422 research outputs found
The Vite Maritata as a Landscape Catalyst. The Grapevine as Part of Edible Greenways
No full textThe grapevine on living trellises, or “vite maritata” in Italian, is an ancient grape growing technique that uses, instead of poles, trees as support for the grapevine to climb. Conceived by the Etruscans, it was a common element in the Italian rural landscape until the 1960s. As an agronomic practice, it has been abandoned mainly because of the ceasing of the socioeconomic forces that drove its expansion, summarized by sharecropping. Today, in evaluating the natural ecosystem and environment, we have the theory of ecosystem services as a powerful tool. This theory states that ecosystems impact human well-being. This impact affects four different categories that group the various services provided by ecosystems. These four categories are provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting. The grapevine on living trellises provides services in all four categories, with precise services regulating microclimate and supporting wildlife (Bigliardi, 2021). The linear arrangement of the grapevine on living trellises in the urban landscape could function as a helpful green infrastructure for wild species of animals and plants, but of course, also for human beings, contrasting territorial fragmentation and promoting biodiversity. As a greenway, it can be a source of recreational spaces and slow mobility and provide substantial food resources, becoming the protagonist of an edible landscape (Fabris, 2010). The Metropolitan City of Milan possesses already a substratum of dismissed railway yards that, united with the renovation of the Navigli canal system, define a favourable environment for the design of this kind of greenways that can contribute to the “ForestaMI” Reforestation Plan of the Lombard metropolis (Boeri, 2021). Moreover, the “vite maritata” fits well with this situation, being acclimated to the climate of the Po valley
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the normal canine prostate gland
No full textCanine prostate gland abnormalities affect a large number of adult male dogs. In veterinary medicine, the commonly used methods to diagnose canine prostate gland disease are digital rectal examination and abdominal ultrasound. We evaluated the ability of ultrasound contrast agent to provide additional information about the vascularity of the canine prostate gland; such information could be useful in detecting early prostate gland disease and in staging disease known to be present. We characterized the ultrasonographic appearance of prostate gland vascularity in 10 healthy dogs before and after the injection of an ultrasound contrast agent (Levovist TM). Before injecting Levovist TM, the prostate gland blood flow was classified as poor in all dogs, whereas after contrast agent injection blood flow was classified as moderate or good, in 3 and 7 dogs respectively. Knowledge of the status of prostate gland vascularity could be useful for the characterization, diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of canine prostate gland lesions
STUDY ON INACTIVATION KINETICS OF HEPATITIS A VIRUS AND ENTEROVIRUS WITH PERACETIC ACID AND CHLORINE. NEW ICC/PCR METHOD TO ASSESS DISINFECTION EFFECTIVENESS
No full textThe virucidal activity of chlorine-compounds was studied using hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Poliovirus 2 and comparing the disinfectant efficiency of peracetic acid. HAV presented a higher resistance to HClO than Poliovirus did.
With ClO2 the inactivation times of HAV were markedly shorter.
A comparison between these data and those resulting from the tive than chlorine.
As a preliminary to future research, the PCR-test integrated with cell-cultures was experimentally introduced for a quick evaluation of the HAV-infectiveness, with the aim of possible application in the field of disinfection and of viruses isolation from environmental and food samples
START UPS AND SPIN-OFFS: THE ROLE OF BUSINESS INCUBATORS
No full textIn this age of exponential technology development and globalisation, innovation and entrepreneurship have become one of the key drivers (if not the key driver) of economic growth (Bathelt and Spiegel, 2011). Within this context, it is well accepted that also Universities can be central to the growth and development, especially if they support start-up and spin-off processes (Bigliardi et al., 2013; Galati et al., 2017). Indeed, the main involvement of universities refer to the creation of spin-offs companies (both based on intellectual property developed at the university or resulted from university–industry joint ventures), and start-ups (Mustar et al., 2006). Academic spin-offs are firms that are created by researchers to commercialize their innovations and research results (Shane, 2004). Similarly, start-ups are newly emerged entrepreneurial ventures aiming at meeting a marketplace need by developing a viable business model (Mustar et al., 2004). Both spin-offs and start-ups may have high failure rate or face difficulties especially in their initial development stage, thus needing a support. Business incubators usually assist these emerging ventures by providing support services and assistance in developing their business (Lalkaka, 2002).
