1,720,987 research outputs found
Last Mile Logistics in Smart Cities: An IT Platform for Vehicle Sharing and Routing
No full textDue to the current remarkable growth of e-commerce, the last mile logistics has become a relevant problem. In this paper, the main issues of the last mile logistics in a smart city context are introduced. We propose a solution based on a shared Information Technology (IT) platform that needs no material investments. The principle of resource pooling is applied to the sharing of heterogeneous vehicles in the urban network. In particular, an IT platform powered by an optimization algorithm is proposed to allow couriers to make their deliveries more efficiently, that is, to reduce the total distance covered by the vehicles. This was achieved through the development of four software modules: an ETL, an optimizer, a web application and a map displayer. First results are promising, but further investigations should be done in order to evaluate more accurately the expected benefits and the possible positive externalities such as improvement of air quality in the city
Technological barriers of biomass gasification
No full textThis work deals with the main technological barriers which limit the commercial diffusion of biomass gasifiers. Five technological barriers have been identified. 1) The properties of biomass are variable so gasifiers require flexibility to process different kinds of feed. 2) The high moisture content of biomass limits the energetic efficiency of the process. 3) Problems arising from solid handling and management. 4) Biomass ash can form particulates and alkaline vapours. 5) The presence of tar in the gas can lead to fouling and plugging of the plant pipelines. Each barrier is discussed with concern on different gasifier configuration and end-use of the gas. In addition, since the tar abatement is a specific problem related to biomass gasification, a preliminary experimental study of tar thermal cracking is described. The tar and gas yields as well as the gas composition are reported as functions of temperature. The experimental results are then used to estimate kinetic parameters for the thermal cracking of gasification tars
Guerrazzi e Manzoni tra gli editori. Nuovi studi su un rapporto difficile
No full textL' articolo discute alcuni volumi dedicati al rapporto tra Guerrazzi e manzoni e gli editori,mettendo in evidenza la lettura e la diffusione nel pubblico
Balancing picking and outbound loading efficiency in an SBS/RS through a digital twin
No full textWarehouses are essential elements of almost every Supply Chain and have a significant impact on its performance. However, existing research on warehouse operations mainly aims at maximizing operational performance, neglecting their effect on downstream nodes. In this paper, we propose the use of a digital twin (DT) to support warehouse managers to identify the picking policy that most effectively balances picking and outbound loading efficiencies in an SBS/RS, with the aim of providing both a cost-effective and timely delivery to the subsequent nodes. The problem is set referring to a real case study of the logistics hub of a tire distributor company. The DT was built and validated based on real data from plant sensors and information systems. Afterwards, the DT was used to define three picking strategies that differently impact on both picking and outbound loading efficiency. The DT was then employed on a daily basis and fed with real orders, machine and rack availability to replicate stocking and picking operations and to directly communicate the recommended picking strategy to the warehouse PLC. Several demand scenarios have been considered to extend managerial inferences. Results show that the DT is a valuable tool to support the balancing of picking and outbound loading performance
Multi-objective planning method for renewable energy communities with economic, environmental and social goals
No full textIn this paper we propose an innovative multi-objective methodology to optimally size and operate an Energy Community under social, environmental, and economic considerations, where both user preferences demand side management have been incorporated to manage flexibility that can be provided by appliances and Electric Vehicles using a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming model. The problem is efficiently decomposed using the A-AUGMECON2 technique that has confirmed its efficiency for an Italian case study. Results show that Renewable Energy Communities enable significant savings even beyond 10%–20% while keeping adequate level of user satisfaction, especially when grid prices are high. Demand response and demand side management confirmed to play a relevant role to achieve higher self sufficiency, economic, and social goals, in agreement to the energy transition targets
Measuring audience and actor emotions at a theater play through automatic emotion recognition from face, speech, and body sensors
No full textWe describe a preliminary experiment to track the emotions of actors and audience in a theater play through machine learning and AI. During a 40-min play in Zurich, eight actors were equipped with body-sensing smartwatches. At the same time, the emotions of the audience were tracked anonymously using facial emotion tracking. In parallel, also the emotions in the voices of the actors were assessed through automatic voice emotion tracking. This paper demonstrates a first fully automated and privacy-respecting system to measure both audience and actor satisfaction during a public performance
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Un “operaio” della penna? Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi e la Fratellanza Artigiana d’Italia
No full textIl saggio si focalizza sul ruolo degli intellettuali democratici e nella fattispecie di Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi alle origini della Fratellanza artigiana d'Italia, una associazione di mutuo soccorso di stampo mazziniano-montanelliana che si poneva l'obiettivo di unificare tutto il mondo del lavoro a livello nazionale al momento dell'unificazione italiana
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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