An ontology-based model for SME network contracts

Even if collaboration is considered an effective solution to improve business strategies, SMEs often lack common principles and common forms of contractual coordination. Several policies implemented by E.U. have addressed the setup of a comprehensive SME policy framework. However, European institutions seem to have focused more on organizational devices to conduct business activities rather than on contractual forms of coordination. In April 2009, Italy adopted a law in network contract to promote the development of interfirm cooperation strategies to foster enterprises’ innovation and growth. Even if this law represents a novelty in Europe and may offer new challenges and hints, it still presents some lacks in its formulation. The current research aims at presenting the Italian law for network contract, by highlighting both its potentialities and its defects. A formal model to support the design of a SME network was proposed, by providing both an ontology-based model to help the definition of the contract in a structured way, and a basic workflow to identify the important phases of the network design, i.e., the feasibility study and the negotiation. In this way, the network rules and criteria for controlling the network members’ contributions are defined. Mathematical tools derived from performance optimization were exploited

"Excess Ar" by laboratory alteration of biotite

Many biotite phenocrysts from marine tephra layers have substoichiometric potassium concentrations and alkali occupation << 2.0 atoms per formula unit. Diagenetic alteration is an expected effect of exposure of fresh magmatic minerals to interstitial water and brine intrusions after the deposition and burial of sediments. To test the effect of diagenetic alteration on potassium-argon ages, we irradiated and step heated untreated Fish Canyon biotite (t = 28.2 Ma) and several aliquots leached to various extents in strong and weak acids. Laboratory alteration caused loss of K, age spectrum discordance, high step ages and total gas ages, Ar release at lower furnace temperature, higher Cl/K and Ca/K, and a slight decrease in 36Ar concentration. Potassium loss was always higher than 40Ar* loss. Electron microprobe element maps document that acids preferentially penetrate in phyllosilicate interlayers, removing K (and Na). Because Ar* is removed to a lesser extent than K, we propose that natural 40K decay partly implants radiogenic Ar* into the tetrahedral-octahedral-tetrahedral (T-O-T) phyllosilicate layer, where Ar is shielded from interlayer leaching. The recoiled 39Ar, which was produced by irradiation after the leaching, also partitioned between T-O-T and the interlayer; age spectrum discordance was probably enhanced by the heterogeneous partition of 39Ar and 40Ar* in leached samples

AUTOMATED ANOMALY MONITORING AND DETECTION SYSTEM FOR FCU SYSTEM

Implementing and integrating new technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), smart sensors, and information and communication technology (ICT) into building facilities generates a large amount of data that will be utilized to better manage building facilities specifically FCU. Automated fault detection and diagnostics(AFDD) systems assist facility managers in informing operators to perform scheduled maintenance and visualizing facility anomalies on building information models (BIM). This study proposes a AFDD system for FCU system using an IoT sensors and by visualizing faults in a BIM model. The proposed system shows the data management and anomaly detection and monitoring technique on the BIM. The experiment results demonstrated the framework's competence to detect anomalies in the FCU system. Furthermore, data collected from various simulated conditions of the building facilities was utilized to monitor and detect anomalies in the 3D model of the fan coil. The automated detection FCU anomalies on the BIM model and preliminary results of the system are demonstrated

Selective inhibition of phosphodiesterase 4D increases tau phosphorylation at Ser214 residue

Tau is a protein that normally participates in the assembly and stability of microtubules. However, it can form intraneuronal hyperphosphorylated aggregates that are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders known as tauopathies. Tau can be phosphorylated by multiple kinases at several sites. Among such kinases, the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylates tau at Ser214 (pTAU-S214), an event that was shown to reduce the pathological assembly of the protein. Given that the neuronal cAMP/PKA-activated cascade is involved in synaptic plasticity and memory, and that cAMP-enhancing strategies demonstrated promising therapeutic potential for the treatment of cognitive deficits, we investigated the impact of cAMP on pTAU-S214 in N2a cells and rat hippocampal slices. Our results confirm that the activation of adenylyl cyclase increases pTAU-S214 in both model systems and, more interestingly, this effect is mimicked by GEBR-7b, a phosphodiesterase 4D inhibitor with proven pro-cognitive efficacy in rodents