The objective of this study is twofold: as first, to propose a taxonomy of start-ups, spin-offs and business incubators; as second, to define the role of business incubators in supporting emerging ventures. To reach this objective, after a brief introduction on the concept of spin-offs and start-up and their importance for the economic development and innovation, starting from the analysis of the available literature, a business incubator definition is given and all the various types of services offered by the incubator structure to the tenant companies are explained. Finally, we classify start-ups and spin-offs and map business incubators according to factors such as their objectives, mission, activities and role
How to run successful employee incentive schemes, book review
No full textThe author, John Fisher, specializes in employee incentives, staff communication and event planning. His book How to Run Successful Employee Incentive Schemes offers practical advice for any manager or responsible for the development of incentive schemes for a company's employee. Based on the premise that “the biggest asset for any organization is a well-motivated workforce” and that “motivation breeds productivity which in turn generates profit”, the book covers the main aspects of performance improvement, ranging from the human audit to the performance measuring systems, and may be seen as a guide to help managers and supervisors tap into the vast human resource within their organization.
The book is structured in 13 chapters that elaborate in a clear and consecutive way the various aspects of a successful incentive scheme. It starts with the chapter “The profit potential”, which leads the reader into the idea that “a corporate entity by itself does not make profits. People do”. But, as Fisher says in this introduction, “almost everyone has the capacity to perform better”. As a consequence, the main task of each manager is to improve and monitor the performance of his staff. To do that, the author provides a list of performance improvement programmes and a series of examples of companies that applied successfully these types of programmes. The author suggests that usually no single technique works in isolation, the true benefit come from synergy.
Chapter 2, “The human audit”, is based on the main idea that when constructing a motivational programme, a manager needs to know who he is trying to motivate and how they operate within the company, and offers six guidelines that have to be followed in order to conduct a human audit. Once this audit, that the author believe essential, has been conducted, the manager is able to design the incentive programmes that are described in Chapter 3. The chapter starts with a short but clear round up of motivation theory that provides the reader with a review of things to consider in the four elements model proposed by the author (research, skills, communication and incentive). The development of an incentive programme starts with the formulation of the objective, followed by the no less difficult identification of the (right) range of incentive techniques. Each technique is discussed in an exhaustive way, including advantages and disadvantages, its working and its length.
These three chapters compose the first key and most interesting part of the book, which is followed from the no less important description of the budgeting process. The budgeting process for a performance improvement programme is proposed by the author as the same process for future expenditure: determination of the incremental profit, determination of the campaign target, determination of costs (fixed, variable administration and variable reward costs), we are likely to incur. Once the business problem has been identified as well as the structure and budget of the performance improvement programme, Fisher leads the reader into the idea of incentives. In Chapter 5, cash incentives are described and their limited efficiency is examined. As Fisher says in fact, “more money is the least efficient and effective motivator”: offering more money may change the speed at which people work, but it does not, in isolation, improve their performance. The author describes in a detailed way, by means of numerous (and useful) practical examples, cash incentives as well as their limitations.
This leads the reader into the area of flexible benefits (Chapter 6) and of other noncash incentives (from Chapter 7 to 10). Flexible benefits (or plans) mean that individuals may choose “what they want”: life assurance, pensions, health care, annual leave, childcare voucher and so on. Each of them is described and illustrated by means of clear examples, also depending on the employees' age and types, covering the latest ground in this important area. In the same way, incentive travel, merchandise, vouchers and services, and events are discussed in the following chapters, with pros and cons, in appropriate detail. Once the programme has been designed and the right incentives have been chosen, a shrewd manager has to measure, monitor and mirror the performance reached. These issues are (briefly but clearly) presented in the last chapters, especially in regard to the considerable advances that there have been in the last years in internet communication. The author concludes with a brief mention to the recognition systems and the future of incentives.
