Integrating sustainability into Project Management practices: the perspective of professional institutions

This is paper is based on a work in progress research project, therefore results and conclusions are preliminary.Synopsis: ‘Sustainability’ in its broadest meaning has acquired a great importance in modern society, and consequently influences almost every aspect of social life. This paper analyses the transformation that the project management profession is undergoing towards the integration of sustainability into its core values and practices.Research design: This research uses qualitative data from a mix of semi-structured interviews and archival evidence – professional bodies of knowledge,codes of ethics, newsletters, websites, social media platforms, blogs, onlinedatabases, and international standards – with the intention of answering thefollowing research question: ‘what is the influence of professional associationswith regard to the institutionalizing of sustainability practices into projectmanagement (PM) tools and techniques?’Main findings: There are different players which influence, in different ways, thePM profession. Our analysis reveals that the nature of these actors is veryheterogeneous, and the influence of the professional world of PM on theinstitutionalization of sustainable project management is manifested in thedifferent actions carried on by the entities we highlighted above. Therefore, theshift towards SPM is the result of the combination of each actor’s individualstrategy (Muzio, Brock, & Suddaby, 2013).Research implications: The analysis of sustainable project management (SPM) isaimed at contributing to the PM academic literature, describing thetransformation of PM practices, and to the practitioner literature, engaging withPM professional associations on the way they introduce the set of new practices

Institutional Work & Individual Competence: The role of interactions in creating maintaining and disrupting institutions.

This work is a research proposal on microfoundations of neo-institutional theory. This proposal suggests to analyze, through the lens of neo-institutional theory, the role of individual competences in creating, maintaining, and disrupting institutions. Individuals exercise influence on the type of processes and operations that the organization carries on [1]. When these influences enable organizational innovation through the introduction of new practices, the underpinning mechanisms assume importance as premises for organizational design. In this study we propose to analyze a case of successful design and implementation of a service platform in the Italian public sector, supporting the interaction among Public Administrations (PA), Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and citizens. This platform has been successfully adopted through software re-use projects in more than 140 local PAs in the Toscana Region, resulting in an interesting case-study to understand the influence of individual competence and their interactions in fostering innovation.This work is a research proposal on microfoundations of neo-institutional theory. This proposal suggests to analyze, through the lens of neo-institutional theory, the role of individual competences in creating, maintaining, and disrupting institutions. Individuals exercise influence on the type of processes and operations that the organization carries on [1]. When these influences enable organizational innovation through the introduction of new practices, the underpinning mechanisms assume importance as premises for organizational design. In this study we propose to analyze a case of successful design and implementation of a service platform in the Italian public sector, supporting the interaction among Public Administrations (PA), Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and citizens. This platform has been successfully adopted through software re-use projects in more than 140 local PAs in the Toscana Region, resulting in an interesting case-study to understand the influence of individual competence and their interactions in fostering innovation.Uninvited Submission

First approaches in the study of cytotoxic and mutagenic damage induced by cold aqueous extract of Baccharis articulata on normal cells

Species of Genus Baccharis (Asteraceae) possess various bioactivities in vitro. The aim was to determine the cytogenotoxic activity of the cold aqueous extract (CAE) of Baccharis articulata. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy individuals were in vitro faced to CAE (40, 78, 156, 313, 625 and 1250 ug/mL) for 18-24 h. Toxicity was evaluated by staining of trypan blue exclusion and MTT reduction. The genotoxicity was evaluated by the Micronucleus Test. Balb/c mice were injected with CAE (1800, 900 and 450 mg/kg), saline solution and cyclophosphamide as negative and positive controls respectively. Animals were sacrificed at 6 h post-injection. Bone marrow samples were fixed and stained with May- Grünwald and Giemsa. Two thousand polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) were counted to determine number of micronuclei (MN) and normochromatic erythrocytes (NCE)/250 PCE to calculate toxicity index (TI). CAE toxicity on human lymphocytes was dose-dependent (Cytotoxic concentration 50% = 150 ug/mL). The number of MNPCE for negative control was: 5 (+1), positive control: 372 (+23) and CAE in three doses: 26 (+8), 16 (+5) and 8 (+3). TI for negative control: 1.38 (+0.35) positive control: 3.1 (+1.06) and CAE in three doses: 0.78 (+0.05), 0.82 (+0.08) and 1.21 (+0.2). CAE treatment showed no statistical difference respect to negative control. CAE of B articulata was not cytogenotoxic.Fil: Cariddi, Laura Noelia. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Escobar, Franco Matias. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Sabini, Maria Carola. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Torres, Cristina Vanesa. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Zygadlo, Julio Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Sabini, Liliana Ines. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentin

Digital artifacts development and evolution: who has the control/supremacy? A story of UNIX developmental trajectories read from institutional theory perspective

Uninvited Submission

Apprendimento a distanza e sincronicità: come progettare un mondo virtuale

L’apprendimento tramite i mezzi di comunicazione telematici è un argomento molto attuale. Strumenti utilizzati per questo tipo di apprendimento sono diventati molto popolari, basti pensare agli ambienti Computer Mediated Communication, agli strumenti del web 2.0, agli ambienti virtuali 3D (come ad esempio Second Life). Nel considerare questi strumenti, è necessario però notare che questi ultimi presentano sia punti di forza (es. fare cose che non sarebbero possibili nella realtà) che di debolezza. Un problema collegato con l’apprendimento a distanza, esige alcune considerazioni: la “sincronicità”. La sincronicità nei mondi virtuali infatti limita la flessibilità che altre modalità di comunicazione a distanza permettono. In questo lavoro viene presentato, con l’approccio della “design theory” uno studio su come sviluppare piattaforme per i mondi virtuali 3D che affronta la problematica della sincronicità utilizzando la teoria della “Media Synchronicity”.L’apprendimento tramite i mezzi di comunicazione telematici è un argomento molto attuale. Strumenti utilizzati per questo tipo di apprendimento sono diventati molto popolari, basti pensare agli ambienti Computer Mediated Communication, agli strumenti del web 2.0, agli ambienti virtuali 3D (come ad esempio Second Life). Nel considerare questi strumenti, è necessario però notare che questi ultimi presentano sia punti di forza (es. fare cose che non sarebbero possibili nella realtà) che di debolezza. Un problema collegato con l’apprendimento a distanza, esige alcune considerazioni: la “sincronicità”. La sincronicità nei mondi virtuali infatti limita la flessibilità che altre modalità di comunicazione a distanza permettono. In questo lavoro viene presentato, con l’approccio della “design theory” uno studio su come sviluppare piattaforme per i mondi virtuali 3D che affronta la problematica della sincronicità utilizzando la teoria della “Media Synchronicity”.Uninvited Submission

Narrowing Organizational Information Complexity

The aim of this work is to provide a new view of Information Technology as an instrument of reducing wrong environmental interpretation in decision process. Uncertainty is an aspect of organizational decision making with which organizations must live and that influences firm performance. In fact the presence of uncertainty, that environmental complexity brings on management decision, affects decision process and underlines the problem of getting and analyzing environmental information. To solve this problem, that’s to control environmental complexity, we see DSS, as an help managers to synthesize internal and external information and to reduce their information needs. Comparing firms that implement Decision Support System we believe that they can give a strong help in reducing perceived complexity in decision process, thus enabling firm reduce variance of expected results of a decision. At this stage of the work, we focus only on the preliminary steps explaining our model but this is not tested yet, for this reason this work is configured as a working-paperThe aim of this work is to provide a new view of Information Technology as an instrument of reducing wrong environmental interpretation in decision process. Uncertainty is an aspect of organizational decision making with which organizations must live and that influences firm performance. In fact the presence of uncertainty, that environmental complexity brings on management decision, affects decision process and underlines the problem of getting and analyzing environmental information. To solve this problem, that’s to control environmental complexity, we see DSS, as an help managers to synthesize internal and external information and to reduce their information needs. Comparing firms that implement Decision Support System we believe that they can give a strong help in reducing perceived complexity in decision process, thus enabling firm reduce variance of expected results of a decision. At this stage of the work, we focus only on the preliminary steps explaining our model but this is not tested yet, for this reason this work is configured as a working-paperUninvited Submission

Evaluation of Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity of Acacia aroma Leaf Extracts