Iot open-source architecture for the maintenance of building facilities

none6noThe introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the construction industry is evolving facility maintenance (FM) towards predictive maintenance development. Predictive maintenance of building facilities requires continuously updated data on construction components to be acquired through integrated sensors. The main challenges in developing predictive maintenance tools for building facilities is IoT integration, IoT data visualization on the building 3D model and implementation of maintenance management system on the IoT and building information modeling (BIM). The current 3D building models do not fully interact with IoT building facilities data. Data integration in BIM is challenging. The research aims to integrate IoT alert systems with BIM models to moni-tor building facilities during the operational phase and to visualize building facilities’ conditions virtually. To provide efficient maintenance services for building facilities this research proposes an integration of a digital framework based on IoT and BIM platforms. Sensors applied in the building systems and IoT technology on a cloud platform with opensource tools and standards enable monitoring of real-time operation and detecting of different kinds of faults in case of malfunction or failure, therefore sending alerts to facility managers and operators. Proposed preventive maintenance methodology applied on a proof-of-concept heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) plant adopts open source IoT sensor networks. The results show that the integrated IoT and BIM dashboard framework and implemented building structures preventive maintenance methodology are applicable and promising. The automated system architecture of building facilities is intended to provide a reliable and practical tool for real-time data acquisition. Analysis and 3D visualization to support intelligent monitoring of the indoor condition in buildings will enable the facility managers to make faster and better decisions and to improve building facilities’ real time monitoring with fallouts on the maintenance timeliness.openVilla V.; Naticchia B.; Bruno G.; Aliev K.; Piantanida P.; Antonelli D.Villa, V.; Naticchia, B.; Bruno, G.; Aliev, K.; Piantanida, P.; Antonelli, D

Role of high dose octreotide LAR for the treatment of GEP-NETs

Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) are a heterogeneous group of rare neoplasms that account for 0,5% of all malignancies. The increased incidence observed in the last few decades may be accounted for by increased awareness, improved diagnostic tools and a revision in the definition. The main primary sites are the gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) tract (62-67%), and the lung (22-27%). In patients with GEP-NETs, the strongest predictor of 5-years survival is the staging. An adequate clinical management of GEP-NETs should be multidisciplinary and should aim at assuring a good quality of life. Somatostatin (sst) analogues are widely used in these tumours, which often express sst receptors, since they are demonstrated to reduce clinical symptoms and tumour growth. Herein we explore the usefulness of doubling octreotide LAR dose in selected patients after escaping from symptoms control and/or tumour stabilization in course of treatment with standard dose

Sfide etiche nell'assistenza agli anziani in contesto acuto e residenziale: una revisione di scopo

Introduction: The discontinuity between the high ideals of nursing education and real-world practice is a major cause of frustration, moral distress and burnout among the youngest, and pushes up to half nurses to change career within two years. These conditions are accentuated in the care of elderly patients with multiple chronic needs. Method: A multidisciplinary team of nurses and philosophers investigated the chronic determinants of ethical issues in aged care nursing, building on insightful experiences from different institu­tional settings, in order to provide evidence for contextualized and patient-oriented professio­nal support. A scoping review protocol was employed at this purpose. Results: Most of the environmental and organizational deteminants of chronical ethical issues are out­side the control of nurses, and most of the relational ones follow as a result in both settings. Many of the them have been confirmed and further aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion: Although there are not universal solutions to the issues described, still it is possible to distin­guish which determinants fall within the control of nurses, to help them prevent or manage their occurrence; and what are beyond, to help them avoid self-blame and transfer constructive information to those who can intervene. Conclusion: Education can help exercise critical thinking and communicate properly. However, once maximized team cooperation, orga­nizational efficiency, and individual soft skills, diminishing room for improvement will be available at increasing human and financial costs. Improving the condition of nurses is an urgent political responsibility and requires a broader socio-cultural change. Keywords: burnout, COVID-19, elderly, moral distress, workplace health promotion.Introduzione: La frattura fra educazione infermieristica e realtà lavorativa quotidiana rappresenta una frequente causa di frustrazione ed esaurimento psicofisico, che spinge fino a metà degli infermieri a ritirarsi entro due anni dal conseguimento del titolo. Tali condizioni sono accentuate nell’assistenza alla persona anziana affetta da bisogni cronici e complessi. Metodo: Un gruppo multidisciplinare di infermieri e filosofi ha studiato i determinanti ambientali, organizzativi e relazionali alla base dei problemi etici che emergono con maggior frequenza nell’assistenza alla persona anziana, sia nelle strutture per acuti, sia nelle strutture di ricovero a lungo termine, alla ricerca di evidenze utili a migliorare le condizioni dei professionisti. A tal proposito è stata una condotta una revisione di scopo. Risultati: La maggior parte dei problemi ambientali e organizzativi risultano essere al di fuori del controllo dei singoli infermieri, e la maggior parte dei problemi relazionali ne rappresentano la conseguenza. Molti di questi problemi sono stati confermati e aggravati dalla pandemia di COVID-19. Discussione: Sebbene non vi siano soluzioni trasversali a tutti i contesti, resta possibile distinguere quali problemi rientrino nel dominio di azione degli infermieri, per aiutarli a prevenirne o gestirne l’occorrenza; e quali invece vadano oltre, onde evitare sentimenti di autoaccusa, e trasferire informazioni utili a coloro che invece possono di volta in volta intervenire. Conclusioni: La formazione può allenare il pensiero critico e la comunicazione fra operatori, pazienti e familiari. Una volta raggiunti i massimi livelli possibili di cooperazione ed efficienza, tuttavia, margini di miglioramento sempre più ridotti saranno acquisiti a costi umani ed economici sempre maggiori. Il miglioramento delle condizioni degli infermieri dipende sempre sempre più da investimenti allocativi e culturali urgenti. Keywords: anziani, COVID-19, esaurimento psicofisico, politiche allocative, salute sul luogo di lavoro

