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This study demonstrates how Brahminic embodiment provides a constraining milieu for the growth of technology in different historical and epistemic epochs. Brahmanic comportment allows for appropriating technology in a way that creates a historical continuity with an auratic past and disallows the agential power of technology to extinguish the spirit of the Indic auratic past. In effect, Brahmanic comportment disallows technological advancement and human flourishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Technological advancements, improved surgical access, and heightened demand for surgery have fueled unprecedented device and supply turnover impelling wealthy hospitals to upgrade continually and sell, donate, recycle, or dispose of used, expired, antiquated, or surplus goods. This paper reviews the issues related to device and supply lifecycles and discusses the opportunities and challenges they present for sustainable surgical growth in low‐ and middle‐income (LMICs) countries. Observations: This review found, in LMICs countries, regulatory disparities persist that limit effective harmonization secondary to highly variable national policies and a lack of prioritized enforcement. Heterogeneity in the regulatory landscape, specifically in the classification, nomenclature, and identification of medical devices, encumbers effective regulation and distribution. Once devices are sold, donated, or reused in LMICs countries, complexities arise in regulatory compliance, maintenance, and appropriate use of these technologies. At the end of the lifecycle, waste management poses significant obstacles with limited resources hindering the implementation of best practices. Conclusion: There are major disparities in access to quality surgical equipment and supplies around the world. Improved communication between relevant stakeholders and harmonization of manufacture and disposal regulations will be needed to ensure adequate and appropriate responses to these challenges. Trial registration number: Not applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous emergence of new social media has promoted the interaction of data in life. In this context, big data technology has gradually become a type of technology with special value in the field of education. It realizes business decision-making through the collection and analysis of specific types of data. The application of technology to the field of education can realize the analysis of students' learning needs and classroom teaching efficiency, while the application of big data technology to piano teaching can strengthen the combination of piano teaching and technology, and at the same time provide more data analysis and decision support for the whole process of piano teaching. Soft computing simplifies the calculation process by combining a variety of sophisticated algorithms. Soft computing is similar to human brain processing and perception. It can complete multi-variable complex calculations through low-cost and uncertain processes. With the continuous integration, the variables generated in the teaching process gradually increase, and the application of soft computing technology can effectively solve the complex calculation problems caused by many variables in the analysis of piano teaching. This paper first analyzes the basic theory of big data, soft computing and piano informatization teaching, and then obtains the problems existing in the current piano informatization teaching through questionnaire survey and analysis, and designs piano informatization, teaching innovation model based on big data and soft computing technology respectively. Through the post-investigation of the piano informatization teaching institutions combined with technical strategies, it is found that the degree of match between the piano informatization teaching content of the institution and the students' learning needs, the evaluation accuracy of piano teachers' teaching effects, and the students' piano learning performance have improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study quantitatively reviewed the literature related to SDG 11 (Sustainable Development Goal 11) between 2015 and 2022 using bibliometric and spatial autocorrelation methods. The results showed that the amount of SDG 11-related literature increased annually since 2015, with an accelerated growth after 2018. The collaborations among countries, institutions, and authors of SDG 11-related literature were identified, with some major authors and institutions acting as links Keyword cluster and timeline analysis indicated that 'Agenda 2030', 'appropriate technologies', and 'country' were the main clusters of research, while 'management,' 'climate change,' and 'impact' were the most popular keywords, and 'urban plan nexus,' 'social cooperation,' and 'renewable energy' were the emerging keywords since 2021. Spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed that countries with more SDG 11-related literature were dispersed geographically. In the Getis-Ord G* analysis, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom were identified as hotspots; whereas Africa and Central Asia were identified as cold spots. To ensure timely implementation of the SDG 11, this study recommends helping less developed countries, resolving sustainable urbanization issues through innovative technology, and promoting more effective planning. It not only attempts a novel approach of using spatial statistics to analyze the bibliometric results but also provides valuable information for policymakers and scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The replacement of radioactive sources with alternative technologies has been identified as a priority by international authorities, due to the risk of accidents and diversion by terrorists for use in Radiological Dispersal Devices. Many of these sources can be replaced with the X-rays produced by electron beams accelerated to MeV energies. However, the size, weight and costs of electron linacs must be significantly reduced to be considered for radioisotope replacement. RadiaBeam Technologies, LLC is developing a series of inexpensive compact electron accelerators in the 1–10 MeV range for radioisotope replacement such as Ir-192, Cs-137 and Co-60 for various applications. The dramatic level of miniaturization and cost-reduction was achieved thanks to the implementation of such innovative technologies as high-frequency magnetrons, split accelerating structure fabrication technology and solid-state Marx modulators. In this paper, we overview RadiaBeam's compact linac developments, discuss the enabling technologies, and report on the current progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat flour is the main ingredient used in the preparation of bread. Factors such as low gluten content and the addition of nontraditional ingredients in baking affect the quality of wheat flour and may limit its use in baking. With the increasing trend of "clean label" products, it may be interesting to develop and use physical processes to improve the quality of wheat flour and avoid the use of chemical additives. High hydrostatic pressure, non-thermal plasma, ultrasound, ozonation, ultraviolet light, and pulsed light treatments are non-thermal emerging technologies (NTETs) that have been studied for this purpose. They were originally developed to inactivate microorganisms and enzymes in foods. Additionally, these technologies can be used at low temperatures to modify the most important component of wheat flour, i.e., gluten and its fractions, which are responsible for the rheological properties of wheat flour dough. Thus, this review focuses on the effects of these NTETs by considering the following factors: (1) the technological properties of gluten, (2) gluten–starch interactions, (3) possible effects of NTETs on minor components of flours, and (4) the quality of wheat flour and the resulting final products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 30023 articles and 50326 patents were evaluated by text mining and bibliometric analysis. • Research hotspots of SCI papers were identified by knowledge mapping. • Activated sludge and anaerobic-aerobic combined processes were the mainstream technologies. • Technology evolution path was elucidated in three stages based on the citation network analysis. • Future research and technology innovation directions were proposed. In order to reveal the hotspots and trends of biological water treatment from the perspectives of scientific and technological innovation, both of the bibliometric review and patents analysis were performed in this study. The Web of Science Core Collection database and Derwent Innovation Index database recorded 30023 SCI papers and 50326 patents, respectively were analyzed via information visualization technology. The results showed that China ranked the first in both papers and patents, while the United States and Japan had advantages in papers and patents, respectively. It was concluded through literature metrology analysis that microbial population characteristics, biodegradation mechanism, toxicity analysis, nitrogen and phosphorus removal and biological treatment of micro-polluted wastewater were the research hotspots of SCI papers. Activated sludge process and anaerobic-aerobic combined process were the two mainstream technologies on the basis of patent technology classification analysis. Technology evolution path of biological water treatment was also elucidated in three stages based on the citation network analysis. Furthermore, the future directions including research on the law of interaction and regulation of biological phases and pollutants and the technology innovations towards the targeted biotransformation or selective biodegradation of pollutants and resource reuse of wastewater were prospected. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic wastewater treatment is still a dynamically developing technology ensuring the effective degradation of organic compounds and biogas production. As evidenced in the large scale-up, this technological solution surpasses aerobic methods in many aspects. Its advantages stem from the feasibility of operation at a high organic load rate, the smaller production of difficult-to-manage sewage sludge, the smaller space and cubature required, and the high-methane biogas ultimately produced. The exploitation of anaerobic reactors is in line with the assumption of a circular economy, material recycling by reduced CO2 emissions and energy consumption, and the production of renewable energy. Despite their unquestionable advantages, there is still a need to seek novel approaches and improve the currently exploited installations. The key avenues of research entail improvements in the stability of bioreactor operations and the enhancement of bioreactor adaptability to changing and unfavorable process parameters. The versatility of such systems would also be greatly improved by increasing nitrogen and phosphorus removal rates. Attempts have been made to achieve these goals by setting up separate zones within bioreactors for the individual steps of methane fermentation, incorporating active fillings to promote nutrient removal, and introducing chemical and physical treatments. An interesting solution is also the use of microwave radiation to stimulate temperature conditions and induce non-thermal phenomena, such as enhancing the enzymatic activity of methanogenic microflora. Another prospective approach is to integrate digesters into microalgal biomass production systems. The aim of this review paper is to present the thus-far technological knowledge about anaerobic wastewater treatment, including standard solutions and innovative ones, the effectiveness of which has been corroborated in pilot-scale installations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water supply to millions of people worldwide is of alarmingly poor quality. Supply sources are depleting, whereas demand is increasing. Health problems associated with water consumption exceeding 1.5 mg/L of fluoride are a severe concern for the World Health Organization (WHO). Therefore, it is urgent to research and develop new technologies and innovative materials to achieve partial fluoride reduction in water intended for human consumption. The new alternative technologies must be environmentally friendly and be able to remove fluoride at the lowest possible costs. So, the use of waste from lignocellulosic biomasses provides a promising alternative to commercially inorganic-based adsorbents—published studies present bioadsorbent materials competing with conventional inorganic-based adsorbents satisfactorily. However, it is still necessary to improve the modification methods to enhance the adsorption capacity and selectivity, as well as the reuse cycles of these bioadsorbents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade both scientific and industrial community focuses on food with the highest nutritional and organoleptic quality, together with appropriate safety. Accordingly, strong efforts have been made in finding appropriate emerging technologies for food processing and packaging. Parallel to this, an enormous effort is also made to decrease the negative impact of synthetic polymers not only on food products (migration issues) but on the entire environment (pollution). The science of packaging is also subjected to changes, resulting in development of novel biomaterials, biodegradable or not, with active, smart, edible and intelligent properties. Combining non-thermal processing with new materials opens completely new interdisciplinary area of interest for both food and material scientists. The aim of this review article is to give an insight in the latest research data about synergies between non-thermal processing technologies and selected packaging materials/concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evaluation of patient doses has gotten more attention, but it's still a concern due to computerized technologies (Digital). Compared to a traditional screen-film system, the advancement of digital technology allows for a 50% reduction in radiation exposure without sacrificing image quality. Digital system provides similar or better diagnostic performance and several additional benefits, but there is a risk of overexposure without a negative impact on image quality. Digital radiographic imaging technologies are appropriate for various clinical applications and may produce satisfactory image quality across a wide exposure limit. Over radiation might result in increased dose levels without improving image quality; as a result, experimental data analysis is a continuous process that can provide information on radiation exposure appropriateness. Digital systems, on the other hand, stand out for their adaptability: the acquisition dose may be changed without compromising image quality, as well as vice versa. The imaging settings should be fine-tuned to achieve the optimum results from a given system. Traditional methods of dose containment, including placement and collimation, apply equally well to digital and traditional processes. Dose reduction is becoming increasingly possible because of digital technology. Simultaneously, there is a danger of drastically increasing the patient's dose without realizing it because of a lack of visual control. As a result, digital radiography requires dosage indicators and dose monitoring. A step closer to contemporary radiation protection is the adoption of picture quality classes based on the dose needs of specific clinical indications; manufacturers have made numerous enhancements to digital radiography equipment due to the detector and technological advancements. Because of digital imaging techniques, x-rays can now be stored digitally and used at any time by altering contrast to the viewer's preference. This technique has ensured that no radiographs are lost and enables digital distribution throughout hospitals via web-based technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve the harmonious development of economic growth and the environment, nations must pay more attention to wastewater treatment and boost efficiency using green technology. This study applies the Malmquist-DEA model to assess the efficiency of green technology innovation in 19 Chinese wastewater treatment companies between 2017 and 2020. In addition, focus is placed on the core wastewater treatment technology of the companies with excellent performance, indicating how wastewater treatment companies may improve their green technology. The results of the study indicate that, first, the overall effectiveness of green technology innovation in companies follows a rising and then decreasing trend. In 2020, wastewater treatment companies' green technology innovation efficiency was around 17.4 percent lower than in 2017. Improving technical progress is the key to boosting the total factor productivity of wastewater treatment companies. Second, based on the Tobit regression, the shareholding ratio of companies has a positive influence on the technical efficiency of companies. Therefore, China should