Application of psychoacoustic analyses according to ECMA-418-2

Assessing and assuring sound quality has become a very important task for product design. Customers expect product sounds without disturbing noises. This is a challenge because spectro-temporal noise patterns (such as tonal sounds or modulated signals that generate a roughness sensation) must be taken into account, in addition to frequency-weighted values like dB(A) and loudness. If the sound of a technical product exhibits these characteristics, it is most likely perceived as having poor quality. The new standard ECMA-418-2 describes methods for the automatic quantification of tonal sounds and modulated sounds, which generate a sensation of roughness. The methods are based on a psychoacoustic hearing model and thus emulate human perception very closely. This paper describes the application of these methods. Several examples show how these parameters can be used for sound engineering and how to interpret the results.

Technical content marketing along the technology adoption lifecycle

This article provides an overview of technical content marketing and examines the audiences and messaging for technical product messaging, which differ from general consumer products. Notably, technical products, particularly those in innovative categories, require a varying marketing strategy throughout the technology adoption lifecycle as products appeal to customers with different attitudes towards technologies. Especially, content marketing for innovative technologies requires an understanding of the technical consumers' (or audiences') psychological motivations and needs, which have yet to be reviewed in the technical communication literature. In this article, the foundations of marketing innovative technical products are explored, with a specific focus on the messaging strategies as it changes to educate and persuade different categories of technology consumers during different phases of the technology adoption lifecycle. For new technical products and categories of products, the messages and channels of information evolve as the technical innovation progresses from the early market to a mainstream market, with both requiring adaptation to different audience segments and in response to emerging competitive pressures. For the majority of technical innovations, the technical content marketing strategy and messaging is a long-term investment for change to reach different consumer groups at the appropriate stage of the technical product life cycle.

Evaluation of the Accuracy and Practicability of Predicting Compression Garment Pressure Using Virtual Fit Technology

In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of using the virtual fit pressure map in a clothing-specific CAD program to predict pressures applied by sports compression garments by analyzing pressure prediction accuracy and process practicability. In wearer trials with whole-body compression sportswear, we measured in vivo pressures and compared them to virtual pressures recorded from the virtual fit pressure maps of the garments fitted to 13 participants’ body scan avatars. No clear correlations between virtual and in vivo pressures were identified and problems in the virtual fit process became apparent. The CAD software currently lacks a link to physical fabric, seam and component properties, which inhibits its use for predictions in new product development. By considering all simulation settings and assessing the numerical pressure prediction capability of a clothing-specific CAD program, this research provides a step forward in assessing the limitations of virtual fit for technical product development.

Evaluation of the activity of antioxidant enzymes during chronic oral administration of a technical product derived from triazoles in the rats

Introduction. Entering the body in various ways, pesticides, being biologically highly active compounds, can pose a real danger to public health, causing changes in non-specific biochemical reactions of metabolism occurring in all living cells. The antioxidant system, represented as a balance of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant protection (POL - AOZ), is one of the metabolic regulatory mechanisms of these responses. The aim of the study was to study the effect of a technical product (TP), a derivative of triazoles, on the acti-vity of antioxidant enzymes in the rat body, under its repeated oral intake in a chronic 12-month experiment. Material and methods. A chronic (12 months) experiment was performed on male rats with a bodyweight of 200-210 g at the beginning of the study. Tested doses: 5.0, 16.0 and 55.0 mg/kg of body weight (1 control and 3 experimental groups, 20 individuals each). In the dynamics of the experiment, after 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, the state and behavior of animals, water and food consumption were observed. Changes in the enzymatic indices of the body’s antioxidant defense system (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase) were registered. Results. It was found that TP at a dose of 5.0 mg/kg of body weight does not cause significant changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes, doses of 16.0 and 55.0 mg/kg of body weight cause an increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and a decrease in the activity of catalase in the body of experimental animals compared to control animals. Discussion. In the conducted chronic experiment, it was found that the studied TP at a dose of 5.0 mg/kg of body weight does not cause significant changes in the activity of the studied antioxidant enzymes in the body of rats. The introduction of TP at doses of 16.0 and 55.0 mg/kg of body weight causes a significant change in the activity of such antioxidant enzymes as SOD and catalase. Our results are consistent with the literature data, according to which the cell quickly reacts to oxidative stress by increasing the activity of SOD, and SOD is considered even as a stress protein synthesized in response to oxidative stress. Conclusions. The conducted research shows the feasibility of studying antioxidant enzymes’ activity in the mammalian body in sanitary and toxicological studies to increase the reliability of the developed hygienic standards of xenobiotics in environmental objects and food products.

Pengaruh Pembelajaran Berbasis Proyek Terhadap Keterampilan Berpikir Kreatif Ilmiah Sebagai Salah Satu Keterampilan Abad 21

Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui pengaruh pelaksanaan pembelajaran berbasis proyek terhadap keterampilan berpikir kreatif ilmiah siswa SMA dalam materi fluida dinamis. Keterampilan berpikir kreatif ilmiah merupakan salah satu keterampilan abad 21 yang sangat penting dimiliki oleh peserta didik supaya bisa beradaptasi terhadap perubahan. Desain penelitian yang digunakan adalah one-group pretest-posttest design. Setelah dilaksanakan pembelajaran berbasis proyek pada sampel yang diteliti ternyata menunjukan adanya pengaruh terhadap peningkatan keterampilan berpikir kreatif ilmiah berdasarkan perhitungan effect size (d). Pelaksanaan pembelajaran berbasis proyek secara umum berpengaruh dalam meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kreatif ilmiah berdasarkan nilai effect size (d) sebesar 1,32. Selanjutnya ditinjau berdasarkan aspek-aspek dari keterampilan berpikir kreatif ilmiah secara khusus, bahwa pembelajaran berbasis proyek berpengaruh dalam meningkatkan aspek thinking-fluency-technical product dan thinking-originality-technical product dengan nilai effect size (d) masing-masing sebesar 1,35 dan 1,21, tetapi tidak cukup efektif dalam meningkatkan aspek thinking-flexibility-technical product yang ditunjukan dari nilai effect size (d) yang hanya sebesar 0,14