196,046 research outputs found
L’impatto della crisi sui bilanci delle imprese agroindustriali abruzzesi
No full textLa crisi finanziaria che ha colpito il sistema economico mondiale dai
primi mesi del 2008 si è trasformata, nel corso del tempo, in una crisi economica
che ha sconvolto le economie dei principali paesi industrializzati,
non salvaguardando nessun settore produttivo. In questo contributo si intende
analizzare l’impatto di tali eventi sul settore agroindustriale abruzzese,
attraverso lo studio dei bilanci degli esercizi tra il 2007 (al fine di considerare
la situazione ante-crisi) e il 2011 (ultimo bilancio disponibile per una
parte significativa delle imprese al momento dell’effettuazione della ricerca).
In particolare, vengono analizzate le performance economiche e finanziarie
delle società di capitali appartenenti ai principali aggregati merceologici
del settore agroindustriale presenti in Abruzzo.
Avuto riguardo agli obiettivi indicati, ci si è avvalsi della banca dati
“in.balance” realizzata da InfoCamere per le Camere di commercio italiane.
I dati estratti sono stati analizzati a livello di singolo aggregato ed in
maniera globale, operando – laddove possibile – un confronto con i corrispondenti
dati a livello nazionale relativi all’intera industria alimentare.
Il contributo è strutturato in tre paragrafi: nel primo, dopo un breve inquadramento
del settore alimentare in Abruzzo, si illustrano le linee metodologiche
adottate per la selezione del campione di imprese preso in esame,
di cui si forniscono le principali caratteristiche in termini di composizione e
rappresentatività rispetto all’universo di riferimento. Nel secondo paragrafo
vengono prese in considerazione ed analizzate una serie di variabili e di indicatori
caratteristici di bilancio relativamente al periodo 2007-2011. Infine,
nel terzo paragrafo, vengono effettuate alcune considerazioni di sintesi
e suggerite alcune possibili linee di indirizzo nell’individuazione di azioni
214
volte al sostegno del comparto e all’incremento della sua competitività sui
mercati internazionali
Differential control of respiratory frequency and tidal volume during high-intensity interval training
No full textNew Findings: What is the central question of this study?
By manipulating recovery intensity and exercise duration during high-intensity interval training (HIIT), we tested the hypothesis that fast inputs contribute more than metabolic stimuli to respiratory frequency (fR) regulation.
What is the main finding and its importance?
Respiratory frequency, but not tidal volume, responded rapidly and in proportion to changes in workload during HIIT, and was dissociated from some markers of metabolic stimuli in response to both experimental manipulations, suggesting that fast inputs contribute more than metabolic stimuli to fR regulation. Differentiating between fR and tidal volume may help to unravel the mechanisms underlying exercise hyperpnoea.
Given that respiratory frequency (fR) has been proposed as a good marker of physical effort, furthering the understanding of how fR is regulated during exercise is of great importance. We manipulated recovery intensity and exercise duration during high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to test the hypothesis that fast inputs (including central command) contribute more than metabolic stimuli to fR regulation. Seven male cyclists performed an incremental test, a 10 and a 20 min continuous time trial (TT) as preliminary tests. Subsequently, recovery intensity and exercise duration were manipulated during HIIT (30 s work and 30 s active recovery) by performing four 10 min and one 20 min trial (recovery intensities of 85, 70, 55 and 30% of the 10 min TT mean workload; and 85% of the 20 min TT mean workload). The work intensity of the HIIT sessions was self-paced by participants to achieve the best performance possible. When manipulating recovery intensity, fR, but not tidal volume (VT), showed a fast response to the alternation of the work and recovery phases, proportional to the extent of workload variations. No association between fR and gas exchange responses was observed. When manipulating exercise duration, fR and rating of perceived exertion were dissociated from VT, carbon dioxide output and oxygen uptake responses. Overall, the rating of perceived exertion was strongly correlated with fR (r = 0.87; P < 0.001) but not with VT. These findings may reveal a differential control of fR and VT during HIIT, with fast inputs appearing to contribute more than metabolic stimuli to fR regulation. Differentiating between fR and VT may help to unravel the mechanisms underlying exercise hyperpnoea
Neuromuscular Dysfunction in Diabetes: Role of Nerve Impairment and Training Status
No full textSCOTTO SACCHETTI, M., S. BALDUCCI, I. BAZZUCCHI, F. CARLUCCI, A. S. DI PALUMBO, J. HAXHI, F. CONTI, N. DI BIASE, E. CALANDRIELLO, and G. PUGLIESE. Neuromuscular Dysfunction in Diabetes: Role of Nerve Impairment and Training Status. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 52-59, 2013. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of diabetes, motor nerve impairment, and training status on neuromuscular function by concurrent assessment of the torque-velocity relationship and muscle fiber conduction velocity (MFCV). Methods: Four groups were studied (n = 12 each): sedentary patients with diabetes in the first (lower) and fourth (higher) quartile of motor nerve conduction velocity (D1 and D4, respectively), trained diabetic (TD) patients, and nondiabetic sedentary control (C) subjects. Maximal isometric and isokinetic contractions were assessed over a wide range of angular velocities for the elbow flexors and knee extensors to evaluate the torque-velocity relationship. Simultaneously, MFCV was estimated from surface electromyography of the vastus lateralis and biceps brachii. Results: Isometric strength was similar among groups. The dynamic strength of elbow flexors was reduced in patients with diabetes at the higher contraction speeds. The strength of knee extensors was lower in sedentary patients with diabetes at all velocities considered, with significantly lower values in D1 than that in D4 at 60 degrees, 90 degrees, and 120 degrees.s(-1), whereas it was similar between TD and C subjects, especially at low contraction velocities. At the vastus lateralis, but not the biceps brachii, MFCV was lower in D1 and D4 as compared with TD and C subjects, showing similar values. Conclusions: Muscle weakness in diabetes affects also the upper limb, although to a lower extent than the lower limb, is only partly related to motor nerve impairment, and is dependent on contraction velocity. Exercise training might counteract diabetes-induced alterations in muscle fiber contractile properties and MFCV
