The impact of market orientation on research-based spin off performance: emerging issues from an exploratory study

The paper addresses the relationship between Market Orientation (MO) and Research based spin offs' business performance, using a sample of 90 Italian RBSOs present in the Netval (Italian association for the valorisation of results from public research) database. The findings of the study may be useful for researchers and academics, advancing knowledge on Research based spin-offs (RBSOs) and the impact of MO on their performance, but also professionals from new high tech ventures and technology transfer offices may use these results to plan and design market-focused actions and support activities that will lead to improved business performance.The results could in fact indicate to entrepreneurs (or the entrepreneurial team) of this kind of firms which dimensions of MO deserve more attention in order to obtain a higher business performance

Proposal for a Data Visualization and Assessment System to Rebalance Landscape Quality

The landscape can be considered a complex system described as a non-linear entity, organized accord- ing to the connections between the different elements that characterize its state. The latter cannot be determined a priori but emerges from the multiple interactions between assets and relationships that are no longer found when the phenomenon is traced back to the individual components. Territorial development is closely connected to social, economic, cultural and symbolic issues that determine the transformative practices of space and the territorial palimpsest. If not carefully managed, these forces can lead to the dissolution of the landscape and environmental values that have been stratified in a specific land. This paper proposes the construction of a numerical spatial model that describes the territorial settlement patterns, based on methodologies and techniques typical of AI, to develop tools for re-balancing the man-landscape relationship

Influence of Cooking Conditions on Nutritional Properties and Sensory Characteristics Interpreted by E-Senses: Case-Study on Selected Vegetables

This study investigates the effects of three cooking methods (boiling, steaming and microwaving) on the nutritional and physical properties of cauliflowers, carrots and sweet potatoes; e-senses were applied to interpret the sensory characteristics according to physico-chemical aspects. The nutritional quality was evaluated by determining the concentrations of key components and the antioxidant activity; e-sense data, combined with texture parameters, were processed by a principal component analysis. The cooking method and time significantly influenced the quality of the three products. Boiling, which detrimentally affected ascorbic acid, total phenolic concentration and antioxidant activity, enhanced carotene accessibility. Steaming produced losses in ascorbic acid, increasing total phenolics and carotenoids. Microwaving resulted in minor changes in ascorbic acid concentrations, preserved carotenoids and increased total phenolics. The nutritional quality was better preserved or enhanced using shorter cooking times. The elaboration of the data collected by the e-senses showed a clear evolution according to the cooking method and time. The results helped to determine the cooking method that best preserves the nutritional properties of the vegetables, highlighting the applicability of rapid instrumental methods to interpret the evolution of sensory characteristics

Evolution of physicochemical, morphological and aromatic characteristics of Italian PDO dry-cured hams during processing

The aim of this work was to follow the evolution of physicochemical (dry matter, NaCl concentration, pH, water activity), morphological (image analysis) and aromatic (e-nose) characteristics of the three main Italian PDOs during processing, from slaughtering to end of ripening. Main phenomena distinguishing the PDOs are NaCl concentration increase, which is higher in Toscano than in Parma and San Daniele hams, starting from the salting phase. Water activity values decrease during processing, and the lowest values are detected in Toscano ham. Changes in morphological parameters (area, shape) and in color progressively occur during processing and are more pronounced in Toscano ham. A clear evolution of aroma of the three PDOs has been observed by e-nose, and the complexity of the aromatic profile of the ripened hams is clearly highlighted

Graphical methods, kinematic and finite element analysis of the premilcuore masonry bridge

This paper presents the results of static and seismic vulnerability analyses performed on a single-span masonry bridge located in Northern Italy. The structure, dated back to the 17th century, is a bridge with single-span of about 16 meters and height of 8 meters, built with rubble and irregular masonry. A preliminary static analysis was performed on the bridge through traditional graphic approaches such as the Méry's rule and the Durand-Claye's method. Afterwards, a kinematic non-linear analysis was executed once the collapse mechanism under horizontal earthquake-type actions was identified. Finally, a static finite element analysis with brick elements was performed to state the seismic vulnerability of the bridge, by changing its mechanical properties to evaluate their influence on the structural response. Collapse load factors have been also computed considering non-uniform gravitational loads and horizontal settlements at the bridge foundations

Probing the origin of the dark material on Iapetus

Among the icy satellites of Saturn, Iapetus shows a striking dichotomy between its leading and trailing hemispheres, the former being significantly darker than the latter. Thanks to the VIMS imaging spectrometer on-board Cassini, it is now possible to investigate the spectral features of the satellites in Saturn system within a wider spectral range and with an enhanced accuracy than with previously available data. In this work, we present an application of the G-mode method to the high resolution, visible and near infrared data of Phoebe, Iapetus and Hyperion collected by Cassini/VIMS, to search for compositional correlations. We also present the results of a dynamical study on the efficiency of Iapetus in capturing dust grains travelling inward in Saturn system to evaluate the viability of Poynting-Robertson drag as the physical mechanism transferring the dark material to the satellite. The results of spectroscopic classification are used jointly with the ones of the dynamical study to describe a plausible physical scenario for the origin of Iapetus' dichotomy. Our work shows that mass transfer from the outer Saturnian system is an efficient mechanism, particularly for the range of sizes hypothesised for the particles composing the newly discovered outer ring around Saturn. Both spectral and dynamical data indicate Phoebe as the main source of the dark material. However, we suggest a multi-source scenario where now extinct prograde satellites and the disruptive impacts that generated the putative collisional families played a significant role in supplying the original amount of dark material.Comment: 20 pages, 4 tables, 11 figures, major revision (manuscript extended and completed, figures added and corrected, new results added), minor revision and finalization of author list, moderate revision (update of the manuscript following reviewer's feedback and discovery of the new Saturnian outer ring

DETECT-AGING blind prediction contest: a benchmark for structural health monitoring of masonry buildings

The installation of monitoring systems on buildings allows analyzing variations in structural parameters over time, creating room for detection of damage. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems have the potential to support pro-active risk management, where structural interventions are planned if specific thresholds related to target performance losses are achieved. DETECT-AGING is a research project of relevant national interest that was funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) through the PRIN 2017 programme. The project started in September 2019 and involves the universities of Bologna, Genova, Napoli Federico II, and Perugia. The main goal of the project is to develop a new analytical-instrumental approach aimed at the quantitative assessment of the effects of aging and material degradation on structural safety of cultural heritage, with special focus on masonry structures. Based on a combined use of structural models and health monitoring systems, indications and operational tools will be provided for the identification and quantification of structural damage, supporting the management of built cultural heritage. To this purpose, a two-storey masonry building, having a single room with a vault at the first floor and a timber roof, was built with the aim of being monitored and progressively and will be damaged during the project. It is equipped with a hybrid SHM system managed by the University of Perugia, which is based on both vibration and strain measurements. The present paper illustrates the main features of the case-study building and presents the results of the experimental program aimed at characterizing the mechanical properties of masonry the materials used. The final part of the paper presents a blind prediction contest based on prediction of modal features of the building in different damaged configurations