Collaboration for sustainability in the food supply chain: A multi-stage study in Italy

The objective of this study is twofold. Firstly, to analyze sustainability practices adopted in collaboration, including vertical collaboration i.e., with other actors or stages upstream or downstream in the supply chain, and horizontal collaboration i.e., with actors such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Secondly, to identify the sustainability performance expected from sustainability practices implemented in different supply chain stages. The study reports on a set of case studies representing four different food supply chain (FSC) stages: breeding/growing, processing, distribution and retail. The findings indicate that each stage selects different collaboration schemes for sustainability practices' implementation, prioritizing relations with upstream actors, namely grower/breeder, as these are key actors responsible for ensuring product quality and safety. In addition, the type of collaborative relationship is shown to be predominantly transactional for environmental and community practices, especially for solving specific short-term issues. Finally, varied areas of environmental and social sustainability performance are recognized, upstream and downstream, as a result of collaborative practices applied in different FSC stages, showing the diverse sustainability objectives pursued along the chain

Ion acceleration enhancement in laser-generated plasmas by metallic doped hydrogenated polymers

Laser-generated plasmas in vacuum were obtained by ablating hydrogenated polymers at the Physics Department of the University of Messina and at the PALS Laboratory in Prague. In the first case a 3 ns, 532 nm Nd:Yag laser, at 10^10 W/cm^2 intensity was employed. In the second case a 300 ps, 438 nm iodine laser, at 5x10^14 W/cm^2 intensity was employed. Different ion collectors were used in a time-of-flight configuration to monitor the ejected ions from the plasma at different angles with respect to the direction normal to the target surface. Measurements demonstrated that the mean ion velocity, directed orthogonally to the target surface, increases for ablation of polymers doped with metallic elements with respect to the nondoped one. The possible mechanism explaining the results can be found in the different electron density of the plasma, due to the higher number of electrons coming from the doping elements. This charge enhancement increases the equivalent ion voltage acceleration, i.e. the electric field generated in the non-equilibrium plasma placed in front of the ablated target surface

When sustainability becomes an order winner: linking supply uncertainty and sustainable supply chain strategies

This study investigates how to implement a sustainable supply chain strategy by choosing a set of sustainable practices while considering the strategic priority assigned to sustainability within a company’s competitive strategy (i.e., an order winner (OW), market qualifier (MQ) or desirable attribute (DA)). Therefore, two research questions arise: RQ1. What are the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices adopted by companies under the different levels of priority assigned to sustainability (i.e., OW, MQ and DA)? and RQ2. How does supply uncertainty influence the choices regarding the SSCM practices to adopt or vice versa? We addressed these questions through a two-step methodology that includes 10 exploratory case studies in different industries and four explanatory cases in the furniture industry. Six research propositions are developed, and we show how some sustainable practices are common to all companies in the sample, while others are only applicable when sustainability is an MQ or an OW. Moreover, in contrast to the suggestion in the literature, we observed that companies with sustainability as an OW implement sustainability practices despite increasing exposure to supply uncertainty. However, when sustainability is a DA or an MQ, companies might implement sustainable practices with the aim of reducing supply uncertainty rather than for sustainability goals. The cases show that investment in these practices can trigger a transition towards a situation in which sustainability is an OW

Selection of Wine Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains and Their Screening for the Adsorption Activity of Pigments, Phenolics and Ochratoxin A

Ochratoxin A is a dangerous mycotoxin present in wines and is considered the principal safety hazard in the winemaking process. Several authors have investigated the ochratoxin A adsorption ability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts, and specifically selected strains for this desired trait. In the present work, a huge selection of wine yeasts was done starting from Portuguese, Spanish and Italian fermenting musts of dierent cultivars. Firstly, 150 isolates were collected, and 99 non-redundant S. cerevisiae strains were identified. Then, the strains were screened following a multi-step approach in order to select those having primary oenological traits, mainly (a) good fermentation performance, (b) low production of H2S and (c) low production of acetic acid. The preselected strains were further investigated for their adsorption activity of pigments, phenolic compounds and ochratoxin A. Finally, 10 strains showed the desired features. The goal of this work was to select the strains capable of absorbing ochratoxin A but not pigments and phenolic compounds in order to improve and valorise both the quality and safety of red wines. The selected strains are considered good candidates for wine starters, moreover, they can be exploited to obtain a further enhancement of the specific adsorption/non-adsorption activity by applying a yeast breeding approach

Sustainability practices and web-based communication: An analysis of the Italian fashion industry

Purpose \u2013 The purpose of this paper is to examine which environmental and social sustainability practices companies in the Italian fashion industry adopt and how these companies communicate their sustainability commitment through their corporate websites. Design/methodology/approach \u2013 The multiple case studies approach was selected and the practices of 12 companies in the Italian fashion industry were investigated. Findings \u2013 The findings showed that four different approaches in the field of sustainability practices and web-based communication are available within the Italian fashion industry (i.e. low commitment, high commitment, low disclosure, high marketing) by highlighting the alignment (i.e. fit or misfit) among these dimensions and by discussing the practices as well as the drivers/barriers of each approach. Originality/value \u2013 The paper contributes to the literature by deepening the understanding of both the environmental and social dimensions of the sustainability issue. Moreover, the work investigates the relationship between sustainability practices and web-based sustainability communication, a topic that has not yet been addressed in the current literature

Sleep‐Disordered Breathing and 24‐Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Renal Transplant Patients: Longitudinal Study

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Apolipoprotein E in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

Apolipoprotein E in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.BackgroundHyperlipemia characterizes nephrotic syndrome (NS) and contributes to the progression of the underlying nephropathy. The data in the literature support an implication of apolipoprotein E (apoE) in both hyperlipemia and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a malignant condition associated with NS.MethodsThe apoE genotype was determined in 209 nephrotic patients, who were classified according to age and their response to steroids as resistant children (N = 96) and adults (43), and steroid dependent (33) and steroid responder (37) children. A total of 123 presented the histological features of FSGS. In a subgroup of 28 patients, serum and urinary levels of apoE and renal deposits were evaluated by immunofluorescence.ResultsThe allelic frequencies of the three major haplotypes γ2, γ3, and γ4 were the same in nephrotic patients versus controls, and homozygosity for γ3γ3 was comparably the most frequent genotype (70 vs. 71%) followed by γ3γ4, γ2γ3, γ2γ4, γ4γ4. Serum levels of apoE were fivefold higher in NS and in FSGS patients than in controls, with a direct correlation with hypercholesterolemia and proteinuria. ApoE genotypes did not influence serum levels. Urinary levels were 1/10,000 of serum with an increment in nephrotic urines. Finally, immunofluorescence demonstrated the absence of apoE in sclerotic glomeruli, while comparably nephrotic patients with membranous nephropathy had an increased glomerular expression of apoE.ConclusionsApoE is dysregulated in NS with a marked increment in serum, which is a part of the complex lipid metabolism. Down-regulation of glomerular apoE instead is a peculiarity of FSGS and may contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. The normal distribution of apoE genotypes in nephrotic patients with FSGS excludes a pathogenetic role of genetic variants