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Larry Fradkin Deputy Regional Coordinator TABLE OF CONTENTS Technology Watch
Technology News
Conferences/Events
For more information on conferences and events: http://www.federallabs.org/newslink/ Serendipity in lab turns blood into stem cells by Amy Kile With a serendipitous start, Argonne biologists have found a source of pluripotent stem cells that is as close as the human blood stream.
Previously believed to be found only in bone marrow, which is difficult to collect, and embryonic cells, which raise ethical concerns, these flexible stem cells are rare. But with Argonne's findings, published in the March 4, 2003, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, stem cells may soon be plentiful and easy to harvest. These cells are termed pluripotent because they can morph into many specific body tissue cells. They are the research tools scientists and doctors need to study and treat diseases from cancer to Alzheimer's. Patients with spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, stroke and heart disease will also benefit from this research. Currently, donated organs and tissues are used to replace destroyed tissues, but donor demand exceeds supply. Stem cells induced to form other cell types would make a renewable source of new cells to treat diseases with transplantation or cell replacement therapy. For example, if stem cells are made to generate healthy heart muscle cells in the laboratory, they could be transplanted into chronic heart disease patients. Because they would come from a patient's own blood supply, the body would not reject the transplanted material, eliminating the need for harsh anti-rejection drugs. Similarly, stem cells coaxed to form neurons could be transplanted into the body to repair damaged nerve cells. Such a feat could possibly heal spinal cord injuries and treat neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Pluripotent stem cells could be the key to studying the human body from its embryonic stages to maturity, allowing researchers to see what intricate processes occur during both normal and abnormal development. But until now this flexible type of stem cell was not readily available. Although adult stem cells showed promise in some research areas, embryonic stem cells are more desirable to researchers because they start out unspecialized but can be manipulated into forming cells with specific functions. Argonne researchers may have found an abundant supply of pluripotent stem cells, which originate from adult rather than from embryonic tissue. Eliezer Huberman, group leader of gene expression and function at Argonne's Biochip Technology Center, showed that monocytes - immature white blood cells that are precursors to infection fighting cells called macrophages - in the human bloodstream can form pluripotent stem cells. Stem cell serendipity Huberman discovered the stem-cell like characteristics of monocytes when Yong Zhao, a postdoctoral fellow working with him in the center, became ill and could not attend the culture plates he was using for another experiment. Huberman, Zhao and David Glesne, also a biologist in the gene expression and function group, were studying the signals involved as monocytes are converted into macrophages. They inoculated culture plates with monocytes, supplementing the dish medium with various growth factors - proteins that bind to receptors on specific cells and promote their growth. These growth factors matured the monocytes into macrophages. When Zhao was ill, a monocyte culture did not receive fresh nutrients. Realizing the error, the biologists worked to salvage any remaining cells. When they viewed them under a microscope, they found that a fraction of the surviving cells had not differentiated into ordinary macrophages. "We found that some of the surviving cells had morphed into cells that were different than macrophages," said Huberman. "For example, we found that a few of them had the appearance of blood vessel cells, and others of nerve cells." Upon this discovery, Huberman decided to perform systematic experiments with monocytes to verify the accidental finding. For more information: Web site: http://www.anl.gov/OPA/logos21-2/stem01.htm Return to top Scanning Confocal Electron Microscope (SCEM) The Scanning Confocal Electron Microscope (SCEM) is an electron optical instrument that merges the principles of confocal imaging by combining the ease of a Scanning Electron Microscope and the penetration ability of both the Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscope and the Transmission/Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope.