I found the book very easy reading and covering in a clear and succinct way all the issues on motivation and performance improvement programmes. It provides competent coaching and counsel on the fundamental elements of such type of programme. Each chapter offers useful practical examples that help the reader to understand how these techniques work and how to translate the theory into practice, and without which the book would be less comprehensive. As a consequence, How to Run Successful Employee Incentive Schemes is an excellent resource both for managers seeking to develop an effective motivation program for their staff, and for individuals new to incentive schemes and seeking to take a deeper look into this matter. The only one limitation of the book is the bibliography (only a few references at the end of Chapters 7 and 12) that would support readers who wish to gain a deeper understanding of these key concepts
How to be an Even Better Manager. A complete A-Z of Proven Techniques & Essential Skills – Sixth Edition
No full textHow to Be an Even Better Manager is recognised as a phenomenal success since it first appeared in 1983 as How to Be a Better Manager. Dealing with management and specifically in those areas in which managers have to be competent, it helps to explain how to develop the managerial skills and competences required. The author, Michael Armstrong, has a wealth of experience as a practising manager, and has written several books on the subject, thus contributing with his works to the development of management thought and practice.
The author bases the book upon the idea that management is an art, and that the art of management is a skill that everybody can learn in order to obtain the best from the job. The book is structured in 50 chapters, all self-contained, that bring the reader from the main management issues to the way to develop the 50 key managerial competencies and skills that the art of management requires. Each of the 50 brief chapters provides the reader with techniques, strategies and actions, which can be utilised to enhance the managerial skills of a good contemporary manager. Even if all the chapters are independent from each others, I believe it is useful to read the first chapter, as it defines the overall concept of management and the areas in which managers need to be competent, thus providing a framework for the succeeding chapters. Specifically, in this chapter Armstrong defines management as “achieving results by effectively obtaining, deploying, utilising and controlling all the resources required”, and he differentiates management and leadership (that focuses on only one type of resource, that is people), stressing that it is not enough to be a good manager of resources but a good manager has also to be a good leader of people. At the end of chapter 1 the Author proposes an example of competency framework, that is then elaborated in the following “How to ... ” chapters, that cover the following three main areas:managing people;managing activities and processes; andmanaging and developing yourself.As for the former, people are viewed as the most important resource because it is through people that all other resources (namely, knowledge, finance, materials, plants, equipments, etc.) will be managed in a both effective and efficient way. Thus the book clearly explains to the reader the way to effectively coach, communicate, develop and motivate people. In addition, it discusses the issue of conflict management, since conflicts are inevitable within organisations, or performance management, referred to as both the management organisational performance and the management of manager's own performance.
As far as the second area is concerned, I found chapter 49 very interesting, that is “How things go wrong and how to put them right”: Armstrong begins the chapter providing the reason why things go wrong, that is because people do less than they are capable of. And in a little more than ten pages he provides the things to do and those not to do to trouble-shoot.
Finally, as for the “managing and developing yourself” area, it is useful for all the managers who want to enhance their personal skills. The author points out that, in order to be effective, managers have to be personally involved in the process and not to delegate everything. In other words, managers have to rely on their own expertise, know-how, skills and competencies, and time in order to motivate and direct their teams. Moreover, they must be able to understand the various scenarios and issues which come up in the job environment in order to accurately analyse and define them, and be prepared to take direct actions themselves or through other people.
