Introducing systems engineering to industrial design engineering students with hands-on experience

The article presents an innovative educational project to introduce systems engineering to third year students in industrial design engineering at the University of Twente. In a short period the students are confronted with new technology, namely sensors and actuators. They have to apply this technology in a complex situation, the design of a home climate system or an intelligent automobile. They work in large groups without tutor. In parallel a basic course on systems engineering is given to provide the students with tools for handling this situation. The aim is that students are forced to apply the systems engineering tools in a concrete situation, thus directly experiencing the benefits. The project is implemented and the article describes the context, the goals, the setup, and the experiences of both teachers and students. The article concludes with an evaluation of the first and second year it has been executed

Respuesta fotoperiódica de tres cultivares de lino (Linum usitatissimum L.)

p.265-270Se realizó el estudio de la respuesta fotoperiòdica de tres cultivares de lino oleaginoso (Areco INTA, Salto INTA y Rojas INTA) mediante el análisis de los resultados obtenidos de fechas de siembra continuadas a campo por un período de dos años y medio. La respuesta encontrada puede ser descripta mediante una función de tipo lineal para fechas no muy lejanas a las tradicionalmente utilizadas en la zona linera argentina. Fuera de ese período el efecto de la falta de vernalización modifica la respuesta de modo tal que se aleja de la función lineal. Con fotoperíodos menores a 12,2 horas(hs.). Los tratamientos vernalizados no mostraron sensibilidad fotoperiòdica. Para la gama de fotoperíodos que se dan en la región pampeana las plantas no llegarían a estar sometidas valores correspondientes al fotoperiodo óptimo

Do new ways of working increase informal learning at work?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a first investigation of how new ways of working (NWW) and their various facets relate to employee informal learning at work, while accounting for a range of known antecedents of informal learning. Design/methodology/approach The job demand–control model and the job demands–resources model underpin our hypotheses on how NWW would relate to informal learning. The hypotheses are tested using the Preacher and Hayes (2008) bootstrap method for mediation analysis, accounting for the potential mediating effect of the frequency with which employees receive feedback. Findings The analyses show that NWW positively relate to informal learning at work. This relation is mediated by the frequency with which employees receive feedback. Further analysis shows that one particular NWW facet – access to organizational knowledge – is an independent driver of informal learning, hardly mediated by receiving feedback. Practical implications The results suggest that managers who seek new ways to stimulate informal learning can do so by giving their employees more access to organizational knowledge, for instance, by leveraging the potential of modern ICT. Originality/value This empirical paper is the first study on the impact of NWW on informal learning at work. Using data on the Dutch working population, it provides novel insights for several strands of literature as well as for practitioners

Radiation exposure in cardiac multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT)

Computed tomographic (CT) imaging involves exposure to ionizing radiation, with a consequent potential risk to the patient. Here we review the technical factors that affect the radiation dose in cardiac CT diagnostic procedures, the parameters that are used to measure and compare radiation doses, the magnitude of radiation exposure, and how to efficiently reduce it

CT Coronary angiography in clinical practice

__Abstract__ Stable angina is a common and disabling disease with coronary artery disease (CAD) accounting for 68% of heart related deaths (I). Common risk factors for CAD 1nclude hypertension, h1gh cholesterol levels, cigarette smoking, obesity, and a family history of heart disease. Traditionally ischemic testing include exercise ECG and stress myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT) for the non-invasive detection of inducible ischemia. Invasive coronary angiography (ICA)