Advanced research and technology programs for advanced high-pressure oxygen-hydrogen rocket propulsion

A research and technology program for advanced high pressure, oxygen-hydrogen rocket propulsion technology is presently being pursued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to establish the basic discipline technologies, develop the analytical tools, and establish the data base necessary for an orderly evolution of the staged combustion reusable rocket engine. The need for the program is based on the premise that the USA will depend on the Shuttle and its derivative versions as its principal Earth-to-orbit transportation system for the next 20 to 30 yr. The program is focused in three principal areas of enhancement: (1) life extension, (2) performance, and (3) operations and diagnosis. Within the technological disciplines the efforts include: rotordynamics, structural dynamics, fluid and gas dynamics, materials fatigue/fracture/life, turbomachinery fluid mechanics, ignition/combustion processes, manufacturing/producibility/nondestructive evaluation methods and materials development/evaluation. An overview of the Advanced High Pressure Oxygen-Hydrogen Rocket Propulsion Technology Program Structure and Working Groups objectives are presented with highlights of several significant achievements

Light emitting diodes technology in public light system of the municipality of Rome: an economic and financial analysis

This study evaluates an investment project concerning the redevelopment of the public lighting of the Municipality of Rome. In particular, we consider the replacing of the traditional lamps of the system with light emitting diodes lamps. We consider the factors that affect this kind of project: The cost of energy, the manteinance cost, the investment cost and the weighted average cost of capital. Our results underline the reduction of energy consumption and of the maintenance costs, lower emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere, the reduction of light pollution, the positive effects on road safety and the indipendence by incentives

Advanced High Pressure O2/H2 Technology

Activities in the development of advanced high pressure oxygen-hydrogen stage combustion rocket engines are reported. Particular emphasis is given to the Space Shuttle main engine. The areas of engine technology discussed include fracture and fatigue in engine components, manufacturing and producibility engineering, materials, bearing technology, structure dynamics, fluid dynamics, and instrumentation technology

Shari'ah-compliant finance: a possible novel paradigm for green economy investments in Italy

In Italy, the dramatic reduction of government incentives has caused a decrease of investments in the renewable energy sector. For this reason, it is necessary to rethink funding techniques, extending the analysis to different cultural and financial models. In this paper, we study the incentive-dependency of an Italian case study in the wind energy sector in order to reach grid parity, comparing the obtained results with those of Islamic finance and conventional finance. In particular, we propose that Sukuk Islamic finance instruments be used for the realization of real assets in Shari'ah-compliant finance that prohibits interest rates, as in conventional financial markets, and we present the building cost thresholds necessary to achieve grid parity. Our results highlight the importance of incentives and the applicability of the use of Sukuk instruments for sustainable investments in the wind energy sector, which is crucial in the framework of current efforts against climate change as well as efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The strategic role of the corporate social responsibility and circular economy in the cosmetic industry

In the literature, circular economy (CE) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are increasingly interconnected concepts. Turon at al. (2016) consider CE the guidelines of conduct for designing and developing good CSR strategies. In particular, the corporate management philosophy needs to be translated into mandatory CSR reports that better frames circular economy objectives by identifying and communicating actions to achieve sustainable development goals. The purpose of this paper is to explore a number of CSR reports in order to understand if cosmetic multinationals' (MNC) nonfinancial reporting is focused on the concept of circular economy and if CSR reports ensure an adequate level of disclosure to circular strategies. Moreover, the paper highlights the advantages that arise by converging the concepts of CSR and CE. The originality of this paper lies on providing evidence on "how" MNC are implementing a circular model. This paper contributes to our understanding on the relation between CSR and CE; it assesses the state of the art of circular strategies in MNC and proposes a consolidation of the concept of CE in terms of sustainable strategic and managerial practices communicated to the market by CSR reports. Moreover, it brings MNC to a better understanding of the ways to communicate their new circular business model. The analysis reveals a good level of attention by MNC to circularity in drafting their CSR reports that in many cases are able to describe objectives and actions that embrace multiple dimensions

Circular economy and corporate social responsibility in the agricultural system: Cases study of the Italian agri-food industry

The persistent exploitation of natural resources and the consequent use of consumption are driving global food demand with the result that agricultural activity is becoming less and less environmentally friendly. The circular economy (CE) can become a valid alternative, inserting the economic-agricultural system into the harmonic process of material circulation. The corporate social responsibility (CSR) model is particularly interesting not only because of the ethical dimension of the company but also as a factor of strategic business improvement that combines the concepts of CSR and CE as possible solutions for developing sustainable business processes. The objective of the work is to highlight a detailed framework of how the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the Italian agri-food industry can provide an ade-quate level of communication, circular strategies and social responsibility practices. The research methodology is based on a qualitative multiple study conducted on a sample of nine companies in the Italian territory. The study highlights the attention of companies on the issues of the CE for the achievement of the set sustainable objectives and the attention to CSR and CE practices. The work has several implications. It provides a further understanding of CSR and CE policies as enabling factors for the development of sustainable organizational performance in agriculture. Moreover, it better investigates the relationship between CSR and the CE. Finally, it analyses the SMEs state of the art in the CE field and strengthens the concept of CE by analysing corporate practices consistent with sustainability reports

Corporate social responsibility as a catalyst of circular economy? A case study perspective in Agri-food

Purpose: This study aims to analyze how, under the stakeholder theory, corporate social responsibility (CSR) might favor the emergence of circular economy (CE) in the Agri-food sector, which is a relevant context, as it is technologically dynamic and requires paying attention to all the stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory, qualitative research design has been adopted to study the phenomenon in detail, as it facilitates the understanding of complex phenomena such those under investigation and helps enrich existing theory with new insights from real-world cases to add theoretical generalizations to the existing body of research in the field. Findings: The results of this study highlight that companies adopting CSR models are oriented toward circularity. Practical implications: This study provides useful indications to managers and policymakers as to how to favor the two approaches (CSR and CE) and benefit all the stakeholders. Originality/value: While there is wide scholarly and managerial interest toward CSR and CE, previous research has mainly analyzed CE and CSR as two independent phenomena. Therefore, there is a lack of understanding about how the two areas are linked. Following previous studies that have started to theoretically argue an interconnection between CSR and CE, in this research, it has been empirically investigated, and further explored theoretically, whether CSR can implicitly encourage the emergence of CE approaches

The impact of ESG factors on financial efficiency: An empirical analysis for the selection of sustainable firm portfolios

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors are increasingly at the center of corporate and investment decisions. In this context, the aim of the paper was to test whether ESG factors impact on financial efficiency of a sample of firms belonging to different European sectors. This study enriches the literature of the field through a multi-sectoral analysis. The Data Envelopment Analysis was used as widely considered in empirical and financial studies. Research findings showed that ESGs impact on firm efficiency differently over sectors: some of them are more sensitive than others to ESG factors. Furthermore, for most sensitive sectors the risk-return characteristics related to ESGs were represented in order to provide insights for investors aiming to construct efficient and sustainable firm portfolios to invest in

Inclusion of motor evoked abnormalities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a diagnostic algorithm to early classify lower motor neuron phenotypes

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