Short- and Long-term Analytical Solutions for Composite Beams with Partial Interaction and Shear-lag Effects

Fabrizio Gara,Gianluca Ranzi,Graziano Leoni 한국강구조학회 2010 International Journal of Steel Structures Vol.10 No.4

This paper presents an analytical model for the short- and long-term analysis of composite steel-concrete beams with partial shear interaction and accounting for shear-lag effects. The material properties of the concrete have been assumed to be timedependent and have been modelled by means of the algebraic methods while the remaining materials forming the cross-section have been supposed to behave in a linear-elastic manner. The global balance condition of the problem has been obtained by means of the principle of virtual work and, integrating this by parts, the governing system of differential equations and corresponding boundary conditions have been determined. Analytical expressions for both short- and long-term solutions have been derived and, to outline their ease of use, a number of case studies relevant for bridge applications have been proposed.

THE POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INDUSTRY 4.0 TECHNOLOGY WITHIN FASHION LUXURY PRODUCTION. OPINIONS FROM A MANAGERIAL POINT OF VIEW AND CUSTOMERS PERCEPTIONS

Fabrizio Mosca,Emily La Rosa,Chiara Civera,Cecilia Casalegno 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2018 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2018 No.07

Introduction This paper investigates the implementation possibilities of the Industry 4.0 systems within the production of fashion luxury goods by collecting the opinion of the managers and the perception of the potential customers. The results indicate that technologies 4.0 can be implemented within luxury fashion production without affecting the quality of the finished product. However customers are negatively prevented against them. Therefore, giving the present situation of the fashion industry, now more demanding than ever, it would be appropriate to implement such systems without disclosing it to customers. Theoretical development With this research we aim to demonstrate that in the world of luxury fashion production there is room, if not the need, to implement the technologies of the Industry 4.0 without affecting the quality of the final product. We believe it is crucial that the luxury environment starts to seriously consider the Industry 4.0 as the former, in recent years, has become ever more challenging. Since luxury has become more accessible to masses, customers are no longer content just by getting the product, they often want it before the general public has it or fully customized to distinguish themselves. This implies a reduction of production times together with multiple rearrangements of the entire production process. Which is why we need to start thinking about Luxury and Industry 4.0. The concept of Industry 4.0 started developing with the exponential involvement of technological means during production processes of any kind. The term describes the model of the “smart” factory of the future where computer-driven systems “monitor physical processes, create a virtual copy of the physical world and make decentralized decisions” based on self-organization mechanisms (Smith, 2016). The goal of the industry 4.0 is to reach a deeper interconnection and cooperation between the available resources and the final customer; it’s a multiple layer engagement composed by complex machines, people, products, information within the production sight and all along the value chain (Tolio, 2016). The implementation of such systems allows achieving better levels of efficiency and contributes to increase the competitive advantage; it is a revolution that involves a company at all levels from the production centers to human resources. Although luxury fashion is a quite peculiar industry, all its processes are still very much cyclical and could benefit from the help of such implementations. The main technologies that are often quoted as being at the core of the Industry 4.0 are IoT (Internet of Things), big data, additive manufacturing, 3D printing, augmented reality and new generation robots. All this may seem too futuristic for an industry such as luxury that has always been associated with craftsmanship. When defining luxury in fact, one of the qualities attributed to this kind of products is the “strong connection with the past proven by the tradition handed down over time” (Dubois, 2001); a description that can be taken quite literally as the heritage of the brand is built upon the traditions passed on by the different artisans who crafted the product. But if we fraction the production process and analyze it in depth, we will see that it is cyclical, and that some of its parts may benefit from such technologies that would make it leaner without affecting the quality of the end product. An example of this can be seen in the laser cutting machines for leather. A robot can cut the elements required to compose a bag