Is digital twin technology supporting safety management? A bibliometric and systematic review

In the Industry 4.0 era, digital tools applied to production and manufacturing activities represent a challenge for companies. Digital Twin (DT) technology is based on the integration of different “traditional” tools, such as simulation modeling and sensors, and is aimed at increasing process performance. In DTs, simulation modeling allows for the building of a digital copy of real processes, which is dynamically updated through data derived from smart objects based on sensor technologies. The use of DT within manufacturing activities is constantly increasing, as DTs are being applied in different areas, from the design phase to the operational ones. This study aims to analyze existing fields of applications of DTs for supporting safety management processes in order to evaluate the current state of the art. A bibliometric review was carried out through VOSviewer to evaluate studies and applications of DTs in the engineering and computer science areas and to identify research clusters and future trends. Next, a bibliometric and systematic review was carried out to deepen the relation between the DT approach and safety issues. The findings highlight that in recent years, DT applications have been tested and developed to support operators during normal and emergency conditions and to enhance their abilities to control safety levels

IoT technologies for wine supply chain traceability: Potential application in the Southern Apulia Region (Italy)

The high value and volume of Italian wine production determines a strong stimulus for counterfeiting, which generates negative consequences for grape growers, winemakers and consumers. In this context, IoT technologies and the blockchain can serve as tools to ensure traceability, transparency and efficiency along the whole wine supply chain. Using primary data collected through interviews to the main grape growers and wineries involved in the wine supply chain in the Southern Apulia Region and secondary data, acquired from previous scientific literature, the study proposes a framework for the traceability and efficiency of the wine supply chain based on a combination of blockchain, Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) and Near Field Communication (NFC) tags, Serial Shipping Container Codes (SSCC) and Quick Response (QR) codes. The developed framework allows for the systematic storage of information about commodities and processes throughout the supply chain, from grape growers to wine consumption and packaging disposal and/or reuse (forward and reverse flows). In addition, it ensures the transparency, safety, and security of all processes involved within the wine supply chain, serving as a quality information management tool. The information collected along the wine supply chain is entered into the management system by farmers, winemakers and bottlers and is accessible to all of them, while the distributors, consumers and the bottle reverse logistics operators, can only consult all of the information stored on the blockchain in order to know the origin, the quality, the processing and the authenticity of wines, without being able to enter data and/or modify the existent information

AKR1C enzymes sustain therapy resistance in paediatric T-ALL

BACKGROUND: Despite chemotherapy intensification, a subgroup of high-risk paediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (TALL) patients still experience treatment failure. In this context, we hypothesised that therapy resistance in T-ALL might involve aldo-keto reductase 1C (AKR1C) enzymes as previously reported for solid tumors.METHODS: Expression of NRF2-AKR1C signaling components has been analysed in paediatric T-ALL samples endowed with different treatment outcomes as well as in patient-derived xenografts of T-ALL. The effects of AKR1C enzyme modulation has been investigated in T-ALL cell lines and primary cultures by combining AKR1C inhibition, overexpression, and gene silencing approaches.RESULTS: We show that T-ALL cells overexpress AKR1C1-3 enzymes in therapy-resistant patients. We report that AKR1C1-3 enzymes play a role in the response to vincristine (VCR) treatment, also ex vivo in patient-derived xenografts. Moreover, we demonstrate that the modulation of AKR1C1-3 levels is sufficient to sensitise T-ALL cells to VCR. Finally, we show that T-ALL chemotherapeutics induce overactivation of AKR1C enzymes independent of therapy resistance, thus establishing a potential resistance loop during T-ALL combination treatment.CONCLUSIONS: Here, we demonstrate that expression and activity of AKR1C enzymes correlate with response to chemotherapeutics in T-ALL, posing AKR1C1-3 as potential targets for combination treatments during T-ALL therapy

A consensus-based approach on the management of patients with both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in the dermatological and rheumatological settings in Italy: The ADOI PSO-Amore Project

