From Science direct: One of the nanowires was covered with a 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate based compound to prevent hydrogen from reaching the wire. The compound was dried by a UV source and tested in chamber for comparison with previous measurements. The results shows that temperature effects can be reduced by a digital signal processing algorithm without measuring temperature near or at the substrate. With this method no additional temperature probes are necessary making this solution a candidate for ultra low power wireless applications.
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Author supplied from the article: Abstract A temperature compensated hydrogen sensor was designed and made capable of detecting H2 within a broad range of 100–10.000 ppm while compensating instantaneously for large (±25 °C) temperature variations. Two related operational constraints have been simultaneously addressed: (1) Selective, and sensitive detection under large temperature changes, (2) Fast warning at low and increasing H2 levels. Accurate measurements of hydrogen concentrations were enabled by matching relevant time-constants. This was achieved with a microchip having two temperature coupled palladium nanowires. One of the H2 sensitive Pd nanowires was directly exposed to hydrogen, whilst the other nanowire was used as a temperature sensor and as a reference. A drop forging technique was used to passivate the second Pd wire against H2 sensing. Temperature effects could be substantially reduced with a digital signal processing algorithm. Measurements were done in a test chamber, enabling the hydrogen concentration to be controlled over short and long periods. An early response for H2 sensing is attainable in the order of 600 milliseconds and an accurate value for the absolute hydrogen concentration can be obtained within 15 s.
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from the article: The demand for a wireless CO2 solution is ever increasing. One of the biggest problems with the majority of commercial available CO2 sensors is the high energy consumption which makes them unsuitable for battery operation. Possible candidates for CO2 sensing in a low power wireless application are very limited and show a problematic calibration process. This study focuses on one of those EMF candidates, which is a Ag4RbI5 based sensor. This EMF sensor is based on the potentiometric principle and consumes no energy. The EMF cell was studied in a chamber where humidity, temperature and CO2 level could be controlled. This study gives an detailed insight in the different drift properties of the potentiometric CO2 sensor and a method to amplify the sensors signal. Furthermore, a method to minimize the several types of drift is given. With this method the temperature drift can be decreased by a factor 10, making the sensor a possible candidate for a wireless CO2 sensor network.
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Abstract gepubliceerd in Elsevier: Introduction: Recent research has identified the issue of ‘dose creep’ in diagnostic radiography and claims it is due to the introduction of CR and DR technology. More recently radiographers have reported that they do not regularly manipulate exposure factors for different sized patients and rely on pre-set exposures. The aim of the study was to identify any variation in knowledge and radiographic practice across Europe when imaging the chest, abdomen and pelvis using digital imaging. Methods: A random selection of 50% of educational institutes (n ¼ 17) which were affiliated members of the European Federation of Radiographer Societies (EFRS) were contacted via their contact details supplied on the EFRS website. Each of these institutes identified appropriate radiographic staff in their clinical network to complete an online survey via SurveyMonkey. Data was collected on exposures used for 3 common x-ray examinations using CR/DR, range of equipment in use, staff educational training and awareness of DRL. Descriptive statistics were performed with the aid of Excel and SPSS version 21. Results: A response rate of 70% was achieved from the affiliated educational members of EFRS and a rate of 55% from the individual hospitals in 12 countries across Europe. Variation was identified in practice when imaging the chest, abdomen and pelvis using both CR and DR digital systems. There is wide variation in radiographer training/education across countries.
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Habitual behavior is often hard to change because of a lack of self-monitoring skills. Digital technologies offer an unprecedented chance to facilitate self-monitoring by delivering feedback on undesired habitual behavior. This review analyzed the results of 72 studies in which feedback from digital technology attempted to disrupt and change undesired habits. A vast majority of these studies found that feedback through digital technology is an effective way to disrupt habits, regardless of target behavior or feedback technology used.
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Purpose: This paper aims to present the findings from a European study on the digital skills gaps in tourism and hospitality companies. Design/methodology/approach: Mixed methods research was adopted. The sample includes 1,668 respondents (1,404 survey respondents and 264 interviewees) in 5 tourism sectors (accommodation establishments, tour operators and travel agents, food and beverage, visitor attractions and destination management organisations) in 8 European countries (UK, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands and Bulgaria). Findings: The most important future digital skills include online marketing and communication skills, social media skills, MS Office skills, operating systems use skills and skills to monitor online reviews. The largest gaps between the current and the future skill levels were identified for artificial intelligence and robotics skills and augmented reality and virtual reality skills, but these skills, together with computer programming skills, were considered also as the least important digital skills. Three clusters were identified on the basis of their reported gaps between the current level and the future needs of digital skills. The country of registration, sector and size shape respondents’ answers regarding the current and future skills levels and the skills gap between them. Originality/value: The paper discusses the digital skills gap of tourism and hospitality employees and identifies the most important digital skills they would need in the future.
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Standard SARS-CoV-2 testing protocols using nasopharyngeal/throat (NP/T) swabs are invasive and require trained medical staff for reliable sampling. In addition, it has been shown that PCR is more sensitive as compared to antigen-based tests. Here we describe the analytical and clinical evaluation of our in-house RNA extraction-free saliva-based molecular assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. Analytical sensitivity of the test was equal to the sensitivity obtained in other Dutch diagnostic laboratories that process NP/T swabs. In this study, 955 individuals participated and provided NP/T swabs for routine molecular analysis (with RNA extraction) and saliva for comparison. Our RT-qPCR resulted in a sensitivity of 82,86% and a specificity of 98,94% compared to the gold standard. A false-negative ratio of 1,9% was found. The SARS-CoV-2 detection workflow described here enables easy, economical, and reliable saliva processing, useful for repeated testing of individuals.
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Brochure from the Inauguration of Klaas Dijkstra, professor Computer Vision and Data Science
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Digital technologies permeate and transform organisational practices. As a society, we need means to explore the uncharted terrain that lies ahead and the desirability and consequences of possible courses of action to move forward. We investigate a design approach, called ‘future probing’, to envision and critically analyse possible futures around digital technologies. We first reconstruct our journey and describe related insights on the process, content and context level. Reflecting on the journey, we then extract a key insight revolving around the challenge for participants to link back from exploring the future to their present practice. In a first attempt at theorizing these difficulties, we see future probing as a practice that opens up adaptive space (Uhl-Bien & Arena, 2017) in which people from different backgrounds engage in dialogue about possible futures of digital technologies. We found that adaptive processes, like semi structuring, temporary decentralisation, and collaboration (Uhl-Bien & Arena, 2018) were supported by the future probing practices and seemed to create space for employees to engage in exploration. There was still a lack of compelling acts of brokering and network cohesion (Uhl-Bien & Arena, 2018). This may indicate why linking back to daily practice is challenging. We assume that organising for adaptability requires a deliberate act of connecting far future explorations with present action, and propose that besides explorative skills, ‘adaptive anticipating’ action is needed to make the connection and that linking back through near future experiments might be a way to achieve this.
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Higher educational institutions incorporate projects into their curricula, in which students, together with educators, researchers and professionals from practice, try to find solutions for real, societal problems, to develop relevant skills. Because such solutions are increasingly digital with high impact on society, ethical responsibility is an important part of these skills. In this study, we analyze two cases of digital innovation projects in higher education in which the concept of the Ethical Matrix is adapted and integrated in a Value Sensitive Design approach and applied by educators (case 1) and by students (case 2). We find that an adapted version of the Ethical Matrix supports educators and students in taking values of different types of stakeholders into account which leads to different design choices.
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