in a few minutes, while it would take up to half an hour to do it by hand. Even if mechanically cut though, the bag will still need to be assembled by a highly skilled artisan to become the exceptional quality product that customers expect to see in stores. Many are afraid that technological implementations will lead to the disappearance of the artisanal component failing to understand that the Industry 4.0 is not about complete automation but rather about human-machine interaction. Talking about production we will refer to the process in its integrity, from the sketches to the products in the stores. Research design The research was conducted using semi-structured interviews to questiont professionals who work in different stages of luxury fashion production for different companies. All the interviewees were chosen among the industry biggest players: LVMH, Kering, Richemont, Herm?s, Chanel and others. To establish the sample of interviewees we divided the production process into four main phases and then identified at least one professional to question for each one of them. The subdivision we applied was the following: ? Phase 1 - Creation & Design ? Phase 2 - Production & Merchandising ? Phase 3 - Retail & Marketing ? Phase 4 - Supply Chain & Distribution Each interviewee was asked a set of specific questions related to the complexities of their job and the problems encountered while doing it (Appendix 1). Among the sample there were two professionals that did not belong to the production process but that we deemed necessary to involve to have a more complete outcome. One is a Professor of Fashion design at the Politecnico of Milan, the other is a Strategic Planning Analyst who works for Lectra, one of the biggest companies producing technologies for fashion. In order to investigate the perception of the customers we distributed a multiple choice survey to a heterogeneous sample of 200 people. Among the questions asked one was strictly related to the use of technology while the others regarded arguments, related to its utilization, that emerged while interviewing the professionals. Despite not being directly on the use of technology, we deemed the other queries important to evaluate if the problems emerged from the interviews were relevant also from a customer point of view. The questions submitted via survey were the followings: 1) On a scale of 1 to 4, (1= low interest, 4=high interest) how interested are you in luxury goods? 2) How much worth is being able to buy a luxury good before it is on sale in stores? (1= not worth, 4= very worth) 3) Would you think of higher quality a bag completely handcrafted rather than the very same bag produced also by using industrial processes? 4) Would you attribute a higher value to a luxury product conceived to be respectful for the environment? The survey ended up highlighting that customers have a negative bias towards the exploitation of such systems within the production of luxury goods. In fact they attribute a higher value to completely handcrafted products, without considering the possibility that the latters may have more defects. The methodology used was successful in helping us understanding the opinion of the management along with the perceptions of the customers. Moreover, through the interviews we were able to highlight practical daily problems encountered by people directly involved in the production process. Results and conclusion We used the problems that arose as bases to begin thinking what could be concretely implemented, in which phase and with what goal. We started by focusing our attention on five points that currently challenge production and could be exploited as opportunities for the implementation of specific technology. Nevertheless, we also highlighted three main limits that might prevent the application of said technology. The opportunities of implementation were the following: Production times - Representing one of the biggest problems in the industry, we believe that technology could come to the rescue especially in the first two stages of the process. For example, the use of 3D printing to produce some prototypes or certain components that could be useful for reducing time and costs. Another example is Modaris 3D, a new generation software that allows you to digitize the pattern allowing you to see it in 3D. Exploiting this software would allow to predict the potential problems of the prototype before even crafting it and would help save a lot of time and resources. Not to mention that digitized patterns can be archived and easily reused later. Moreover, the exploitation of the new generation robots to pre-cut certain components would once again allow a shorter production time and reduce costs. Couterfeiting - Another implementation opportunity is represented by counterfeiting. Now that online commerce is booming, the fake industry is at its peak and people find it difficult to distinguish between what is real and what is not. IoT technologies could help immensely with