: Psoriasis is a complex disease often needing a multidisciplinary approach. In particular, the collaboration between dermatologist and rheumatologist is crucial for the management of patients suffering from both psoriasis (PSO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Here we report a series of recommendations from a group of experts, as a result of a Consensus Conference, defining the circumstances in which it is preferable or even mandatory, depending on the available settings, to rely on the opinion of the two specialists, jointly or in a deferred manner. Indications are given on how to organize a 3rd level joint Dermatology- Rheumatology care unit, in connection with 1st and 2nd level clinicians of both specialties, GPs, and other specialists involved in the management of psoriasis. A potential patient journey is suggested, that can be used as a basis for future design and validation of national and/or local diagnostic therapeutic and assistance pathways

A comprehensive fracture prevention strategy in older adults: The European union geriatric medicine society (EUGMS) statement

Prevention of fragility fractures in older people has become a public health priority, although the most appropriate and cost-effective strategy remains unclear. In the present statement, the Interest group on falls and fracture prevention of the European union geriatric medicine society (EUGMS), in collaboration with the International association of gerontology and geriatrics for the European region (IAGG-ER), the European union of medical specialists (EUMS), the Fragility fracture network (FFN), the International osteoporosis foundation (IOF) – European society for clinical and economic aspects of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (ECCEO), outlines its views on the main points in the current debate in relation to the primary and secondary prevention of falls, the diagnosis and treatment of bone fragility, and the place of combined falls and fracture liaison services for fracture prevention in older people

Perceived benefits and impacts of ecosystem services provided within some PDO wine areas in the Salento sub-region (Southern Apulia Region, Italy)

In the era of escalating climate change, the global landscape is witnessing profound shifts, impacting ecosystems both on a large scale and within localized contexts. Recent data underscore the urgency of understanding these transformations, emphasizing the pivotal role of ecosystem services as critical indicators. The wine supply chain is particularly sensitive to climate changes and disruptive events due to its intricate dependence on ecosystem services. This study seeks to unravel the interactions among perceived benefits from the ecosystem services provided within specific PDO wine areas. Ecosystem services, encompassing the myriad benefits derived from ecosystems and operating at various scales, provide essential resources and perform crucial functions for agricultural sustainability. Vineyards, relying on ecosystem services such as pollination, water regulation, and soil fertility, stand on the frontline of climate-induced changes (Winkler et al., 2017; MEA, 2005), but the entire wine supply chain provides also other ecosystem services, especially the cultural ones (Winkler and Nicholas, 2016). The aim of this study is to identify, classify and measure the perception of benefits from ecosystem services provided within the areas of some PDO wines, i.e., Salice Salentino PDO, Squinzano PDO, Brindisi PDO, located in the Salento sub-region, (Southern Apulia Region, Italy). In line with previous literature in the field (Targetti et al., 2021) and by employing a comprehensive approach that includes the identification, classification, and measurement of the perceived benefits, our study seeks to provide empirical insights that can inform adaptive strategies and policy to face the ongoing transformations

A classification proposal of digital twin applications in the safety domain

The increasing diffusion of digitalization in industry and society is forcing the adopting of tools based on new enabling technologies. This phenomenon is clearly observable in the manufacturing sector, where, due to the diffusion of Industry 4.0 paradigm, physical processes are integrating effectively with digital ones. One recent innovative technology is the Digital Twin (DT), where digital models and physical ones communicate – by sharing data as well as information – usually in a bidirectional way. As recent studies have analyzed the current level of adoption of DT technologies in the manufacturing sector, less effort has been focused on evaluating applications in the safety domain. Theoretically, the DT inherent capability of acquiring data from the physical world - usually developed in real time – together with the potentiality of reliable data processing could support a more effective diffusion of dynamic risk assessment models as well as real time alert management systems for improving safety. Otherwise, the actual capability of real applications highly depends on the level of complexity of the specific DT. The aim of the study is to provide a methodology to assess current application of DT technologies; the framework has been developed in the safety domain aiming to point out to researchers as well as technicians in a clear way the capabilities of a specific DT application. The framework has been adopted for analyzing current applications of DT in the scientific literature aiming to propose a theoretical validation. The application has outlined that, although the number of DT applications in the safety field is not so large, the current tools developed are characterized by a high level of complexity thus providing higher reliability to support the specific safety problem in analysis. Further developments will be oriented towards developing a quantitative assessment framework to integrate the proposed tool