Nestor Zaluzec of Argonne's Materials Science Division (MSD) developed the SCEM. Research was funded by the Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering. For more information on work in the Materials Service Division at Argonne, click here. For additional information contact the Office of Technology Transfer, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne Illinois 60453, 1-800-627-2596, or email partners@anl.gov. Return to top Large-Area Ultrananocrystalline Diamond Film and Deposition System The Large-Area Ultrananocrystalline Diamond Film and Deposition System (UNCD) is a diamond film technology and deposition system developed by Argonne and Innovation Plasma Systems. UNCD uses diamond grains only five nanometers in size to provide the first-ever affordable large-area diamond film coating, suitable for producing large area coatings for macro-devices, microelectromechanical systems and nanoelectromechanical system devices, biodevices and biosensors.
UNCD developers are MSD's Dieter Gruen, Orlando Auciello and John Carlisle, of Argonne's Materials Science Division, and Hildegard Sung-Spitzl and Ralf Spitzl of Innovative Plasma Systems. Research was funded by the Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering. For more information on work in the Materials Service Division at Argonne, click here. For additional information contact the Office of Technology Transfer, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne Illinois 60453, 1-800-627-2596, or email partners@anl.gov. Return to top Nanostructured Carbide Derived Carbon (CDC) The Nanostructured Carbide Derived Carbon (CDC) technology is a coating for sliding and rotating equipment applications. The coating can be grown at rates up to 100 micrometers per hour and is composed of graphite, diamond, amorphous carbon and carbon "nano-onions" (small carbon structures with concentric rings, resembling an onion). These components vary between 2 to 10 nanometers in thickness (one nanometer is one-billionth of a meter). Because of graded interface, the coating has a strong bonding to its substrates and does not delaminate under severe loading or sliding conditions. CDC has exceptional friction and wear resistance in many environments, such as wet, dry and high-temperature environments.
Ali Erdemir of Argonne's Energy Technology Division developed the CDC technology along with colleagues Michael J. McNallan of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Yury Gogotsi of the A. J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute, and students Sascha Weiz and Daniel Ersoy of the University of Illinois at Chicago. This is Erdemir's third R&D award. He received awards in 1991 and 1998 for a Boric Acid Lubricant and a Near Frictionless Carbon Coating, respectively. The Nanostructured Carbide Derived Carbon is a joint entry with Drexel University College of Engineering and the University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Civil Materials and Engineering. Research was funded by the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Industrial Technologies, Industrial Materials of the Future Program. For more information on work in the Energy Technology Division at Argonne, click here. For additional information contact the Office of Technology Transfer, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne Illinois 60453, 1-800-627-2596, or email partners@anl.gov. Return to top NIOSH, ASSE to Collaborate on Research to Prevent Work-Related Deaths, Injuries Fred Blosser, (202) 401-3749 (NIOSH) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, today signed an agreement with the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) to collaborate on research to prevent work-related deaths and injuries. NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard and ASSE President James "Skipper" Kendrick, CSP, signed the agreement at the National Occupational Injury Research Symposium (NOIRS) 2003 in Pittsburgh. "New technology and other changes in the 21st century workplace have created exciting opportunities for advancing workplace safety," said NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard. "We are pleased to join with ASSE in laying the groundwork to explore, design, evaluate, and introduce innovative tools and approaches for making workplaces safer." "We value the resources NIOSH brings to this collaboration,"
said ASSE's Kendrick. "The more tools our members have, the
likelier we are to see our co-workers arrive at work and return
home safe and without injuries. That is very important to all of
us."