I liked the useful checklists (called by the author himself “Ten things to do”) to summarise in a succinct as well as clear way the actions to be undertaken. Similarly, I liked the appendix where the author lists the positive or negative indicators of performance, as well as the extensive general bibliography, where he cites relevant books and professional periodicals thus making the book useful also for people who are not practitioners (for example, academics whose main research interests cover this issue). In general, I found the book very easy reading and covering all the issues on management and leadership.
I believe this book could be useful to both new managers or those aspiring to a management role, because it provides practical guidelines on what managers must know and on which skills a manager have to develop to do their jobs efficiently and effectively
Leadership for organization: How to organize team creativity and harvest ideas
No full textLeadership for Innovation, dealing with innovations and how leadership affects the innovation process, helps to explain how to foster a culture of innovation. The author, John Adair, is recognized as the world's leading authority on leadership and leadership development, by continuously contributing, with his over 50 books on the subject, to the development of management thought and practice.
Based on the premises that “innovation is the key to winning and keeping leadership in world markets” and that “innovation calls for a team creativity”, the book starts with the observation that only those organizations that practice team creativity will survive and prosper. Adair looks at the links between leadership, creativity and change, and by means of several case studies (Google, Honda, 3M, and many others), he covers topics such as the characteristics of innovators, organizing for team creativity, the expectations of creative people, creative leadership, managing the criticism of ideas and overcoming resistance to change.
The book is structured in ten chapters that bring the reader from the main innovation issues to the way to develop team creativity. Specifically, Chapters 1 and 2 introduce in a clear and succinct way the theme of innovation, by highlighting the (well-known) differences between invention and innovation and by providing the conditions for the development of successful innovation. The author proposes six factors as successful for the development of innovation:management commitment;positive strategic thinking;long-term perspective;appropriate responsiveness to change;acceptance of risk; anda right internal environment.Chapter 3 introduces the team creativity. The key points there are order and freedom, good communication of ideas, right balance between creativity and productivity, and innovative leadership. The next two chapters report two short as well as useful practical case studies, specifically the case of DNA Laboratory, about an organizational environment that fosters innovations, and the case of Honda, about an innovative leader. The former case study offers to the reader the organizational factors that, if replied into an organization, may bring it to the success in terms of team creativity building (for example, a flat organization, rules kept at the minimum, decentralized decision making, as well as some suggestions about the recruitment). The latter, is an example of how a leader has successfully developed an entrepreneurial and innovative philosophy into his company.
Chapters 6 and 7 provide the reader with some simple guidelines to motivate the creativity of each individuals: a fundamental element in this process of motivation is the real commitment from the top management. Chapter 7 in particular, describes to the reader the main characteristics and expectations of creative people:recognition and appreciation;freedom to align their work with their interests;contact with stimulating colleagues;encouragement to take risks; and, above all elsecreative leadership to inspire them.Chapters 8 and 9 regard the development of team creativity: specifically, they propose simple but useful instruments to be used to develop and to foster team creativity, that are the brainstorming technique and the suggestion schemes. The author concludes with a brief mention to the way to overcome the resistance to change (Chapter 10), and provides the reader with five principle to be followed. At the bottom of this chapter is the notation that change is generally easy to accept if and when it is life-affirming. By summarising these last chapters, it is possible to state that a team is creative if it: build on existing ideas rather than trying to reinvent the wheel; brainstorm regularly; and is active, organized, and critically constructive.
This book offers practical advice for any manager or responsible for the development of innovation. The book clearly outlines the characteristics of creative individuals, and what creative people expect from the organizations they work for. It helps leaders to meet the challenge of innovation, and achieve profitable growth through team creativity. I found the book very easy reading and covering all the issues on innovation and team creativity development for innovation. Each chapter offers useful practical examples, that help the reader (a manager rather that an academic) to understand how these techniques work and how to translate the theory into practice, and without which the book would be less comprehensive
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON INTEGRATED CELL CULTURE - PCR (ICC-PCR) TO EVALUATE THE SENSITIVITY OF THE METHOD AND THE VIRUSES' INFECTIVITY
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