Coping with different types of innovation: What do metaphors reveal about how entrepreneurs describe the innovation process?

Entrepreneurs play a central role in generating and adopting both technological and non‐technological innovations. However, existing research provides little guidance on how entrepreneurs interpret their endeavours to generate and implement different types of innovation. This paper addresses this void by bringing metaphor analysis into the field of innovation. We argue that the role of figurative language is important in describing the complexity that characterizes the innovation process. Examining qualitative data from episodes of innovation narrated by a sample of Italian entrepreneurs, this paper provides insights into how each type of innovation (product, marketing, process, organizational and strategic) is described differently, through the use of metaphorical language. This research advances the literature by providing a conceptualization of the different metaphor themes entrepreneurs ascribe to each type of innovation, and discusses practical implications for how the metaphorical language can be analysed and interpreted so that the innovation process can be improved

The atmospheric water cycle of a coastal lagoon: An isotope study of the interactions between water vapor, precipitation and surface waters

The interaction between the different components of the water cycle at ecosystem scale is of great interest in hydroecology. Stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in the water molecule can be used to study these processes quantitatively due to their different physical properties. This study aims at quantifying the contribution of local moisture sources to the isotopic signature of water vapor in the specific estuary system of a coastal lagoon. Here we present a framework of the isotopic composition of the atmospheric water cycle components (water vapor and precipitation) for the coastal lagoon of Venice (Italy) and we discuss the interaction between the atmospheric component and the surface component of the local water cycle, i.e. the atmospheric moisture and the lagoon water. The Venetian Lagoon is an enclosed basin with low freshwater influx, resulting in the presence of large horizontal gradients of the isotopic composition of surface water. This feature allows to determine the sensitivity of the isotopic signal in near surface atmospheric moisture under a range of humidity conditions. We observed that when the lower atmosphere is close to water vapor saturation pressure condition, the isotopic composition of water vapor at the ground appears to be in isotopic equilibrium with lagoon surface water in a range of approximately 6–26 km from the sampling point. On the other hand, under unsaturated conditions, we estimated that lagoon evaporation flux accounts on average for ∼27% to the daily (06–18 Local Sidereal Time) total evapotranspiration surface flux. This is the first study that discusses the spatio-temporal variability of water vapor, precipitation and surface water isotopic composition for a coastal lagoon, thus including the major components of the local water cycle in an estuarine system with the isotope approach

Body condition in fish as a tool to detect the effects of anthropogenic pressures in transitional waters

In the last years, increasing interest has been dedicated to the quality assessment of brackish-water systems. Traditionally, fish community is an important biological element used to assess the quality status of transitional water bodies. In this study, we analysed the effect of anthropogenic pressures on the population of a small teleost, the sand smelt Atherina boyeri, in a Mediterranean lagoon by means of body condition. Fish were sampled once a year during the period 2010–2012, in 32 sampling sites, and for each specimen individual body condition factor was estimated. A negative significant correlation was found between condition factor and pressures related to alteration of the hydrographic regime, while a significant positive correlation was found with trophic status indicators and fishery activities. Therefore, morphological and hydrological alteration of coastal lagoons, modifying the quality and the availability of resources, seems to influence the health of resident populations

Cogliere il timing: l'emergenza della temporalità nel metodo critico di Sergio Bettini

Il IX Convegno dei Dottorandi e Dottori di Ricerca, tenutosi dal 14 al 16 giugno 2017 presso la Macroarea di Lettere e Filosofia dell'Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, ha raccolto idealmente l'eredità delle prece-denti edizioni sia nella sua formulazione che negli intenti. Ogni anno, in-fatti, un nuovo Comitato organizzatore si “mette in gioco” nell’ideazione, costruzione, realizzazione delle diverse fasi del Convegno fino a giungere alla pubblicazione degli atti che, per questa edizione, sono stati suddivisi in tre volumi, ciascuno composto di due sezioni precedute da un saggio introduttivo di un membro del Comitato

Review: Assessing fish welfare in research and aquaculture, with a focus on European directives.

The number of farmed fish in the world has increased considerably. Aquaculture is a growing industry that will in the future provide a large portion of fishery products. Moreover, in recent years, the number of teleost fish used as animal models for scientific research in both biomedical and ecological fields has increased. Therefore, it is increasingly important to implement measures designed to enhance the welfare of these animals. Currently, a number of European rules exist as requirements for the establishment, care and accommodation of fish maintained for human purposes. As far as (teleost) fish are concerned, the fact that the number of extant species is much greater than that of all other vertebrates must be considered. Of further importance is that each species has its own specific physical and chemical requirements. These factors make it difficult to provide generalized recommendations or requirements for all fish species. An adequate knowledge is required of the physiology and ecology of each species bred. This paper integrates and discusses, in a single synthesis, the current issues related to fish welfare, considering that teleosts are target species for both aquaculture and experimental models in biological and biomedical research. We first focus on the practical aspects, which must be considered when assessing fish welfare in both research and aquaculture contexts. Next, we address husbandry and the care of fish housed in research laboratories and aquaculture facilities in relation to their physiological and behavioural requirements, as well as in reference to the suggestions provided by European regulations. Finally, to evaluate precisely which parameters described by Directive 2010/63/EU are reported in scientific papers, we analysed 82 articles published by European researchers in 2014 and 2015. This review found that there is a general lack of information related to the optimal environmental conditions that should be provided for the range of species covered by this directive