Change process : a key enabler to building resilient SMEs

Resilience is now seen as a key organisational capability for sustainability. At the same time, it is recognised that for organisations to be more sustainable and resilient, the delivery of innovative responses to the market through continuous change is required. If SMEs account for over 70% of the world's production, and there is a growing mandate to create sustainable manufacturing SMEs, then instilling, developing and implementing change capabilities is paramount in making progress towards sustainability and resilience. Therefore, the paper aims to demonstrate that change management process capability is fundamental to creating resilience and aims to develop a framework to understand how change is managed in manufacturing SMEs, and how this impacts on resilience. This study is based on a multiple case study methodology through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with 232 senior managers in 37 manufacturing SMEs across Europe. The paper demonstrates that sustainability and resilience in manufacturing SMEs will be enhanced by: (a) ability to embrace organisational and people dimensions as well as operational aspects of change management, and (b) paying attention to planning and external communication to drive change proactively. This article builds a bridge between the theoretical starting-point, the results of empirical research, and the usability of the presented findings in practice in order to contribute to the development of more resilient manufacturing SMEs

Joinability of Particulate Reinforced Alumix 231 Based Composite Materials Produced by Powder Metallurgy Route

In the present study, weldability of Alumix 231 based composite materials reinforced with Al₂O₃ and B₄C and produced by powder metallurgy route is investigated. Various amounts of (0, 5, 10, and 15% wt.)Al₂O₃ and B₄C powders are added to the pre-alloyed Alumix 231 (Al—2.5% Cu—0.5% Mg—14% Si) powders separately and then mixed in a three-dimensional mixer for 45 min. Powders are compacted and sintered in an argon atmosphere at 640°C for 4 h. Produced blocks are welded by the Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding at 25 V, 197 A and 14 l/min shielded gas flow in commercially pure argon atmosphere. Macro- and microexamination together with some mechanical properties of the welded area are studied. The results show that, although high amount of particles resulted in a decrease in the density, these composite materials can still be welded by the TIG welding method successfully.Исследуется свариваемость произведённых методом порошковой металлургии композитных материалов на основе Alumix 231, армированных Al₂O₃ и B₄C. Различные количества (0, 5, 10 и 15 масс.%) порошков Al₂O₃ и B₄C по отдельности добавлялись в предварительно сплавленные порошки Alumix 231 (Al—2,5% Cu—0,5% Mg—14% Si), а затем перемешивались в трёхмерном миксере в течение 45 минут. Затем порошки прессовались и спекались в атмосфере аргона при 640°C в течение 4 часов. Полученные блоки сваривались вольфрамовой сваркой в атмосфере инертного газа при 25 В, 197 А и потоке инертного газа в 14 л/мин в атмосфере технически чистого аргона. Были проведены макро- и микроисследования некоторых механических свойств сварной зоны. Их результаты показали, что, хотя оказалось большое количество частиц с пониженной плотностью, эти композитные материалы могут быть успешно сварены методом вольфрамовой сварки в атмосфере инертного газа.Досліджується зварюваність вироблених методою порошкової металургії композитних матеріялів на основі Alumix 231, армованих Al₂O₃ і B₄C. Різні кількості (0, 5, 10 і 15 мас.% ) порошків Al₂O₃ і B₄C окремо додавалися у попередньо стоплені порошки Alumix 231 (Al—2,5% Cu—0,5% Mg—14% Si), а потім перемішувалися в тривимірному міксері впродовж 45 хвилин. Потім порошки пресувалися та спікалися в атмосфері арґону при 640°C впродовж 4 годин. Одержані блоки зварювалися вольфрамовим зваренням в атмосфері інертного газу при 25 В, 197 А та потоці інертного газу у 14 л/хв. в атмосфері технічно чистого арґону. Було виконано макро- та мікродослідження деяких механічних властивостей зварної зони. їх результати показали, що, хоча виявилася велика кількість частинок зі зниженою густиною, ці композитні матеріяли можуть бути успішно зварені методою вольфрамового зварювання в атмосфері інертного газу

Effective dynamics of strongly dissipative Rydberg gases

We investigate the evolution of interacting Rydberg gases in the limit of strong noise and dissipation. Starting from a description in terms of a Markovian quantum master equation we derive effective equations of motion that govern the dynamics on a "coarse-grained" timescale where fast dissipative degrees of freedom have been adiabatically eliminated. Specifically, we consider two scenarios which are of relevance for current theoretical and experimental studies --- Rydberg atoms in a two-level (spin) approximation subject to strong dephasing noise as well as Rydberg atoms under so-called electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) conditions and fast radiative decay. In the former case we find that the effective dynamics is described by classical rate equations up to second order in an appropriate perturbative expansion. This drastically reduces the computational complexity of numerical simulations in comparison to the full quantum master equation. When accounting for the fourth order correction in this expansion, however, we find that the resulting equation breaks the preservation of positivity and thus cannot be interpreted as a proper classical master rate equation. In the EIT system we find that the expansion up to second order retains information not only on the "classical" observables, but also on some quantum coherences. Nevertheless, this perturbative treatment still achieves a non-trivial reduction of complexity with respect to the original problem

