Development of a metamodel for see-manufacturing systems. Drivers, requirements and obstacles for social, ecological and economic models

LAUREA MAGISTRALEL’attuale panorama industriale si caratterizza per la presenza di nuove ed ulteriori pressioni esterne, guidate da un crescente interesse e dalla rivalutazione degli aspetti sociali e del rispetto dell’ambiente. Tali sollecitazioni sono percepite in modo sostanziale dalle aziende e si riflettono a loro volta sulla filiera produttiva sottostante. Influenzate da questo orientamento del mercato, aziende di tutto il mondo hanno iniziato a prendere in considerazione il concetto di sostenibilità, sia a livello strategico che operativo e ad intessere collaborazioni realmente olistiche con i governi e le altre realtà produttive. Gli effetti di questo processo di globalizzazione, uniti ad un sempre maggiore ricorso all’internazionalizzazione delle supply chain, stanno incidendo fortemente sugli equilibri dei mercati interni, creando ampie difficoltà alle piccole e medie imprese che si trovano svantaggiate nel varcare i confini territoriali. Ben diversa la situazione sul fronte delle grandi multinazionali che si stanno approcciando all’idea di sostenibilità, sia per garantirsi l’accesso di vendita su mercati evoluti, ove l’eco-compliance viene richiesta, sia per evitare potenziali danni all’immagine provocati da scandali mediatici. Le normative volontariamente applicate superano in molti casi gli standard di condotta etica ed ambientale imposti dalle leggi vigenti nei paesi ove è sono situate le loro filiali. Lo scopo della presente ricerca consiste proprio nell’ investigare processi ed operazioni quotidiane di aziende di diverse dimensioni, inserite in un contesto di supply chain complesso e multi-country, andando ad individuare gli aspetti essenziali alla costruzione di un modello di sostenibilità, ivi inteso come comprendente aspetti economici, sociali ed ambientali. L’individuazione dei requisiti fondamentali per la definizione di un modello efficace si è svolta in modalità duale: da una lato, grazie alla Literature review, le principali opinioni esistenti sulla tematica sono stati analizzate, ordinate e raggruppate evidenziando le lacune attuali esistenti; dall'altro lo stesso processo è stato implementato sul campo, tramite lo svolgimento di casi di studio di aziende selezionate. L’ipotesi di ricerca è stata declinata in 4 proposizioni di base e grazie alla loro successiva validazione è stato possibile infine delineare un frame comprensivo - d’ora in avanti chiamato SEE Meta-Model - che riassuma in modo esaustivo e schematico le questioni ecologiche, sociali e di gestione delle risorse con cui le aziende si devono confrontare durante l’operatività quotidiana. In particolare tra tutti i concetti esposti, la presente ricerca vuole riportare un approfondito dibattito circa 1) i driver che spingono l'adozione di politiche di sostenibilità e gli ostacoli che impediscono la loro diffusione, 2) le relazioni e le norme di comunicazione adottate all’interno dell'organizzazione 3) come le aziende misurano i propri risultati in termini di sostenibilità, definizione degli obiettivi e delle priorità, kaizen strategy e benchmarking delle attività della concorrenza.The current industrial landscape is characterized by the presence of further and additional external pressures, driven by a growing interest and by the appreciation of social and environmental protection issues. These forces are strongly experienced by companies and, in turn, are reflected on their underlying production chain. Influenced by such orientation of the market, companies around the world have already begun to consider the concept of sustainability, both at strategic and operational levels, and to interweave actual holistic partnerships with governments and other productive realities. The effects of this globalization process, combined with an increasing trend of internationalizing supply chains, have heavy impact on the balance of domestic markets, creating wide difficulties for Small and Medium-Sized enterprises that are disadvantaged in crossing territorial boundaries. Quite different it’s the situation on the front of large multinationals that are approaching the idea of sustainability, both to ensure themselves access to developed markets, where the eco-compliance is already required, and to avoid possible reputational damages caused by media scandals. Regulations voluntarily applied in many cases exceed the standards of ethical and environmental conduct imposed by the laws of the countries where their subsidiaries are located. The purpose of the present research lays exactly into investigate processes and daily operations of companies of all sizes, in context of complex and multi-country supply chains, identifying the key points to build a sustainability model, herewith meant as including economic, social and environmental aspects. The identification of the basic requirements for the definition of an effective model was carried out in a dual mode: on one side, thanks to the literature review, all main existing opinions on the subject were analyzed, sorted and grouped by highlighting the actual existing gaps; on the other side, the same process has been implemented on field, by conducting case studies of selected companies. The research hypothesis has been converted into four basic propositions and thanks to their subsequent validation it was finally possible to draw a frame - henceforth called SEE Meta-Model - which summarizes in comprehensive and schematic way ecological, social and resource management issues that companies have to deal with during their daily operations. In particular, among all the concepts, this research wants to present an in-depth discussion about 1) the drivers that push the adoption of sustainability policies and the obstacles that prevent their spread, 2) the relationships and the communication rules adopted internally by organization 3) How companies measure their performance in terms of sustainability, setting goals and priorities, kaizen strategy and benchmarking of competitors' activities

Measurement of the quasi-elastic axial vector mass in neutrino-oxygen interactions

