A high efficiency input/output coupler for small silicon photonic devices

Coupling light from an optical fibre to small optical waveguides is particularly problematic in semiconductors, since the refractive index of the silica fibre is very different from that of a semiconductor waveguide. There have been several published methods of achieving such coupling, but none are sufficiently efficient whilst being robust enough for commercial applications. In this paper experimental results of our approach called a Dual-Grating Assisted Directional Coupler, are presented. The principle of coupling by this novel method has been successfully demonstrated, and a coupling efficiency of 55% measured

Evolution of Collaborative Networks Supporting Startup Sustainability: Evidences from Digital Firms

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether startup evolution can be conceptualized in a life cycle model intended as an unpredictable sequence of stages, where startups need to find actors with whom to collaborate to acquire knowledge and resources supporting the effectiveness and the sustainability of their mission. The creation and implementation of collaborative networks is observed through the lens of the holistic approach to the entrepreneurial ecosystem, whose purpose is to build “bridges” between different actors through the creation of communities of best practices or entrepreneurial networks. The creation of a specific ecosystem is suggested to ease the new digital entrepreneurship generation toward acquiring an appropriate level of knowledge, skills, financial facilitations, and entrepreneurial culture. Following a multiple case study analysis based on nine successful Italian digital firms, the empirical evidence seems to confirm that firms collaborate with different actors in different stages, as knowledge and resource networks play a critical role in sustaining the evolution and success of new firms

Potential energy savings from circular economy scenarios based on construction and agri-food waste in Italy

In this study, our aim was to explore the potential energy savings obtainable from the recycling of 1 tonne of Construction and Demolition Waste (C&DW) generated in the Metropolitan City of Naples. The main fraction composing the functional unit are mixed C&DW, soil and stones, concrete, iron, steel and aluminium. The results evidence that the recycling option for the C&DW is better than landfilling as well as that the production of recycled aggregates is environmentally sustainable since the induced energy and environmental impacts are lower than the avoided energy and environmental impacts in the life cycle of recycled aggregates. This LCA study shows that the transition to the Circular Economy offers many opportunities for improving the energy and environmental performances of the construction sector in the life cycle of construction materials by means of internal recycling strategies (recycling C&DW into recycled aggregates, recycled steel, iron and aluminum) as well as external recycling by using input of other sectors (agri-food by-products) for the manufacturing of construction materials. In this way, the C&D sector also contributes to realizing the energy and bioeconomy transition by disentangling itself from fossil fuel dependence

THE REASONS OF THE VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE FOR THE REGULATION OF CONTEMPORARY INTERVENTIONS. TWO EXAMPLES OF RURAL ARCHITECTURE ON DANUBE DELTA AND THE VESUVIUS

Abstract. The development and growth of the territory has for centuries been conditioned by the availability of resources on site. The minor architecture which is presented as a vast and varied repertoire of unique architectural forms, perfected over time to meet the needs of living places, is the repository of the formal and cultural testimonies that represent the integration between man and environment, which took place in a constant process of adaptation and enhancement of limits and resources in terms of climate, materials, soil morphology and geology. The "not only formal" result of this growth process is a consolidated iconography that summarizes the profound reasons for building through techniques developed according to the characteristics of the available materials and the needs of life and daily work, an absolute synthesis between form and function that gives rise to the repertoire of the lexicon of the architecture of a place and of the landscape. Starting from these reflections, the proposed study seeks to investigate the reasons for the constructive lexicon of some examples of vernacular architecture related to different contexts, identifying the reasons for the constructive choices in terms of relationships between the function of technical elements and construction characteristics; the purpose of this approach is to regulate constructive interventions in consolidated settlements of vernacular architecture by proposing a study methodology that highlights the rules and reasons for those constructive choices so that purely formal distortions and misunderstandings do not occur in current practices. The selected case studies are the rural settlements of Terzigno, a municipality in the province of Naples (Italy) on the slopes of Vesuvius and some of the rural settlements in the Danube Delta, in Romania

“Design is one”, un canone grafico del progetto di social design; 10 anni di ricerca-azione

Ragioneremo attorno alla nostra esperienza progettuale, consapevoli che esiste un aspetto comunicativo in ogni progetto e concordi che indagare e interrogare questa dimensione permetta di comprendere e definire “meglio le funzioni e scoprire altri tipi di funzionalità […] altrettanto essenziali che la pura considerazione funzionalistica impediva di scorgere”. Nel nostro lavoro di ricerca-azione partecipativa, infatti, funzione e comunicazione, prestazione e messaggio interagiscono nel corso di tutto il ciclo di vita del progetto

DTM-based morphometry of the Palinuro seamount (Eastern Tyrrhenian Sea): Geomorphological and volcanological implications

We present a high resolution DTM of the Palinuro Seamount (PS, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) resulting from the processing of multibeam swath bathymetry records acquired during the second leg of the “Aeolian 2007” cruise. PS consists of several superimposed volcanoes aligned along a N100°E strike and measures 55×25 km. The western and the central sectors result from the coalescence of collapse structures (calderas) with younger volcanic cones. The eastern sector reveals a more complex and articulated structure. In the central sector, a volcanic crater with a well-preserved rim not obliterated by erosional events suggests a volcanological rejuvenation of this sector. The presence of flat surfaces on the top of the seamount may be due to the formation of marine terraces during the last sea-level lowering. Lateral collapses on the northern and southern flanks of the seamount are probably related to slope instability, as suggested by the presence of steep slopes (25–40°). The main fault affecting PS strikes N65°E and shows a right lateral component of movement. E–W and N10°E striking faults are also present. Assuming that theN100°E deep-seated fault,which is responsible for theemplacement of PS,movedwith sinistral slips, we interpret the N65°E and the N10°E faults as right-lateral (second order) shear and left-lateral (third order) shear, respectively. Due to the particular location of the Palinuro Seamount, the data presented here allow us to better understand the volcanism and the geodynamic processes of the Tyrrhenian Sea

The Analytic Hierarchy Process in the Supplier Selection Problem

The Supplier Selection Problem (SSP) consists of analyzing and measuring the performance of a set of suppliers in order to rank and select them for improving the competitiveness of the whole supply system. As many conflicting factors should be taken into account in the analysis, the problem can be tackled using multi-criteria models and methods. In this work a careful scrutiny of the papers appeared on international scientific journals in the recent years about SSP is provided. The survey highlights that the most used methodology is the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Thus, an overview view of the current proposals based on AHP and its variants to cope with the SSP is provided. Crucial aspects which arise when the methodology is actually applied in real cases are identified and discussed