NIOSH is the CDC agency that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. Committed to protecting people, property, and the environment, ASSE is the largest and oldest professional safety organization, representing more than 30,000 occupational safety, health, and environmental professional members who manage, supervise, and consult on safety, health, transportation, and environmental issues. More information about NIOSH is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh. More information about ASSE is available at www.asse.org Return to top NIOSH - Work-Related Roadway Crashes - Challenges and Opportunities for Prevention Work-related roadway crashes are the leading cause of death from traumatic injuries in the U.S. workplace. They continue to exact a substantial toll on American workers, accounting for nearly 12,000 deaths between 1992 and 2000. Deaths and injuries from these roadway crashes result in increased costs to employers and lost productivity. They bring needless pain and suffering to family, friends, and coworkers. Prevention of work-related roadway crashes poses one of the greatest challenges in occupational safety. The roadway is a unique work environment. Compared with other work settings, employers' ability to control working conditions and to exert direct supervisory controls is limited. Traffic volumes and road construction continue to increase. Workers may be pressured to drive faster and for longer periods and to use technologies that may lead to inattention to the driving task. The problem of work-related roadway crashes affects those who occasionally drive personal vehicles on the job as well as those who routinely drive commercial motor vehicles over long distances. Despite these challenges, progress can be made in reducing the toll of work-related roadway crashes on American workers and their families. Employers, government agencies, policy makers, industry, and the research community must all work actively toward this goal. This document provides a comprehensive view of the problem. It also identifies the groups of workers at greatest risk of traffic crashes, summarizes key issues that contribute to work-related roadway crashes, and recommends preventive measures for employers and other stakeholders. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), as the national agency responsible for occupational safety and health research, is committed to reducing the toll of work-related roadway crashes on American workers. We look forward to continuing to work with our public- and private-sector partners who have similar interests in protecting American workers who drive on the job. For more information: Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2003-119/ Return to top NIOSH Safety and Health Topic: Fighting Wildfires Among the various hazards fire fighters face are electrical hazards during wildland fire suppression activities. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that 10 fire fighters died from contact with electricity during wildland fires between 1980 and 1999 (this figure does not include lightning strikes) [NFPA 2001]. As part of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, NIOSH investigated two separate incidents in 1999 in which fire fighters died or were seriously injured from exposures to electricity while fighting wildland fires [NIOSH 1999a,b]. Fire fighters performing fireground operations near downed power lines may be exposed to electric shock hazards through the following means [NWCG 1998; IFSTA 1998b]:
For more information: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/firefighting/ Return to top CERC - Fuel Cells Keep Navy Powered During August Blackout Proton Exchange Membrane Units Perform as Designed in New York
When much of the northeastern United States blacked out on August 14, several families at the Naval Support Unit in Saratoga Springs, NY, still had electricity. Their houses are equipped with proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, which were installed under the DoD Fuel Cell Demonstration Program. Please click here to read about it. More information about CERL's work related to distributed generation is available here. For more information: Web site: http://www.cecer.army.mil/td/tips/index.cfm Return to top Forest Products Laboratory unit honored for helping rural, forest-dependent communities revitalize their economies During the past decade, people in many rural communities in the Western United States suffered severe economic consequences as local sawmills and other forest-related businesses closed, largely as a result of forest-management policies that greatly reduced the amount of timber harvested from national forests. To assist these recently impoverished communities, the Technology Marketing Unit of the USDA Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) has sought to help their residents find and develop alternative businesses. This month, the FPL's Technology Marketing Unit (TMU) was named by Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman to receive the U.S. Department of Agriculture Honor Award for "enhancing the capacity of all rural residents, communities and businesses to prosper." The award will be presented in a Washington ceremony today (June 13). The award to the TMU recognizes the unit's accomplishments in providing technical assistance to a number of rural communities such as Hayfork, Calif.; Enterprise, Ore.; Darby, Mont.; Cameron, Ariz.; and