increase innovation capacity and productivity, adopt current sewage treatment technology from overseas, and thus gradually achieve clean sewage utilization and ecological environment management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare is predicated on the use of biotechnology and medical technology, both of which are indispensable in diagnosis, treatment, and most aspects of patient care. It is therefore imperative that justifications for use of new technologies are appropriate, with the technologies working as advertised. In this paper, I consider philosophical accounts of how such justifications are made.Methods: Critical philosophical reflection and analysis.Results: I propose that justification in many prominent accounts is based on the designer's professional experience and on expert testimony. I argue, however, that professional designers are not in a position to justify a new biotechnology or medical device if the justification is based on testimony or past experience of presumably similar technologies. I argue (1) that similarity judgments offered by instantaneous experts cannot be viewed as contributing (epistemically) to evidential justification of new and unproven technologies; and (2) that designers and manufacturers cannot endorse a technology's effective function in a patient-care context until it has been successfully used in that context.Conclusion: I show that an expert's past professional experiences can never predict or justify the impact of a novel technology on human health. This is because any new technology leads to the introduction of new mechanisms with unprecedented functions. The new technology therefore needs to be studied in situ and justified as a newly created mechanism within the relevant healthcare setting. Ultimately, justifications of this type rely on the scientific community and society engaging in repeated experimentation and observation of the technology, and confirming its successful use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The numerous consequences of climate change worldwide have precipi- tated research efforts to realise sustainable development goal 13 (SDG 13). SDG 13 has recommended mitigation and adaptation strategies to combat climate change, and many of these can be achieved using emerging technologies. Research has shown the efficacies of information communication technologies (ICTs) in mitigat- ing and adapting to climate change. However, the selection and ranking of ICT tools for mitigating and adapting to climate change is a multicriteria problem. This paper presents a multicriteria framework that identifies and ranks the various ICT tools that can ensure climate change mitigation and adaptation. A fuzzy-technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution method is used as the basis of this model and tested using information obtained from an expert. The results show that the most ideal ICT alternative is social media with a closeness coefficient of 0.62, while the least preferred alternative is the intelligent system with a closeness coefficient of 0.17. The proposed model can be used in the planning of climate change adaptation strategies in developing countries where finances are usually a major constraint in implementing climate change action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been drastic changes in the way information is communicated based on the emergence on daily basis of new technology in the field of computing devices and networking which invariably has opened new opportunities for libraries and librarians towards enhancing their services and one of such new opportunities is the Wireless Fidelity technology also known as Wi-Fi. This study therefore is an appraisal of the availability and application of Wi-Fi technology in academic libraries. The study employed a descriptive survey design with a sampled population of 50 librarians derived from ten academic libraries in Southeast, Nigeria while it was guided by four research questions formulated in line with the research objectives. The main instrument used to gather data for this study is a 4-point Likert scale structured questionnaire that had items on availability, application/extent of utilization, benefits and factors that can enhance effective utilization of Wi-Fi technology in academic libraries. The data collected were analyzed using frequency and percentages. The outcome of this study brings to fore the shortfalls in the availability of Wi-Fi technology in most academic libraries in Southeast Nigeria and by extension Nigeria. The result further revealed that despite the fact that this device was not available in most academic libraries studied those that have, apply and utilize it to a high extent. The study also discovered that the librarians were not ignorant of the accrued benefits of the application and utilization of the device as they also agreed to factors that can enhance effective utilization of this device in academic libraries. It was based on the findings that they study recommended among other things that the National University Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and Nation Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) as bodies responsible for accreditation of programs in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education respectively should as matter of need make the application and utilization of ICT which Wi-Fi technology is a part a must have for any academic library as a basic yardstick for accreditation of any program or course and that government and other funding bodies should ensure that every academic library from inception is equipped with state-of-art facilities in tandem with the emerging technology with appropriate machinery kept in place for their management and maintenance for optimal functioning and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital hydraulics is a new technology providing an alternative to conventional proportional or servovalve-controlled systems in the area of fluid power. Digital hydraulic applications, such as digital pumps, digital valves and actuators, switched inertance hydraulic converters (SIHCs), and digital hydraulic power management systems, promise high-energy efficiency and less contamination sensitivity. Research on digital hydraulics is driven by the need for highly energy efficient hydraulic machines but is relatively immature compared to other energy-saving technologies. This review introduces the development of SIHCs particularly focusing on the work being undertaken in the last 15 years and evaluates the device configurations, performance, and control strategies that are found in the current SIHC research. Various designs for high-speed switching valves are presented, and their advantages and limitations are compared and discussed. The current limitations of SIHCs are discussed and suggestions for the future development of SIHCs are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging technologies represent the direction of the new industrial revolution of promoting sustainable economic and social development, and strategic emerging industries have developed rapidly in China. The development of these emerging technology industries requires more mineral resources as raw materials, especially the need for specific minerals, has increased. The unsatisfied growing demand for minerals used in emerging technologies or an unexpected supply disruption in major producing countries could have an impact on economic development. There are only several studies on the supply of mineral resources from the perspective of mineral resources needed by the development of China's emerging industries. To assess the criticality of the minerals needed by the strategic emerging industries in China, this paper adopts three indicators: import concentration, the volatility of prices and the application requirements by the Chinese 13th five-year plan dedicated to strategic emerging industries in 2016. Furthermore, 34 types of nonfuel minerals and mineral raw materials are separated into three categories. Finally, this paper indicates that the three indexes are all high for 8 minerals with supply risks, application in emerging technologies, and substantial market fluctuations which need the support of special policies. Two indexes of three Level-II indicators are high for 14 minerals which need different policy combination measures, and one index is high for 12 minerals which also needs attention, all of which were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this work was analyzing how an innovation platform can foster and provide