492 research outputs found
sj-pdf-1-ilr-10.1177_00197939231165770 – Supplemental material for Coping with H-1B Shortages: Firm Performance and Mitigation Strategies
No full textSupplemental material, sj-pdf-1-ilr-10.1177_00197939231165770 for Coping with H-1B Shortages: Firm Performance and Mitigation Strategies by Anna Maria Mayda, Francesc Ortega, Giovanni Peri, Kevin Shih and Chad Sparber in ILR Review</p
Managing the Transition towards Circular Metabolism: Living Labs as a Co-Creation Approach
No full textResource consumption and related waste production are still rapidly increasing all over the world, leading to social and environmental challenges and to the production of the so-called ‘wastescapes’. Peri-urban areas—in-between urban and rural territories—are particularly vulnerable and prone to develop into wastescapes because they are generally characterised by mixed functions and/or monofunctional settlements, as well as by fragmentation in a low-density territory that is often crossed by large infrastructure networks. Moreover, peri-urban areas are generally the selected locations for the development of plants for waste management. In this way, they are crossed by waste flows of a different nature, in a landscape of operational infrastructures and wasted landscapes. Implementing Circular Economy (CE) principles, interpreting waste and wastescapes as resources, is a way to significantly reduce raw material and (soil) resource consumption, improving cities’ metabolism. A circular approach can positively affect the spatial, social and environmental performances of peri-urban areas. However, the transition towards a CE presents many challenges. This article outlines an approach to address these challenges, presenting a co-creation process among researchers, experts and stakeholders within Living Labs (LLs) processes. LLs are physical and virtual spaces, aiming at the co-creation of site-specific eco-innovative solutions (EIS) and strategies. In the LLs, public–private–people partnerships are developed by applying an iterative methodology consisting of five phases: Co-Exploring, Co-Design, Co-Production, Co-Decision, and Co-Governance. This article presents a case study approach, analysing the co-creation methodology applied in two peri-urban living labs, located in the Metropolitan Areas of Naples (Italy) and Amsterdam (The Netherlands), within REPAiR Horizon2020 research project
Estudo do potencial de formação de trialometanos da Lagoa do Peri, Florianópolis-SC
No full textTCC(graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro Tecnológico. Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental.A matéria orgânica natural (MON), a presença de algas e subprodutos extracelulares, presente em mananciais de abastecimento, reagem com o cloro, após o processo de desinfecção em ETAs, podendo formar os chamados subprodutos da desinfecção (SPDs), como os trialometanos (TAM). Estes, estão intimamente ligados a problemas de saúde como o câncer, mutação genética, má-formação e anomalias congênitas em humanos e animais. O presente trabalho vem relatar um estudo realizado sobre o potencial de formação de TAM da água bruta da Lagoa do Peri, Florianópolis; que possui características particulares, contendo alto conteúdo de cianobactérias, durante todo o e ano, influência alóctone e autóctone. O manancial apresentou um maior conteúdo de MON nos meses mais quentes do período de amostragem (maio/2011 a junho/2012), em termos de carbono orgânico total, dissolvido e particulado e a crescente proliferação de organismos fitoplantônicos e macrófitos, representados pelos dados de clorofila-a, os quais caracterizam manancial como eutrofizado. Nessa conjuntura, pôde-se observar que o potencial de formação total de trialometanos (PFTAM) da água bruta, aumentou durante o mesmo período, desde valores próximos a 300 μg/L no inverno, até 600 μg/L no verão. O PFTAM mostrou uma maior produção relativa com o material particulado, indicando a importância de se utilizar métodos de tratamento eficazes para a remoção desses tipos de materiais. Além disso, medidas mitigatórias devem ser levadas em consideração, durante os meses de maior produção
Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Staphylococci causing breast peri-implant infections in oncologic patients
No full textBackground: Staphylococcus epidermidis and S. aureus have been identified as the most common bacteria responsible for sub-clinical and overt breast implant infections and their ability to form biofilm on the implant as been reported as the essential factor in the development of this type of infections. Biofilm formation is a complex process with the participation of several distinct molecules, whose relative importance in different clinical settings has not yet been fully elucidated. To our knowledge this is the first study aimed at characterizing isolates causing breast peri-implant infections. Results: Thirteen S. aureus and seven S. epidermidis causing breast peri-implant infections were studied. Using the broth microdilution method and the E-test, the majority of the strains were susceptible to all antibiotics tested. Methicillin resistance was detected in two S. epidermidis. All strains had different RAPD profiles and were able to produce biofilms in microtitre plate assays but, while all S. aureus carried and were able to express icaA and icaD genes, this was only true for one S. epidermidis. Biofilm development was glucose- and NaCl-induced (5∈S. aureus and 1∈S. epidermidis) or glucose-induced (the remaining strains). Proteinase K and sodium metaperiodate treatment had different effects on biofilms dispersion revealing that the strains studied were able to produce chemically different types of extracellular matrix mediating biofilm formation. All S. aureus strains harboured and expressed the atlA, clfA, FnA, eno and cna genes and the majority also carried and expressed the sasG (10/13), ebpS (10/13) genes. All S. epidermidis strains harboured and expressed the atlE, aae, embp genes, and the majority (six strains) also carried and expressed the fbe, aap genes. Genes for S. aureus capsular types 5 and 8 were almost equally distributed. The only leukotoxin genes detected were lukE/lukD (6/13). Conclusions: S. aureus and S. epidermidis breast peri-implant infections are caused by heterogeneous strains with different biofilm development mechanisms. Since the collagen adhesin (cna) gene is not ubiquitously distributed among S. aureus, this protein could have an important role in the cause of breast peri-implant infections
Antimicrobial treatment challenges in the era of carbapenem resistance.
