63,408 research outputs found
Concluding remarks, trends, and future research on new working spaces
No full textThis book provided a novel understanding of the socioeconomic and spatial
consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on NeWSps such as (i) coworking
spaces and smart work centres; (ii) makerspaces and other technical spaces (fab
labs, open workshops); (iii) other new working spaces (hackerspaces, living
labs, and corporate labs); and (iv) cofee shops and public libraries that provide
formal and informal spaces for working
Bednar Tumour Occurring after Malignant Melanoma Excision
No full textWe report the case of a seventy-four-year-old man with a slow-growing 2 cm mass on the back that arose near the surgical scar of previously excised melanoma, invasive to a Breslow depth of 3 mm. Preoperative clinical diagnosis was "in-transit" melanoma metastasis. After surgical excision, histopathologic examination revealed a dermal nodular proliferation of spindle cells arranged in storiform pattern, with mild pleomorphism, infiltrating around appendages and into the subcutaneous tissue. Immunohistochemical investigation documented diffuse positivity for CD34 and vimentin of spindle cells. Scattered dendritic cells, containing dark pigment in varying proportion and positive for S100, Melan-A and HMB-45, were also observed. A final diagnosis of Bednar tumour was formulated. Subsequently, the patient developed numerous metastases from the primary melanoma and died after 18 months. Bednar tumour is a rare pigmented variant of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans of intermediate malignant potential. The presence of pigmented cells in Bednar tumour requires careful differential diagnosis with malignant or benign pigmented skin tumours. The clinical history of a Bednar tumour developing close to the scar of a previous melanoma gives the opportunity of a critical and intriguing discussion about the potential origin of pigmented cells in this rare variant of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
Managerial governance and transparency in public sector to improve services for citizens and companies
No full textRecent debate and associated initiatives dealing with public sector innovation have mainly aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of public services and improved transparency and user friendliness. Beyond typical administrative reforms, innovation is expected to help address societal challenges such as the aging population, inclusion, health care, education, public safety, environment and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. The public sector consists of a complex open system of organizations with various tasks. Therefore, decision-making can be slower than in the private sector because of large chains of command. Innovations here will often have an impact across this complex organizational structure, and thus must be supported by a robust strategy. To strengthen democracy, promote government efficiency and effectiveness, discourage wastes and misuses of government resources, public administrations have to promote a new stronger level of openness in government. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe an innovative approach for the governance of public systems and services, currently applied in the Italian public administration domain, which could be easily replicated in other countries as well. Two initiatives, to collect and provide relevant public information gathered from different and heterogeneous public organizations, to improve government processes and increase quality of services for citizens and companies, are described. The cases adopted have been validated through a case analysis approach involving the Italian Agency for the public administration digitalization to understand new e-government scenarios within the context of governmental reforms heavily influenced by the principles of Open Government Model
Sustainability in IS: the case for an open systems approach
No full textCommon sense tells us that cost cutting leads to saving, and spending should therefore be minimized. However, a little reflection tells us that this sometimes leads to false economies. In an organizational context, these can lead on to a downward spiral of organizational ‘suicide’. Examples of false economies may include: saving on maintenance; saving on research and development expenditure; saving on margins (waste or just-in-time management); and saving on ‘how’ we do things, as opposed to ‘what’ we do. Common sense cost cutting makes ‘how’ invisible, and only recognizes ‘what’. It is vital that we also remember to consider ‘why’ activities are undertaken. Professional competence implies not only skill/knowledge in a particular field, but also desire to apply that knowledge in accordance with certain values, and engagement with the context of application so that learning through reflection may take place. Professional work therefore includes scope for extra-role behaviour, such as suggesting innovative methods or identifying and developing new opportunities (Bednar and Welch, 2010). We suggest that a naïve pursuit of ‘efficiency’ is likely to constrict and curtail possibilities for extra-role behaviour, with disastrous consequences for the development and growth of the business. Creation of systems experienced as sustainable therefore requires us to focus attention on perceived usefulness, rather than efficiency