Photocatalytic Fe-doped n-TiO2: From synthesis to utilization of in vitro cell models for screening human and environmental nanosafety

The utilization of different types nanomaterials (NMs) in environmental remediation and wastewatertreatment requires information on the potential harmful effects on human and environmental health. Inthis light, the utilization of human cell models together with cells from lower organisms, representativeof different environmental compartments, could represent a valuable tool for the in vitro screening of thepotential toxicity of different NMs used in nanoremediation. Among NMs, n-TiO2, because of its peculiaroptical and chemical properties, is widely applied for photosensitized UV oxidation of organic pollutants.Moreover, development in design of metal- and non metal- doped TiO2 with extended photocatalyticactivity in the visible region represents the subject of ongoing research

Photocatalytic Fe-doped n-TiO2: From synthesis to utilization of in vitro cell models for screening human and environmental nanosafety

The utilization of different types nanomaterials (NMs) in environmental remediation and wastewater treatment requires information on the potential harmful effects on human and environmental health. In this light, the utilization of human cell models together with cells from lower organisms, representative of different environmental compartments, could represent a valuable tool for the in vitro screening of the potential toxicity of different NMs used in nanoremediation. Among NMs, n-TiO2, because of its peculiar optical and chemical properties, is widely applied for photosensitized UV oxidation of organic pollutants. Moreover, development in design of metal- and non metal- doped TiO2 with extended photocatalytic activity in the visible region represents the subject of ongoing research. In this work, the cytotoxic effects of three different types of recently synthetized Fe-doped n-TiO2 were compared in two cell models widely utilized for screening cellular toxicity of NMs in humans and aquatic organisms, human vascular endothelial cells (HECV) and immune cells (hemocytes) of the marine invertebrate, the mussel Mytilus spp, respectively. Parallel studies were carried out using N-doped n-TiO2. The results indicate both distinct and common behavior (agglomeration state) in different media (human cell culture medium and mussel hemolymph serum) and biological effects (cytotoxicity, nitric oxide production) of different types of doped- n-TiO2 in different cell models. Although in vitro studies represent a first step in the toxicological assessment of NMs, studies comparing their effects on human and aquatic invertebrate cells that take into account the effects of different exposure media represent an useful tool for evaluating potential cytotoxicity of those NMs, like TiO2-based photocatalytic NMs, widely applied in environmental remediation, and whose potential risks are poorly understood

THE GEOMATICS CONTRIBUTION FOR THE VALORISATION PROJECT IN THE ROCCA OF SAN SILVESTRO LANDSCAPE SITE

This paper proposes an emblematic project where several multi-sensor strategies for spatial data acquisition and management, range based and image based, were combined to create a series of integrated territorial and architectural scale products characterized by a rich multi-content nature. The work presented here was finalized in a test site that is composed by an ensemble of diversified cultural deposits; the objects that were surveyed and modelled range from the landscape with its widespread mining sites, the main tower with its defensive role, the urban configuration of the settlement, the building systems and techniques, a medieval mine. For this reason, the Rocca of San Silvestro represented a perfect test case, due to its complex and multi-stratified character. This archaeological site is a medieval fortified village near the municipality of Campiglia Marittima (LI), Italy. The Rocca is part of an Archaeological Mines Park and is included in the Parchi della Val di Cornia (a system of archaeological parks, natural parks and museums in the south-west of Tuscany). The fundamental role of a deep knowledge about a cultural artefact before the planning of a restoration and valorisation project is globally recognized; the qualitative and quantitative knowledge provided by geomatics techniques is part of this process. The paper will present the different techniques that were used, the products that were obtained and will focus on some mapping and WEB GIS applications and analyses that were performed and considerations that were made