this problem. One of the interviewees working in the distribution phase told us that today when the products are shipped, in order to track them down and recognize them from counterfeits, companies install into their pockets RFID chips, small chips similar to those of credit cards. Their limitation though is that they can be traced or recognized only if scanned. The use of IoT technologies on this type of device (for example, providing the same type of support with a GPS) would allow them to be interactive and serve their purpose even better when the products are shipped all over the world. Sustainability - In recent years the problem of sustainability has become increasingly relevant, to the point that some luxury empires have been built on it, as in the case of Stella McCartney. To pay more attention to the environmental cause, fashion houses could start by wasting less resources. One way to do this could be to use software to optimize pattern placements on fabrics or on leather. Human supervision would still be required, as some pieces need to be cut from specific parts of the leather but it would certainly help in making some useful proposals. Internal communication – Internal communication is a problem at all levels of the production process. It can be an issue especially when it comes to communicating the intentions of the design team to the production and controlling the stock level in real time. In the first case, to solve the problem, we could consider the implementation of a software like PLM (Product Life Management). This type of program helps to follow the transformation from sketches to prototypes to products, providing detailed information on everything that is present on the garment, specifying consumption and costs of materials. With regard to the inventory control problem, we could again use the help of the IoT. Inventory control is a problem both in terms of raw materials (for all those houses that produce prototypes internally) and finished products. In the first case a potential solution could be to label the raw materials with magnetic labels that would allow to see immediately when the components leave the stock. In the second case, as previously mentioned, supplying the finished products with IoT chips would help to locate them and know how many are in stock. Demand forecast – Another major help that industry 4.0 could bring to fashion production is the exploitation of big data to forecast the demand. Nowadays in fact, the constant and hardly predictable changes in fashion heavily affect a demand that already has few reference standards. When it comes to forecast, several factors have an impact on it: trends, social medias, consumption habits etc. The most unpredictable of these factors is probably represented by the social media as clients may cause a peek in demand after seeing a celebrity or an influencer wearing a specific product. Giving all this, it's evident how the more variables we are able to consider when doing forecasts, the better the chances of predicting a scenario close to reality and Big Data would allow to do so. As previously mentioned we also highlighted some limits that could prevent implementation: Costs - The more significant limit when talking about this kind of technology is related to costs. It is important to consider both the ones needed to purchase the technology as well as the ones to train the employees in order to make the implementation possible. As we all know technology is extremely expensive, and in a certain way a form of luxury itself, often being just for few. The size of the brand would modulate of course the amount of the investment in it. Client perception & adverse attitude – The survey pointed out that clients are negatively biased towards technology and, if informed that the product has been realized with the help of technological means, may attribute to it a lower value. What it's necessary to keep in mind though, is that, when taking a survey, you are in front of a screen and not in front of the products. I believe in fact that if a blind test was conducted presenting two products of which one completely handcrafted and the other realized by artisans who exploited technological means as well, no one would be able to tell the difference. Training of employees - Another big challenge in the implementation of such systems is the training of the employees. Implementing these technologies for some employees may mean learning again how to do their job with the help of a computer. Being an environment where youngsters are outscored due to the lack of experience, this may represent a problem. In conclusion our research proved that there is indeed room to implement the 4.0 systems as the issues emerged can be partially, if not completely, solved by introducing these technologies making the process leaner and more efficient. Nevertheless, giving the fact that customers are negatively biased towards their use, it would be appropriate avoiding to disclose the information with them.

Analysis of the Shear Lag Effect in Composite Bridges with Complex Static Schemes by means of a Deck Finite Element

Fabrizio Gara,Graziano Leoni,Gianluca Ranzi 한국강구조학회 2008 International Journal of Steel Structures Vol.8 No.4

This paper presents the derivation of a finite element formulation for the analysis of composite decks accounting for partial interaction theory and shear-lag effects. The particularity of the proposed element, referred to as the deck finite element, relies on its ability to capture the structural response of complex static schemes, such as those specified for arch, bow-string and cable stayed bridges, while preserving the ease of use of a typical line element. For these particular bridge solutions, stress concentrations may be induced in the slab by the application of concentrated forces, i.e. due to the anchorage of prestressing cables or stays, or due to the presence of web members in arch bridges. The ease of use of the proposed deck finite element is outlined considering two case studies for which the calculated results have been compared against those obtained using a more refined model implemented using shell elements in a commercial finite element software.

Awareness of Data Use in online environment

( Fabrizio Martire ),( Silvia Cataldi ) 한국정책학회 2018 한국정책학회 학술대회 Vol.2018 No.-

DIGITAL COMMUNICATION OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: PECULIARITIES AND PERCEPTIONS WITHIN LUXURY FIRMS

Fabrizio Mosca,Cecilia Casalegno,Chiara Civera 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2018 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2018 No.07

Introduction In the last decade, the concepts of responsible or sustainable luxury (Vigneron & Johnson 2004; Bendell & Kleanthous, 2007; Kapferer, 2010; Janssen, Vanhamme, Lindgreen & Lefebvre, 2014) and digital or online luxury (Kim & Ko, 2010; 2012; Okonkwo, 2005; 2009; 2010; Mosca, Civera & Casalegno, 2018) have started receiving considerable attention, as separate areas of study. Scholarship shows that communicating CSR is more and more of a strategic decision (Sen & Bhattacharya, 2001) that needs to balance promises and performances of social instances (de Ven, 2008; Pomering & Donilcar, 2009; Hur, Kim & Woo, 2014;) and to impact on the audience positively through content, placement and motives of CSR messages (Jahdi & Acikdilli, 2009; Du, Bhattacharya, & Sen, 2010). Furthermore, with the explosion of digital contents and use, communicating CSR is even more challenging and firms increase their exposure to judgments of their real conduct (Christodoulides, Jevons & Blackshaw, 2011). Luxury players make an interesting case of investigation for the digital CSR communication, as they are peculiar both in the use of the online and in the implementation and communication of CSR (Vigneron & Johnson 2004; Bendell & Kleanthous, 2007; Kapferer and Bastien, 2009; Janssen et al., 2014). Despite some exploratory researches underline that luxury consumers are not so likely to see consistency between luxury and CSR (Davies et al., 2012) and yet, the communication of those activities can turn their perception negatively (Torelli et al., 2012), latest findings from empirical studies on luxury consumers show a growing interest in the communication of sustainability on the online (Janssen et al., 2014). However, few studies consider how consumers react and modify their perception in regard to CSR messages spread online, within luxury markets. This research has twofold aims. Firstly, it investigates the state of the art of leading international luxury players‟ CSR digital communication through the application of a theoretical framework developed by the authors for qualitative analysis of digital CSR communication contents, placement and purpose. Secondly, it explores luxury consumers‟ perception over specific digital CSR communications in order to verify whether and if there is consistency between CSR digital communication and consumers‟ reactions within luxury markets as well as underline emerging peculiarities in the way CSR is – and is expected to be – communicated online by luxury players. Theoretical development Creating experiences on the online became the imperative for luxury players (Okonkwo, 2010). This need is strengthened by luxury consumers, who are more willing to take part in the process of sharing brands‟ values through the online platforms, in a challenging multi-channel logic (Rifkin, 2000; Mosca et al., 2013). Luxury players seem to strive more than others to modify and integrate their products offer and communication on the online, because they have to adapt to a “pop” culture without losing their unique character and exclusivity (Aiello & Donvito, 2005) that can be, as some scholars suggest, identified with certain characteristics of sustainability and social responsibility (Janssen et al., 2014). The main contribution of this study is to allow a convergence between “responsible luxury” and “online luxury” by advancing the theoretical understanding of digital CSR communication within luxury markets, in terms of peculiarities, customers‟ perceptions and effectiveness. Research Design The study makes use of a theoretical framework for qualitative evaluation of web CSR communication previously developed by the authors, that is, in the context of the present research, enriched to include a qualitative investigation of all digital CSR messages (including web and social media). Firstly, the study applies the framework to 100 International luxury brands (representative of the principal luxury fashion-related personal products categories) selected from luxury reports by Deloitte, Reputation Institute and Interbrand in order to qualitative evaluate contents, placement and purposes of digital CSR messages. The qualitative evaluation is developed by the authors through the identification of KPIs reflecting the themes emerged in the framework, analysis of their frequency and Chi square test. Secondly, the study involves 400 luxury consumers within mature markets, who are tested around their perception of digital CSR communication of luxury players. The investigation over their reactions and perception of digital CSR messages is conducted through an online questionnaire and several focus groups. Statistical regression model, t-stat and comparison among the responses provided by consumers through the survey are conducted to analyse responses and match the data. Results and Conclusion Results show the that majority of the investigated players are extensively considering CSR as a core digital strategy, pointing out the growing communication of luxury goods that increased sustainability and social responsibility throughout the whole supply chain. The investigation on customers‟ perception outlines some discrepancies between players‟ communication and customers‟ reactions, showing several cases of misjudgements. On the one hand, some players fails in achieving customers‟ expectations and the actual raking of their digital CSR communication does not match the level of given perception. On the other hand, some digital CSR communications succeeds in creating positive overreactions, despite having previously evaluated as the minimum requirement as for CSR implementation and communication. Accordingly, some suggestions to managers are developed, not just around the three considered attributes of digital CSR communication (content, placement and purposes) but also around the context of buying behaviours linked to the core business and the brand values, which can be, somehow, strongly associated with sustainability and social responsibility. In particular, it emerges that luxury digital CSR communication is expected to be an integrated strategy between online and offline channels, focused upon facts, numbers, performances and results of CSR that should show high coherency with the luxury core business.