a basis for multi-actor collaboration in order to enable climate-smart agriculture (CSA) implementation at the local level. Using a mix of social (interactions between stakeholders, knowledge changes, adoption of practices) and technical indicators (income, fulfillment of caloric requirements of the household, farm resource use, planned biodiversity or greenhouse gas emission changes), we monitored the collaboration between an NGO, local civil authorities, associations, and farmers that aimed to achieve a common goal linked to the participatory and contextualized development of CSA in Colombia. We found that multiple stakeholder engagements led to improved interactions between members of the platform and their local environment, a proactive participation in the platform meetings and a significant increase in farmer knowledge levels on the challenges posed by climate change and the resultant extreme events. The platform also facilitated the adoption of best-bet practices that contribute towards CSA when farmers both diversify their production and decrease the use of mineral fertilizers. Our findings suggest that innovation platforms can facilitate the collective understanding and use of CSA options corresponding to local conditions and priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological innovations are changing mechanisation in agriculture. The most recent wave of innovations referred to as smart farming technologies (SFT), promise to improve farming by responding to economic, ecological, and social challenges and thereby sustainably develop agriculture throughout Europe. To better understand the relevance of ongoing technological progress for farming systems across Europe, 287 farmers were surveyed in 7 EU countries and in 4 cropping systems, alongside 22 in-depth semi-structured interviews with experts from the agricultural knowledge and innovation system. Of the surveyed farmers, about 50% were SFT adopters and 50% were non-adopters. The number of adopters increased with farm size, and there were more adopters among arable cropping systems than in tree crops. Although all farmers broadly perceive SFT as useful to farming and generally expect SFT to continue to be so, when it comes to specific on-farm challenges, farmers are less convinced of SFT potential. Moreover, farmers' perceptions of SFT vary according to SFT characteristics and farming context. Interestingly, both adopter and non-adopter groups are hesitant regarding SFT adoption, such that adopters are somewhat disillusioned about the SFT that they have experience with, and non-adopters because they are not convinced that the appropriate technologies are available and accessible. About 60% of all farmers surveyed have a number of suggestions for SFT to become more relevant to a broader range of farms. Both farmers and experts generally consider peer-to-peer communication as important sources of information and deplore a lack of impartial advice. Experts are generally more convinced of SFT advantages, and are positive regarding the long-term trends of technological development. The findings support previous findings on using farmers' perceptions in innovation processes, and provide insight to the recent trends regarding SFT application to diverse cropping systems across Europe. This suggests that differences related to agricultural structures and farming systems across Europe have to be considered if SFT development and dissemination should be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: While life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool often used to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and technologies, the amount of data required to perform such studies make the evaluation of emerging technologies using the conventional LCA approach challenging. The development paradox is such that the inputs from a comprehensive environmental assessment has the greatest effect early in the development phase, and yet the data required to perform such an assessment are generally lacking until it is too late. Previous attempts to formalize strategies for performing streamlined or screening LCAs were made in the late 1990s and early 2000s, mostly to rapidly compare the environmental performance of product design candidates. These strategies lack the transparency and consistency required for the environmental screening of large numbers of early‐development candidates, for which data are even sparser. We propose the Lifecycle Screening of Emerging Technologies method (LiSET). LiSET is an adaptable screening‐to‐LCA method that uses the available data to systematically and transparently evaluate the environmental performance of technologies at low readiness levels. Iterations follow technological development and allow a progression to a full LCA if desired. In early iterations, LiSET presents results in a matrix structure combined with a "traffic light" color grading system. This format inherently communicates the high uncertainty of analysis at this stage and presents numerous environmental aspects assessed. LiSET takes advantage of a decomposition analysis and data not traditionally used in LCAs to gain insight to the life cycle impacts and ensure that the most environmentally sustainable technologies are adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Increased demand of energy leads to exploration of new sources of energy. In the last few years, hydrokinetic energy technology emerged as an important area in the field of renewable energy generation. Various hydrokinetic turbines have been studied and used to harness the hydrokinetic potential. Among all hydrokinetic turbine technology, cross‐flow hydrokinetic turbine is considered as the most suitable approach for the riverine system. There are various configurations of cross‐flow hydrokinetic turbine exist for hydrokinetic energy extraction. A number of numerical and experimental studies were carried out on the performance enhancement and design optimization of different configurations under variable operating conditions. Under the present paper, review of different rotor for the configurations of the cross‐flow hydrokinetic turbines are discussed. The paper will be useful to understand the cross‐flow hydrokinetic technology in order to explore the methods for selection, performance enhancement, and design optimization of cross‐flow hydrokinetic turbines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate integration in technology sourcing overseas M&A is effective for acquirers to improve their innovation network positions and to promote domestic industrial innovation. We use the technology sourcing overseas M&A of Chinese and South Korean manufacturing industries as samples for empirical analysis. The results show that post-merger integration strategy should match resource characteristics between acquiring and acquired firms to promote industrial innovation through innovation network position improvement. Specifically, high-degree integration should match high-resource-similarity / low-resource-complementarity acquired firms, low-degree integration should match low-resource-similarity / high-resource-complementarity acquired firms, and moderate-degree integration should match high-resource-similarity / high-resource-complementarity acquired firms. The acquirer's home country institutional development enhances the effect of post-merger integration. This study provides guidance for promoting industrial innovation through post-merger integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union is the largest producer of wine and olive oil worldwide, accounting for 65 and 75% of the global production, respectively. In 2017, Spain produced around 32.5 million hectolitres of wine (approximately 13.5% of the global production) and approximately 67% of the European olive oil (50% of the global production). In this context, the sustainability in these sectors is a matter of concern to both Spain and Europe. This study aims to evaluate electroporation-assisted extraction as an emerging technology towards a sustainable bio-economy. This technology should enhance energy and resource efficiency, food quality, and environmental performance under a life cycle approach. The pulsed electric field technique is used to improve the extraction yield of olives, and to decrease the maceration time in winemaking. Thereby, it is expected to increase productivity and processing capacity without affecting the nutritional and sensorial characteristics of the food products. The results revealed that the maceration time decreased for both studied cases (8 and 5 