Mountainair, N.M. The TMU provides a range of technical assistance, such as helping identify new business opportunities or finding sources of funding for new forest-related ventures. For example, they provided technical advice to enable one community to expand its small businesses to include wood flooring and furniture products. They helped another community save money through converting a school heating system from propane to wood chips from a forest-restoration project. FPL's TMU is headed by Susan LeVan-Green, program manager, and includes: Rick Bergman, chemical engineer; Rusty Dramm, forest products technologist; Gerry Jackson, marketing specialist; Mark Knaebe, wood technologist; Jean Livingston, communications specialist; Adele Olstad, visual information specialist; Kathleen Walker, program assistant; and Forest Service retiree John Zerbe. In addition to the FPL's TMU, an FPL economist, Henry Spelter, was selected to receive the USDA award for his work dealing with timber supplies, prices and disputes over subsidies. The USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory, located in Madison, Wis., was established in 1910 with the mission of conserving and extending America's wood resources. Today, its research scientists explore ways to promote healthy forests and clean water, and improve papermaking and recycling processes. Through FPL's Advanced Housing Research Center, researchers also evaluate homebuilding technologies, designs and materials. For more information: Web site: http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/notices.htm Return to top FPL - Reducing forest fire risk and providing clean water with one simple solution Ask anyone whether having clean drinking water or reducing our nation's forest fire risk are important issues, and just about everyone will say "yes." O.K., you say, but what's the connection? A new technology being developed by the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) may make the solution more closely related than you realize. The fire season We are experiencing a fire season this summer similar to the devastation we saw during the summer of 2000. Current Forest Service figures put us on pace to spend about $1.4 billion this year in the battle against forest fires. One of the culprits is an overabundance of small trees (typically three to nine inches in diameter, depending on what species and where you are) in our Western forests due to years of successful fire suppression. These small trees serve as fuel for fires, making them burn hotter and more destructively than in the past. The problem is, these trees need to be thinned, but it is very expensive and there is not currently much of a market for them.
According to Forest Service estimates, over 70 million acres of our National Forests need thinning, and that doesn't include state and private land. Thinning costs from $150 to $500 per acre. If a market could be developed for these small trees, that might offset some of the cost. Researchers at the FPL think they may not only have found a use for these small-diameter trees, but may have also found a way to help Americans with another vexing problem: not having enough clean water. Providing clean water for Americans According to United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates, over 90 percent of Americans live within 10 miles of an impaired body of water. Filtering contaminants from water is both challenging and expensive. Global spending on filtration is estimated to grow from a $17 billion business in 1998 to $75 billion in 2020. And for problems such as parking lot, farm or acid mine run-off, the costs of filtering water can be prohibitive. That's where FPL researchers step in. "We've got a system that not only is effective at reducing pollutants, but it does so cheaply using readily available local species," says Roger Rowell, FPL project leader. "Better yet, we can use problem species that need to be thinned to help solve our fire problem." Rowell says Juniper is a great example. The Juniper problem in the Southwest Juniper is a low-value species whose growth has run rampant in the Southwest, making it not only a fire hazard, but also causing it to choke off other native species. However, the chemical makeup of juniper makes it particularly adept for use in water filters. Juniper is being used in Ohio's Wayne National Forest (home to a large number of abandoned mines, see sidebar) to clean heavy metals from acid mine run-off. According to Rowell, the filters have been about 80 percent effective in removing the heavy metals. Another benefit is that filter production could provide a spark for small businesses in the West hurt by the decline of logging on our Nation's forests. But that's not where the story ends. Another twist? New York's Catskill Mountains are home to a number of dairy farms. A byproduct of dairy farming is phosphates. Phosphates are found in the detergents used to clean the milk parlors. The wash from the dairy farms can flow downstream into the New York City watershed, which serves as a drinking water source for over 60 million people. But according to James Han, FPL research chemist, researchers have discovered an interesting twist in the battle against agricultural run-off. "The chemical make-up of the filters from the Wayne after they've removed heavy metals makes them excellent at removing phosphates from streams leaving the Catskills. So rather than disposing of the filters after