Tissue holder for experimental and Demonstration Surgery

Development of device for holding anatomical tissues during operations is discussed. Device consists of plastic dish with hemispherical recess in center to hold excised eyes. Low vacuum applied to underside of recess insures holding of part

Energy and Chemicals from Native Grasses: Production, Transportation and Processing Technologies Considered in the Northern Great Plains

Production of biomass from native prairie species offers the opportunity to produce energy and chemicals while providing substantial ecological services in the Northern Great Plains. This paper analyzes the application of rapid pyrolysis to produce bio-oil, which has the potential for use as a low-grade fuel oil or as a source for extraction of valuable chemicals. Yields of bio-oil, the quantities of extractable chemicals, and chemical prices drive the economics of this concept, which has a more extensive track record utilizing wood chips. A spreadsheet model was developed to determine gross margins available to defray costs to extract and refine such chemical products as hydroxyacetaldehyde, phenol, formic acid, acetic acid and various resins. Although efforts to hydrolyze anhydroglucose were successful, efforts to produce ethanol from the resulting six-carbon sugars were unsuccessful in a related trial. To understand the overall project economics, it was necessary to consider the availability and productivity of lands in the Northern Great Plains that can provide low cost native prairie grasses including Big Bluestem and Switchgrass. Production economics and transportation economics were analyzed to determine the costs of native prairie grasses delivered to a plant capable of pyrolyzing the biomass. Competing technologies that could also use native prairie grasses are considered as well as policy alternatives important for production of energy and chemicals from native prairie grasses.prairie grasses, pyrolysis, economics, chemicals, energy, bio-oil, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Wolbachia infections in native and introduced populations of fire ants (Solenopsis spp.)

Wolbachia are cytoplasmically inherited bacteria that induce a variety of effects with fitness consequences on host arthropods, including cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, male-killing and feminization. We report here the presence of Wolbachia in native South American populations of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta, but the apparent absence of the bacteria in introduced populations of this pest species in the USA. The Wolbachia strains in native S. invicta are of two divergent types (A and B), and the frequency of infection varies dramatically between geographical regions and social forms of this host. Survey data reveal that Wolbachia also are found in other native fire ant species within the Solenopsis saevissima species complex from South America, including S. richteri. This latter species also has been introduced in the USA, where it lacks Wolbachia. Sequence data reveal complete phylogenetic concordance between mtDNA haplotype in S. invicta and Wolbachia infection type (A or B). In addition, the mtDNA and associated group A Wolbachia strain in S. invicta are more closely related to the mtDNA and Wolbachia strain found in S. richteri than they are to the mtDNA and associated group B Wolbachia in S. invicta. These data are consistent with historical introgression of S. richteri cytoplasmic elements into S. invicta populations, resulting in enhanced infection and mtDNA polymorphisms in S. invicta. Wolbachia may have significant fitness effects on these hosts (either directly or by cytoplasmic incompatibility) and therefore these microbes potentially could be used in biological control programmes to suppress introduced fire ant populations

An Integrative Design Framework for New Service Development

Service innovation is focused on customer value creation. At its core, customer-centric service innovation in an increasingly digital world is technology-enabled, human-centered, and process-oriented. This requires a cross-disciplinary, holistic approach to new service design and development (NSD). This paper proposes a new service strategy-aligned integrative design framework for NSD. It correlates the underlying theories and principles of disparate but interrelated aspects of service design thinking: service strategy, concept, design, experience and architecture into a coherent framework for NSD, consistent with the service brand value. Application of the framework to NSD is envisioned to be iterative and holistic, accentuated on continuous organizational and customer learning. The preliminary framework's efficacy is illustrated using a simplified telecom case example. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014

Digital Drugs: an anatomy of new medicines

Medicines are digitalized as aspects of their regulation and use are embodied in or draw from interlinked computerized systems and databases. This paper considers how this development changes the delivery of health care, the pharma industry, and regulatory and professional structures, as it reconfigures the material character of drugs themselves. It draws on the concept of assemblage in presenting a theory-based analysis that explores digital drugs’ ontological status including how they embody benefit and value. The paper addresses three interconnected domains – that of use of drugs (practice), of research (epistemology) and of regulation (structures)

