Barriers and Enablers for Industry 4.0 in SMEs: A Combined Integration Framework

Although Industry 4.0 was introduced a decade ago, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) still have not adopted several technologies. Therefore, integrating SMEs along horizontal, vertical, and end-to-end engineering dimensions remains challenging. Due to the importance of SMEs for industrial value chains, understanding SMEs' barriers and respective enablers for Industry 4.0 integration is vital. Applying a multiple case study approach, this paper investigates their experience in Industry 4.0 through technological, organizational, and environmental factors. We aggregate the barriers and respective enablers to Industry 4.0 into an integration framework, which helps to understand Industry 4.0 in SMEs from a broader viewpoint inside these firms, upstream and downstream supply chains, and beyond manufacturing. The findings show that the success of Industry 4.0 integration is more oriented toward operational benefits than strategic advantages and depends upon how these technologies are integrated with various stakeholders across the supply chain, such as original equipment manufacturers, R&D agencies, or sub-suppliers

AMICO galaxy clusters in KiDS-DR3: Cosmological constraints from angular power spectrum and correlation function

We study the tomographic clustering properties of the photometric cluster catalogue derived from the Third Data Release of the Kilo Degree Survey, focusing on the angular correlation function and its spherical harmonic counterpart, the angular power spectrum. We measure the angular correlation function and power spectrum from a sample of 5162 clusters, with an intrinsic richness $\lambda^*\geq 15$, in the photometric redshift range $z\in [0.1, 0.6]$, comparing our measurements with theoretical models, in the framework of the $\Lambda$-Cold Dark Matter cosmology. We perform a Monte Carlo Markov Chain analysis to constrain the cosmological parameters $\Omega_{\mathrm{m}}$, $\sigma_8$ and the structure growth parameter $S_8\equiv\sigma_8 \sqrt{\Omega_{\mathrm{m}}/0.3}$. We adopt Gaussian priors on the parameters of the mass-richness relation, based on the posterior distributions derived from a previous joint analysis of cluster counts and weak lensing mass measurements carried out with the same catalogue. From the angular correlation function, we obtain $\Omega_{\mathrm{m}}=0.32^{+0.05}_{-0.04}$, $\sigma_8=0.77^{+0.13}_{-0.09}$ and $S_8=0.80^{+0.08}_{-0.06}$, in agreement, within $1\sigma$, with 3D clustering result based on the same cluster sample and with existing complementary studies on other datasets. For the angular power spectrum, we derive statistically consistent results, in particular $\Omega_{\mathrm{m}}=0.24^{+0.05}_{-0.04}$ and $S_8=0.93^{+0.11}_{-0.12}$, while the constraint on $\sigma_8$ alone is weaker with respect to the one provided by the angular correlation function, $\sigma_8=1.01^{+0.25}_{-0.17}$. Our results show that the 2D clustering from photometric cluster surveys can provide competitive cosmological constraints with respect to the full 3D clustering statistics, and can be successfully applied to ongoing and forthcoming spectro/photometric surveys.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures. Submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A

Neuropsychological and neurophysiological correlates of fatigue in post-acute patients with neurological manifestations of COVID-19: Insights into a challenging symptom

More than half of patients who recover from COVID-19 experience fatigue. We studied fatigue using neuropsychological and neurophysiological investigations in post-COVID-19 patients and healthy subjects. Neuropsychological assessment included: Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Fatigue Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Apathy Evaluation Scale, cognitive tests, and computerized tasks. Neurophysiological examination was assessed before (PRE) and 2 min after (POST) a 1-min fatiguing isometric pinching task and included: maximum compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude in first dorsal interosseous muscle (FDI) following ulnar nerve stimulation, resting motor threshold, motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude and silent period (SP) duration in right FDI following transcranial magnetic stimulation of the left motor cortex. Maximum pinch strength was measured. Perceived exertion was assessed with the Borg-Category-Ratio scale. Patients manifested fatigue, apathy, executive deficits, impaired cognitive control, and reduction in global cognition. Perceived exertion was higher in patients. CMAP and MEP were smaller in patients both PRE and POST. CMAP did not change in either group from PRE to POST, while MEP amplitudes declined in controls POST. SP duration did not differ between groups PRE, increased in controls but decreased in patients POST. Patients' change of SP duration from PRE to POST was negatively correlated to FSS. Abnormal SP shortening and lack of MEP depression concur with a reduction in post-exhaustion corticomotor inhibition, suggesting a possible GABAB-ergic dysfunction. This impairment might be related to the neuropsychological alterations. COVID-19-associated inflammation might lead to GABAergic impairment, possibly representing the basis of fatigue and explaining apathy and executive deficits

Conteúdo de melanina do pelame de bovinos da raça Nelore ao longo das estações do ano.

Bovinos da raça Nelore (Bos indicus) possuem a pelagem de coloração branca à acinzentada, podendo variar de cinza claro à cinza escuro

Extracellular ATP released by osteoblasts is a key local inhibitor of bone mineralisation

Previous studies have shown that exogenous ATP (>1µM) prevents bone formation in vitro by blocking mineralisation of the collagenous matrix. This effect is thought to be mediated via both P2 receptor-dependent pathways and a receptor-independent mechanism (hydrolysis of ATP to produce the mineralisation inhibitor pyrophosphate, PPi). Osteoblasts are also known to release ATP constitutively. To determine whether this endogenous ATP might exert significant biological effects, bone-forming primary rat osteoblasts were cultured with 0.5-2.5U/ml apyrase (which sequentially hydrolyses ATP to ADP to AMP + 2Pi). Addition of 0.5U/ml apyrase to osteoblast culture medium degraded extracellular ATP to <1% of control levels within 2 minutes; continuous exposure to apyrase maintained this inhibition for up to 14 days. Apyrase treatment for the first 72 hours of culture caused small decreases (≤25%) in osteoblast number, suggesting a role for endogenous ATP in stimulating cell proliferation. Continuous apyrase treatment for 14 days (≥0.5U/ml) increased mineralisation of bone nodules by up to 3-fold. Increases in bone mineralisation were also seen when osteoblasts were cultured with the ATP release inhibitors, NEM and brefeldin A, as well as with P2X1 and P2X7 receptor antagonists. Apyrase decreased alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) activity by up to 60%, whilst increasing the activity of the PPi-generating ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterases (NPPs) up to 2.7-fold. Both collagen production and adipocyte formation were unaffected. These data suggest that nucleotides released by osteoblasts in bone could act locally, via multiple mechanisms, to limit mineralisation

A snapshot on radiotherapy for head and neck cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey of the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) head and neck working group

Objectives: The objective of the paper was to assess real-life experience in the management of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in radiotherapy departments and to evaluate the variability in terms of adherence to American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) recommendations. Materials and methods: In May 2020, an anonymous 30-question online survey, comparing acute phase of outbreak and pre-COVID-19 period, was conducted. Two sections exploited changes in general management of HNC patients and different HNC primary tumors, addressing specific statements from ASTRO ESTRO consensus statement as well. Results: Eighty-eight questionnaires were included in the demographic/clinical workflow analysis, and 64 were analyzed for treatment management. Forty-eight percent of radiotherapy departments became part of oncologic hubs. First consultations reduced, and patients were addressed to other centers in 33.8 and 18.3% of cases, respectively. Telematic consultations were used in 50% of follow-up visits and 73.9% of multidisciplinary tumor board discussions. There were no practical changes in the management of patients affected by different primitive HNCs. Hypofractionation was not favored over conventional schedules. Conclusions: Compared to pre-COVID era, the clinical workflow was highly re-organized, whereas there were no consistent changes in RT indications and schedules