Daniele Cinque, Jose Viriato Araujo dos Santos, Stefano Gabriele, Sonia Marfia and Hernâni Lopes
The purpose of this paper is to present a study on the application of four damage factors to several single and multiple damage scenarios of aluminium beams. Each one of these…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a study on the application of four damage factors to several single and multiple damage scenarios of aluminium beams. Each one of these damage factors is defined by the information given by modal curvatures of the beams.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology consisted of a first experimental stage in which the modal rotations were measured with shearography and a subsequent numerical analysis in order to obtain the modal curvatures. To this end, three finite difference formulae were applied. The modal curvatures were then used to calculate the damage factors.
Findings
It was found that the profile of the damage factors varies according to the finite difference formula used. In view of the findings, the differences among the damage factors analysed are highlighted and some final recommendations to improve damage identifications via modal curvature-based are presented.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the application and comparison of several finite difference formulae and corresponding optimal sampling has not been carried out before. With the proposed approach, it is possible to identify multiple damages, which is still a great challenge. The post-processing of shearography measurements with a numerical method, which is inherently a multidisciplinary approach, is also a substantial improvement upon other type of approaches found in the literature.
Details
Keywords
Manlio Del Giudice, Elias G. Carayannis, Daniel Palacios-Marqués, Pedro Soto-Acosta and Dirk Meissner
Stefania Chiappini, Alessio Mosca, Andrea Miuli, Francesco Di Carlo, Giacomo d'Andrea, Alessandra Napolitano, Monica Santangelo, Corradina Esposito, Anna Rosazza, Elena Haefele, Gilberto Di Petta, Mauro Pettorruso, Stefano L. Sensi and Giovanni Martinotti
This paper aims to investigate the role of aripiprazole once monthly as a maintenance treatment in a sample of patients with schizophrenia comorbid with alcohol and substance use…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the role of aripiprazole once monthly as a maintenance treatment in a sample of patients with schizophrenia comorbid with alcohol and substance use disorder (AUD/SUD).
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 24 Italian adult patients has been recruited and treated with aripiprazole once monthly after clinical stabilization with oral aripiprazole during May 2021 and June 2022. Clinical evaluations have been performed at the baseline (T0) and after 12 (T1) and 24 (T2) weeks.
Findings
During the study period, an improvement of both the clinical condition and general health from baseline was observed, as well as a reduction of craving for alcohol/substances. However, from T0, the number of patients who continued with this study decreased at T1 (n = 8) and then at T2 (n = 4). No serious adverse events were reported, including changes in weight, lipid/glucose metabolism, electrocardiogram and extra-pyramidal side effects.
Originality/value
Although limited by the high number of drop outs, this observational real-world study provided insights into the use of aripiprazole once monthly among a sample of patients with schizophrenia and comorbid SUD/AUD. Further studies of longer duration and on a larger sample are needed.
Details
Keywords
Swathi Pennapareddy and K. Natarajan
The purpose of this paper is to study the various solutions and recommendations provided by researchers in applying the blockchain concept to different problems in aviation…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the various solutions and recommendations provided by researchers in applying the blockchain concept to different problems in aviation industry. It will discuss and highlight the specific approaches that leverages blockchain to mitigate the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) security issues. Furthermore, it introduces an innovative design and method to secure ADS-B data using a tamper-resistant distributed public ledger of authenticated flight plans and validates the position and other parameters of the associated aircraft identifier against the flight paths/routes that are stored in the blockchain ledger.
Design/methodology/approach
ADS-B is the key technology that is mandated by Federal Aviation Administration in USA by 2020. However, ADS-B data is neither encrypted nor authenticated. This paper proposes a novel solution using blockchain to secure the ADS-B data communications and in-depth analysis of existing solutions covering the following aspects: classification of various possible attacks on ADS-B. Presents various solutions proposed by different researchers regarding use of blockchain in aviation industry. Discuss a new solution to secure ADS-B using blockchain. Discuss the high-level architectural framework of the proposed and patented solution. Finally, presents the conclusions and future work scope.
Findings
While the main intention of this paper is to bring together all the existing solutions using blockchain to secure aviation and ADS-B data at one place, the proposed novel solution could contribute to maintaining security and privacy for aircrafts flying in the airspace at any point in time. Continuously securing the ADS-B data transmissions based upon the filed flight plans in real time can provide a mechanism to identify spoofed aircraft messages and communicate the same to ground stations for authentication of existence of such a malicious aircraft. Thus, this solution also differs from all the existing ones.
Practical implications
As aviation industry is in its infancy stage in implementing blockchain-based solutions, practical implementation of the proposed concept might take longer.
Originality/value
This paper is a comprehensive survey and review paper. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first of its kind that presents various use cases for usage of blockchain in aviation industry along with a detailed review of existing proposed or implemented solutions using blockchain to secure ADS-B data. This can serve as an invaluable reference for the future researchers on this topic in both industry and academia.
Details
Keywords
Alberto Ferraris, Gabriele Santoro, Stefano Bresciani and Elias G. Carayannis
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how multinational enterprises (MNEs) manage human resources (HR) in explorative and exploitative alliances in smart city projects…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how multinational enterprises (MNEs) manage human resources (HR) in explorative and exploitative alliances in smart city projects (SCPs).
