Cantua dendritica (Polemoniaceae), a New Species from Peru, and Two New Cantua Names

Cantua dendritica is described as new. This species is apparently restricted to the region around Paucartambo, Department of Cusco, Peru. Related to, and frequently identified as, Cantua flexuosa, this new species differs in its glandular calyx, highly branched trichomes on the margin of the corolla lobes, and its softly herbaceous, glandular pilose leaves. In addition, two new names are proposed in Cantua for the two species of Huthia that have been transferred to Cantua, C. volcanica (formerly Huthia caerulea), and C. mediamnis (formerly H. longiflora)

Is there a shift to "active nanostructures"?

It has been suggested that an important transition in the long-run trajectory of nanotechnology development is a shift from passive to active nanostructures. Such a shift could present different or increased societal impacts and require new approaches for risk assessment. An active nanostructure “changes or evolves its state during its operation,” according to the National Science Foundation’s (2006) Active Nanostructures and Nanosystems grant solicitation. Active nanostructure examples include nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), nanomachines, self-healing materials, targeted drugs and chemicals, energy storage devices, and sensors. This article considers two questions: (a) Is there a “shift” to active nanostructures? (b) How can we characterize the prototypical areas into which active nanostructures may emerge? We build upon the NSF definition of active nanostructures to develop a research publication search strategy, with a particular intent to distinguish between passive and active nanotechnologies. We perform bibliometric analyses and describe the main publication trends from 1995 to 2008. We then describe the prototypes of research that emerge based on reading the abstracts and review papers encountered in our search. Preliminary results suggest that there is a sharp rise in active nanostructures publications in 2006, and this rise is maintained in 2007 and through to early 2008. We present a typology that can be used to describe the kind of active nanostructures that may be commercialized and regulated in the future

Assessment of fifteen nanotechnology science and engineering centers? (NSECs) Outcomes and impacts: their contribution to NNI objectives and goals

Issued as final reportNational Science Foundation (U.S.

Identifiyng the emerging roles of nanoparticles in biosensors

This paper profiles R&D on the application of nanoparticles in biosensors and explores potential application development pathways. The analysis uses a dataset of nanotechnology publication records for the time period 2001 through 2008 (part year) extracted from the Science Citation Index. It focuses on emergent research activities in the most recent years. Bibliometric analyses are employed to ascertain R&D trends and research networks for key biosensors. Growth models are fit to forecast the technological trend for nanoparticle-enhanced biosensor research activity. In addition, a combination of quantity (publication) and quality (citation) analysis for nanoparticle-enhanced biosensors helps position the leading countries in this research field. Science overlay mapping shows different emphases of nanoparticle-enhanced biosensor research between the US and China, the leading countries. Recent studies suggest that nano-enhanced biosensors show promise for gains in stability, sensitivity, selectivity, and accuracy - for both direct and indirect detection. This paper demonstrates how bibliometric analyses can help anticipate emerging technology development and application potential.<br

Forecasting Innovation Pathways (FIP) for new and emerging science and technologies

International audience"New" and "Emerging Science" and "Technologies" ("NESTs") have tremendous innovation potential. However this must be weighed against enormous uncertainties caused by many unknowns. The authors of this paper offer a framework to analyze NESTs to help ascertain likely innovation pathways.We have devised a 10-step framework based on extensive Future-oriented Technology Analyses ("FTA") experience, enriched by in-depth case analyses. In the paper, we describe our analytical activities in two case studies. The nanobiosensor experience is contrasted with that of deep brain stimulation in relative quantitative and qualitative emphases.We close the paper by reflecting on this systematic FTA framework for emerging science and technologies, for its intended goal, that is to support decision making

Nano-Enabled Drug Delivery: Exploring Cancer Treatment Opportunities

Presented a lecture at the Nano@Tech Meeting on September 23, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. in room 1116 of the Marcus Nanotechnology Building.Alan Porter is Professor Emeritus of Industrial & Systems Engineering, and of Public Policy, at Georgia Tech, where he remains Co-director of the Technology Policy and Assessment Center. He is also Director of R&D for Search Technology, Inc. (Norcross, GA).Jing Ma is completing her PhD at Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), and has been a visiting scholar at Georgia Tech for 2013-2014. Her research interest is technology innovation management and tech mining. Her current research has been focusing on identifying technology development pathways and opportunities of Nano-Enabled Drug Delivery.Runtime: 50:14 minutesWe compile large sets of nano-related article and patent abstracts. We then analyze these records to learn about changing research emphases to try to project likely future developmental pathways. In this seminar we will focus on Nano-Enabled Drug Delivery (NEDD), considering key emerging topics over time. We will then focus on NEDD being used to treat cancers. We key on 3 dimensions: 1) Which nano components are being researched, 2) To facilitate delivery of which agents (drugs), 3) To treat which cancers. A key aim is to identify R&D opportunities that have not been well-explored yet

Multimode bolometer development for the PIXIE instrument

The Primordial Inflation Explorer (PIXIE) is an Explorer-class mission concept designed to measure the polarization and absolute intensity of the cosmic microwave background. In the following, we report on the design, fabrication, and performance of the multimode polarization-sensitive bolometers for PIXIE, which are based on silicon thermistors. In particular we focus on several recent advances in the detector design, including the implementation of a scheme to greatly raise the frequencies of the internal vibrational modes of the large-area, low-mass optical absorber structure consisting of a grid of micromachined, ion-implanted silicon wires. With $\sim30$ times the absorbing area of the spider-web bolometers used by Planck, the tensioning scheme enables the PIXIE bolometers to be robust in the vibrational and acoustic environment at launch of the space mission. More generally, it could be used to reduce microphonic sensitivity in other types of low temperature detectors. We also report on the performance of the PIXIE bolometers in a dark cryogenic environment.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Organizational perceptions of e-commerce: Re-assessing the benefits

This paper reports on preliminary findings from a wider and more in-depth study of six traditional organizations from different sectors that have successfully introduced e-commerce initiatives. The research adopted a case study approach, within which a questionnaire, identifying 16 generic benefits synthesized from the literature, was administered. The organizations were also asked to characterize whether e-commerce was strategic for them or not. The findings suggest that those organizations that perceived e-commerce to be strategic tended to consider intangible benefits as more important than tangible benefits, indicating perhaps a move away from the traditional view of e-commerce as a marketing driver to increase or create sales. Those organizations perceiving e-commerce as non-strategic rated the tangible benefits in much the same way as the strategic organizations, but rated the intangibles lower. Also it was found that e-commerce was important as a communication tool, not only with customers, as might be expected, but also with staff within the organization. The value of intra-organizational e-commerce was also found to be important, perhaps more than previously thought, as was its use in communicating and disseminating knowledge. The findings also reflect the importance of the sector and environment of the organization in determining their perceptions of e-commerce