineon Healthcare Technology Partners GmbH, Tübingen, Germany. Successful locomotion in a lower-GI tract (LGI) phantom model and in a porcine colon. The testing session was organized into repetitive ex vivo trials and in vivo tests. The repetitive tests were performed for collecting reproducible data in various small series of individual experiments in standardized conditions, thus defining the best locomotion parameters. In vivo tests were performed in a porcine colon: the capsule, inserted transanally, traveled upward in the oral direction for 15 cm in about 5 minutes, against peristalsis. The current version of the capsule travels curves by bouncing back from the wall and following step by step the direction of the curved bowel. Steering mechanisms are not yet implemented. This study shows the systematic development and medical assessment of an imaging capsule with self-propelling abilities. A full colonic passage was successfully demonstrated in the ex vivo phantom model. A net movement in in vivo tests has been achieved, thus giving a feasibility proof of the legged locomotion as a possible solution to the problem of self-locomoting endoscopic devices in the LGI.

Metadata Standards and Applications

ABSTRACT Digital versions of the library are proliferating as information becomes ever more electronic. Traditional methods of library cataloging are inadequate to fully describe digital objects in this new dynamic environment. Thus, new standards of metadata are being devised to provide access for objects in digital libraries. These new standards extend beyond mere description; there is also a need to include other metadata functions that provide administrative, access, preservation, and structural information. This preconference provided an overview of newer metadata formats, as well as current trends in the field, and encouraged librarians to engage with their information technology partners to ensure optimal use and development of digital libraries.

Ocean Monitoring Collaborations Between Europe and China: DRAGONESS Project Kickoff Meeting; Beijing, China, 11–12 October 2007

A coordinated, concerted action between Europe and China in ocean monitoring kicked off with its first meeting, held in Beijing.The project, named DRAGONESS (DRAGON in support of harmonizing European and Chinese marine monitoring for Environment and Security System), is funded by the European Union's (EU) Framework Programme for 3 years. Researchers from the two continents will establish an inventory of Chinese and European capacities in marine monitoring for environment and security in the framework of challenges identified within international programs such as Global Ocean Observing System, Global Earth Observing System of Systems, and Global Monitoring for Environment and Security. In particular, the DRAGONESS aims to (1) assess existing Chinese and European information products and services arising from integrated use of remote‐sensing, in situ observations, models, and data assimilation methods; (2) identify monitoring gaps and barriers (e.g., restrictive data availability); and (3) stimulate exchange and initiation of a new European‐Chinese partnership in Earth observation science and technology in support of global environmental monitoring.

NO SUGARCOATING FOR INSULIN FAILURES

IT’S HARD TO FATHOM how a company that sells $60 billion worth of pharmaceuticals per year could misjudge a target market as badly as Pfizer did when it launched Exubera, its inhaled insulin product. To be fair, Pfizer stands out largely for being the first to market inhaled insulin and the first to call it quits. Eli Lilly & Co. and Novo Nordisk spent a decade on R&D as well, but they pulled the plug on their products during late-stage clinical trials. Also involved were smaller technology partners that helped develop drug delivery devices. Only Valencia, Calif.-based MannKind retains any major commitment to inhaled insulin. Intuitively, inhaled insulin makes sense. The market is enormous—an estimated 230 million people worldwide have diabetes, and those being treated used $24 billion worth of antidiabetic drugs in 2007, according to the market analysis firm IMS Health. More than a third of those products are various forms of insulin, ...