The weak nucleon axial-vector form factor for quasi-elastic interactions is determined using neutrino interaction data from the K2K Scintillating Fiber detector in the neutrino beam at KEK. More than 12,000 events are analyzed, of which half are charged-current quasi-elastic interactions nu-mu n to mu- p occurring primarily in oxygen nuclei. We use a relativistic Fermi gas model for oxygen and assume the form factor is approximately a dipole with one parameter, the axial vector mass M_A, and fit to the shape of the distribution of the square of the momentum transfer from the nucleon to the nucleus. Our best fit result for M_A = 1.20 \pm 0.12 GeV. Furthermore, this analysis includes updated vector form factors from recent electron scattering experiments and a discussion of the effects of the nucleon momentum on the shape of the fitted distributions.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, 6 table

Digitalization Processes in Distribution Grids: A Comprehensive Review of Strategies and Challenges

This systematic review meticulously explores the transformative impact of digital technologies on the grid planning, grid operations, and energy market dynamics of power distribution grids. Utilizing a robust methodological framework, over 54,000 scholarly articles were analyzed to investigate the integration and effects of artificial intelligence, machine learning, optimization, the Internet of Things, and advanced metering infrastructure within these key subsections. The literature was categorized to show how these technologies contribute specifically to grid planning, operation, and market mechanisms. It was found that digitalization significantly enhances grid planning through improved forecasting accuracy and robust infrastructure design. In operations, these technologies enable real-time management and advanced fault detection, thereby enhancing reliability and operational efficiency. Moreover, in the market domain, they support more efficient energy trading and help in achieving regulatory compliance, thus fostering transparent and competitive markets. However, challenges such as data complexity and system integration are identified as critical hurdles that must be overcome to fully harness the potential of smart grid technologies. This review not only highlights the comprehensive benefits but also maps out the interdependencies among the planning, operation, and market strategies, underlining the critical role of digital technologies in advancing sustainable and resilient energy systems

Measurement of the B+ --> p pbar K+ Branching Fraction and Study of the Decay Dynamics

With a sample of 232x10^6 Upsilon(4S) --> BBbar events collected with the BaBar detector, we study the decay B+ --> p pbar K+ excluding charmonium decays to ppbar. We measure a branching fraction Br(B+ --> p pbar K+)=(6.7+/-0.5+/-0.4)x10^{-6}. An enhancement at low ppbar mass is observed and the Dalitz plot asymmetry suggests dominance of the penguin amplitude in this B decay. We search for a pentaquark candidate Theta*++ decaying into pK+ in the mass range 1.43 to 2.00 GeV/c2 and set limits on Br(B+ --> Theta*++pbar)xBr(Theta*++ --> pK+) at the 10^{-7} level.Comment: 8 pages, 7 postscript figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. D (Rapid Communications

Search for rare quark-annihilation decays, B --> Ds(*) Phi

We report on searches for B- --> Ds- Phi and B- --> Ds*- Phi. In the context of the Standard Model, these decays are expected to be highly suppressed since they proceed through annihilation of the b and u-bar quarks in the B- meson. Our results are based on 234 million Upsilon(4S) --> B Bbar decays collected with the BABAR detector at SLAC. We find no evidence for these decays, and we set Bayesian 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions BF(B- --> Ds- Phi) Ds*- Phi)<1.2x10^(-5). These results are consistent with Standard Model expectations.Comment: 8 pages, 3 postscript figues, submitted to Phys. Rev. D (Rapid Communications

Measurements of [script B]([overline B]^0 → Λ_c^+[overline p]) and [script B](B^- → Λ_c^+[overline p]π^-) and studies of Λ_c^+π^- resonances

We present an investigation of the decays [overline B]^0 → Λ_c^+[overline p] and B^- → Λ_c^+[overline p]π^- based on 383×10^6 γ(4S) → B[overline B] decays recorded with the BABAR detector. We measure the branching fractions of these decays; their ratio is [script B](B^- → Λ_c^+[overline p]π^-)/[script B]([overline B]^0 → Λ_c^+[overline p])=15.4 ± 1.8 ± 0.3. The B^- → Λ_c^+[overline p]π^- process exhibits an enhancement at the Λ_c^+[overline p] threshold and is a laboratory for searches for excited charm baryon states. We observe the resonant decays B^- → ∑_c(2455)^0[overline p] and B^- → ∑_c(2800)^0[overline p] but see no evidence for B^- → ∑_c(2520)^0[overline p]. This is the first observation of the decay B^- → ∑_c(2800)^0[overline p]; however, the mass of the observed excited ∑_c^0 state is (2846 ± 8 ± 10) MeV/c^2, which is somewhat inconsistent with previous measurements. Finally, we examine the angular distribution of the B^- → ∑_c(2455)^0[overline p] decays and measure the spin of the ∑_c(2455)^0 baryon to be 1/2, as predicted by the quark model

Evidence for X(3872) → Ψ (2S)y in B^± → X(3872)K^± Decays and a Study of B → ccyK

In a search for B → ccyK decays with the BABAR detector, where cc includes J/Ψ and Ψ (2S), and K includes K^±, K^0_S , and K^*(892), we find evidence for X(3872) → J/Ψy and X(3872) → Ψ (2S) with 3:6σ and 3:5σ significance, respectively. We measure the product of branching fractions B(B^± → X(3872)K^±)B(X(3872) → J/Ψy)= [2:8 ± 0:8(stat) ± 0:1(syst)]X 10^(-6) and B(B^± → X(3872)K^±) X B(X(3872) → Ψ (2S)y) = [9:5 ± 2:7(stat) ± 0:6(syst)] X 10^(-6)