High Dynamic Range Image Watermarking

Fabrizio Guerrini,Masahiro Okuda 대한전자공학회 2008 ITC-CSCC :International Technical Conference on Ci Vol.2008 No.7

High Dynamic Range (HDR) images represent the future format for digital images since they allow more sensitive rendering. However, nowadays special types of preprocessing collectively known as tone mapping operators are needed to adapt HDR images to currently existing displays. Tone mapped images, although of reduced dynamic range, have nonetheless high quality and hence retain some commercial value. In this paper we propose a solution to the problem of HDR watermarking, e.g. for copyright embedding, that should survive tone mapping. Therefore, the requirements imposed on the watermark encompass imperceptibility, a certain degree of security and robustness to tone mapping operators. The proposed watermarking system belongs to the blind, detectable category, it is based on the QIM paradigm and employs a higher order statistic as feature. Preliminary experimental analysis shows positive results; more work is needed and currently underway.

Management of Enteral Nutrition in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Prokinetic Effects of Amoxicillin/ Clavulanate in Real Life Conditions

Fabrizio Chiusolo,Teresa Capriati,Ilaria Erba,Roberto Bianchi,Marta Luisa Ciofi degli Atti,Sergio Picardo,Antonella Diamanti 대한소아소화기영양학회 2020 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.23 No.6

Purpose: Malnutrition is a common feature in critically ill children. Enteral nutrition (EN) is the main strategy to nutritionally support critical ill children, but its use can be hindered by the development of intolerance. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of amoxicillin/clavulanate (A/C) to treat EN intolerance. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit from October 2018 to October 2019. We conducted a case-control study: in the first 6 months (October 2018-April 2019) we implemented the nutritional protocol of our Institution with no drug, whereas in the second half (May 2019-October 2019) we employed A/C for 1 week at a dose of 10 mg/kg twice daily. Results: Twelve cases were compared with 12 controls. At the final evaluation, enteral intake was significantly higher than that at baseline in the cases (from 2.1±3.7 to 66.1±27.4% of requirement, p=0.0001 by Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test) but not in the controls (from 0.2±0.8 to 6.0±14.1% of the requirement, p=NS). Final gastric residual volume at the end of the observation was significantly lower in the cases than in the controls (p=0.0398). The drug was well tolerated as shown by the similar safety outcomes in both cases and controls. Conclusion: Malnutrition exposes critically ill children to several complications that affect the severity of disease course, length of stay, and mortality; all may be prevented by early EN. The development of intolerance to EN could be addressed with the use of A/C. Future prospective clinical trials are needed to confirm these conclusions.