they've done their job on the Wayne, we can get even more mileage out of them by using them in New York," says Han. According to Han, most of the filtering systems on the market right now would be cost prohibitive for farmers. FPL's filters are cheap, easy to produce, and work well. Another plus is that locally available species could be used. But Han likes one particular aspect of juniper. "After two weeks in a filter box, juniper doesn't smell as bad as most other species," he chuckles. Other possibilities The water filters are also being used to clean cranberry bogs in Massachusetts and parking lot run-off in Wisconsin. They have been proven effective at removing oils, sediment, and pesticides among other things. And there are other ideas in the works. Rowell says one interesting development may be to use the slash left over after forest fires to make erosion control mats to protect the fragile soil left after the fire. "This technology has a ton of potential. What we need are partners to help us get it implemented," he says. For more information or to see pictures of the filters in action, go to www.fpl.fs.fed.us and click on "featured research." Or call Roger Rowell at 608-231-9416. Return to top FNAL - Point of View: RUN II - It's Time to Move On—Together Last month Fermilab Director Mike Witherell announced the cancellation of the CDF and DZero silicon detector upgrades for Run II. While not entirely unexpected, this announcement was a great disappointment to many of us. I have lost count of how many times I have been asked how I feel about this decision. This brief article is an attempt to answer that question. It's a very personal view, not an official statement of laboratory or experiment policy. I haven't made any attempt at spin control, and aspects of the drama are still playing out, but I hope these words will prove helpful in the long run. When the announcement came, the first, instinctive, reaction was that the cancellation must not be allowed to happen. Personally, I have fought as hard as anyone for these projects and I did not want to see them stopped in their tracks. But there is a time for fighting and a time to move on. While the director was deliberating, I saw it as my right and responsibility to act as the strongest possible advocate for the silicon upgrade program. Now that the decision is final, for me to continue in that vein would be counterproductive. (It would be like arguing with a girlfriend who has left you; you'll never get her back that way. You have to move on.) It is time to accept what has happened, acknowledge our disappointment, draw a line under it, and focus on the future. It is important that we do not weaken the laboratory, damage our program, or divert effort from addressing the very real problems that face the lab-or from pursuing the physics we are doing here. Those of us very close to the projects may not be ready to acknowledge this yet, but to a large fraction of the high-energy physics community, the director's decision was the right thing to do. For more information: Web site: http://www.fnal.gov/pub/ferminews/ferminews03-10-01/p1.html Return to top USDA Agricultural Research Agency Turns 50
by Kim
Kaplan WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 - The Agricultural Research Service, chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, marks its 50th anniversary today. ARS' accomplishments during the past half century include development of the leading mosquito repellent, development of vaccines to protect chickens against economically devastating diseases, creation of a key equation to reduce soil erosion, and the discovery of two new forms of life--viroids and spiroplasmas. Viroids are strands of ribonucleic acid (RNA) that can cause disease in plants and crops; spiroplasmas, which also are responsible for many plant diseases, are life forms with no cell wall and one of the smallest genomes of any living organism. For more information: Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=1261
Return to top New ARS Technology Cuts Cotton Gin Noise A device developed by an Agricultural Research Service engineer for use in cotton gins improves worker comfort and safety, reducing one source of noise by 80 percent. W. Stanley Anthony, research leader of the ARS Cotton Ginning Research Unit in Stoneville, Miss., recently conducted a field trial in Marked Tree, Ark., in which standard doffing brush cylinders were replaced with quiet, solid-wound brush cylinders in lint cleaners. The solid-wound brush can be used in several types of gin machinery, including the two leading sources of noise in gins: gin stands and lint cleaners. A gin stand is where fiber is removed from the cottonseed. After cotton fiber is separated, lint cleaners then remove foreign matter and other contaminants that reduce the cotton's value. During the field trial, noise levels while using both brushes were measured on a logarithmic scale. Noise levels were reduced from 94 decibels measured on the logarithmic A-scale, used by industry to approximates the human ear--to 78 decibels, dramatically improving worker comfort. High noise levels in cotton gins can lead to hearing loss and decreased efficiency. More than 40,000 bales were processed using the solid-wound brush without any operational problems. Standard doffing brush cylinders have numerous brush sticks spaced about two inches apart around the perimeter of a large cylinder (typically 16-18 inches) as the cylinder