A mathematical model of a criminal-prone society

Criminals are common to all societies. To fight against them the community takes different security measures as, for example, to bring about a police. Thus, crime causes a depletion of the common wealth not only by criminal acts but also because the cost of hiring a police force. In this paper, we present a mathematical model of a criminal-prone self-protected society that is divided into socio-economical classes. We study the effect of a non-null crime rate on a free-of-criminals society which is taken as a reference system. As a consequence, we define a criminal-prone society as one whose free-of-criminals steady state is unstable under small perturbations of a certain socio-economical context. Finally, we compare two alternative strategies to control crime: (i) enhancing police efficiency, either by enlarging its size or by updating its technology, against (ii) either reducing criminal appealing or promoting social classes at ris

Video requirements plan for the HMT equipment removal system

This document is the plan defining the video coverage requirements for the equipment removal event of the Hydrogen Mitigation Test (HMT) mixer pump currently installed in high level nuclear waste storage Tank 241-SY-101. When the mixer pump fails the removal and installation of a spare pump will be a time critical event. Since the success of the HMT mixer pump has resolved the DOE safety issue it is absolutely essential that mixing be restored to the tank in a short as time possible. Therefore, the removal of the failed pump and the installation of the spare pump must be anticipated and planned well in advance. The removal, containment, transporting, and storage of the failed pump is a very complex and hazardous task. The successful completion of this task will require careful planning and monitoring. Certain events, during the removal and subsequent installation of the new pump, will require video observation and storage for safety, documenting, training, and promotional use. Furthermore, certain events will require close monitoring and observation by the event directors and key supervisory personnel for the execution of specific tasks during the equipment removal event

Drucker\u27s Insights on Market Orientation and Innovation: Implications for Emerging Areas in High-Technology Marketing

In 1954, Drucker boldly declared that organizations have only two basic functions, marketing and innovation. While true for any organization, this insight is particularly pertinent for technology-based businesses. The complicated environment surrounding high-tech companies creates a great need for sophisticated marketing, yet these companies continue to have under-developed competencies in marketing and in understanding customer needs. In its first two sections, this essay explores Drucker’s insights with respect to two particularly salient issues for high-tech companies: developing and implementing a market orientation, and sustained break-through innovations. We review Drucker’s insights and synthesize them with the scholarly research on these issues. In the third section, we discuss three emerging areas in high-tech marketing where academics and managers could build on Drucker’s insight to guide future research and practice: market-driving, customer co-creation, and corporate social responsibility. The illustrative examples provided by these emerging areas highlight that even today, Drucker’s writings continue to offer remarkable guidance to scholars and managers who are willing to take the time to reflect, understand, and incorporate these insights in the unique context of high-tech industries

Genetic analysis of colony and population structure of three introduced populations of the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in the continental United States

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, is a major invasive pest species in many parts of the world. We compared the colony breeding system and population genetic structure in three introduced populations in the continental United States: Charleston, SC; City Park, New Orleans, LA; and Rutherford County, NC. Based on worker genotypes at 12 microsatellite loci, we found that colonies were mainly genetically distinct entities consisting of either simple families headed by monogamous pairs of reproductives or extended families containing multiple neotenic (replacement) reproductives descended from simple families. Populations varied from 48% simple families in Charleston to 82% simple families in City Park. Extended family colonies in all three populations were likely headed by populations, suggesting that colonies reproduce by relatively long-range mating flights and/or human-mediated dispersal within each population. The Charleston population showed evidence of a recent genetic bottleneck and most likely was founded by very few colonies. Cluster analysis indicated that the Charleston and City Park populations are quite genetically distant from each other and most likely originated from different source populations. The more recently introduced Rutherford County population was genetically most similar to City Park. These findings, together with results from other infested sites, indicate considerable variation in the genetic structure and breeding system of introduced populations of this species, making it unlikely that there is a simple genetic or behavioral explanation for the success of C. formosanus as an invasive species. © 2006 Entomological Society of America