PnP Innovations (United States)

The dedicated education unit (DEU) model was developed to address inadequacies in clinical nursing education. In contrast to the traditional clinical model, the DEU conceptualizes the cognitive apprenticeship theory by integrating bedside nurses into clinical educator roles, allowing students to be immersed in clinical settings that better prepare them for entry to practice. The Student Evaluation of Clinical Education Environment instrument was used to assess baccalaureate nursing students' perceptions of their DEU clinical experience. Students viewed their faculty, preceptors, and DEU sites positively; one-third of participants applied for employment at their DEU site.

The rapid growth of the aviation industry has increased the complexity of airport security systems, especially in restricted airside areas. One critical point is Checkpoint 2 at the cargo terminal of Minangkabau International Airport, where manual screening by Aviation Security (Avsec) officers persists without optimal use of supporting equipment such as X-Ray, WTMD, and HHMD. This study aims to identify hazard potentials arising from deviations from the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and to evaluate the effectiveness of screening technologies. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation during On the Job Training. Findings reveal that incomplete manual inspections, insufficient personnel, and the non-operational status of security equipment create significant security gaps that threaten flight safety and increase insider threat risks. The study recommends immediate technical verification of security tools, SOP retraining, and staff reinforcement to ensure standardized and effective screening processes. These findings contribute to the development of strategic improvements in air cargo area security.

To achieve deep decarbonization, renewable energy generation must be substantially increased. The technologies with the lowest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) are land-based photovoltaics (PVs) and wind energy. Agri-PVs offer the potential for dual land use, combining energy generation with agricultural activities. However, the costs of agri-PVs are higher than those of ground-mounted PV. To enhance the competitiveness of agri-PV, we investigate the synergies between agri-PVs and hydrogen electrolysis through process simulation. Additionally, we analyse current technological developments in agri-PVs based on a market analysis of start-up companies. Our results indicate that the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) can be comparable for agri-PVs and ground-mounted PVs due to the somewhat smoother electricity generation for the same installed capacity. The market analysis reveals the emergence of a technology ecosystem that integrates agri-PVs with next-generation agricultural technologies, such as sensors, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) agents, along with localized electricity generation forecasting. The integrated agri-PV and hydrogen generation system has significant global scaling potential for renewable energy generation. Furthermore, it positively impacts local economies and energy resilience, may reduce water scarcity in agriculture, and leverages advancements in AI, robotics, PV, and hydrogen generation technologies.

Urban creativity tends to be defined as a driving force of the ongoing changes in modern cities. While being a formally neutral term, the “creative,” in practice usually identifies all “good” sides of processes of urban transformations, especially those concerning the rise of spaces for sensual experiencing. The Creative City makes then a certain promise of aesthetic inclusion, enhanced participation, and autonomy for its citizens and visitors. However, the Creative City itself is neither an autonomous concept, nor the self-sufficient urban entity, but is entangled in economic, organizational, and social aspects of urban performance. All this makes us ask, is its promise trustworthy or rather empty?

本研究は製品開発プロセスの初期段階においてデザインを活用することの有効性を検証する。

Abstract Wells that produce hydrocabons or provide injection into the reservoir may have a long life span and often require intervention, by wireline or coil tubing, in order to optimize the production rates and oil/water/gas ratio. Scenarios where the casing/tubing is deformed or contains depositions of materials like for example scale or sand provides a challenging environment for conventional plugs to seal and hold pressure. This paper will provide insight into the field trial and development of a single run, multiple set barrier plug technology that was designed to mitigate the risks associated with conventional plug operations. The plug and electric manipulation tool (EMT) was run on wireline in a deviated production well with gas lift and set at three different depths to verify the location of a leak and elimate that the leak was in the one of the side pocket mandrels (SPM). All of the operational features of the technology was tested on this one run, including the selective equalization method and the ability to latch on and off with the running tool. In its first use the technology successfully verified that the leak was not in the SPMs and provided reliable data that shows that the ability to set and reposition a barrier multiple time can be useful in many applications as it improves operational efficiency and safety while at the same time reducing risk.

Patients in an ICU may receive daily chest x-rays. These x-rays are taken manually and may be at different phases of respiration, which limits their clinical usefulness. We examine design issues around automatically synchronizing an x-ray and ventilator in an interoperable manner, including requirements on the individual devices and new safety hazards introduced by connecting them into a system.

The terms “modular software design” and “reusable software” have come to be a joke in much of the aerospace industry and for the government officials managing aerospace programs. Every program touts its “modular software design” but this modularity is only realized with the realm of that individual project. Part of AFRL’s Space Plug-and-play Avionics (SPA) concept is the idea of modular, plug-and-play software that can be reused across multiple space programs developed by disparate teams of developers. Just as the idea of a parts depot for plug-and-play components has been advocated where you can take a part off the shelf and plugs it in and it “just works,” the idea of a software application store has also been put forward. The need for an overall software architecture involved in the design of reusable software for SPA is discussed.

Nanotechnology, building on its ability to control or manipulate structures at the atomic level, promises to develop effective drug-delivery systems. This is to be achieved through creating structures that have novel properties because of their small size. This is not an entirely new concept in site-targeted drug delivery, and this critical review examines recent contributions made by 'nanotechnology' to solve critical issues concerning the development of therapeutically effective and acceptable site-targeted drug delivery systems. It is shown that very little progress has been made. For nanotechnology rationally to generate materials useful in human therapy it will need to progress in full recognition of all the requirements biology places on the acceptability of exogenous materials.

With availability in every building and in every room on earth and applications that span Acess, In-home networking and Command and control, the potential for powerline communications is clear. But yet, even with global ubiquity and ease of use, powerline has taken years to reach wide spread use. Why? This talk will discuss the key ingredients that are needed to drive a global powerline standard and why offering only some or one of these ingredients will limit market penetration in the industry. The talk will also describe the history, recent activities and present intitiatives of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance towards a global powerline standard.