turns, the sticks cause sound pulses at frequencies that irritate human ears. Solid-wound brushes have no pulse points; therefore, they do not generate noise pulses. Although solid-wound brush cylinders are used for various purposes in other pieces of equipment, such as street sweepers, Anthony was the first to demonstrate that they could be used for noise reduction in cotton gins. According to Anthony, solid-wound brush cylinders cost about as much as new standard brush cylinders. He is interested in cooperating with a brush manufacturer to develop a less-expensive refill for the solid-wound brush. Adoption of this technology in cotton gins would significantly reduce noise levels. For more information: Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2003/031016.htm Return to top Absorbent Polymer Has "Thirst for Knowledge" Cupped in the palm of one's hand, Super Slurper is a nondescript powder-until you add water. Then, starch-based polymers in Super Slurper "drink" the water right up, transforming the powder into a gel capable of retaining nearly 2,000 times its weight in moisture. Now, this same thirsty disposition could make Super Slurper worth its weight in gold to librarians and archivists. The Agricultural Research Service and Artifex Equipment, Inc., of Penngrove, Calif., are collaborating on tests of the polymer's ability to dry books, papers, photographs and other materials soaked by water from flooding, leaks and other disasters. Kathleen Hayes, coordinator for the Technology Transfer Information Center at ARS' National Agricultural Library (NAL), Beltsville, MD, thought of the idea while attending a March 2002 workshop hosted by the National Archives and Records Administration. She envisioned using Super Slurper as a fast, new way to salvage water-damaged materials, rather than air drying them-which is laborious and expensive-and as an alternative to vacuum freeze-drying, a recovery process that can take months and cause collateral damage. Artifex president Nicholas Yeager was intrigued, and conducted preliminary tests in which Super Slurper dried several wet books in about 10 minutes. Air drying methods, by comparison, take weeks—and mold growth can begin in just 48 hours. In August, Yeager signed a cooperative agreement with the NAL to continue testing. Besides checking for mold inhibition, his tests aim to gauge Super Slurper's ability to minimize other types of water damage, including wrinkled pages and swollen book bindings that take up 20 percent more shelf space. Super Slurper, for its part, must not produce any stains of its own nor mar an item's inks and pigments. J.L. Willett, a chemical engineer at the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill.—Super Slurper's "birthplace"—is on hand to technically advise Yeager, who may opt to market the polymer commercially. For more information: Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2003/030922.htm Return to top NSWC Crane and EG&G Sign Multi-Million Dollar Contract Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane), recently awarded an Omnibus contract, with a potential estimated value of $100,693,290 to EG&G Technical Services Corporation, Gaithersburg, Maryland, using "best value" acquisition procedures. EG&G employs 250 people on site at NSWC Crane from the surrounding area. Mr. Randy Wotring, Vice President and General Manager, Engineering and Technology Services for EG&G; Mr. Jim Schonberger, EG&G Operations Manager at NSWC Crane, Captain Dan Wise, Commanding Officer NSWC Crane, and Executive Director at NSWC Crane, Mr. Duane Embree, were in attendance for the official signing ceremony. Also in attendance were Mr. Larry Ordner, Office of Senator Richard Lugar; Mr. Troy Woodruff, Office of Congressman John Hostettler; and Mr. Matt Prine, Office of Congressman Steve Buyer. The contract, signed by Mr. Rick McGarvey, Contracting Officer, NSWC Crane, and Ms. Lori Jennings, Contract Administrator for EG&G, is a five-year, Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity, cost-reimbursement and firm-fixed price contract. EG&G will provide the Government with the opportunity to acquire high quality Electronics Engineering & Technical services with quick Procurement Administrative Lead Time. These services are in support of electronics-related operations performed in support of tasks managed by NSWC Crane. Captain Wise stated, "This partnership will enhance Crane's ability to provide state-of-the-art technical and engineering support as quickly and efficiently as we can to our warfighter." For more information: Web site: http://www.crane.navy.mil/newscommunity/press_EGG.asp?bhcp=1 Return to top Sixteen Schools Receive EPA Indoor Air Quality Awards Schools and individuals demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to improving indoor air quality received recognition at the fourth annual Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Symposium in Washington, D.C. Hosted by EPA, hundreds of school officials attended the symposium to discuss the basics of how to identify and resolve indoor environmental problems in schools. "Because children spend a significant amount of time in schools, we must ensure that our nation's schools are free of indoor pollutants and irritants that may affect the health and productivity of staff and students," said Acting EPA Administrator Marianne Horinko. "Schools that implement indoor air quality improvements as recommended by our Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program continue to see dramatic, positive results. We are proud to recognize these schools and school districts that have stepped up and taken action to make indoor air quality a priority. They provide a model for schools nationwide to proactively manage indoor air quality, which leads to a better learning environment. We hope that more and more schools choose to become involved, and we believe that the long_term health benefits for our children will be significant," Horinko said. Mold, mildew, dust, animal dander, radon, secondhand smoke, asbestos, and formaldehyde can affect indoor air quality and trigger various allergies and asthma. Asthma alone accounts for 14 million missed school days each year. The rate of asthma in young children has risen by 160 percent in the last 15 years, and today one out of every 13 school-age children has asthma. Twenty-two schools have implemented exemplary Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) programs and EPA is honoring them with the prestigious IAQ Tools for Schools Excellence Award. These award winners have implemented effective programs in their schools ranging from designing a new school building free of toxins and other hazards to developing district-wide policies for continuous training and maintenance. The individuals and schools are listed below. Since the creation of the IAQ TfS program, more than 10,000 schools across the country have voluntarily become involved. The IAQ TfS program teaches schools how to identify, resolve, and prevent IAQ problems through low- and no- cost measures. The program explains IAQ management, facility planning and maintenance, financing, communications, and emergency response. An IAQ Tools for Schools Kit also includes easy-to-use checklists for all school personnel, sample management plans, and a unique indoor air problem solving wheel. More information on the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program (IAQ TfS), the 2003 National Symposium, and the award-winners is available online at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools. For more information: Return to top Environmental Information Exchange Grants Awarded New Network will Transform EPA Data Exchange To simplify the sharing of environmental data, grants for continued work on the National Environmental Information Exchange Network were announced today by Acting Administrator Marianne Horinko. Forty-three states, two U.S. territories, and 16 Native American tribes received approximately $20 million in grants in the second phase of fiscal year 2003 funding. When complete, the Exchange Network will revolutionize the way states, tribes and other partners send information to EPA. States and other partners will no longer have to spend time and dollars to resolve hardware or data incompatibility problems in order to transfer data—they will not have to transmit the data at all. Instead they will establish nodes, special computers where they will store their environmental data, and EPA will collect the data using a universal format software language. "I am so pleased to announce these grants today," said Horinko. "For too long, states and other EPA partners have shouldered a disproportionate share of the work and costs of exchanging environmental data. EPA needs timely environmental information to make informed policy decisions. And the American public is entitled to view important environmental information on their communities. The federal government will be able to obtain needed information without the states and other partners incurring high costs." The creation of the Exchange Network is also part of the eGovernment Initiative of the President's Management Agenda, which mandates that the federal government take full advantage of modern information technology to make data more accessible to citizens and other interested parties. This initiative further encourages collaboration between federal, state, local and tribal affiliates in sharing technology to leverage limited state and tribal dollars. EPA anticipates that Congress will continue to fund the grant program for a third year in FY 2004. For more information: Return to top NCRS Newsletter Web site: http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/news/ Return to top MHTA and MTI Announce Finalists for 2003 Tekne Awards The Minnesota High Tech Association and Minnesota Technology Inc. honored the state's top technology companies and leaders at awards ceremony on October 23 MINNEAPOLIS - Sept. 16, 2003 - The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) and Minnesota Technology, Inc. (MTI), in partnership with Medical Alley, MNBIO and Minnesota Project Innovation, today named finalists for the Tekne Awards, the fourth annual celebration of companies and individuals who have shown superior technology innovation and leadership in Minnesota. Finalists for the 2003 Tekne Awards represent technology innovators
who have made lasting contributions to enhancing the quality of
life and competitiveness of Minnesota. The awards are separated
into categories that recognize leaders in innovation, development,
commercialization and management of technology in Minnesota. Tekne Award categories and finalists include: TECHNOLOGY COMPANY AWARD Advanced Manufacturing - Advanced materials and chemicals, machinery and equipment, electronics and components, measuring instruments, photonics, optics and lasers, and computer and peripheral equipment.