days) during winemaking, for which all selected environmental impact categories were reduced by 2–38%. Regarding the olive oil processing, an average improvement of 5% in the olive extraction yield reduced the environmental impact indicators approximately 5%. • Real scale pulsed electric field treatments in processing lines is still limited. • Pulsed electric field treatment was applied to the olive oil extraction process. • Pulsed electric field treatment was applied to extract polyphenols from grape skins. • Environmental impact categories reduced 2–38% in the wine processing. • Environmental impact categories reduced up to 5% in the olive oil processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate technology for sustainable development in developing countries should consider comprehensive societal aspects of the target area and, at the same time, ensure target areas are capable of sustainable transformation. However, appropriate technology has mainly been approached from the engineering or technological aspects, thus becoming a short-term or one-time technology transfer or, despite the social science approach, it has no definite theoretical background. For successful and sustainable appropriate technology activities, appropriate technology should be approached theoretically. Therefore, this study applies the theory of grassroots innovation to appropriate technology, examines how the concepts of grassroots innovation based on local community units can relate to appropriate technology activities in developing countries, and analyzes a case of appropriate technology activity to show that future appropriate technology activities should involve grassroots innovation. The results show that the principles of grassroots innovation underlie successful appropriate technology projects. • Sustainability of appropriate technology can be grounded on a grassroots innovation. • The concept of strategic niche management is applied to appropriate technology. • Context, driving force, niche, organizational form, and resource base are common constructs of the framework. • The case of Laos identifies the relationship between appropriate technology and grassroots innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total livestock emissions account for up to 14.5% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Counteractive measures, such as circular economy concepts and negative emission technologies are necessary to limit global warming below 1.5 °C. Possible treatment options for organic manure include anaerobic digestion, combustion, gasification, hydrothermal liquefaction and composting. The choice of treatment varies depending on the economics, the requirement of a specific product, and sociocultural factors. Commercialization of these treatments needs a blend of appropriate technology, feasible economics, policy support and agreeable socio-cultural conditions. Key findings of this study include the following: 1. Increasing scientific awareness about manure management and treatment; 2. Building a sustainable cooperative model to commercialize technologies; 3. Creating a market for manure recycling products; 4. The role of policy in supporting technologies and consumers; and 5. The codigestion of substrates for better efficacy. Current trends show minimal actions in place as opposed to the high-rate of acceleration that is necessary. • Improper disposal of organic manure could cause unwanted ecological damage. • Recent biorefinery models to recover energy and nutrients are addressed. • Biological treatment of organic manure remains the predominant recycling approach. • Limited knowledge of the potential of biorefinery approaches still exist. • Successful implementation of biorefineries requires policy and social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automobile industry is currently undergoing a profound change. Stringent emission standards coupled with issues of climate change and technological advances in alternative powertrain technologies are forcing the industry to set new strategic courses. While the electric vehicles are not yet profitable, their growing market share and advancement in battery technology will pose a considerable substitution risk for incumbent firms. Incumbent firms can react to this changed environment by implementing one of the three generic strategies, which are "exit", "switch" and the "sailing ship effect" (SSE). Prior research has documented SSE as an explanatory factor for continuous improvement in conventional propulsion technology in light of facing a major technology transition towards electric mobility. To further contribute to the discussion on patterns of strategic intention, we propose an additional perspective on strategic action pattern in response to technological competition threat. To this end, the underlying pace of ICEV (internal combustion engine vehicle) technology development and its evolutionary technology path were examined by employing a patent-based analysis framework. The findings show that although the ICEV technology has entered into maturity stage, a complete departure from conventional combustion engines is not in sight for the next few decades. Moreover, we provide empirical evidence for a mimicry-based technological evolution pattern in the field of ICEV. This study can provide valuable insight for R&D managers and policy makers seeking to facilitate the transition from conventional vehicles to zero-emission vehicles. • Technical advances of ICEV will be mostly completed by the year 2037. • Empirical evidence for the increasing electrification of ICEV is provided. • Mimicry-based transition pathway has been followed. • Broadening the methodological toolbox of analyzing technology transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perpendicular recording technology has recently been introduced in hard disk drives for computer and consumer electronics applications. Although conceptualized in the late 1970s, making a product with perpendicular recording that has competing performance, reliability, and price advantage over the prevalent longitudinal recording technology has taken about three decades. One reason for the late entry of perpendicular recording is that the longitudinal recording technology was quite successful in overcoming many of its problems and in staying competitive. Other reasons are the risks, problems, and investment needed in making a successful transition to perpendicular recording technology. Iwasaki and co-workers came up with many inventions in the late 1970s, such as single-pole head, CoCr alloy media with a perpendicular anisotropy, and recording media with soft magnetic underlayers [S. Iwasaki and K. Takemura, IEEE Trans. Magn. 11, 1173 (1975); S. Iwasaki and Y. Nakamura, ibid. 14, 436 (1978); S. Iwasaki, Y. Nakamura, and K. Ouchi, ibid. 15, 1456 (1979)]. Nevertheless, the research on perpendicular recording media has been intense only in the past five years or so. The main reason for the current interest comes from the need to find an alternative technology to get away from the superparamagnetic limit faced by the longitudinal recording. Out of the several recording media materials investigated in the past, oxide based CoCrPt media have been considered a blessing. The media developed with CoCrPt-oxide or CoCrPt–SiO2 have shown much smaller grain sizes, lower noise, and larger thermal stability than the perpendicular recording media of the past, which is one of the reasons for the success of perpendicular recording. Moreover, oxide-based perpendicular media have also overtaken the current longitudinal recording media in terms of better recording performance. Several issues that were faced with the soft underlayers have also been solved by the use of antiferromagnetically coupled soft underlayers and soft underlayers that are exchange coupled with an antiferromagnetic layer. Significant improvements have also been made in the head design. All these factors now make perpendicular recording more competitive. It is expected that the current materials could theoretically support areal densities of up to 500–600 Gbits/in.2. In this paper, the technologies associated with perpendicular recording media are reviewed. A brief background of magnetic recording and the challenges faced by longitudinal recording technology are presented first, followed by the discussions on perpendicular recording media. Detailed discussions on various layers in the perpendicular recording media and the recent advances in these layers have been made. Some of the future technologies that might help the industry beyond the