Recognising the challenge: how to realise the potential benefits of ICT use in SME’s
No full textThere is evidence to suggest that small businesses often start with innovative business ideas but fail within the first 3 years because the proprietors lack the expertise to make them thrive. In this context, it has been suggested that SMEs would benefit from support to select suitable ICTs that can help them to make the most of their business potential. Such suggestions tend to overlook a need to design a system for use of these ICTs within the context of a particular business. Technology alone solves no problems. Managers need to develop relevant expertise to exploit all the assembled resources available to them, and design of an Information System that will be experienced as useful is a prerequisite for successful development of business opportunities. While the technical aspects of e.g. data processing and storage can be consigned to a contractor, responsibility for a customer’s experience in interacting with the business cannot. It is necessary to design business processes and technologies in synergy, paying as much attention to design of effective use of ICTs as to the technologies themselves. The authors believe it is vital for the proprietors of small to medium-sized enterprises to consider what may be the unintended consequences of investment in ICTs and to devote due time and effort to development of effective systems for use
Impact of moisture buffering on indoor climate for mechanically ventilated offices.
No full textThe aim of this work is to demonstrate the reliability of a simplified model in predicting the RH variation inside a room, taking into account the indoor material buffering effect.
Starting from the characterization of the main hygroscopic properties of wood fiber an analysis of reliability of measured data for vapour permeability and sorption isotherm and their influence on numerical simulation is carried out. The determination of measured
Moisture Buffer Value for the wood fiber is carried out through the simulation of the MBV test for uncoated elements. The results are compared to those from literature.
The ventilation influence as room factor is taken into account for the whole room hygroscopic performance. More scenarios for different mechanical ventilation rates are foreseen considering a demand controlled and a fixed volume airflow. Simulations are carried out considering Turin weather data
Impatto del moisture buffering sul clima interno di uffici ventilati meccanicamente
No full textThe aim of this work is to demonstrate the reliability of measured hygroscopic properties of materials in predicting the RH variation inside a room taking into account the material’s buffering effect.
An analysis of reliability of the measured hygroscopic properties and their influence on numerical simulation is carried out.
The influence of an important room factor as ventilation on the moisture buffer is taken into account for different scenarios
New working spaces. Policy perspectives before and after the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThis chapter maps the debate of new working spaces (particularly CSs) on
the level of European policy making. It explores how new working spaces
have been interpreted by the European Commission and how this debate
has evolved from its origins up to the recent COVID-19 period. For these
purposes, two diferent ideas of CSs will be presented and discussed: CSs as
innovation drivers boosting economic development; and as opportunities for
territorial regeneration, such as brownfeld redevelopment or local hubs promoting
social cohesion. Specifc attention is devoted to identifying the evolution
of policies supporting these spaces with a focus on place-based and urban
planning measures before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This chapter
empirically investigates this debate analyzing EU policy reports and case studies.
Finally, remarks and suggestions for policy learning are presented
A study of the cell envelope of Halobacterium salinarium
No full textThe plasma membrane of Halobactertium, strain 1, an extremely halophilic bacterium, has been isolated and characterised. The cell envelope fraction (CEFB) was isolated from a cell homogenate by differential centrifugation. After dialysing the cell envelope fraction against distilled water and treating with nucleaaes, a fairly pure preparation of plasma membranes (NM) was obtained by centrifuging. The membrane -containing fraction was purified by gel filtration on Agarose, which yielded a purified membrane fraction (R) and a protein-nucleotide fraction (RP). A small molecular weight protein fraction P was separated from the purified membrane fraction either by gel filtration on Sephadex in a buffer containing phosphate and fluoride tons or by ultrafiltration. Protein fractions RUP1 and RUP2 were separated from the purified membrane by gel filtration on Agarose in the presence of 6M-urea. The remaining membrane- containing fraction, which was eluted in the void volume of the urea-Agarose gel, was coded RU.
