1,721,157 research outputs found
The Additive Manufacturing in the Industry 4.0 Era: The Case of an Italian FabLab
Full text linkNowadays it is possible to create a flexible, automated and agile production, implementing complex technologies, combining physical objects and information systems. Machines and robots are able to communicate each other, to take decisions in an independent way, to self-update and to self-adapt to changing context. The introduction of new automated techniques, the development of sophisticated and autonomous devices and machineries allow t he creation of smart factories, giving origin to the Smart Manufacturing phenomenon. Additive manufacturing (AM) is one of the most widespread technologies in operational practices that with rapid prototyping and 3D printing, has revolutionized the production. It is an advanced technology to produce parts, using advanced computer-aided design software. As a consequence, the affirmation of digital fabrication labs, which aim is to promote digital culture, providing innovative tools and sharing knowledge, creating customized products. The present work provides a theoretical contribution to the extant literature of additive manufacturing technology and a practical example to encourage companies to adopt innovative tools. From a practical point of view, it is examined the characteristics and applications of 3D printing in a FabLab in the South of Italy. The methodology used is the case studytechnique,whereinformation arecollectedthroughdescriptivesurvey.Theaimofthisworkistoinvestigate about the use of additive manufacturing technique, putting in evidence benefits and limits of this technology. In this way it is possible to understand about the development of Industry 4.0 in our country, in particular giving attention to the application of Additive Manufacturing technologies
Widening the Disciplinary Scope of eParticipation. Reflections after a Research on Tourism and Cultural Heritage
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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
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
AChE inhibition in Carcinus aestuarii as biomarker of exposure to neurotoxic compounds.
No full textThe use of biomarkers in monitoring aquatic environments is nowadays a common practice, fish and bivalves being mostly chosen as target-species. Since it is often difficult to estimate the possible adverse effects due to contamination on selected ecosystems, a multi-species strategy should be adopted. In this context, we applied the biomarker approach to the Mediterranean crab Carcinus aestuarii, which could provide different and/or additional information with respect to fish and bivalves. In this work we evaluated the possible use of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, measured in different crab tissues (gills and hemolymph), as biomarker of exposure to neurotoxic compounds. Crabs were exposed for 96 h to various sublethal concentrations of Chlorpyrifos (CP). A significant inhibition of AChE activity was shown from 5 mg CP/L in the hemolymph and at 15 mg CP/L in gills. These preliminary results suggest that measurement of AChE activity is a useful biomarker of exposure to neurotoxic compounds in C. aestuarii
Factors influencing the strategic value of IT: a literature review
No full textThis paper focuses on two research questions: (i) in management literature, how is the "strategic value of IT" understood, defined and measured? (ii) in management literature, what factors are identified as influencing the organization's capability of strategically leveraging IT? In order to answer these questions, we conducted a systematic literature review, based on keyword search and selective backward and forward search. We identified 106 writings (out of a set of reference lists including about 1700 writings, duplications included) as particularly relevant to our goals, and after full-text analysis we classified the reviewed contents in order to provide a synthetic answer to our research questions. We found that IT-enabled latent strategic capabilities are severely under-investigated by theory testing writings, and even IT-enabled competitive advantage, although often mentioned in theory-building papers, is not sufficiently subject to sound theory-testing investigations. Moreover, we found that researches focusing on IT management behaviors and capabilities are an emerging stream of studies, both for the fertile and still under-investigated issues implied, and for the direct relevance of this approach to the world of practice. Our literature analysis led to the identification of contradictory outcomes, under-investigated issues, lack of construct operationalization and lack of theoretical explanations: such outcomes are synthetically proposed as a starting point for further researches
Effects of 4-nonylphenol exposure in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and crabs (Carcinus aestuarii) with particular emphasis on vitellogenin induction.
No full textSince it is often difficult to estimate possible adverse effects due to contamination in selected ecosystems, multi-species biomonitoring
may provide more information, taking into account different routes of exposure, ecological roles and metabolic capabilities of animals. In
this context, we exposed for 7 days the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the crab Carcinus aestuarii to 4-nonylphenol (NP), a wellknown
xenoestrogen. In mussels (0–0.2 mg NP l1), we measured NP bioaccumulation in soft tissues and vitellogenin (Vg)-like protein
levels in digestive glands from both males and females by the alkali-labile phosphate assay (ALP). As no reference data were available for
crab exposure, the NP 96-h LC50 value was previously determined. Then, in sublethally exposed (0–1.0 mg NP l1) male crabs, NP bioaccumulation
and Vg levels were measured in hemolymph, gonads and digestive gland. Bioaccumulation of NP increased from 43 to
371 lg g1 d.w. in mussels, and from 3.6 to 37 lg g1 d.w. in crabs, depending on the NP concentration in water. Dose-dependent
Vg-like protein induction was observed in both species, appearing to be related to NP bioaccumulation, although a partial decrease
was recorded at the highest concentration tested. A similar trend was observed in both digestive gland and gonad of exposed crabs;
Vg increased to a lesser extent, although significantly, in hemolymph. Results demonstrated that NP induces Vg synthesis both in male
and female mussels, as well as in male crabs. On the basis of the responsiveness of both species investigated, a multi-species approach is
indicated in biomonitoring programmes
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