Surgical and minimally invasive treatment of ischaemic and non-ischaemic priapism : A systematic review by the EAU Sexual and Reproductive Health Guidelines panel

Peer reviewedPostprin

Socio-demographic factors associated with smoking and smoking cessation among 426,344 pregnant women in New South Wales, Australia

BACKGROUND: This study explores the socio-demographic characteristics of pregnant women who continue to smoke during the pregnancy, and identifies the characteristics of the smokers who were likely to quit smoking during the pregnancy period. METHODS: This was secondary analysis of the New South Wales (NSW) Midwives Data Collection (MDC) 1999–2003, a surveillance system covering all births in NSW public and private hospitals, as well as home births. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the associations between socio-demographic characteristics and smoking behaviour during pregnancy. RESULTS: Data from 426,344 pregnant women in NSW showed that 17.0% continued to smoke during pregnancy. The smoking rate was higher among teenage mothers, those with an Aboriginal (indigenous) background, and lower among more affluent and overseas-born mothers. This study also found that unbooked confinements, and lack of antenatal care in the first trimester were strongly associated with increased risk of smoking during pregnancy. About 4.0% of the smoking women reported they may quit smoking during their pregnancy. Findings showed that mothers born overseas, of higher socio-economic status, first time mothers and those who attended antenatal care early showed an increased likelihood of smoking cessation during pregnancy. Those who were heavy smokers were less likely to quit during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Although the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy has been declining, it remains a significant public health concern. Smoking cessation programs should target the population subgroups of women at highest risk of smoking and who are least likely to quit. Effective antismoking interventions could reduce the obstetric and perinatal complications of smoking in pregnancy

What Is New for an Old Molecule? Systematic Review and Recommendations on the Use of Resveratrol

Stilbenes are naturally occurring phytoalexins that generally exist as their more stable E isomers. The most well known natural stilbene is resveratrol (Res), firstly isolated in 1939 from roots of Veratrum grandiflorum (white hellebore) (1) and since then found in various edible plants, notably in Vitis vinifera L. (Vitaceae) (2). The therapeutic potential of Res covers a wide range of diseases, and multiple beneficial effects on human health such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities have been suggested based on several in vitro and animal studies (3). In particular, Res has been reported to be an inhibitor of carcinogenesis at multiple stages via its ability to inhibit cyclooxygenase, and is an anticancer agent with a role in antiangiogenesis (4). Moreover, both in vitro and in vivo studies showed that Res induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in tumor cells (4). However, clinical studies in humans evidenced that Res is rapidly absorbed after oral intake, and that the low level observed in the blood stream is caused by a fast conversion into metabolites that are readily excreted from the body (5). Thus, considerable efforts have gone in the design and synthesis of Res analogues with enhanced metabolic stability. Considering that reduced Res (dihydro- resveratrol, D-Res) conjugates may account for as much as 50% of an oral Res dose (5), and that D-Res has a strong proliferative effect on hormone-sensitive cancer cell lines such as breast cancer cell line MCF7 (6), we recently devoted our synthetic efforts to the preparation of trans-restricted analogues of Res in which the E carbon-carbon double bond is embedded into an imidazole nucleus. To keep the trans geometry, the two aryl rings were linked to the heteroaromatic core in a 1,3 fashion. Based on this design, we successfully prepared a variety of 1,4-, 2,4- and 2,5-diaryl substituted imidazoles including Res analogues 1, 2 and 3, respectively, by procedures that involve transition metal-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions and highly selective N-H or C-H direct arylation reactions as key synthetic steps. The anticancer activity of compounds 1–3 was evaluated against the 60 human cancer cell lines panel of the National Cancer Institute (NCI, USA). The obtained results, that will be showed and discussed along with the protocols developed for the preparation of imidazoles 1–3, confirmed that a structural optimization of Res may provide analogues with improved potency in inhibiting the growth of human cancer cell lines in vitro when compared to their natural lead. (1) Takaoka,M.J.Chem.Soc.Jpn.1939,60,1090-1100. (2) Langcake, P.; Pryce, R. J. Physiological. Plant Patology 1976, 9, 77-86. (3) Vang, O.; et al. PLoS ONE 2011, 6, e19881. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019881 (4) Kraft, T. E.; et al. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2009, 49, 782-799. (5) Walle, T. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 2011, 1215, 9-15. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05842.x (6) Gakh,A.A.;etal.Bioorg.Med.Chem.Lett.2010,20,6149-6151