The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Dr. Konstantin Sobolev will speak at the University of Utah today, Nov. 17, on the impacts of nanotechnology in the field of cement and concrete.

The talk takes place at the Warnock Engineering Building Room L 102 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm.

Better understanding and precise engineering of an extremely complex structure of cement based materials at the nano-level will result in a new generation of concrete, stronger and more durable, with desired stress-strain behavior and possibly possessing the range of newly introduced “smart” properties.

The advances in instrumentation and computational science are enabling scientists and engineers to obtain unprecedented information about concrete, from the atomic through the continuum scale, and the role of nanoscale structures on performance and durability. This information is crucial for predicting the service life of concrete and for providing new insights on how it can be improved.

Konstantin Sobolev

New developments have taken place in the nano-engineering and nanomodification of concrete; however, current challenges need to be solved before the full potential of nanotechnology can be realized in concrete applications, including proper dispersion; compatibility of the nanomaterials in cement; processing, manufacturing, safety, and handling issues; and cost.

Additionally, introduction of these novel materials into the public sphere through civil infrastructure will necessitate an evaluation and understanding of the impact they may have on the environment and human health.

Dr. Sobolev is Research and Development Director of VICON Cement  Group, a diversified manufacturing, merchandising and research company, providing infrastructure, industry and small business consumers with distinctive products centered on upgrades to the global cement industry. For more information, visit www.viconcement.com.

Proposals are due Monday, Nov. 22, 2010 at 8:00 a.m.

The Centers of Excellence Program is a state-funded grant program developed by the Utah Legislature in 1986 to accelerate the commercialization of promising technologies that have strategic value for Utah.  The end goal of the COE Program is to help drive economic development and job creation.

Based on broad feedback, COE is piloting changes to the Program. Applications are due into the COE Offices by Monday, Nov. 22nd at 8:00 am.  The Solicitation terms and template can be found at:

http://www.goed.utah.gov/programs/coe/Centers-of-excellence-forms-guidelines/ .

The current plan for the updated program is to offer smaller, shorter solicitations three times during each fiscal year (July 1to June 30th).

The COE program will no longer conduct open solicitations. Instead, there will now be a prescreening mechanism to the application process that will be performed by the entities listed below.  Applicants will need to contact these entities to ascertain their prescreening deadlines.

• PhD granting colleges and universities (USU, U of U, and BYU) which have commercialization offices (TTO/TCO)
• Utah Science Technology and Research (USTAR) Technology Outreach and Innovation program (TOIP)

“These organizations will prescreen applicants and recommend those that they believe are prepared to take maximum advantage of the COE program,” said Nicole Toomey Davis, COE director. 

Other changes in the 2010-2011 solicitation include:

• Simplified application form for quicker submission and review
• Maximum grant funding for each proposal is $40,000. If successful, a team may apply for future funding one additional time (maximum of $80,000 total)

“The measuring stick for the program will still be quality jobs, with an emphasis on both

the value and pay of jobs created and the number of jobs created in Utah. Many of the teams that may apply for COE funding will either be, or lead to, startup companies. The intention of the program is that these startups will be established and stay in Utah.  It is expected that will be a key measure of the success of the program,” said Toomey Davis.

Any questions on submissions may be directed to Sharon Cox, COE program coordinator at (scox@utah.gov) or by phone at 801-538-8770.

Join us in networking and connecting with others in Utah’s renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. The following list of companies and organizations have already registered for the Summit on November 15, 2010.

Agenda and registration link are available at: http://goed.utah.gov/targeted-industries/targeted-industries-energy/

Aerospace Engineering & Support, Inc.
Alta Ski Area
Architectural Nexus
Austin Company
Ballard Spahr LLP
Box Elder County
Brahma Group Inc
Braza Solar Energy
Cedar City Corporation
Clear Green Partners
DAI
Davis Applied Technology College
DC Power Solutions
EcoProfit, Inc.
EDC Utah
ELECNOR S. A.
Ellis-Hall Consultants, LLC
Energy Dynamics Laboratory
Envirotherm
enXco
First Wind
Flying Sensors
Futura Industries
Garbett Homes
Garkane Energy
GLWN
Goal0
Governor’s Energy Advisor
Governor’s Office of Economic Development
Granite School District, Career & Tech E
Harris Lighting
Holme Roberts & Owen, LLP
Hunt Electric
Intermountain Wind and Solar
International Trade and Diplomacy

(more…)

Study may lead to clues about abnormalities in autism, schizophrenia, other disorders

By Kathy Wilets, University of Utah Health Sciences

University of Utah (U of U) medical researchers have uncovered a wiring diagram that shows how the brain pays attention to visual, cognitive, sensory, and motor cues. The research provides a critical foundation for the study of abnormalities in attention that can be seen in many brain disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and attention deficit disorder. The study appears Nov. 1, 2010, online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

“This study is the first of its kind to show how the brain switches attention from one feature to the next,” says lead researcher Jeffery S. Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., U of U assistant professor of radiology. Anderson and his team used MRI to study a part of the brain known as the intraparietal sulcus. “The brain is organized into territories, sort of like a map of Europe. There are visual regions, regions that process sound and areas that process sensory and motor information. In between all these areas is the intraparietal sulcus, which is known to be a key area for processing attention,” Anderson says. “We discovered that the intraparietal sulcus contains a miniature map of all of these territories. We also found an organized pattern for how control regions of the brain connect to this map in the intraparietal sulcus. These connections help our brain switch its attention from one thing to another.”

In addition, scientists discovered that this miniature map of all the things one can pay attention to is reproduced in at least 13 other places in the brain. They found connections between these duplicate maps and the intraparietal sulcus. Each copy appears to do something different with the information. For instance, one map processes eye movements while another processes analytical information. This map of the world that allows us to pay attention may be a fundamental building block for how information is represented in the brain.

Deborah Yurgelun-Todd

“The research uncovers how we can shift our attention to different things with precision,” says Anderson. “It’s a big step in understanding how we organize information. Furthermore, it has important implications for disease. There are several diseases or disorders where attention processing is off, such as autism, attention deficit disorder, and schizophrenia, among others. This research gives us the information to test theories and see what is abnormal. When we know what is wrong, we can talk about strategies for treatment or intervention.”

Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry in the U of U Schoold of Medicine and an investigator with the U of U Brain Institute and the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR), was the principal investigator and senior author of the study. The research was funded by a National Institutes of Health grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.