The organism was studied in batch culture; maximal growth was reached after 48 hours, after which time the cells were in the 'stationary phase.' The endogenous respiratory activity of the cells rose to a maximum at 40 hours and then declined steadily, but the viable count remained fairly steady.
Analyses of the membrane fraction NM were made at various phases of growth up to a maximum of 160 hours. All the cell lipid was found to be concentrated in the membrane fraction. The amount of lipid expressed as a percentage of the salt-free dry weight of the cell remained constant, but both the total cell protein and the membrane protem fell durtng the period between 16 and 112 hours of growth. Also, the proportion of membrane to whole cell fell during this period. The menaquinone and the carotenoid pigment were localised exclusively in the membrane fraction. Both compounds exhibited maximal concentrations at 64 hours of cell growth and retained a constant molar ratio to each other regardless of the growth phase.
The crude (NM) and purified (R) membrane fractions were both affected by magnesium ion. In the absence of the ion, the membrane disaggregates to small lipoprotein particles. Magnesium ions also assist in the binding of the amino sugar layer of the cell envelope and of the P and RP fractions to the membrane.
The physico-chemica! properties of the fractions NM, R. RP, RUP and P have been investigated by a combination of amino acid analysts, gel electrophoresis, sucrose density gradient centrifugation and gel filtration on Sephadex or Agarose. In addition, the binding of magnesium ion to the membrane and the isotonic point of the membrane rractton R have been determined. The fraction R was found to be free from amino sugar and nucleotide. Fractions NM, R and RU contain all the cell lipid, and eytechreme, Fractions NM and R, and probably also fraction RU, contain the cell menaquinone and carotenoid. Evidence is presented that suggests that the fraction R contains the NADH oxidase and adenosine triphosphatase of the electron transport system.
The action of the detergent sodium dodecyl sulphate (SOS) on the membrane fraction R was to break up the membrane into smaller particles. The disaggregation noccurred in two distinct steps. The disaggregated particles could be reaggregated to a fraction which resembled the original membrane by removing the SDS by dialysis or gel filtration. The disaggregated particles and also the reaggregated membrane fraction were subjected to gel filtration, gel electrophoresis and sucrose density gradient centrifugation, in order to determine whether or not the lipid and protein components of the membrane had been separated.
A fraction which may be analogous to mitochondrial structural protein was isolated by ammonium sulphate fractionation of fraction R dissolved in a mixture of sodium deoxycholate, sodium chelate and SDS
The COVID-19 pandemic and Future of Working Spaces
No full textThis edited volume presents a compendium of emerging and innovative studies
on the proliferation of new working spaces (NeWSps), both formal and informal
(such as coworking spaces, maker spaces, fab labs, public libraries, and cofee
shops), and their role during and following the COVID-19 pandemic in urban
and regional development and planning.
This book presents an original, interdisciplinary approach to NeWSps
through three features: (i) situating the debate in the context of the COVID-19
pandemic, which has transformed NeWSp business models and the everyday
work life of their owners and users; (ii) repositioning and rethinking the debate
on NeWSps in the context of socioeconomics and planning and comparing
conditions between before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (iii)
providing new directions for urban and regional development and resilience to
the COVID-19 pandemic, considering new ways of working and living.
The 17 chapters are co-authored by both leading international scholars who
have studied the proliferation of NeWSps in the last decade and young, talented
researchers, resulting in a total of 55 co-authors from diferent disciplines (48 of
whom are currently involved in the COST Action CA18214 ‘The Geography
of New Working Spaces and Impact on the Periphery’ 2019–2023: www.newworking-
spaces.eu).
Selected comparative studies among several European countries (Western
and Eastern Europe) and from the US and Lebanon are presented. The book
contributes to the understanding of multi-disciplinary theoretical and practical
implications of NeWSps for our society, economy, and urban/regional planning
in conditions following the COVID-19 pandemic
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