A Model of Regulatory Burden in Technology Diffusion: The Case of Plant-Derived Vaccines.

Plant-derived vaccines may soon displace conventional vaccines. Assuming there are no major technological barriers undermining the feasibility of this innovative technology, it is worthwhile to generate quantitative models of regulatory burden of producing and diffusing plant-derived vaccines in industrialized and developing countries. A dynamic simulation model of technology diffusion—and the data to populate it—has been generated for studying regulatory barriers in the diffusion of plant-derived vaccines. The role of regulatory burden is evaluated for a variety of scenarios in which plant-derived vaccines are produced and diffused. This model relates the innovative and conventional vaccine technologies and the effects of the impact of the uptake of the innovative technology on mortality and morbidity. This case study demonstrates how dynamic simulation models can be used to assess the long-term potential impact of novel technologies in terms of a variety of socio-economic indicators.dynamic simulation model; plant-derived vaccines; regulatory burden; technology transfer; vaccines;

Automobile Safety Technology

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the educational level of the WPI community on automobile safety devices and develop an interactive medium through which visitors can establish a better understanding of the technology. A video presentation and museum exhibit were constructed together to educate the community on the criteria of history, purpose, and functionality for several automotive technologies. The presentation component incorporates pictures, videos, and diagrams to portray the educational material about each technology, while the actual exhibit includes physical components from each category to aide in visualization of these devices. This project produced positive feedback from members of the community as well as several recommendations for future revisions of this project

Entrevue guidée avec Catherine Teiger Cailloux

Au cours de cette entrevue, Catherine Cailloux Teiger, figure de proue de l’ergonomie française, raconte comment, lors de son entrée dans au Laboratoire d’ergonomie et de physiologie du travail du CNAM, elle a découvert cette nouvelle discipline en voie d’élaboration. On apprend que dès ses premières expériences de recherche sur le terrain, sa préoccupation constante de créer et mettre au point des méthodes de cueillettes de données révélatrices de l’activité réelle de travail était déjà présente. Ce récit de décennies de travail de recherche balaie un large spectre de questions de recherche souvent inédites alors telles que le travail des femmes, l’usure au travail, le vieillissement au travail, la morbidité et mortalité différentielles entre différentes catégories d’emplois ouvriers, malgré une apparente homogénéité de statut. L’entrevue se termine par des réflexions sur les tendances actuelles qui traversent la discipline et la pratique de l’ergonomie française.During this interview, Catherine Cailloux Teiger, a leader in French ergonomics, tells how, when she joined the CNAM Laboratoire d’ergonomie et de physiologie du travail, she discovered this new discipline that was in the process of being developed. We learn that with her first field research studies, her constant concern about creating and developing data collection methods that reveal the actual work activity was already present. This account about decades of research work scans a large spectrum of often original research questions such as women’s work, attrition in the workplace, ageing in the workplace, and the differential morbidity and mortality between various manual labour categories, despite an apparent homogeneity of status. The interview ends with reflection on the current trends intersecting the discipline and on the practice of French ergonomics.A lo largo de esta entrevista, Catherine Teiger Cailloux, figura emblemática de la ergonomía francesa, nos relata cómo, a su llegada al Laboratorio de ergonomía y de fisiología del trabajo del CNAM (Conservatorio Nacional de Artes y Oficios), descubrió esta nueva disciplina en vías de elaboración. Nos cuenta que su preocupación constante por crear y poner a punto métodos de recolección de datos que revelaran la actividad real del trabajo, estaba ya presente desde sus primeras experiencias de investigación en el terreno. Este relato sobre décadas de trabajo de investigación recorre un gran espectro de problemáticas de investigación, en ese entonces a menudo inéditas, tales como el trabajo de las mujeres, el desgaste en el trabajo, el envejecimiento en el trabajo, la morbilidad y la mortalidad diferenciales entre las diferentes categorías de empleos obreros, a pesar de una aparente homogeneidad de estatuto. La entrevista termina con reflexiones sobre las tendencias actuales que atraviesan la disciplina y la práctica de la ergonomía francesa

Activation and enzymatic characterization of recombinant human kallikrein 8

Human kallikrein 8 (hK8), whose gene was originally cloned as the human ortholog of a mouse brain protease, is known to be associated with diseases such as ovarian cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Recombinant human pro-kallikrein 8 was activated with lysyl endopeptidase-conjugated beads. Amino-terminal sequencing of the activated enzyme demonstrated the cleavage of a 9-aa propeptide from the pro-enzyme. The substrate specificity of activated hK8 was characterized using synthetic fluorescent substrates. hK8 showed trypsin-like specificity, as predicted from sequence analysis and enzymatic characterization of the mouse ortholog. All synthetic substrates tested containing either arginine or lysine at P1 position were cleaved by hK8. The highest k cat/K m value of 20×103M-1 s-1 was observed with Boc-Val-Pro-Arg-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin. The activity of hK8 was inhibited by antipain, chymostatin, and leupeptin. The concentration for 50% inhibition by the best inhibitor, antipain, was 0.46μM. The effect of different metal ions on the enzyme activity was analyzed. Whereas Na+ had no effect on hK8 activity, Ni2+ and Zn2+ decreased the activity and Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+ had a stimulatory effect. Ca2+ was the best activator, with an optimal concentration of approximately 10μ

X-38 Advanced Sublimator

A document discusses a heat rejection device for transferring heat from a space vehicle by venting water into space through the use of a novel, two-stage water distribution system. The system consists of two different, porous media that stop water-borne contaminants from clogging the system and causing operational failures. Feedwater passes through a small nozzle, then into a porous disk made of sintered stainless steel, and then finally into large-pore aluminum foam. The smaller pore layer of the steel disk controls the pressure drop of the feedwater. The ice forms in the foam layer, and then sublimates, leaving any contaminants behind. The pore-size of the foam is two orders of magnitude larger than the current porous plate sublimators, allowing for a greater tolerance for contaminants. Using metallic fibers in the foam also negates problems with compression seen in the use of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) felt

Experimental Validation of the Dynamic Inertia Measurement Method to Find the Mass Properties of an Iron Bird Test Article

The mass properties of an aerospace vehicle are required by multiple disciplines in the analysis and prediction of flight behavior. Pendulum oscillation methods have been developed and employed for almost a century as a means to measure mass properties. However, these oscillation methods are costly, time consuming, and risky. The NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center has been investigating the Dynamic Inertia Measurement, or DIM method as a possible alternative to oscillation methods. The DIM method uses ground test techniques that are already applied to aerospace vehicles when conducting modal surveys. Ground vibration tests would require minimal additional instrumentation and time to apply the DIM method. The DIM method has been validated on smaller test articles, but has not yet been fully proven on large aerospace vehicles

Testing and Validation of the Dynamic Inertia Measurement Method

The Dynamic Inertia Measurement (DIM) method uses a ground vibration test setup to determine the mass properties of an object using information from frequency response functions. Most conventional mass properties testing involves using spin tables or pendulum-based swing tests, which for large aerospace vehicles becomes increasingly difficult and time-consuming, and therefore expensive, to perform. The DIM method has been validated on small test articles but has not been successfully proven on large aerospace vehicles. In response, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Armstrong Flight Research Center (Edwards, California) conducted mass properties testing on an "iron bird" test article that is comparable in mass and scale to a fighter-type aircraft. The simple two-I-beam design of the "iron bird" was selected to ensure accurate analytical mass properties. Traditional swing testing was also performed to compare the level of effort, amount of resources, and quality of data with the DIM method. The DIM test showed favorable results for the center of gravity and moments of inertia; however, the products of inertia showed disagreement with analytical predictions