No full textInfections due to carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are burdened by high mortality and represent an urgent threat to address. Clinicians are currently at a dawn of a new era in which antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacilli is being dealt with by the availability of the first new antibiotics in this field for many years. Although new antibiotics have shown promising results in clinical trials, there is still uncertainty over whether their use will improve clinical outcomes in real world practice. Some observational studies have reported a survival benefit in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae bloodstream infections using combination therapy, often including "old" antibiotics such as colistin, aminoglycosides, tigecycline, and carbapenems. These regimens, however, are linked to increased risk of antimicrobial resistance, and their efficacy has yet to be compared to new antimicrobial options. While awaiting more definitive evidence, antibiotic stewards need clear direction on how to optimize the use of old and novel antibiotic options. Furthermore, carbapenem-sparing regimens should be carefully considered as a potential tool to reduce selective antimicrobial pressure
Building the Urban Bioregion. Governance scenarios for urban and territorial planning
No full textThe book focuses on bioregionalist theories and experiences as an alternative way of reading and designing local contexts, based on the recovery of the co-evolutionary relationship between human settlements and territories to achieve a self-sustainable and non-hierarchical system of urban and rural centers, according to Alberto Magnaghi's vision. The work has developed a broader discussion among researchers from different European backgrounds about the ways in which processes related to bioregionalism, looked at in a transdisciplinary way, can lead to interesting
applications and analytical insights, that are useful for reviewing and strengthening community self-organization and reflecting on the constitutive foundations of the relationship between communities and their territories.
The collaboration between the French school of Bordeaux, the Tuscany school and the Cagliari school gives back a diversified overview of materials and references for the possible application of the bioregionalist model.The
contributions discuss many issues related to the governance of metropolitan areas and the management of the urban-rural relationship with suggestions for interpretation and design in a bioregionalist perspective, the themes of
urban green, land vulnerability, and agricultural supply chains in rural and peri-urban spaces and new food economies in metropolitan areas
Peri-operative care of major gastrointestinal surgeries through telemonitoring: A strategic design approach to the integration of telemonitoring services in peri-operative care
No full textThis project envisions the future of telemonitoring for peri-operative care. Through an extensive literature research and further expert and context exploration, a design strategy is created, as a starting point for the development of new services and technologies in healthcare around surgical environments. The design process with a strong focus on analysis guided the development of the project. This allowed the creation of a future vision that considers the findings from the literature, user and trend research and gives a direction to the current state. Within the creation of a future vision, different scenarios are detailed, to give a more detailed idea of how peri-operative care would be. In addition, some recommendations and future steps are presented, to facilitate the achievement of these future scenarios by providing the stakeholders involved with some tools to assess the viability of implementation and inclusion in planning. Finally, the project includes a call to action to develop technologies and services that enables the extension of care to the home context and the empowerment of patients to have a conscious and active role in maintaining and seeking their wellbeing.PhilipsStrategic Product Design | Medisig
Dynamics of chemical microcontaminants in peri-urban agriculture and evaluation of their potential impact on crops and human health
No full textPeri-urban agriculture carries out environmental, social and economic functions and services to the nearby urban areas. Nonetheless, most of these fields are impacted with organic and inorganic contaminants caused by industrialization, sewage and sludge application, vehicular emissions and the reuse of reclaimed water. Therefore, vegetables are exposed to a large number of contaminants present in irrigation water, air and soil. In the recent years, concerns have been raised regarding the presence of chemical contaminants in agriculture crops due to the evidence that plants are able to incorporate, translocate and accumulate them in their edible parts. Despite detected concentrations in food crops are generally low, little is known about the effects of these contaminants on human health. For this reason, field studies are necessary to properly evaluate their incorporation and create databases to assess the human health risk. Currently, there are only few field studies done at real scale, none of them in Spain, which demonstrate the uptake of micropollutants in vegetables irrigated with reclaimed water. In this Thesis, the plant uptake in real field-scale conditions of some trace elements (TEs) and organic microcontaminants (OMCs) chosen by their occurrence in the environment and their physicochemical properties, has been assessed. For this purpose, 4 farm plots located in the peri-urban area of Barcelona (NE Spain) and a rural farm plot far away from the peri-urban area were selected, including different irrigation water qualities and exposure to urban pollution. Lettuce, tomatoes, cauliflowers and broad beans were selected regarding their importance in the horticultural production in the sampling area. The PhD dissertation is split in six chapters. Chapter I gives an overview of the Thesis topic, whereas chapter II explains motivations and aims of the PhD project. The Chapter II assesses the occurrence of TEs and OMCs in irrigation waters. Irrigation waters from peri-urban areas showed higher abundance of selected chemical contaminants than that water from the rural site. Nevertheless, any of the irrigation waters affected seed germination, root elongation or crop productivity. Chapter III assesses the co-occurrence of these contaminants in soil and lettuce leaves, their bioaccumulation factors and how they affect leaf constituents. The higher abundance of these contaminants in the irrigation waters an soils from the peri-urban area had no impact on leaf constituents (chlorophyll, carbohydrate and lipid content). Chapter IV shows the occurrence of the chemical contaminants in different food crops (lettuce, tomato, cauliflower and broad beans) and estimates the human health risk associated with their consumption. Results show that human health risk associated was low and similar between crops grow in peri-urban and rural areas. Chapter V is devoted to the general discussion of three previous chapters, whereas Chapter VI reveals the main conclusions of the Thesis.L'agricultura periurbana proporciona funcions ambientals, soci-econòmiques i serveis ecosistèmics a les zones urbanes properes. Malgrat això, els cultius conreats en aquestes zones estan exposats a contaminants orgànics i inorgànics procedents d'emissions industrials i del trànsit rodat, així com de l'aplicació de biosòlids i l'ús d'aigües regenerades. En aquest sentit, en els darrers anys, ha sorgit una preocupació creixent sobre la presencia de contaminants químics en els cultius agrícoles degut a l'evidencia de que les plantes poden incorporar-los, translocar-los i acumular-los en les seves parts comestibles. Tot i que les concentracions detectades en els cultius alimentaris són generalment baixes, es coneix poc sobre els efectes d'aquests contaminants sobre la salut humana. Per aquest motiu, els estudis de camp són necessaris per avaluar adequadament la seva incorporació i el seu risc potencial per a la salut humana. Actualment no existeix cap estudi que avaluï l'exposició i presència de contaminats orgànics i inorgànics de manera simultània en cultius agrícoles de zones periurbanes. Els pocs estudis existents a escala de camp es basen en l'impacte d'aigües regenerades en cultius agrícoles, considerant de manera separada contaminats orgànics i inorgànics. En aquesta Tesi, s'ha avaluat la incorporació en les plantes en condicions de camp reals d'alguns elements traça i microcontaminants orgànics, seleccionats en funció de la seva presència en el medi ambient i les seves propietats fisicoquímiques. Amb aquesta finalitat, es varen seleccionar 4 parcel·les agrícoles situades a la zona periurbana de Barcelona (NE Espanya) i una parcel·la agrícola rural llunyana de la zona periurbana, incloent diferents qualitats d'aigua de reg i exposició a la contaminació urbana. Com a cultius objecte d'estudi es van seleccionar l'enciam, el tomàquet, coliflors i faves com a vegetals model (fulla, fruit i flor). La present tesi doctoral es divideix en sis capítols. En el capítol I s'ofereix una visió general de la temàtica de la Tesi i presenta les hipòtesis i objectius del projecte de doctorat. El Capítol II avalua la presència d'elements traça i microcontaminants orgànics en aigües de reg. Les aigües de reg de les zones periurbanes van mostrar una major abundància de contaminants químics seleccionats en relació a l'aigua de la zona rural. Malgrat això, cap de les aigües de reg va induir efectes fitotòxics (germinació de llavors, elongació de l'arrel) o minvar la productivitat del cultiu. El capítol III incideixen la coexistència d'aquests contaminants al sòl i a les fulles d'enciam, els seus factors de bioacumulació i com afecten als constituents lipídics i sucres de les fulles. La major abundància d'aquests contaminants en les aigües de reg i sòls de la zona periurbana no va alterar el contingut en clorofil·les, hidrats de carboni i lípids de fulles d'enciam. El capítol IV mostra la presència dels contaminants químics en la part comestible de diferents cultius model (enciam, tomàquet, coliflor i faves) i avalua el risc potencial per a la salut humana associat al seu consum. Els resultats obtinguts mostren que els riscos associats a la salut humana eren baixos i similars entre els cultius que creixen en les zones periurbana i rural. El capítol V esta dedicat a la discussió general dels tres capítols anteriors, i finalment el capítol VI presenta les principals conclusions de la tesi.Postprint (published version
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