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the authors adopt an explorative and qualitative approach based on multiple case studies thanks to the interviews with 21 smart city managers of MNEs who are deeply involved in SCPs.
Findings
The authors found that MNEs use many different partnerships and “temporal separation” in many cities all around the world in order to maximize the benefits of both exploration and exploitation. According to the aim of the project, MNEs implemented different HR practices intentionally targeted toward managing social relations among internal and external employees involved in SCPs.
Practical implications
The authors highlighted that MNEs tend to develop different ties among employees and external partners and to use different HR practices according to the nature and to the aim of the alliances. Thus, the development of human resource management systems becomes crucial in supporting organizational ambidexterity through alliances.
Social implications
This paper gives useful insights in improving the effectiveness of MNEs in SCPs. Due to the business opportunities arising from the application of ICT and technological innovation to urban services, MNEs are becoming an important player in smart cities. Increasing the effectiveness of the SCPs leads faster to more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable cities.
Originality/value
The development of alliances has a key role in strengthening and complementing firms’ exploration and exploitation agendas in SCPs. Thus, this paper provides guidelines to MNEs in order to adapt HR practices and to rethink the role of HR within and across corporate boundaries in an emergent context of analysis.
Details
Keywords
Alba Yela Aránega, Alberto Ferraris, Gabriele Baima and Stefano Bresciani
Gustavo Magalhães de Oliveira, Gaetano Martino, Stefano Ciliberti, Angelo Frascarelli and Gabriele Chiodini
This study aims to investigate farmer preferences regarding sales contracts for durum wheat in Italy.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate farmer preferences regarding sales contracts for durum wheat in Italy.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors consider that contracts are formed by an organisational entity that is in charge of transferring decision and property rights based on reductions in transaction costs. The empirical analysis presents a discrete choice experiment with three distinct models that was performed by a survey of 160 wheat farmers in southern Italy.
Findings
The results show that contractual terms affect the probability of both a contract being signed and allocating decision rights due to their effects on price, technology and quality.
Practical implications
This study provides some insights on which contractual attributes could support the wider use of contracts along the durum wheat supply chain in Italy.
Originality/value
The paper reveals that contracts are relevant not only to the coordination of agri-food chains because of price stabilisation but also due to their impacts on technology and quality strategies.
Details
Keywords
Alberto Mortaro, Diana Pascu, Serena Pancheri, Mariangela Mazzi, Stefano Tardivo, Claudio Bellamoli, Federica Ferrarese, Albino Poli, Gabriele Romano and Francesca Moretti
According to literature, interruptions during drug administration lead to a significant proportion of medication errors. Evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to reduce…
Abstract
Purpose
According to literature, interruptions during drug administration lead to a significant proportion of medication errors. Evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to reduce interruption is still limited. The purpose of this paper is to explore main reasons for interruptions during drug administration rounds in a geriatric ward of an Italian secondary hospital and test the effectiveness of a combined intervention.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a pre and post-intervention observational study based on direct observation. All nurse staff (24) participated to the study that lead to observe a total of 44 drug dispensing rounds with 945 drugs administered to 491 patients in T0 and 994 drugs to 506 patients in T1.
Findings
A significant reduction of raw number of interruptions (mean per round from 17.31 in T0 to 9.09 in T1, p<0.01), interruptions/patient rate (from 0.78 in T0 to 0.40 in T1, p<0.01) and interruptions/drugs rate (from 0.44 in T0 to 0.22 in T1, p<0.01) were observed. Needs for further improvements were elicited (e.g. a greater involvement of support staff).
Practical implications
Nurse staff should be adequately trained on the risks related to interruptions during drug administration since routine activity is at high risk of distractions due to its repetitive and skill-based nature.
Originality/value
A strong involvement of both MB and leadership, together with the frontline staff, helped to raise staff motivation and guide a bottom-up approach, able to identify tailored interventions and serve concurrently as training instrument tool.
Details
Keywords
Stefano Bresciani, Alberto Ferraris, Marco Romano and Gabriele Santoro
Gabriele Santoro, Stefano Bresciani, Bernardo Bertoldi and Yipeng Liu
The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer’s attitude towards cause-related marketing (CRM). In detail, it aims to assess the relationship between CRM and consumer’s…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer’s attitude towards cause-related marketing (CRM). In detail, it aims to assess the relationship between CRM and consumer’s brand loyalty, and whether this relationship is moderated by consumer’s perception of corporate social behaviours. Moreover, the research looks for differences in the above relationship on two samples of consumers born and living in different countries and therefore with different cultural backgrounds.
Design/methodology/approach
The research adopts a quantitative methodology using a survey conducted among Italian and Japanese consumers. Ordinary least square regressions models are developed to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The findings of this paper indicate a positive relationship between the consumers’ perception of CRM and their brand loyalty perception, regardless the country of origin. Accordingly, the authors found a similar pattern of CRM perception among Italian and Japanese consumers. In addition, the authors found that CRM and the consumers’ perception of corporate social behaviours are not complementary, in the sense their joint effect does not affect consumer’s brand loyalty.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies addressing the issue concerning the CRM perception of people with in different cultures. In this regard, this study suggests that CRM impacts on brand loyalty regardless the country of origin (Italy and Japan), and consumers’ characteristics such as age, gender, background. In addition, the study indicates that the perceived corporate social responsibility does not increase the effect of CRM on brand loyalty.