Birth technology competence: a concept analysis

Aim. To identify birth technology competencies used by midwives to support women during the birthing process and to explore the concept of birth technology competence in midwifery practice in order to inform both education and practice. Objective. To define attributes of birth technology competence. Method. The Chinn and Kramer framework for concept analysis was used to examine sources including popular and professional literature, government reports and statutory regulation. The model allows for the exploration of three areas of experience, which interact to form the meaning of an idea or concept – feelings, values and attitudes associated with the concept, the symbolic label for the concept and the concept itself. Results. Exploration of the literature led to the development of exemplar cases that illuminate tentative attributes of the concept, contained within three domains – interpersonal skills, professional knowledge and clinical proficiency. Implications. Following testing in midwifery practice to ensure its transferability into the clinical context, the theoretical perspective developed here will provide a basis to inform education and practice in relation to the use of technology.

A Mobile Multimedia Technology to Aid Those with Alzheimer's Disease

A first-generation, mobile, video-based reminder system offers memory support to those afflicted with mild-stage Alzheimer's disease.

Sense and sensibility: The role of business incubator client advisors in assisting high-technology entrepreneurs to make sense of investment readiness status

For high-technology entrepreneurs, attaining an appropriate level of investment to support new ventures is challenging as substantial investment is usually required prior to revenue generation. Consequently, entrepreneurs must present their firms as investment ready in the context of an uncertain market response and an absence of any trading history. Gaining tenancy within a business incubator can be advantageous to this process given that placement enhances entrepreneurial contact with potential investors whilst professional client advisors (CAs) use their expertise to assist in the development of a credible business plan. However, for the investment proposal to be successful, it must make sense to fund managers despite their lack of technological expertise and product knowledge. Thus, this article explores how incubator CAs and entrepreneurs act in concert to mould innovative ideas into plausible business plans that make sense to venture fund investors. To illustrate this process, we draw upon empirical evidence which suggests that CAs act as sense makers between venture fund managers (VFMs) and high-technology entrepreneurs, yet their role and influence appears undervalued. These findings have implications for entrepreneurial access to much needed funding and also for the identification of investment opportunities for VFMs. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.

HTS Machines as Enabling Technology for All-Electric Airborne Vehicles

Environmental protection has now become paramount as evidence mounts to support the thesis of human activity-driven global warming. A global reduction of the emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere is therefore needed and new technologies have to be considered. A large part of the emissions come from transportation vehicles, including cars, trucks and airplanes, due to the nature of their combustion-based propulsion systems. Our team has been working for several years on the development of high power density superconducting motors for aircraft propulsion and fuel cell based power systems for aircraft. This paper investigates the feasibility of all-electric aircraft based on currently available technology. Electric propulsion would require the development of high power density electric propulsion motors, generators, power management and distribution systems. The requirements in terms of weight and volume of these components cannot be achieved with conventional technologies; however, the use of superconductors associated with hydrogen-based power plants makes possible the design of a reasonably light power system and would therefore enable the development of all-electric aero-vehicles. A system sizing has been performed both for actuators and for primary propulsion. Many advantages would come from electrical propulsion such as better controllability of the propulsion, higher efficiency, higher availability and less maintenance needs. Superconducting machines may very well be the enabling technology for all-electric aircraft development.

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of ZSM-5 coatings on a molybdenum support and scale-up for application in micro reactors

A procedure has been developed to grow ZSM-5 crystals in situ on a molybdenum (Mo) support. The high heat conductivity (138 W/mK) and high mechanical stability at elevated temperatures of the Mo support allow the application of ZSM-5 coatings in micro reactors for high temperature processes involving large heat effects. The effect of the synthesis mixture composition on ZSM-5 coverage and on the uniformity of the ZSNI-5 coatings was investigated on plates of 10 X 10 mm(2). Ratios of H2O/Si = 50, SUAI = 25, and TPA/Al = 2.0 were found to be optimal for the formation of uniform coatings of 6 g/m(2) at a temperature of 150 degrees C and a synthesis time of 48 h. Scaling up of the synthesis procedure on 72 Mo plates of 40 x 9.8 x 0.1 mm 3 resulted in a uniform coverage of 14.8 +/- 0.4 g/m(2). The low deviation per individual plate (

Technology Assessment for a Complex Aircraft System using Technology Scenarios

Military decision makers need to understand and assess the benefits and consequences of their decisions in order to make cost efficient, timely, and successful choices. Technology selection is one such critical decision, especially when considering the design or retrofit of a complex system, such as an aircraft. An integrated and systematic methodology that will support decision-making between technology alternatives and options while assessing the consequences of such decisions is a key enabler. This paper presents and demonstrates, through application to a notional medium range short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft, one such enabler: the Technology Impact Forecasting (TIF) method. The goal of the TIF process is to explore both generic, undefined areas of technology, as well as specific technologies, and assess their potential impacts. This is actualized through the development and use of technology scenarios, and allows the designer to determine where to allocate resources for further technology definition and refinement, as well as provide useful design information. The paper particularly discusses the use of technology scenarios and demonstrates their use in the exploration of seven technologies of varying technology readiness levels.

Multi-Objective Reactive Power Support from Wind farms for Network Performance Enhancement

This paper examines the ability of the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) to deliver multiple reactive power objectives during variable wind conditions. The reactive power requirement is decomposed based on various control objectives (e.g. power factor control, voltage control, loss minimisation, and flicker mitigation) defined around different time frames (i.e. seconds, minutes, and hourly), and the control reference is generated by aggregating the individual reactive power requirement for each control strategy. A novel coordinated controller is implemented for the rotor-side converter and the grid-side converter considering their capability curves and illustrating that it can effectively utilise the aggregated DFIG reactive power capability for system performance enhancement. The performance of the multi-objective strategy is examined for a range of wind and network conditions, and it is shown that for the majority of the scenarios, more than 92% of the main control objective can be achieved while introducing the integrated flicker control scheme with the main reactive power control scheme. Therefore, optimal control coordination across the different control strategies can maximise the availability of ancillary services from DFIG-based wind farms without additional dynamic reactive power devices being installed in power networks.

New technology and new workplaces: call centre careers – a growing reality?

Research to date suggests that career advancement in call centres (CCs) is relatively uncommon with employees often viewing such employment as a stopgap measure before moving on to something better. This study set out to determine whether such scenarios have changed over time since CCs have become more established in their work organisation, information and communication technology (ICT) and management processes. This study particularly focused on training and development initiatives, how employees access training and development, and whether CCs support career development. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, these issues are examined within 10 Australian CCs of varying size from various sectors. Two-thirds of respondents stated that they intended to develop a career in the industry and 7 in 10 reported that they believed there were promotional opportunities emerging in their current organisation. Despite these findings, the evidence also suggests that more needs to be done both to create coherent career paths and to establish structured, accredited training programmes for CC employees.