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While various enablers or inhibitors of advanced technology adoption have been identified, scholars rarely investigate how construction practitioners' attitudes toward innovation may affect their behaviour. This study aims to investigate (1) how the characterizations of innovation are perceived by construction practitioners; (2) and how may these perceptions affect their companies' adoption of advanced technology in projects. Data was collected from greater Melbourne Australia through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate when advanced technology is presented as an incremental innovation, a form of innovation that only leads to small and gradual practice changes, construction practitioners and their respective companies generally welcome its adoption. However, if a particular type of advanced technology is perceived as a radical innovation, a form of innovation that can lead to a substantial change in practice and unpredictable outcomes, construction practitioners may resist its adoption. This study reveals successful implementation of advanced technology is not dependent on the organization's capability, but their motivation to change. With limitations about the sample size and location of data collection, the findings of this study improve our understanding about the organizations' behavior of advanced technology adoption. Future studies are suggested to be focused on creating the necessary conditions to foster behavioural change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral disease, as a class of diseases with very high morbidity, brings great physical and mental damage to people worldwide. The increasing burden and strain on individuals and society make oral diseases an urgent global health problem. Since the treatment of almost all oral diseases relies on materials, the rapid development of advanced materials and technologies has also promoted innovations in the treatment methods and strategies of oral diseases. In this review, we systematically summarized the application strategies in advanced materials and technologies for oral diseases according to the etiology of the diseases and the comparison of new and old materials. Finally, the challenges and directions of future development for advanced materials and technologies in the treatment of oral diseases were refined. This review will guide the fundamental research and clinical translation of oral diseases for practitioners of oral medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today’s uncertain market and continuously evolving technology, managing manufacturing systems are more complex than ever. This paper studies the dynamics of managing variety and volume to enhance value creation in manufacturers implementing system-level advanced and automated manufacturing technology (AAMT). The demand is composed of heterogeneous customers who make purchasing decisions depending on the variety levels and lead times of the firm’s product offerings. The cost structure adopted calculates profit as the difference between customer value creation rate (VCR) and costs associated with the process of creating this value. Reported results contribute to the variety and volume management literature by offering analytical clarity of factors affecting product platforms and capacity scalability management for systems with AAMT. In addition, insightful answers to the trade-offs between profit maximising market coverage and investments, smoothing demand policies and system stability for this type of environment are presented. Furthermore, the value of market information in deciding the industrial technology investment and also the impact of product life cycle on the same investment is captured. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In order to perform laparoscopic procedures, a surgeon requires an assistant to hold the camera. Problems with this approach include table crowding leading to poor ergonomics, and miscommunication leading to poor images. AutoLap is a novel FDA-approved camera navigation system. We present our experience with this device and compare it to human camera holders. The study design included an initial training period followed by a non-randomized allocation between robotic and human camera holder cohort. Data included set up time, ergonomics and usability (via nurse, surgeon and camera holder questionnaire) and image stability recorded via the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), describing linear acceleration (in unit gravity [g]) and horizontal acceleration (Angular Velocity in rad/s). Twenty-six patients were equally divided between human and robotic camera holders. Image stability were significantly better for the robotic camera holder. Median angular velocity was 0.029 and 0.005 rad/s for human and the AutoLap system, respectively (p-value <.001). Linear acceleration was 0.011 and 0.007 [g] (p-value.015). Positive feedback for the robotic system included greater surgeon comfort (92%) and improved nurse – surgeon interaction (100%). The AutoLap system provides improved image stability, team-work, and ergonomic comfort for the surgical team with minimum set-up time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is technically demanding and time-consuming. Moreover, it bears a high risk of adverse events compared to other endoscopic methods, due to the lack of tissue manipulation. Robotic technology can significantly reduce the time of the procedure and increase the rate of complete resection for ESD. In the case of an unclear deep margin it allows to proceed to the full-thickness excision of the bowel wall. While the gain over transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) is limited today, the longer systems currently under development will allow these complex procedures to be performed at least in the left side of the colon. The shows the application of the Flex Robotic System to perform an ESD and a full-thickness excision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first interventional attempts at relieving mitral valve disease were in a sense minimally invasive, using relatively small incisions and introduction of instruments or a finger to open stenotic valves on the beating heart. The development of reliable cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) made exact anatomic repair of mitral pathology possible with improved results. Mitral valve surgery on an arrested heart has been the mainstay of treatment for decades. Modifications and minimalization of the surgical approach using videoscopic or robotic instruments have made less invasive procedures possible. Such procedures demand excellent technical skills and are still not widely adopted. More recently, attempts have been made to repair mitral valves using endovascular access on the beating heart, guiding the repair process with real-time imaging. We are presenting a review of available and developing techniques for endovascular repair of the mitral valve. A device developed by our group will be briefly described. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: To evaluate the level of agreement of simulated wired and Wi-Fi vital signs output from an intra-aortic balloon pump during exposure to electromagnetic interference from frequency overlapping ZigBee sensors. Material and methods: A series of experiments with interference from single and multiple ZigBee sensors were benchmarked with wired and Wi-Fi output. Tests included single ZigBee sensor adjacent and co-channel interference, and multiple ZigBee interferences towards the Wi-Fi receiver and transmitter. Results: Interference-free differences between wired and wireless aortic blood pressure and electrocardiogram were very small, verified by time domain and Bland - Altman plots. Bland - Altman plots comparing level of agreement in wired and wireless aortic blood pressure and ECG output during interference experiments showed a difference from 0.2 to 0.3 mmHg for blood pressure, and from 0.001 to 0.004 mV for electrocardiogram. Conclusions: Level of agreement in wired and wireless (Wi-Fi) arterial blood pressure and electrocardiogram during single or multiple sensor interference was high. No clinically relevant degradation of Wi-Fi transmission of aortic blood pressure or ECG signals was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology application is deemed an effective way to further construction safety management. Various technologies have been adopted for construction safety, including information communication technology (ICT), sensor-based technology, 3S (GIS/GPS/RS) technology, radio frequency identification (RFID) and virtual reality. A review of previous studies in the area of technology applications for construction safety would be indispensable for the main stakeholders in this field to share innovative research findings and gain access to future research trends. A three-step method was used to obtain relevant publications (119 papers met the ultimate selection criteria) and compile a database of the findings. The results present a general review of technology application for construction safety from the aspects of number of papers published annually, publication type, publication name, country/region of distribution, research level, project phase and project type. Corresponding analysis was performed with the collected data and the radar chart was used for analysing the trend of technology application for construction safety and the trend of research topics. Five research gaps were identified in the review process. The trends and gaps can serve as motivation for researchers and practitioners to work on the next generation of studies and the development of future effective measures, which can ensure a safe construction environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimally invasive thyroid surgery using various techniques is well described. The present study reviews our initial experience with the technique with added intraoperative monitoring to assess its safety and feasibility. The study group consisted of ten consecutive patients with suspicious thyroid nodules who were candidates for thyroid lobectomy from September to December 2009. All patients underwent intraoperative nerve integrity monitoring and postoperative direct laryngoscopy. The patients' demographic information, operative times, learning curve, complications, and postoperative hospital stay were evaluated. All procedures were successfully completed with intraoperative nerve monitoring. No cases were converted to an open procedure. The median age was 38.5 years (σ == 13.5) and nine of the ten patients were females. The mean operating time was 131 minutes (range 101-203 minutes) and the mean operating time with the da Vinci system was 55 minutes. All patients were discharged home after an overnight stay. One patient developed transient radial nerve neuropathy that resolved spontaneously. There were no other postoperative complications. None of the patients complained of postoperative neck pain. Postoperative laryngoscopy showed intact and mobile vocal cords in all patients. Robotic endoscopic thyroid surgery with gasless transaxillary approach is feasible and safe in the treatment of suspicious thyroid nodules. Monitoring of the RLN during this approach is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of the perceived barriers to career advancement specific to women in the advanced technology sectors. Strategies employed in response to perceived barriers are also examined. Empirical results are based on analysis of qualitative data from a sample of 115 women members of Canadian Women in Technology. Personal-, firm- and industry-level barriers to career advancement were documented. The respondents attributed a high proportion of the challenges they encountered to gender. Respondents were most likely to resolve challenges through personal, or ‘do-it-yourself’, solutions. Few cited firm- or industry-related support structures. While mentoring was identified as a frequently used response strategy through which women address career challenges, the majority of firms in the advanced technology sector lack sufficient numbers of suitable women mentors. The lack of mentorship opportunities is particularly acute for women entrepreneurs. The findings are discussed from the context of contradictions between an industry need to attract and retain entrepreneurial talent and respondents’ perceived career barriers. Industry-level remedial strategies are advanced in the form of: a women's mentoring programme; case studies about successful women entrepreneurs and a website to inform women about career advancement strategies. The programmes were designed by the research team to respond to the challenges cited by women and were implemented in cooperation with the trade association as a critical component of an on-going applied research programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article will review new technology in the invasive approach to mitral valvular disease. Mitral valve pathology continues to present an important challenge to the cardiac surgeon and interventionalist. From the early days of closed mitral valvular commisurotomy, a number of new approaches to this valve have been developed. Mitral stenosis was previously approached through a minimally invasive beating heart surgical approach, but may now be treated with either catheter-based or open surgical techniques. Regurgitation, which has become the leading pathology of the mitral valve in the developed world, may be approached through traditional cardiac surgery or through catheter-based techniques. New imaging techniques and device innovation will cause drastic changes in therapy for mitral valvular disease in the foreseeable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian industries and Australian workers are regularly exhorted to embrace new technologies, while successful high technology firms are held up for emulation. The purpose of this study was to develop an analysis of young workers' participation in technologically advanced industries. The research addressed the question of what, if anything, is special about employment in technologically advanced industries — and whether employment patterns, training provisions, skills and opportunities differed from other sectors of the labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]