Iowa DOT Library Services, Collection, & Technology Assessment, TR-670, 2014

Assesses the impact of library services on research projects, proposes methods to improve the impact of library services on research projects, assesses current library technology systems and proposes upgrades, assesses current library collection infrastructure and propose upgrades, especially in regards to collection damage from water or fire; ascertains patron interest in mobile technologies and suggest development based on interest.

A design science approach to support the assessment of disruptive technology : the Swiss mobile payment case

Abstract In this thesis we present the design of a systematic integrated computer-based approach for detecting potential disruptions from an industry perspective. Following the design science paradigm, we iteratively develop several multi-actor multi-criteria artifacts dedicated to environment scanning. The contributions of this thesis are both theoretical and practical. We demonstrate the successful use of multi-criteria decision-making methods for technology foresight. Furthermore, we illustrate the design of our artifacts using build and-evaluate loops supported with a field study of the Swiss mobile payment industry. To increase the relevance of this study, we systematically interview key Swiss experts for each design iteration. As a result, our research provides a realistic picture of the current situation in the Swiss mobile payment market and reveals previously undiscovered weak signals for future trends. Finally, we suggest a generic design process for environment scanning.

Interoperability and Technology for a Language Resources Factory

This document describes some of the technological aspects of a project devoted to the creation of a factory for language resources. The project’s objectives are explained, as well as the idea to create a distributed infrastructure of web services. This document focuses on two main topics of the factory: (1) the technological approaches chosen to develop the factory, i.e. software, protocols, servers, etc. (2) and Interoperability as the main challenge is to permit different NLP tools work together in the factory. This document explains why XCES and GrAF are chosen as the main formats used for the linguistic data exchange.

Long-term impacts of forest harvesting related soil disturbance on log product yields and economic potential in a New Zealand forest

Abstract

Safety and Mobility Impacts of Winter Weather --Phase 3, SPR RB01-012, 2014

Highway agencies spend millions of dollars to ensure safe and efficient winter travel. However, the effectiveness of winter-weather maintenance practices on safety and mobility are somewhat difficult to quantify. Safety and Mobility Impacts of Winter Weather - Phase 1 investigated opportunities for improving traffic safety on state-maintained roads in Iowa during winter-weather conditions. In Phase 2, three Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) high-priority sites were evaluated and realistic maintenance and operations mitigation strategies were also identified. In this project, site prioritization techniques for identifying roadway segments with the potential for safety improvements related to winter-weather crashes, were developed through traditional naïve statistical methods by using raw crash data for seven winter seasons and previously developed metrics. Additionally, crash frequency models were developed using integrated crash data for four winter seasons, with the objective of identifying factors that affect crash frequency during winter seasons and screening roadway segments using the empirical Bayes technique. Based on these prioritization techniques, 11 sites were identified and analyzed in conjunction with input from Iowa DOT district maintenance managers and snowplow operators and the Iowa DOT Road Weather Information System (RWIS) coordinator.

Allocation of above-ground growth in Pinus sylvestris - impacts of tree size and competition

Abstract

Audit report of Debt Service and Coverage for Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of June 30, 2014

Audit report of Debt Service and Coverage for Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of June 30, 2014

Technology News, October-December 2014

Technology News is a newsletter produced by the Iowa Department of Transportation to provide information to the transportation specialist in Iowa's cities and counties. Technology News is one of CTRE's primary avenues for exchanging transportation-related information with local agencies. The bimonthly newsletter gives an up-to-date look to the up-to-date information our 2,500+ readers have grown to expect.

Medicinal application of long synthetic peptide technology.

This review covers the latest developments of long synthetic peptide technology for the rapid identification and development of malaria vaccine candidates and immunological modulators. A brief description of the two most common solid-phase synthetic procedures, together with the latest advances in optimisation of peptide chain assembly and analytical instrumentation, is given, with special attention to non-specialists. Several examples of vaccine candidates developed in the authors' or their collaborators' laboratories are also provided.

Technology News, January-March 2015

Technology News is a newsletter produced by the Iowa Department of Transportation to provide information to the transportation specialist in Iowa's cities and counties. Technology News is one of CTRE's primary avenues for exchanging transportation-related information with local agencies. The bimonthly newsletter gives an up-to-date look to the up-to-date information our 2,500+ readers have grown to expect.

Technology-enhanced education for Millennials: how the Information Society is changing the way of learning

The Information Society has provided the context for the development of a new generation, known as the Millennials, who are characterized by their intensive use of technologies in everyday life. These features are changing the way of learning, prompting educational institutions to attempt to better adapt to youngneeds by incorporating technologies into education. Based on this premise, wehave reviewed the prominent reports of the integration of ICT into education atdifferent levels with the aim of evidencing how education is changing, and willchange, to meet the needs of Millennials with ICT support. The results show thatmost of the investments have simply resulted in an increase of computers andaccess to the Internet, with teachers reproducing traditional approaches to education and e-learning being seen as complementary to face-to-face education.While it would seem that the use of ICT is not revolutionizing learning, it isfacilitating the personalization, collaboration and ubiquity of learning.

Impacts of Internal Curing on Concrete Properties, TR-676, 2015

Conventional concrete is typically cured using external methods. External curing prevents drying of the surface, allows the mixture to stay warm and moist, and results in continued cement hydration (Taylor 2014). Internal curing is a relatively recent technique that has been developed to prolong cement hydration by providing internal water reservoirs in a concrete mixture that do not adversely affect the concrete mixture’s fresh or hardened physical properties. Internal curing grew out of the need for more durable structural concretes that were resistant to shrinkage cracking. Joint spacing for concrete overlays can be increased if slab warping is reduced or eliminated. One of the most promising potential benefits from using internal curing for concrete overlays, then, is the reduced number of joints due to increased joint spacing (Wei and Hansen 2008).

The environmental roots of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the epigenetic impacts of globalization

BACKGROUND: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasing worldwide. We hypothesize that environmental factors (including social adversity, diet, lack of physical activity and pollution) can become "embedded" in the biology of humans. We also hypothesize that the "embedding" partly occurs because of epigenetic changes, i.e., durable changes in gene expression patterns. Our concern is that once such factors have a foundation in human biology, they can affect human health (including NCDs) over a long period of time and across generations. OBJECTIVES: To analyze how worldwide changes in movements of goods, persons and lifestyles (globalization) may affect the "epigenetic landscape" of populations and through this have an impact on NCDs. We provide examples of such changes and effects by discussing the potential epigenetic impact of socio-economic status, migration, and diet, as well as the impact of environmental factors influencing trends in age at puberty. DISCUSSION: The study of durable changes in epigenetic patterns has the potential to influence policy and practice; for example, by enabling stratification of populations into those who could particularly benefit from early interventions to prevent NCDs, or by demonstrating mechanisms through which environmental factors influence disease risk, thus providing compelling evidence for policy makers, companies and the civil society at large. The current debate on the '25 × 25 strategy', a goal of 25% reduction in relative mortality from NCDs by 2025, makes the proposed approach even more timely. CONCLUSIONS: Epigenetic modifications related to globalization may crucially contribute to explain current and future patterns of NCDs, and thus deserve attention from environmental researchers, public health experts, policy makers, and concerned citizens.