conventional perpendicular recording technology are discussed at the end of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Revealed the dynamic evolution law of surrounding rock fractures. • The timing of high-stress roadway grouting reinforcement was precisely determined. • The hierarchical collaborative control technology is proposed. • Alleviated the contradiction between grouting support and pressure deformation. Safe and efficient coal mining has always been restrained in high-stress roadways due to their highly rheological property and large-scale deformation, which are key technical problems to be solved in this industry. In this work, the high-stress roadway of Wuju Coal Mine in Gansu, China is taken as the engineering background. First, long-term field tracking survey was conducted on the cracks of the surrounding rock during excavation to quantitatively analyze the spatial-temporal evolution law. Meanwhile, using the principle of simplicity, the variation trends of radial and axial permeability were revealed and the optimal grouting time in this roadway was determined. We proposed the theory of anchor grouting support with fixed anchor length, as well as hierarchical collaborative control technology (HCCT). The high-strength hollow grouting cables and corresponding anchor-grouting methods were also investigated and identified, which addresses the long-standing technical contradiction between grouting support and pressure deformation. Engineering test proves that this new technology can realize the safe and efficient control of high-stress rock roadway, with the maximum crack depth on the roof reduced from 7.65 m to 3.10 m and the surrounding rock deformation decreased by more than 56%. This paper provides new ideas for the maintenance and control of rock roadways or tunneling projects in similar conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is a serious health problem for humanity and is expected to increase rapidly in the coming years. In Cuba, malignancies became the leading cause of death in 2012 and each year about 30 to 36 thousand new cases are diagnosed. Given the importance to our social system for medical care and the quality of life of patients, the Government and the Ministry of Health designed a project to introduce five new technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in Cuba. Two technologies are for diagnosing cancer and three for the treatment of this disease. In order to guarantee the technical requirements of this project, the planning of the introduction process of the new technology and training of human resources, working groups, made up by experts from hospitals, regulatory bodies and the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) were created. These working groups shall take into account the needed equipment, the regulations in force as well as staff training required by the new technologies. At present three of these technologies are already installed and by the end of 2017, the introduction of all the new technology is expected to be completed, which will have a significant social impact both on the early diagnosis of malignant diseases, and on their control in all age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers an overview of the highlights of the 2019 NFAIS Annual Conference, Creating Strategic Solutions in a Technology-Driven Marketplace that was held in Alexandria, VA from February 13 - February 15, 2019. The goal of the conference was to focus on how technological innovations, especially Artificial Intelligence and machine learning, along with changing market demands, are creating new opportunities within the information community. Speakers were invited to demonstrate that such innovations have the potential to provide researchers with new tools with which to advance their quest for scientific discovery and also have the potential to provide the much-needed insights to assist business leaders in making their strategic decisions with confidence. The diverse speakers made their point - technology is driving us forward. But the real message of the conference was all about the value of content and how that value can be increased by leveraging appropriate technology. Like changing a rough stone into in incomparable diamond, technology can transform traditional content into a faceted gem! [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use or misuse of advanced technology is a key factor driving global environmental degradation, but advanced technology is also widely assumed to be the solution to many environmental problems. In contrast to that dominant approach, this paper outlines a variety of what the authors call ‘low-tech’ options – such as solar shower bags, washing lines, alternative heating and cooling methods, and cycling – and raises questions about the extent to which these types of ‘simple living’ practices could help increase household resilience in conditions of economic disruption, instability, or crisis. The analysis is framed by an ‘energy descent’ scenario, in which an individual, household or community either chooses a reduced-energy way of life, motivated by climate change mitigation, or has such a way of life imposed upon them due to declining fossil fuel availability or economic disruption. The authors see such a future as plausible – and in some contexts has already arrived or has always been the case – hence the relevance of this analysis, which has both quantitative and qualitative dimensions. Furthermore, while the focus herein is on low-tech living at the household level, it is argued that prefiguring a ‘simpler way’ to live has deeper significance too, in that it could help create the cultural conditions needed for a politics and macroeconomics of degrowth to emerge, which the authors maintain is a necessary part of any decarbonisation project. Challenges facing low-tech options are also acknowledged, including the ever-present risk of rebound effects and other indirect impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this review we focus on demonstrating how organic electronic materials can solve key problems in biosensing thanks to their unique material properties and implementation in innovative device configurations. We highlight specific examples where these materials solve multiple issues related to complex sensing environments, and we benchmark these examples by comparing them to state-of-the-art commercially available sensing using alternative technologies. We have categorized our examples by sample type, focusing on sensing from body fluids in vitro and on wearable sensors, which have attracted significant interest owing to their integration with everyday life activities. We finish by describing a future trend for in vivo , implantable sensors, which aims to build on current progress from sensing in biological fluids ex vivo . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy is a social, technological and economic paradigm that aims to build a production and consumption model focused on waste reduction and maximization of discarded matter recovery. Discussion of the circular economy often treats it as a technocratic and profit-driven phenomenon that can be developed by capital investment in a particular industrial sector without necessarily taking into account the needs of the surrounding geographic area. The promotion of the circular economy often emphasises recycling and other practices that may not fully use the recovered material but are highly automatable, thus creating only a limited number of jobs. At the same time, there is another model of the circular economy, in which small and medium-sized organizations engage in transformative and low-technology activities such as reuse and repair, benefiting local development and creating job opportunities. This model is often explicitly driven by a social development mandate. Still, it risks falling short of its goals because of a lack of expertise and a less systematic approach. This paper aims to introduce the Design-led Repair & Reuse (DLRR) framework for mitigating the shortcomings of this second model, using an approach that is both sustainable and accessible to organizations with limited resources. Inspired by the principles of "Design-driven innovation", "social & solidarity economy", and "appropriate technology", DLRR aims to generate a higher quality of processes and products from circular, low entropy and low capital-intensity production activities, resulting in a more solid, identifiable and conscious positioning in the reuse market. It complements the socially inclusive ethos of these third sector small and medium-sized organizations while contributing to the debate on integrating alternative perspectives into the mainstream circular economy discourse. The first part of this paper discusses the theoretical principles that have inspired the DLRR framework. The second part presents research that tests the consistency of these founding principles based on a case study of a sample of organizations in Italy that are active in circular waste transformation processes. • The circular economy is an emerging paradigm in the race to achieve environmental sustainability. • Mainstream discourse on circular economy often does not focus on the social dimension of sustainability. • This discourse often interprets circular economy in a technocratic way, emphasizing high-tech, capital intensive approaches. • Reuse and repair practices are more technologically accessible, and can foster the creation of job opportunities. • A Design-led reuse and repair approach can contribute to strenghten the social dimension of circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of quantitative techniques have been used in the past in future-oriented technology analysis (FTA). In recent years, increased computational power and data availability have led to the emergence of new techniques that are potentially useful for foresight and forecasting. As a result, there are now many techniques that might be used in FTA exercises. This paper reviews and qualifies quantitative methods for FTA in order to help users to make choices among alternative techniques, including new techniques that have not yet been integrated into the FTA literature and practice. We first provide a working definition of FTA and discuss its role, uses, and popularity over recent decades. Second, we select the most important quantitative FTA techniques, discuss their main contexts and uses, and classify them into groups with common characteristics, positioning them along key dimensions: descriptive/prescriptive, extrapolative/normative, data gathering/inference, and forecasting/foresight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The journey towards sustainable development is largely limited by practices in the construction industry, which is a significant generator of wastes and other anthropogenic emissions. It therefore follows that a transition to cleaner construction technologies and methods through the deployment of innovations that minimize the use of resources and anthropogenic pollutants such as greenhouse gasses (GHG), aerosols, carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, benzene, and other emissions which adversely affect humans and impact the environment will foster the sustainable development goals. To sustainably develop, it is imperative for the construction industry as a hub of economic development to look inwards for solutions that are frugal, pragmatic, and inclusive. The tools for understanding the phenomena investigated are derived from the theories of frugal innovation, sustainable construction, and appropriate technology. The case of Hydraform was studied to understand how it contributes to sustainable development. Semi-structured interviews with industry experts and stakeholders provide qualitative insights into the phenomena investigated. The findings indicate that frugal innovation (FI) in the construction industry is shaped by large institutional players such as state governments, and non-profit organizations (NGOs), while a segment of the target user-groups interpret the innovation as lower-class status artifacts. Specifically, this study contributes to an understanding of how locally-engineered technology can foster development in the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) economies. Practitioners also gain through knowledge of the diffusion inhibitors, and how to navigate the diffusion barriers. • Frugal innovation (FI) can foster sustainable construction. • Minimization of resources, emissions, effluents and wastes in FI fosters sustainable construction. • Social constructs influencing the diffusion of sustainable frugal innovation are revealed. • Large institutional players are the main influencers of innovation closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The journey towards sustainable development is largely limited by practices in the construction industry, which is a significant generator of wastes and other anthropogenic emissions. It therefore follows that a transition to cleaner construction technologies and methods through the deployment of innovations that minimize the use of resources and anthropogenic pollutants such as greenhouse gasses (GHG), aerosols, carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, benzene, and other emissions which adversely affect humans and impact the environment will foster the sustainable development goals. To sustainably develop, it is imperative for the construction industry as a hub of economic development to look inwards for solutions that are frugal, pragmatic, and inclusive. The tools for understanding the phenomena investigated are derived from the theories of frugal innovation, sustainable construction, and appropriate technology. The case of Hydraform was studied to understand how it contributes to sustainable development. Semi-structured interviews with industry experts and stakeholders provide qualitative insights into the phenomena investigated. The findings indicate that frugal innovation (FI) in the construction industry is shaped by large institutional players such as state governments, and non-profit organizations (NGOs), while a segment of the target user-groups interpret the innovation as lower-class status artifacts. Specifically, this study contributes to an understanding of how locally-engineered technology can foster development in the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) economies. Practitioners also gain through knowledge of the diffusion inhibitors, and how to navigate the diffusion barriers. • Frugal innovation (FI) can foster sustainable construction. • Minimization of resources, emissions, effluents and wastes in FI fosters sustainable construction. • Social constructs influencing the diffusion of sustainable frugal innovation are revealed. • Large institutional players are the main influencers of innovation closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To modernize distribution networks and enable the energy transition, we need to understand the most appropriate regulatory approach. A set of new technologies with positive externalities challenge the traditional regulatory models. We develop a decision model to assess firms' incentives to invest in new technologies under different regulatory schemes that consider externality effects. Results show that regulatory schemes under which companies retain the gains (or losses) of achieving (or not) efficiency targets more effectively promote innovation investments that reduce network costs. However, a case-by-case approach should be preferred for technologies whose benefits go mostly beyond the network activities. • Decision model compares regulatory schemes to incentivize innovation in Utilities. • TOTEX regulation performs better whenever innovation decreases overall investments. • TOTEX is more effective in promoting technologies that avoid O&M costs. • A case-by-case analysis is more appropriate for technologies with higher spillovers. • Regulating investments with large externalities has unclear relation to policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the tense appropriability-openness relationship, defined by some as paradox. Based on an international survey of 415 manufacturing firms, we investigate how the use of different kinds of intellectual property protection mechanisms (IPPMs) affects interfirm R&D collaboration while considering partner location in the analysis as well. Our results show that the use of formal, semi-formal or informal IPPMs has different effects on openness in terms of partner variety and depth of collaboration with academic partners, value chain partners and competitors. Moreover, when considering location we uncover previously hidden appropriability-openness liaisons showing that semi-formal or informal IPPMs are mainly valid in relation to national partners, whereas formal appropriability explains international collaborations. One implication of the study is that to better understand the appropriability-openness relationship it is imperative to differentiate between national and international settings. We further suggest that the potential paradox delineating this relationship has a geographical dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scenario workshop methodology was used to obtain various assessments of the prospects of multi-stress resistant plants. As biotechnological breakthroughs they are supposed to counter climate change and food shortages. In Europe, however, green biotechnology is highly controver- sial and positions have become rather entrenched. In our results, the scenario method showed itself to be highly suited to easing the grip of cognitive entrenchments and hierarchical commu- nication structures. At least within the arena of the workshop, technologies as well as participants are on equal footing and can be grouped into various arrangements. This exposes participants to novel perspectives and engages them in deliberations on alternative science policy options, thus taking existing problems and needs into account rather than adapting society to the solutions and requirements of the envisioned technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Technologies for social inclusion in Latin America are a recent manifestation of grassroots innovation movements whose global activities go back to appropriate technology in the 1970s and earlier. Common to these movements is a vision for innovation processes more inclusive towards local communities in terms of knowledge, processes and outcomes. A comparison in this article between movements for technologies for social inclusion now and appropriate technology in the past reveals three enduring challenges for grassroots innovation: attending to local specificities whilst simultaneously seeking wide-scale diffusion; being appropriate to existing situations that one ultimately seeks to transform; and, working with project-based solutions to goals (of social justice) whose root causes rest in structures of economic and political power. Each challenge effectively frames grassroots innovation differently, and responses generate valuable forms of knowledge production: grassroots ingenuity; grassroots empowerment; and structural critique. Overall, these movements contribute valuable plurality and reflexivity to innovation policy and politics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the study, we analyse scenarios of car technology deployment and the global energy system using the Global Multi-regional MARKAL (GMM) cost optimisation model. We consider some of the conditions under which new drivetrain technologies, particularly battery electric vehicles (BEVs), may be more cost competitive under different hypothetical states of the world. We focus on the role of a potential niche market for cars with a limited travel range and how this may affect overall deployment of alternative drivetrain technologies and fuel choice. The results show that assuming a market of substantial size for such short-range cars leads to technologies such as BEVs being deployed more readily. In addition, we show the important role of other factors, such as stringent climate change policy and possible limitations to resource availability, in supporting alternative technologies. This analysis thus identifies potential technology targets for support by decision makers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There are numerous emerging nonvolatile memory technologies, which have been proposed as being capable of replacing hard disk drives (HDDs). In this paper, the prospects for these alternative technologies to displace HDDs in 2020 are analyzed. In order to compare technologies, projections were made of storage density and performance in year 2020 for both hard disks and the alternative technologies, assuming the alternative technologies could solve their remaining problems and assuming that hard drives would continue to advance areal density at a pace of about 40% per year, which would result in a two-disk 2.5-in disk drive that stores approximately 40 Terabytes and costs about $40. A major conclusion of the study is that to compete with hard drives on a cost per terabyte basis will be challenging for any solid state technology, because the ITRS lithography roadmap limits the density that most alternative technologies can achieve. Those technologies with the best opportunity have a small cell size and the capability of storing multiple bits per cell. Phase change random access memory (PCRAM) and spin transfer torque random access memory (STTRAM) appear to meet these criteria. PCRAMs are being marketed by at least one supplier and therefore appear to be closer to practical realization. On the other hand, STTRAMs would appear to have a performance edge assuming they, too, can be brought to market with multiple bits per cell. Although there are technologies that are not limited by the lithography roadmap and thus have greater areal density potential, they tend to be further from practical realization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the significance of the carbon nanotube electronics (CNT) as an alternative technology. It is stated that CNT has an atomic and electronic structure that gives it unique advantage as an field-effect transistor (FET) channel. The CNT is useful in electronics because it has excellent transport properties and has quasi-one-dimensional character which affect the channel's electrical. INSET: The principle of a MOSFET.

Learning by doing methodology attributes cost reductions of a technology to cumulative investment and experience. This paper argues that in addition market growth rates must also be considered. Historically growth rates have been limited in most sectors, thus allowing for feedback in the learning process. When market growth is below the 'optimal' rate, the marginal value of additional investment could be a multiple of the direct learning benefit. Analytic and numeric models quantify this impact -- emphasizing the need for tailored technology policy in addition to carbon pricing. Implications for the modeling of endogenous technological change are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North American, European and Japanese governments have legislated to control Greenhouse Gas emissions and have promoted alternative technology as part of strategies to address climate change. Governments worldwide have sought to encourage adoption of alternative automotive technology by funding demonstrations and in-service trials. Among other initiatives the automotive industry has explored applications of a radical technological innovation - fuel cells - to power a range of vehicles from forklifts to buses. This paper examines the rationale and actions of various stakeholders to facilitate adoption of fuel cell technology in vehicles through a specific market segment - that of fuel cell buses (FCBs) - and explores the progress of FCB projects in North America, Europe and Japan. It examines the role of demonstration projects and highlights the complexity of the relationship between government and developers, and the multifarious and conflicting objectives of industry players that inhibit progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the challenges facing a theory of technological regime transformation for sustainable development and how historical research into alternative technology can contribute to the transformation process. Background on niches derived from alternative technology; Information on the transformation of technological regimes; Effects of theories of technical change on the relationship between technology and sustainable economic transformation.

This paper examines the highly political nature of innovation appropriation processes. The central focus is on the role of networks, networking, and knowledge in these processes. The data presented is drawn from two case study companies, both of which were implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. While formal, hierarchical authority was found to be an important contextual factor, shaping the appropriation processes examined, it was found that such authority was not automatically translatable into actual power. In terms of knowledge and networks, the paper concludes that they were inextricably inter-related, largely because the typically tacit nature of much relevant knowledge required the development of networks to access and utilize it. The paper further concluded that the use of both networks, and knowledge in the innovation appropriation processes examined had a dual character. They could not only provide access to relevant knowledge and artefacts, but could also be used as political tools in support of particular interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]