Strains of E. coli and salmonella kill about 1,250 Americans and infect more than 2 million others each year. As a result, government researchers have expanded their testing program for slaughter houses, with the focus on methods to speed tests for the deadly bacteria. They may not have to look beyond a new testing device developed at Springfield (MA) College. Most existing food tests yield initial results in two to three days, sometimes letting bad meat reach consumers, threaten health, and force recalls. The Springfield College test, according to inventors Chun-Kwun Wun, a microbiologist, and Frank J. Torre, a chemist, can check for E. coli and salmonella within 8 to 24 hrs. The core of the test, performed in a specially designed petri dish, contains chemicals that encourage the bacteria to migrate toward a serum containing antibodies for the strain of microbe under test. When bacteria and antiserum collide, they clump together to form a visible, cream-colored line--the indicator of a positive result. The inventors say the test will cost considerably less than most others and be easier to use. "We can actually grab anybody from the street and train them within two to three hours to do the test," says Wun. The college hopes to license the patented test so that it will reach the market possibly by the end of the year. Phone (413) 748-3044.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New disc magnet motors fit into the design trend of stepping up to closed loop performance while maintaining the cost advantage of stepper motor technology.
At the Design News webinar on June 27, learn all about aluminum extrusion: designing the right shape so it costs the least, is simplest to manufacture, and best fits the application's structural requirements.
A new battery design, which replaces lithium with abundant and low-cost elemental sulfur, is still in its nascent stages but shows real promise for giving batteries more energy potential.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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