1,721,011 research outputs found
Sustainable use of phosphorus raw materials on the example of Italian companies
No full textAlthough intensive efforts have been focused on a more sustainable use of phosphorus (P) in the last two decades, the full-scale implementation of P recovery technologies is not widespread in the industrial sector. Their diffusion is limited by lack of high-resolution and integrated analyses about the potential, benefits and risks of industrial innovation in this field, and the quantification of business, economic, environmental and social impacts at firm level. To cover this gap, the University of Bologna developed an industry-oriented methodology to deliver quantitative information, necessary to companies to explore their potential pathways about P recovery. The methodology, developed through the knowledge gained in two EU projects, InPhos (EIT Raw Materials) and Prosumer (EIT Climate-KIC), consists of four main steps: (i) identification of business interests and constraints; (ii) assessment of P flows in the company boundaries; (iii) cost assessment; and (iv) sustainability assessment through relevant Key Performance Indicators. The methodology was applied to an Italian food company, highlighting that only less than 50% of the P contained in raw materials remains in the final products and that the implementation of a P removal technology allows the compliance of legislative limits. Nevertheless, the economic feasibility is not ensured, confirming literature results. Consequently, suitable and tailored policies and financial tools must be defined to support the diffusion of P recovery at industrial level. The quantitative information provided by the methodology are therefore useful for policy makers and financial bodies to respond to needs and specialization of companies in their territories
An Innovative Visualization Tool to Boost and Monitor Circular Economy: An Overview of Its Applications at Different Industrial Sectors
No full textThe quantification of the circular economy and sustainability is a relevant aspect at different levels of applications: (i) the companies need to evaluate and
improve the environmental, economic, and social impacts of their products and processes; (ii) the financial bodies must have quantitative information about the potential and risks of different proposed initiatives to select the optimal opportunity; and (iii) the policy-makers must be guided for the coherent definition of strategies at regional, national and international scales, setting realistic targets and measuring their effectiveness. However, the lack of comprehensive and robust approaches to quantify circular economy makes it challenging to apply quantitative methods and indicators in different contexts and compare the results, with the risk of limiting the practical implementation of circular initiatives due to unknown and/or unclear potential and contribution. The ViVACE® tool (Visualization of Value to Assess Circular Economy), developed by the authors, is a promising and effective means to collect data in a systematized manner, helpful to assess sectorial and cross-sectorial indicators about sustainability. It has been applied to different industrial sectors (e.g., plastics, food processing, textile) for different purposes. These applications are described in detail to highlight the potential, versatility, and implications of the proposed tool in boosting the effective transition to a circular economy
THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE TRANSITION TOWARDS CIRCULAR ECONOMY: A COMPARISON BETWEEN ITALY AND BRAZIL
No full textASSESSING SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY IN A CIRCULAR MODEL: APPLICATION IN AN ITALIAN LUXURY FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY
No full textUna gestione innovativa e circolare per imballaggi plastici alimentari più sostenibili
No full textL’attuale gestione del packaging alimentare plastico, soprattutto a fine-vita, risulta non sostenibile e diventa sempre più necessario passare ad un modello circolare. Il progetto proposto è incentrato sulla progettazione, l’implementazione e la quantificazione di un nuovo modello di gestione del packaging plastico lungo l’intero ciclo di vita, che coinvolge tutti gli attori della filiera, compreso il consumatore. La sua sostenibilità ambientale, rispetto allo scenario attuale, è stata dimostrata con un approccio quantitativo
Methodology for a practical and effective implementation of Predictive Maintenance on robots
No full textA procedure for condition-based maintenance and diagnostics of submersible well pumps through vibration monitoring
No full textSubmersible well pumps, widely used for groundwater, are installed at great depths which make typical maintenance actions unworkable and costly. Condition-based maintenance (CBM) through vibration monitoring could be an effective approach for these critical machines. According to ISO 10816-7 (2009) suggestions, a procedure to measure vibration was established and applied on submersible well pumps both in a test facility and in situ. Instruments and measurement location were selected and a methodology for data processing was applied in order to set maintenance alarms. The procedure was tested on several submersible well pumps directly in the testing room of one of the main producers of pumps. Measurements in a testing room made it possible to avoid problems and costs related to instrument installation in the field. In order to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the procedure also in field, the method was also applied in real groundwater plant with a special design of the measurement system, to overcome strict operational work conditions. This paper shows the experimental campaign results, which are the basis to conduct CBM on pumps, in terms of: (1) definition of the typical vibration values of new pumps, not available even by producers, plant managers and standards, and (2) identification of the parameters which influence pump vibration, fundamental to data processing and the setting of proper alarms. The procedure will also be applied for other categories of pumps, used in several industrial applications, to measure reliable vibration data and set specific alarms for maintenance interventions
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe 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
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“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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