Acacia aroma, native plant from San Luis, Argentina, is commonly used as antiseptic and for healing of wounds. The present study was conducted to investigate the in vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of hot aqueous extract (HAE) and ethanolic extract (EE) of A. aroma. The cytotoxic activity was assayed by neutral red uptake assay on Vero cell. Cell treatment with a range from 100 to 5000 g/mL of HAE and EE showed that 500 g/mL and 100 g/mL were the maximum noncytotoxic concentrations, respectively. The CC50 was 658 g/mL for EE and 1020 g/mL for HAE. The genotoxicity was tested by the single-cell gel electrophoresis comet assay. The results obtained in the evaluation of DNA cellular damage exposed to varied concentrations of the HAE showed no significant genotoxic effect at range of 1–20 mg/mL. The EE at 20 mg/mL showed moderate genotoxic effect related to the increase of the DNA percentage contained in tail of the comet; DNA was classified in category 2. At concentrations below 5 mg/mL, the results of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Acacia aroma guarantee the safety at cell and genomic level. However further studies are needed for longer periods including animal models to confirm the findings.Fil: Mattana, Claudia Maricel. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Cangiano, Maria de Los Angeles. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Alcaraz, María Luciana. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Sosa, A.. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Escobar, Franco Matias. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Sabini, C.. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Sabini, Liliana Ines. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Laciar, Analia Liliana. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentin

Il Nuovo soggettario in Aleph 500

This document illustrates a project for the adaptation of the ALEPH 500 software to the characteristics of the subject indexing language of "Nuovo soggettario", in respect of the international formats Unimarc/Authorities and Unimarc/Bibliographic. The base unit of the indexing language of "Nuovo soggettario", structured according to the method of GRIS (Gruppo di ricerca sull'indicizzazione per soggetto, Research Group on Subject Indexing), is the indexing term, either representing a concept or referring to an individually-named entity, in the form of a noun or noun phrase. The indexing terms are not coincident to the elements of the traditional subject headings, the so-called "descrittori" in SBN (the Italian National library service)

Efecto del aceite esencial de Minthostachys verticillata sobre la respuesta inmune de pacientes alérgicos a ácaros del polvo

El aceite esencial de hojas de M. verticillata fue obtenido por destilación en corriente de vapor y analizado por cromatografía gaseosa. Células mononucleares de sangre periférica de pacientes alérgicos, fueron estimuladas con aceite esencial. La proliferación fue ensayada mediante método colorimétrico del MTT o 3,(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide. Se cuantificaron células CD4 + , CD8 + y B en cultivos de linfocitos y en sobrenadantes, IFN- γ e IL-13. Se determinó la liberación de la enzima β -hexosaminidasa de basófilos adicionados de aceite esencial, y desafiados con el alergeno. Los efectos del aceite esencial fueron comparados con los de drogas antialérgicas. Los principales constituyentes identificados fueron pulegona, mentona y limoneno. Aceite esencial incrementó los valores de células CD4 + , CD8 + y B (p<0.002), estimuló la síntesis de IFN- γ y redujo los niveles de IL-13. El aceite esencial disminuyó la liberación de β -hexosaminidasa de basófilos (p<0.0001) con mayores efectos que los de las drogas ensayadas. Aceite esencial estimuló la desviación Th1 y redujo la liberación de la enzima β -hexosaminidasa de basófilos de pacientes alérgicos.The essential oil from leaves of Minthostachys verticillata was obtained by steam distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from allergic patients were stimulated with essential oil. By application of MTT or 3,(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide colorimetric test the proliferation was assayed. In lymphocyte cultures CD4+, CD8+ and B cells were quantified, and in supernatants, IFN-γ and IL-13. The liberation of β-hexosaminidase enzyme was determined for basophils with essential oil added and challenged with allergen and its effects were compared with those of anti-allergic drugs. The main constituents identified were pulegone, menthone and limonene. Essential oil increased absolute values of CD4+, CD8+ and B cells (p<0.002), stimulated IFN-γ synthesis and reduced IL-13 levels. Essential oil diminished β-hexosaminidase liberation by basophils (p<0.0001), with effects majors to those of the drugs tested. Essential oil stimulated the Th1 deviation and reduced β-hexosaminidase enzyme liberation by basophils from allergic patientsFil: Cariddi, Laura Noelia. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Moser, Marina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Andrada, Melisa. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Demo, Mirta Susana. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Zygadlo, Julio Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Sabini, Liliana Ines. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Maldonado, Ana Maria. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentin