Data Probes as Boundary Objects for Technology Policy Design: Demystifying Technology for Policymakers and Aligning Stakeholder Objectives in Rideshare Gig Work
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Abstract This review article highlights recent advances in designing biomaterials to be interfaced with food and plants, with the goal of enhancing the resilience of the AgroFood infrastructure by boosting crop production, mitigating environmental impact, and reducing losses along the supply chain. Special attention is given to innovations in biomaterial‐based approaches and platforms for 1) seed enhancement through encapsulation, preservation, and controlled release of payloads (e.g., plant growth‐promoting microbes) to the seeds and their rhizosphere; 2) precision delivery of multi‐scale payloads to targeted plant tissues, organelles, and vasculature; 3) edible food coatings that regulate gas exchanges and provide antimicrobial properties to extend the shelf life of perishable food; and 4) food spoilage detection based on different sensor/reporter systems. Within each domain, biomaterials design principles, emerging micro‐/nanofabrication strategies, and the advantages and disadvantages of different delivery/preservation/sensing platforms are introduced and critically discussed. Views of future requirements, aims, and trends are also given based on the opportunities and challenges of applying biomaterials in the AgroFood system.more » « less
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The world of two-year degree in Engineering Technology (ET) technician preparation is conveniently recognized by its community of practices. The members of that extended community are labeled by their ET program participation elements. The nationally significant members include the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), the National Science Foundation Advanced Technical Education Program (NSF ATE), and the broad ET-supportive industry sectors. An appreciation of current ET technician preparation in the United States requires an examination of these three contributors to the ET national community of practice. This paper presents the characteristics of each of these community of practice members. Technician preparation examples from each will be presented and examined for similarities and differences. Suggestions for tightening the expectations for these three preparation sectors will be presented. The successful integration of ET technician preparation within 22 colleges in the Florida State College System will be presented. An overview of the seamless transition, as regulated by the Florida Department of Education, from high school Career and Technical education through two-year college, four-year ET programs, followed by paths to the ET Professional Engineer or graduate degree level, will also be presented. Specific industry involvement and responsibilities at the State ET program Advisory Board (SETIAB) level will be included in this paper.more » « less
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Technological innovation is a dynamic process that spans the lifecycle of an idea, from scientific research to production. Within this process, there are few key innovations that significantly impact a technology’s development, and the ability to identify and trace the development of these key innovations comes with a great payoff for researchers and technology managers. In this paper, we present a framework for identifying the technology’s main evolutionary pathway of a technology. What is unique about this framework is that we introduce new indicators that reflect the connectivity and the modularity in the interior citation network to distinguish between the stages of a technology’s development. We also show how information about a family of patents can be used to build a comprehensive patent citation network. Last, we apply integrated approaches of main path analysis (MPA) -- namely global main path analysis and global key-route main analysis -- for extracting technological trajectories at different technological stages. We illustrate this approach with Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs), a low-cost solar cell belonging to the group of thin film solar cells, contributing to the remarkable growth in the renewable energy industry. The results show how this approach can trace the main development trajectory of a research field and distinguish key technologies to help decision-makers manage the technological stages of their innovation processes more effectively.more » « less
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