Harnessing the potential of stem cells for disease modeling: Progress and promises
No full textEx vivo cell/tissue-based models are an essential step in the workflow of pathophysiology studies, assay development, disease modeling, drug discovery, and development of personalized therapeutic strategies. For these purposes, both scientific and pharmaceutical research have adopted ex vivo stem cell models because of their better predictive power. As matter of a fact, the advancing in isolation and in vitro expansion protocols for culturing autologous human stem cells, and the standardization of methods for generating patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells has made feasible to generate and investigate human cellular disease models with even greater speed and efficiency. Furthermore, the potential of stem cells on generating more complex systems, such as scaffold-cell models, organoids, or organ-on-a-chip, allowed to overcome the limitations of the two-dimensional culture systems as well as to better mimic tissues structures and functions. Finally, the advent of genome-editing/gene therapy technologies had a great impact on the generation of more proficient stem cell-disease models and on establishing an effective therapeutic treatment. In this review, we discuss important breakthroughs of stem cell-based models highlighting current directions, advantages, and limitations and point out the need to combine experimental biology with computational tools able to describe complex biological systems and deliver results or predictions in the context of personalized medicine
Promoting business excellence at local level: the case of Guangdong Province, China
No full textPurpose
Explore the relationship between medium-large firms’ industrial performance, territorial factors and local development policies.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical econometric investigation based on a panel dataset of county-level data , carried out in the Guangdong Province for the period 2000-2008.
Findings
Results suggest a positive and significant relationship between policies at the local level and business performance. The most important determinants of industrial performance appear to be development zones and specialized towns - on the policy side – as well as the presence urban areas, investment in innovation and FDI. Given the complexity of the relationships further research is called for in order to build more evidence for this and other Chinese provinces.
Research limitations/implications (if applicable)
The analysis confirms the initial hypothesis that business excellence can be influenced by the specific characteristics of the territories where firms are located, among which there might be government policies aiming at local development and encouraging a better business environment.
Implications for the society
Relevant to the policy-making process, results suggest that business excellence should not be viewed as only a matter of business strategies. It can be result of territorial excellence and effective local development policies.
Originality/value
In the international debate there are very few papers testing the relationship between policies and industrial performances in China. Even fewer explore this relationship at the local level. This paper offers a unique county-level perspective and in-depth view on local industrial policies
Studio Generale del Sito di Importanza Comunitaria “Bosco di Foglino” (IT6030047), Setin, Servizi Tecnici Infrastrutture (a cura di), Project Management Dott. Giacomo Cozzolino, Dott. Alessandro Piazzi, Aspetti specialistici Ing. Daniel Bazzucchi, Dott.ssa Sara Carallo, Dott.ssa Antonella Orsini, Dott.ssa Maria Teresa Stirpe, Regione Lazio, Direzione Regionale Ambiente, Area Conservazione Natura e Osservatorio Regionale per l’ambiente, Comune di Nettuno, 2012.
No full text
Comparing Continuous and Intermittent Exercise: An “Isoeffort” and “Isotime” Approach
No full textThe present study proposes an alternative way of comparing performance and acute physiological responses to continuous exercise with those of intermittent exercise, ensuring similar between-protocol overall effort (isoeffort) and the same total duration of exercise (isotime). This approach was expected to overcome some drawbacks of traditional methods of comparison. Fourteen competitive cyclists (20±3 yrs) performed a preliminary incremental test and four experimental 30-min self-paced protocols, i.e. one continuous and three passive-recovery intermittent exercise protocols with different workto- rest ratios (2 = 40:20s, 1 = 30:30s and 0.5 = 20:40s). A "maximal session effort" prescription was adopted for this experimental design. As expected, a robust perceived exertion template was observed irrespective of exercise protocol. Similar between-protocol pacing strategies further support the use of the proposed approach in competitive cyclists. Total work, oxygen uptake and heart rate mean values were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the continuous compared to intermittent protocols, while lactate values were lower. Manipulating the work-to-rest ratio in intermittent exercise, total work, oxygen uptake and heart rate mean values decreased with the decrease in the work-to-rest ratio, while lactate values increased. Despite this complex physiological picture, all protocols showed similar ventilatory responses and a nearly perfect relationship between respiratory frequency and perceived exertion. In conclusion, our data indicate that overall effort and total duration of exercise are two critical parameters that should both be controlled when comparing continuous with intermittent exercise. On an isoeffort and isotime basis, the work-to-rest ratio manipulation affects physiological responses in a different way from what has been reported in literature with traditional methods of comparison. Finally, our data suggest that during intermittent exercise respiratory frequency reflects physiological strain better than oxygen uptake, heart rate and blood lactate
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