Michigan Technological University

About: Michigan Technological University is a education organization based out in Houghton, Michigan, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Volcano. The organization has 8023 authors who have published 17422 publications receiving 481780 citations. The organization is also known as: MTU & Michigan Tech.

Assessing the Effects of Public Participation

Abstract: This article presents the results of research designed to test participatory democracy assertions that high-quality public participation can affect participants' beliefs in desirable ways. It examines the relationships between exposure to quality participation and participant beliefs about the trustworthiness and responsiveness of a public agency and the value of including different viewpoints in public meetings. After participation in quality project meetings, participants were significantly more likely to believe the agency was responsive to public concerns. The results indicate that some specific aspects of quality participation are positively associated with expectations about the agency's responsiveness and performance. Positive associations were also found with tolerance for differences of opinion. These results have important implications for public administrators and theorists of participatory democracy.

Residential solar electricity adoption: What motivates, and what matters? A case study of early adopters

Abstract: This research explores the question, what motivates homeowners to adopt residential solar electric technology? Through interviews with 48 people across the state of Wisconsin, this paper examines the relative importance environmental motivations, economic considerations, and the demographic characteristics and network relations influencing the adoption and diffusion of innovations. This study suggests (1) environmental values alone are not enough, and are not always necessary, to motivate adoption; (2) rational economic calculation in the narrow sense of calculated return on investment or payback period is less important than the particular timing of economic events within a household; and (3) perceiving oneself as an early adopter is only important for some, while communication through social networks occurs in the context of communities of information. Further, these Wisconsin homeowners shared an unexpected characteristic that they identified as motivating adoption – an interest in technical innovation and enjoyment of the technical aspects of energy systems. The findings from this empirical case study offer general insight for understanding investment in renewable energy technologies at the residential scale, suggesting means of improving environmental and energy policy and highlighting avenues for future research.

Fibrin Gel as an Injectable Biodegradable Scaffold and Cell Carrier for Tissue Engineering

Abstract: Due to the increasing needs for organ transplantation and a universal shortage of donated tissues, tissue engineering emerges as a useful approach to engineer functional tissues. Although different synthetic materials have been used to fabricate tissue engineering scaffolds, they have many limitations such as the biocompatibility concerns, the inability to support cell attachment, and undesirable degradation rate. Fibrin gel, a biopolymeric material, provides numerous advantages over synthetic materials in functioning as a tissue engineering scaffold and a cell carrier. Fibrin gel exhibits excellent biocompatibility, promotes cell attachment, and can degrade in a controllable manner. Additionally, fibrin gel mimics the natural blood-clotting process and self-assembles into a polymer network. The ability for fibrin to cure in situ has been exploited to develop injectable scaffolds for the repair of damaged cardiac and cartilage tissues. Additionally, fibrin gel has been utilized as a cell carrier to protect cells from the forces during the application and cell delivery processes while enhancing the cell viability and tissue regeneration. Here, we review the recent advancement in developing fibrin-based biomaterials for the development of injectable tissue engineering scaffold and cell carriers.