Service Implementation Framework in Manufacturing Firms: A Case Study

The culture and the operational methods of service management have become a formidable competitive weapon even for manufacturing firms. The term "service factory" has been proposed for identifying that particular integration of products and services, achieved by the excellent manufacturing firm, where "service is a multidimensional concept". The creation of a service factory necessarily implies a radical change in the operational and organizational characteristics of the firm. In order to support manufacturing firms in adopting a service strategy, it is relevant on the one hand to identify the bundle of services which have to be provided for the customers and, on the other hand, to understand the implications for firm management model. As regards the first point, the paper proposes a framework which classifies the services along with two dimensions: Timedimension and target-dimension. The proposed framework is of interest for manufacturing firms because it allows a better recognition of services that are more perceptible for the customers. In the second part of the paper, authors discuss the implications of a service strategy adoption on the management model of manufacturing firms. In order to carry out this analysis, authors propose a model that combines four service dimensions with three decision-making categories (Organization, Methodologies and Technologies). In the end, the proposed framework has been applied in a sample of Italian hot water heater manufacturers and a case study analysis has been carried out

A novel framework for the use of workflow system in the integration of supply chain tiers

The global competition has imposed challenges to supply chain integration, mainly, during the process of obtain information to make demand management decisions. This paper proposes an integrated framework for data collection, analysis and results dissemination in the supply chain management (SCM), contributing to research and alternatives for \u201cThe Bullwhip Effect\u201d issue. In this sense, it is necessary to discuss the integration of supply chain management, Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) functionality and others systems, to enlarge this scope to the total supply chain players. The ERP web-based tool and Workflow Systems (WS) can contribute to solve issues related to supply chain management. Starting from a detailed analysis of the research background regarding current SCM definitions and integration problems, Information Technology and Communication (ITC) development and WS in order to map and ensure flow fluency; the paper proposes a model to increase the overall integrations and an application in a case study for supporting the decisions that are aligned with the company\u2019s strategic objectives. This paper is divided in: research background; proposed model of the SC integration; case study, conclusions and future research

Acoustics for Marine Surveys

SONAR is an acronym for (So)und (Na)vigation and (R)anging. Sound waves have a physical character that differs from that of other types of propagating waves, i.e. light and radio waves. Sound and acoustic are terms that can be used interchangeably, although the latter is a broader term. The former is most often used to describe acoustic frequencies within the range of human hearing, which leads to terms like ultrasonic and sub-sonic for acoustic frequencies that are respectively, above and below the range of human hearing. Acoustic waves are based on vibrations of the actual material of the medium and are manifested as periodic variations of pressure in the medium. As a result of this physical nature of acoustic waves, the exact composition of the material through which an acoustic wave travels will impact the energy that is necessarily lost as the wave propagates through the material. When a propagating acoustic wave encounters a sudden change in the properties (sound speed and/or density, but specifically the product of sound speed and density) of the actual material of the medium, a portion of the acoustic wave will change its propagation direction. That portion of the acoustic wave that reverses its propagation direction is the echo which echo sounders are designed to exploit for distance measurements. If the transmission/reception of acoustic energy can be confined to a singular narrow angular sector, the detection of an echo at some time after a pulse is transmitted provides both the range and bearing to the point in space where the echo was generated. Measuring the local configuration of the seabed with acoustics is that basic: transmit acoustic energy toward the bottom and detect the arrival times and directions of the acoustic energy that returns from the bottom. The measured ranges and 3-dimensional directions to points where the echoes were generated can be converted into 3-dimensional locations, relative to the transducer. Finally it is necessary to transfer the echo generation locations from the transducer frame of reference into the ship’s frame of reference and finally into the appropriate reference frame for presenting the survey results

Measles resurges in Italy: preliminary data from September 2007 to May 2008.

Following an incidence rate of 1/100,000 inhabitants in 2006 [1], Italy has been facing an upsurge of measles cases since September 2007, with outbreaks being reported in various regions. In Italy, measles vaccination is currently offered free of charge as combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The current national vaccination schedule recommends two doses of MMR vaccine, given respectively at 11-12 months and 5-6 years of age. Although childhood vaccination coverage has increased in recent years, reaching the national average of 88% in 2006 (source: Ministry of Health), with some regional variability (Figure 1), it is still below the target of 95% set by the National Measles Elimination Plan (MEP) launched in 2003 [2], and outbreaks continue to occur

Flood hazard of the Somma-Vesuvius region based on historical (19-20th century) and geomorphological data

This paper presents a preliminary susceptibility map of the flood hazard for the Somma-Vesuvius volcanic district, worked out by means of multidisciplinary historical, geological, geomorphological and rainfall data processing. It is well known that the Somma-Vesuvius volcano, due to its explosive volcanism and the dense urbanization of the surrounding area, with a population exceeding 650,000 is one of the most dangerous active volcanoes of the world. Although this area has been extensively studied from the volcanological point of view with regards to its volcanic hazard, there are currently not many detailed studies about its flood hazard factors, despite the fact that, in the last century, many intense rainfall events in this area have produced several floods that invaded the surrounding plains affecting towns and roads, and causing much damages and loss of lives. Accordingly, in this paper high-resolution DEM (5×5 m pixel) and detailed geomorphological maps of the whole area have been analyzed and processed in GIS environment, carrying out a comparative study of the present-day morphology and the morphology of the 1900’s volcanic edifice, including changes of infrastructures and buildings throughout the last century. These results, together with historical chronicles data and the rainfall accurate data for all flood events, have been processed in this paper for highlighting the drainage basins areas of Somma-Vesuvius where the flood phenomena could be more probable in the future, working out a preliminary zoning map, also suggesting in which sectors interventions useful for mitigation of flood risk should be implemented

High-resolution tracking in a GEM-Emulsion detector

SHiP (Search for Hidden Particles) is a beam dump experiment proposed at the CERN SPS aiming at the observation of long lived particles very weakly coupled with ordinary matter mostly produced in the decay of charmed hadrons. The beam dump facility of SHiP is also a copious factory of neutrinos of all three kinds and therefore a dedicated neutrino detector is foreseen in the SHiP apparatus. The neutrino detector exploits the Emulsion Cloud Chamber technique with a modular structure, alternating walls of target units and planes of electronic detectors providing the time stamp to the event. GEM detectors are one of the possible choices for this task. This paper reports the results of the first exposure to a muon beam at CERN of a new hybrid chamber, obtained by coupling a GEM chamber and an emulsion detector. Thanks to the micrometric accuracy of the emulsion detector, the position resolution of the GEM chamber as a function of the particle inclination was evaluated in two configurations, with and without the magnetic fiel

Can miRNAs be useful biomarkers in improving prognostic stratification in endometrial cancer patients? An update review

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecological cancer, with annual incidence rates in Western countries ranging between 15 and 25 per 100 000 women. About 15% to 20% of patients with EC have high-risk disease and follow an aggressive clinical course. Unfortunately, the assessment of histologic parameters is poorly reproducible and conventional clinicopathological and molecular features do not reliably predict either the patient's response to the available treatments or the definition of personalized therapeutic approaches. In this context, the identification of novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, which can be integrated in the current classification schemes, represents an unmet clinical need and an important challenge. miRNAs are key players in cancer by regulating the expression of specific target genes. Their role in EC, in association with clinical and prognostic tumor biomarkers, has been investigated but, so far, with little consensus among the studies. The present review aims to describe the recent advances in miRNAs research in EC taking into consideration the current classification schemes and to highlight the most promising miRNAs. Finally, a perspective point of view sheds light on the challenges ahead in the landscape of EC

Individual calcium syntillas do not trigger spontaneous exocytosis from nerve terminals of the neurohypophysis

Recently, highly localized Ca(2+) release events, similar to Ca(2+) sparks in muscle, have been observed in neuronal preparations. Specifically, in murine neurohypophysial terminals (NHT), these events, termed Ca(2+) syntillas, emanate from a ryanodine-sensitive intracellular Ca(2+) pool and increase in frequency with depolarization in the absence of Ca(2+) influx. Despite such knowledge of the nature of these Ca(2+) release events, their physiological role in this system has yet to be defined. Such localized Ca(2+) release events, if they occur in the precise location of the final exocytotic event(s), may directly trigger exocytosis. However, directly addressing this hypothesis has not been possible, since no method capable of visualizing individual release events in these CNS terminals has been available. Here, we have adapted an amperometric method for studying vesicle fusion to this system which relies on loading the secretory granules with the false transmitter dopamine, thus allowing, for the first time, the recording of individual exocytotic events from peptidergic NHT. Simultaneous use of this technique along with high-speed Ca(2+) imaging has enabled us to establish that spontaneous neuropeptide release and Ca(2+) syntillas do not display any observable temporal or spatial correlation, confirming similar findings in chromaffin cells. Although these results indicate that syntillas do not play a direct role in eliciting spontaneous release, they do not rule out indirect modulatory effects of syntillas on secretion

Role of FDG-PET scan in staging of pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma

In this report we describe a case of pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (PEH) in a young woman. The neoplasm manifested with dry cough, chest pain, finger clubbing, and multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules on chest x-ray and computed tomographic (CT) scan. She underwent thoracoscopy, and the histological features of the lung biopsies were initially interpreted as consistent with a not-well-defined interstitial lung disease. Our patient was clinically and radiologically stable over a period of four years, after which the disease progressed to involve not only the lung but also mediastinal lymph nodes, liver and bone. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy showed subtotal occlusion of the right middle and lower lobe bronchi. The histologic examination of bronchial biopsies revealed a poorly differentiated neoplasm immunohistochemically positive for vimentin and vascular markers CD31, CD34 and Factor VIII. A diagnosis of malignant hemangioendothelioma was made. Positron emission tomography (PET) is more sensitive than CT scan and bone scintigraphy in detecting PEH metastases. Furthermore, 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake seems to be related to the grade of malignancy of PEH lesions. Therefore, we suggest that FDG-PET should be included in the staging system and follow-up of PEH