Biotechnology - Agriculture, environmental, food science and pharmaceuticals. Companies in this category were not singled out as emerging or established.
IT-Software, Communications, and Infrastructure - Software, networking, communications, and wireless equipment and products.
Technology Services - Finding innovative solutions for a client's use of technology.
Technology User - Innovative application of products or services resulting in dramatic business improvement or market advantage.
LEADERSHIP AWARD
INNOVATION AWARD
About MTI About MHTA Return to top MTI helps Jones Metal Products, Inc. complete SQS and ISO certification, conduct strategic and financial planning Jones Metal Products, Inc. Southern Minnesota's largest contract metal fabricator increases profitability through planning, certification Minnesota Technology, Inc. assists in marketing Mattracks's new LiteFoot™ rubber track conversion system, provides general export assistance Jones Metal Products, Inc., Mankato, was founded shortly after the beginning of World War II as a four-employee sheet metal company that fabricated component parts and outlet boxes for a Mankato engine generator manufacturer. Today, the company's state of the art equipment and commitment to quality, on-time delivery and overall excellence has led to their recognition as one of southern Minnesota's largest contract metal fabricating job shops, serving a wide variety of commercial, industrial, agricultural, and construction industries while employing a workforce of 100 who operate from a 90,000-square-foot plant. The company has grown steadily and currently has a large volume of repeat fabrication work for Fortune 500 companies, a testament to the value Jones Metal's customers place on the company's experience and extensive capabilities. Jones Metal has utilized a variety of Minnesota Technology, Inc. (MTI) services since 1991. So when the company wanted to diversify its customer base and increase productivity, they knew they could rely on MTI for help. MTI performed strategic, financial operations and marketing assessments to discover opportunities, establish a baseline and position the company's decision-making process toward future growth. Follow-on business intelligence services included researching competitor and customer profiles and identifying top prospects for new customers. MTI also assessed Jones Metal's existing MRP software system and quality system using the formal Supplier Qualification Survey (SQS) before helping them attain ISO 9000-2000 certification and conducting a Web site assessment. For more information: Web site: http://www.minnesotatechnology.org/newscenter/successstories/JonesMetal.asp Return to top |
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The
SCEM enables imaging of sub-surface structures of thick, optically
opaque materials, that previously required an X-ray microscope.
It also enables imaging at large fields of view and at small, billionths-of-a-meter
or nanometer-level resolution. The SCEM's main application is in
studies of nanomaterials, particularly the next generation of electronic,
magnetic and photonic devices. An example of these devices is anything
from high tech consumer electronics to the latest in multi-layered
high density R&D integrated circuits. 
UNCD
has a unique combination of mechanical, tribological, chemical,
electron transport, thermal transport and biocompatible properties
that enable life-improving technologies. For example, UNCD creates
very smooth, ultra-thin continuous films for hermetic coatings and
electrodes for a microchip-based retinal prosthesis to restore sight.
Industrial
partners are interested in using the coating to seal water pumps
in automotive engines to prevent dry-run failure and extend the
engine's lifetime. The development of this coating could save billions
of dollars and reduce energy consumption. 
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© 1999- Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer |