Tours of luxurious condo 
to aid Children’s Hospital

If you're in the market for a waterfront home on the North Shore, expect to pay top dollar. But if $2.5 million is more than you can afford, you can still get a glimpse of luxury beginning next month at a new Swampscott condominium with sweeping views of the water and the Boston skyline for a good cause.

For $25, you can tour the fully furnished home from Sept. 12 to Oct. 7 to benefit Boston Children's Hospital.

The 3-bedroom condo is one of four units for sale at The Concordia, which used to be three buildings that encompassed Cap'n Jack's Inn before longtime business associates Barry Turkanis and Bruce Paradise converted it into 14 condominiums.

"We tried to build it in the flair of a small, oceanfront town," Turkanis said.

What emerged was a home incorporating classic seaside architectural elements with the amenities of a modern residence.

"When we began the project, the developers said they were looking for classic, traditional design, so I started with wall coverings in colors that would reflect the ocean," said design coordinator Jerry Rippetoe of TJ's in Cape Neddick, Maine. "From there, everything just fell into place."

As you enter the first-floor unit, a chandelier from Lucia Lighting hangs overhead in the hallway. To the left are combined living and dining areas with a gas fireplace along one wall and a built-in, flat-screen TV discreetly hidden in cabinet space along another.

The living area also has a balcony with a piped-in gas hookup to accommodate a gas grill to cook up food from the full chef's kitchen, which features green tile walls and marble countertops, bone-colored cabinets, two built-in ovens, a stainless steel gas range and a hidden fridge with custom panels on the front.

The master bedroom comes with emerald-­colored damask wall­paper, custom window treatments, a built-in reading nook overlooking the water and his-and-her bathrooms and walk-in closets.

"This is a marriage saver," interior designer and blogger Megan Meyers announced when she saw the bathrooms and closets on a tour of the condominium Thursday. "I don't think I would want to kill my husband as much."

Back at the front door, turn right, and a hallway leads to a small half-bath and a room with a washer, dryer and sink; a study; a media room; a small second bedroom with a trundle bed; a larger guest bedroom; and two more bathrooms.

Although the furnishings are only for show, the unit does come with two, custom-cut Landry and Arcari rugs.

Touring the condominium offers "an opportunity for people to enjoy a beautiful house, but at the same time support Boston Children's Hospital," which last year had more than 10,000 patient visits from the North Shore, said Michael Bornhorst, the hospital's director of corporate initiatives.

Proceeds will go to the hospital's Children's Fund, which helps the areas of greatest need, such as patient care, research and education.

Home Showcase

Address: The Concordia, 245 Humphrey St., Swampscott

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 4-1/2

Parking: 3 underground heated spaces

List price: $2.5 million

Living area: 3,760 square feet

Condo fees: Between $800 and $900 per month

Location: On one of Swampscott's main streets, 25 minutes from Boston and Logan International Airport, with easy access to public transportation.

Built in: 2013

Broker: Tom Kennedy at Gibson Sotheby's International Realty in Boston, 617-947-9201

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Sturdy Chevy Silverado shows versatility

Whether you're pulling a boat, camper or trailer, the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado not only has the towing capacity and power to handle just about any job, its sophisticated features, combined with a well-appointed cabin, can make a long road trip to a summer fun spot a lot less taxing.

Anyone who has struggled with backing up a trailer, myself included, can appreciate the Silverado's rear-view camera — it's the secret weapon at a busy boat ramp. The Silverado's trailer brake controller combined with trailer sway control further eases the task of towing, especially when your travel plans include highway speeds. Our test Silverado had a 7,000-pound towing capacity.

The truck, which topped out at just under $41,000, had a 5.3-liter V8 engine with FlexFuel capability. The pickup's combined fuel economy was 19 mpg. A base Silverado has a smaller, fuel-sipping 4.3-liter V6. For more power, Chevy offers a 6.2-liter V8, one of the largest powertrains found on a light pickup. Regardless of engine choice or trim package, a smooth six-speed automatic transmission is standard throughout the Silverado lineup.

Our test truck arrived with rear-wheel drive, which had me scratching my head a bit when you consider New England driving conditions. While great for fuel efficiency and overall driving performance, I imagine it would make winter driving challenging. Granted the Silverado is equipped with traction control to help maintain control in low-traction situations, but I still envision having to weigh down the bed over the rear axle to keep the truck tail in line over icy, snow-covered roads.

Despite the truck's size, the Silverado was easy to drive and fairly hassle-free to park, even in downtown Boston. Hydraulic body mounts helped to significantly reduce road noise. The truck's bench seats were large and comfortable. Power adjustable pedals were appreciated given the bench seating. We found plenty of room throughout the cabin for a day trip to the beach with our three children seated across the rear bench. They were content for the two-hour trip as they were able to keep their technology charged with multiple USB ports. We found the storage cubbies on the inside of the truck's large four doors useful for stowing drinks, snacks and reading materials. While I was able to stow some of my camera gear under the rear seats, the beach bags, coolers and boogie boards got thrown into the bed.

A power sliding rear window really increased the flow of fresh air when we decided to shut off the air conditioning. An easy lift and lower tailgate that prevented the gate from slamming down combined with a step cut into the bumper and handholds made bed access a cinch.

The 2014 Silverado represents a good choice for towing or as an alternative to a large SUV. A bed cap would be a must for my family to keep our garb out of the weather. I'd also go with four-wheel drive. The soon to be available safety features such as forward collision alert and lane departure warning are worth considering as well.

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Microhotel developers revise plans

Hospitality market conditions dictate that bigger is better when it comes to hotel rooms, according to a developer of a proposed microhotel in Boston's Theatre District.

Amherst Media Investors has altered its plans for a moderately priced, select-service hotel at the corner of Tremont and Stuart streets.

The Summit, N.J.-based outdoor advertising company wants to reduce the number of hotel rooms from 240 to 202 and add two stories to the building — for a total of 21 stories at 213 feet.

Amherst said the changes are necessary to increase room sizes to better accommodate visitor expectations in the current hotel marketplace, according to plans submitted to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

The glass-faced building would total 117,000 square feet, up from the 101,000 square feet previously proposed.

The new plans are the latest in a string of development proposals that date to the late 1990s for the city-owned parcel next to the Wilbur Theatre.

Amherst's plans for three-story, Times Square-like digital video billboards on the hotel's facade have been simplified to consolidate the signage at the building's Tremont and Stuart streets corner. A rooftop bar has been removed from the design.

Amherst's new hotel development partner, Spartanburg, S.C.-based OTO Development, replaces Austin, Texas-based HotelWorks Developers.

OTO's portfolio includes 39 hotels — the closest of which is in Manchester, Conn. — and six in development. Its hotel brand partners include Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, and Hampton Inn & Suites.

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Obama: Forces conspiring against middle class

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says it won't be easy to reverse forces that for decades have conspired against working Americans. But he says with a few bold steps and common sense in Washington, the U.S. can make progress.

Obama is reflecting on Labor Day in his weekly radio and Internet address. He says he'll continue fighting for better wages, secure retirements, and expanded access to education, home ownership and health care.

He says a strong middle class is key to making the U.S. economy once again the envy of the world.

In the Republican address, Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania says Obama's health care and energy policies have created nothing but roadblocks for American workers. He says the Republican jobs plan would put Americans, not the government, in the driver's seat.

___

Online:

White House address: www.whitehouse.gov

GOP address: www.gop.gov

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Billabong brand value collapses, posts giant loss

SYDNEY — Billabong reported a $769 million annual loss Tuesday that reflects a collapse in the value of its once hot surf and street fashion brands.

The company said it marked down the value of its assets by Australian dollars 867 million ($776 million). That write-off resulted in a net loss of AU$859.5 million ($769 million) for the financial year ended June 30.

The company has staggered through a series of business shake-ups and failed buyout offers. It says it is in the final stages of debt refinancing negotiations that will allow the business to rebuild.

Billabong's global sales for the year fell 13 percent to AU$1.34 billion reflecting store closures, Europe's weak economy and the fading allure of its brands.

The Billabong and other brands owned by the retailer were valued at AU$90 million in the company's financial statements released Tuesday, down from AU$614 million two years earlier.

The company's shares closed down 5.3 percent in Sydney.

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Global stocks fall as Syria jitters escalate

LONDON — Growing concerns over a military intervention in Syria weighed on stock markets Tuesday but gave a lift to oil prices and supposedly safe assets such as the Japanese yen.

A day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Monday claimed it was "undeniable" that the Syrian government used chemical weapons, stock investors have fretted about the possibility of U.S.-led military action against the Assad regime. At times of uncertainty, investors often move out of perceived risky assets such as stocks.

"Geopolitical risks are rearing their ugly head again as news reports suggest that the U.S. and its allies are preparing for a missile attack on Syria," said Neil MacKinnon, global macro strategist at VTB Capital. "The law of unintended consequences and the history of previous military interventions in the region is not a recipe for political and economic stability."

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 0.7 percent at 6,449 while Germany's DAX fell 1.5 percent to 8,306. The CAC-40 in France was 1.4 percent lower at 4,008.

Wall Street was poised for a lower opening too, with Dow futures and the broader S&P 500 futures 0.7 percent lower.

Other assets though were supported by the uncertainty, including oil prices. The benchmark New York rate was $1.14 a barrel at $107.06.

The Japanese yen also got a fillip as it often garners support at times of geopolitical concern. The dollar was 0.7 percent lower at 97.79 yen.

Though developments over Syria will likely drive sentiment through the rest of the day, investors will be closely monitoring the next batch of U.S. economic data following dismal durable goods orders figures for July. The main point of interest will be the monthly consumer confidence report from the Conference Board. If it, too, is disappointing, then traders may rein in their expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will start to reduce its monetary stimulus next month.

At present, the Fed is buying $85 billion of financial assets a month in order to lower long-term interest rates and shore up the U.S. economic recovery. Up until recently, a run of data, particularly related to the labor market, have ratcheted up expectations that the so-called tapering will begin in September.

Though the stimulus has been a boon to many financial assets such as stocks thanks to the liquidity finding its way into the markets, investors will be concerned that the U.S. economy may not be growing as fast. That's a potential negative for stocks and may offset — or even outweigh — any cheer investors get from the Fed keeping the stimulus tap on for longer than thought.

"Given how important consumer spending is to the US economy, this is always followed very closely for early signs that the recovery is either gathering pace or slowing," said Craig Erlam, market analyst at Alpari.

"The numbers have been pretty strong over the last couple of months, but with fuel prices and mortgage rates rising, we could see confidence among consumers take a hit along with their disposable income."

Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.7 percent to close at 13,542.37 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 0.6 percent to 21,874.77. South Korea's Kospi shed 0.1 percent to 1,885.84. Mainland Chinese shares rose.

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Oil rises above $106 a barrel on Syrian crisis

BANGKOK — The price of oil rose above $106 a barrel Tuesday after a U.S. official said there was strong evidence that Syria used chemical weapons against civilians, a sign that Washington might be considering a military strike against President Bashar Assad's regime.

U.S. benchmark crude for October delivery was up 66 cents to $106.58 per barrel at late afternoon Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 50 cents, or 0.5 percent, to close at $105.92 on Monday.

The price of oil has risen about 15 percent in the past three months on concern that unrest in Egypt and civil war in Syria could disrupt production and exports, especially in Libya and Iraq. It has also raised the specter of spreading violence that could block important supply routes.

Secretary of State John Kerry appeared to be making a case for an aggressive response to the Syrian conflict on Monday when he said there "undeniable" evidence of a deadly gas attack in a Damascus suburb that killed hundreds of people.

Evan Lucas, market strategist at IG in Melbourne, Australia, said prices were rising due to the potential for international intervention in Syria.

"The more we hear about this, the more gas and oil will be the places to watch," Lucas said.

Brent crude, which sets prices for imported oil used by many U.S. refineries, rose 83 cents to $111.56 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

In other energy futures trading on Nymex:

— Heating oil rose 1.6 cents to $3.099 per gallon.

— Natural gas added 0.3 cent to $3.516 per 1,000 cubic feet.

— Wholesale gasoline rose 1.7 cents to $2.851 per gallon.

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Starbucks to roll out snack bars, fruit packs

NEW YORK — Starbucks says it will start rolling out its own brand of snack bars and fruit pouches, marking yet another push into the packaged food category.

The Evolution Harvest snacks will begin appearing in U.S. cafes next week, with plans to reach all major metropolitan markets by the end of September.

The bars and Evolution Fresh bottled juices, which are already in about a third of the company's U.S. cafes, are also being sold at Whole Foods supermarkets.

In Starbucks cafes, the Evolution fruit-and-nut bars will cost $1.95 and replace the Kind bars the chain currently sells for the same price. The Evolution freeze-dried fruit packs will cost $2.50 and replace the $2 Peeled fruit packs.

Starbucks says it's using a third-party supplier to make the snacks, which is likely cheaper than paying for other name brands like Kind or Peeled.

In another move that's likely to help profit margins, Starbucks this summer hiked prices in the U.S. despite its falling costs for coffee beans.

The introduction of the Evolution snacks reflects a push by Starbucks Corp. to move beyond coffee in recent years. The company has been snapping up brands that can help it expand in the packaged food category while also supplying its own cafes.

That has been the case with Evolution Fresh bottled juices, which to date have replaced PepsiCo's Naked Juices in about 4,500 of the more than 13,000 Starbucks cafes in the U.S.

Another of the company's other recent acquisitions, a small Bay Area bakery chain called La Boulange, is being used to replace the baked goods Starbucks offers. And last month, the Seattle-based chain said it was teaming up with Danone to start making Greek yogurt cups that will be sold in its cafes before rolling out to supermarkets.

For now, Starbucks still gets the vast majority of its revenue from its more than 19,000 cafes worldwide. But the company is working to increase sales from its packaged goods division.

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Even without Bernanke, Jackson Hole's a hot ticket

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Ben Bernanke is a no-show. No matter. Despite the absence of the Federal Reserve chairman, this year's annual economic conference in Jackson Hole has once again proved a destination of choice for central bankers.

In international banking circles, the Jackson Hole gathering, held each August in a rustic lodge in Grand Teton National Park, is akin to Academy Awards night. If you're invited, the message is clear: You're someone who matters.

This is the first year in more than two decades that a Fed chief hasn't given the keynote speech to open the two-day conference, which ended Saturday. News last spring that Bernanke would skip this year's conference was taken as a signal that he'll leave the Fed when his term ends in January.

With speculation intensifying over his successor, a spotlight has fallen on Fed Vice Chair Janet Yellen, one of two leading contenders. Yellen is here. Her chief rival, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, is not.

Yellen is among 10 members of the 19-member Federal Open Market Committee in attendance. The FOMC comprises the Fed board members and regional bank presidents who set the central bank's interest-rate policies.

Central bankers from every major economy, from Germany and Britain to Japan and China, are here. So are those of smaller nations from Albania to Malta.

Among the 130 guests are many scholars of economic policy. They're joined by top economists from financial firms — at least those who managed to score an invite.

Attendees spend hours in a windowless conference room hearing and discussing presentations of academic research. They do get afternoons off — to hike, go rafting or take bus tours. But even against the backdrop of majestic mountain grandeur, many of the Ph.D. scholars have been known to go right on debating economics through the day.

___

One issue not on the agenda but a hot topic at the edges of the conference: The campaigns waged by supporters of Yellen and Summers to secure the nomination of their candidate. From the use of Twitter and opinion columns to behind-the-scenes lobbying and letters signed by Senate Democrats, the battle to influence the president's mind has been raging.

Fed officials here have been careful not to take sides in the contest, at least not publicly. They do agree on this: They've not seen anything quite like this summer's public jousting.

Dennis Lockhart, head of the Atlanta regional Fed bank, called it unprecedented. But he said the jockeying over the chairman's job is having no effect on the Fed's policymaking.

"The chairman's leadership is as strong as it has ever been," Lockhart said in an interview on CNBC.

He was addressing concerns that the prolonged contest to succeed Bernanke might weaken his influence as chairman by solidifying the perception that he's a lame duck.

James Bullard, head of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, noted that a change in the Fed chairmanship has been fairly unusual since World War II. Bernanke has served for nearly eight years. Two of his predecessors — William McChesney Martin (1951-1970) and Alan Greenspan (1987-2006) — served for a combined nearly four decades.

As for whom he would prefer as chairman, Yellen or Summers, Bullard, also interviewed on CNBC, struck a diplomatic note.

They're both "great economists," he said.

___

Yellen did have a modest role to play at this year's conference, serving as the moderator for Saturday's session. It was a job she performed with fair minded diligence.

"My job today is to be a ruthless time keeper," she told the crowd in her opening comments. And she kept to her word, turning over numbered cards signaling to the presenters how much time they had left to present papers on such esoteric topics as global liquidity and cross-border capital flows.

She then had the job of picking the lucky participants in the audience who got to ask questions. At one point, she called on Donald Kohn, her predecessor as vice chairman at the Federal Reserve and one of three names President Barack Obama has provided as the leading candidates for the Fed chairman's job. Yellen and Summers are the other two.

Yellen didn't offer any substantive comments during her moderating stint, but there was one brief moment she had to have enjoyed.

Acknowledging her introduction, Princeton economics professor Jean-Pierre Landau said, "Thank you very much, Madam Chairman."

Ah. Music to her ears.

___

At the opening dinner Thursday night, Esther George, who as head of the Kansas City regional Fed bank is the conference host, had some fun with the topic of Bernanke's absence.

"Sometimes," George said in her welcoming remarks, "those who regularly attend are not able to make it. We make it a practice never to talk about those who turn us down."

"Despite my personal disappointment," she went on, she'd be happy to welcome back Ken Rogoff for future conferences.

Her mention of Rogoff, a well-known Harvard economist, rather than Bernanke, drew laughter from the audience.

Call it economists' humor.

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3-D Pancam's big potential

Video cameras can do a lot today, but picture one that has such varied uses as entertainment, surveillance, facial recognition — even interior design — and you've pretty much got the Pancam — or Eric Prechtl's vision of it, anyway.

With enough seed investment, the founder and president of Axis Engineering Technologies says, he's six months away from producing a polished, three-dimensional, panoramic camera that can send video to a 3-D television. And with the right analytics partners, AET could develop later models with each of those other capabilities.

At MassChallenge, the startup accelerator and competition that's named his company a finalist, "We're analyzing different markets and trying to figure out what is the best one to go after first," he said.

As unlikely as it might seem, the 43-year-old Prechtl's quest to build a smarter camera actually grew out of his efforts more than a decade ago to build a smarter helicopter.

While he was working on his doctorate in aeronautical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he developed an actuator to reduce the amount of vibration in a helicopter, helping it to fly more smoothly and quietly.

"A similar thought process led us to figure out a way to make cameras smarter, including to make them see in 3-D instead of 2-D," Prechtl said.

He describes his working prototype as a "gnarly laboratory device," 24 inches in diameter, with six spokes, each with two cameras at the end.

Each camera, in turn, is capable of capturing 20 frames per second, "creating a panorama very fast."

Because human eyes are spaced only about 2.5 inches apart, the next-generation Pancam will be only 4 inches in diameter.

To adapt it for interior design and renovations, the next step would be to add software to map a still image of a room, Prechtl said.

The same camera could be used for surveillance to track suspicious movements, raising an alert should someone try to access a restricted area, he said.

And because the camera can see in three dimensions, it could be used by police, the FBI and the military for facial recognition because it could distinguish a person's features better than a traditional two-dimensional camera.

All of this technology doesn't come cheaply. Prechtl estimates the finished product, if it's sold commercially, would likely cost between $5,000 and $10,000.

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Buick LaCrosse gets stuck in park

My car is a 2008 Buick 
LaCrosse with the automatic shift on the steering column. It has begun sticking when in "park" and won't release even though I press the brake pedal hard. I had to push the car forward and back before the shift-lever would release. This has happened about five times, the last time while at a GM dealership. They told me that when the car is parked on any type of incline the pressure on the parking "pawl" may cause the problem. They suggest that while the engine is still running in "drive," set the parking brake, then step on the brake pedal, shift into park and then shut off the engine. This seems a rather strange and unorthodox way to solve my problem. And why did it take four-plus years to develop?

Actually, the procedure outlined by the dealer — and the owner's manual — is correct. In setting the parking brake first to immobilize the vehicle, there will be no pressure or leverage on the parking pawl, which physically locks the transmission. This eliminates what's known as torque lock — where the weight of the vehicle is "leaning" on the parking pawl, making disengagement difficult.

The other remote possibility is an issue with the automatic transmission shift-lock mechanism, which requires depressing the brake pedal with the ignition switch turned on to electronically release the shift mechanism.

I don't have a solid answer for why this problem has developed recently other than wear on the pawl or final drive internal gear that the pawl locks when in park. I'd ask the dealer to use the "range selector lever cable adjustment" procedure to check that the shift cable is correctly adjusted.

•      •      •

I have a 1988 Ford F150 with a 4.9-liter engine and a manual transmission. I have an intermittent problem with the engine cutting out at high rpm. Sometimes it cuts out at a lower rpm or sometimes not at all. The ignition system is the TFI-IV system, which requires no timing adjustment. Any ideas?

The most common cause for intermittent ignition problems with this generation Ford is the module itself. I've removed problematic modules for inspection and found visible air bubbles on the surface of the PC board sealed with a thick layer of silicone. You may be able to find a parts store that can test the module to determine if you need a new one.

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I have a 2006 Toyota 
Sienna V6 with 59,200 miles. A notice from the dealer indicated that a valve adjustment should be done on the vehicle. Is this something that needs to be done at this low mileage? The maintenance manual does not have any mention of this requirement.

According to my ALLDATA automotive database, Toyota recommends inspecting that valve adjustment at 60,000-mile intervals. Inspecting valve adjustment requires removing the valve covers, rotating the crankshaft into specific positions and using a feeler gauge to measure valve clearance. On the other hand, adjusting the valves is listed as a 5.9-hour job, meaning a cost of $600 or more.

I can't recommend not having the inspection done at 60,000 miles, but if it were my vehicle and I wasn't hearing any clicking, tapping or unusual valve train noises, well, let's just say I'd keep driving the vehicle.

•      •      •

I have a 2006 Toyota Highlander, 6-cylinder, that I purchased new. I have an issue that seems to be getting worse since I've had the car. Sometimes when the car is shifting into third gear and going between 35 to 40 miles per hour, the car jerks. If you accelerate quickly it doesn't do it. The Toyota dealer and a transmission shop have looked at it but could not find the problem.

Remember my comments about torque-converter slippage described as shudder, chatter or flutter? Could this be the "jerks"? If this only occurs shifting into third, service literature points toward the "direct and overdrive clutch."

Readers may write Paul Brand at Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrand@startribune.com.

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Patent sought for infant-saving AIR

A pioneering MIT researcher is tackling the huge problem of infant deaths with a simple device he put together on the night he learned that nearly 2 million children die on the day they are born.

"I had a few sensors literally lying in the trash in my lab, so we built it and it works," said Kevin 
Cedrone, whose Augmented Infant Resuscitator might just become the next international lifesaver. "When you want to save a life, you really don't want to have to wait until a baby dies to find out you're doing it wrong."

The so-called AIR — 
designed to attach to existing infant ventilation equipment — relies on tiny sensors to measure the rate and pressure of air entering a newborn's lungs.

This way, doctors and nurses can immediately tell if they need to speed up or slow down the air flow, or just readjust the ventilation mask covering the baby's nose and mouth.

After putting together the makeshift model, Cedrone met with a team of doctors and engineers to tweak it. The team includes Santorino Data, a pediatrician who specializes in neonatal resuscitation; Craig Mielcarz, an electrical engineer who has produced low-cost, battery-operated medical devices; and Dr. Kristian Olson of Massachusetts General Hospital's Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies.

They're seeking a patent for their product, and hope to sell it someday for as little as $3 each.

Meanwhile, AIR has won top prizes in a variety of competitions, including MIT's IDEAS Global Challenge, Dow's Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge program, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Saving Lives at Birth partnership.

"It has great potential to change something that has a huge impact on the quality of life of infants all around the world," said Kate Mytty, who used to run the MIT IDEAS challenge. "People are trained on infant resuscitators all over the world, but they're still not working well. This makes it possible to understand why these resuscitators aren't working."

Money from those awards will pay to create more models and conduct a clinical trial in Uganda, 
Cedrone said.

As for Cedrone, who earned a doctorate in mechanical engineering last year, there's no telling what's next.

"I don't know what the future holds," he said. "Less than a year ago, everything I was doing was aimed at energy. This just kind of came across my radar."

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