Iron supplement tablet embedded in the oral cavity mimicking neoplasm: a case report

Fabrizio Corlianò,Paola Falco,Jacopo Cambi,Leopoldo Brindisi 대한구강악안면외과학회 2016 대한구강악안면외과학회지 Vol.42 No.2

The detection of foreign bodies in the upper-aerodigestive tract is a fairly frequent event and can occur in various areas and for various reasons. In rare cases, foreign bodies can simulate a neoplasia. We evaluated similar cases during emergency regimen with an oral cavity mucosal lesion, causing lockjaw, sore throat, dysphagia, and swelling of the submandibular and laterocervical region. Physical examination revealed an extensive mucosal ulceration in the floor of the mouth and the lateral surface of the tongue, comparable to oral cancer. During a second, more accurate assessment, a partially deteriorated iron supplement tablet was found embedded in a mucosal pocket. After removing the tablet, gradual normalization of the tissue was ob- served without any sequelae. This is one of the many reasons why it is advisable and useful in cases of oral lesions to collect a detailed medical history and to perform an accurate clinical evaluation, including inspection and palpation of the lesion, before proceeding to further diagnostic assessments, especially in elderly patients taking many medications. However unlikely, it is possible that difficulty in swallowing pills or tablets could generate tumorlike lesions.

Serenoa repens for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic enlargement: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Leonel Fabrizio Trivisonno,Nadia Sgarbossa,Gustavo Ariel Alvez,Cecilia Fieiras,Camila Micaela Escobar Liquitay,정재흥,Juan Víctor Ariel Franco 대한비뇨의학회 2021 Investigative and Clinical Urology Vol.62 No.5

Purpose: To assess the effects of Serenoa repens alone or in combination with other phytotherapy compared to placebo in men with LUTS due to benign prostatic enlargement. Materials and Methods: Following a registered protocol (CRD42021226655), we searched (December 2020) MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO-ICTRP trials platform and other sources with no restrictions on language, publication date or status. We included randomized controlled trials, and we critically appraised them using the Cochrane Tool for Risk of Bias Assessment (RoB 2). We conducted random-effects meta-analysis when appropriate. The primary outcomes included urinary symptoms score, quality of life, and adverse events. The certainty of the evidence was rated using GRADE. Results: We included 27 trials with 4,853 participants. S. repens results in little to no difference in urinary symptoms, quality of life, and adverse events at short- and long-term follow-up. S. repens combined with other phytotherapy may slightly reduce urinary symptoms at short-term follow-up, but the results are uncertain. The results on quality of life and adverse events are also very uncertain. Conclusions: S. repens alone may result in no clinical benefits for men with LUTS. There is greater uncertainty in the effects of S. repens in combination with other phytotherapy.

Environmental test campaign of a 6U CubeSat Test Platform equipped with an ambipolar plasma thruster

Stesina, Fabrizio,Corpino, Sabrina,Borras, Eduard Bosch,Amo, Jose Gonzalez Del,Pavarin, Daniele,Bellomo, Nicolas,Trezzolani, Fabio Techno-Press 2022 Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science Vol.9 No.3

The increasing interest in CubeSat platforms ant their capability of enlarging the frontier of possible missions impose technology improvements. Miniaturized electrical propulsion (EP) systems enable new mission for multi-unit CubeSats (6U+). While electric propulsion systems have achieved important level of knowledge at equipment level, the investigation of the mutual impact between EP system and CubeSat technology at system level can provide a decisive improvement for both the technologies. The interaction between CubeSat and EP system should be assessed in terms of electromagnetic emissions (both radiated and conducted), thermal gradients, high electrical power management, surface chemical deposition, and quick and reliable data exchanges. This paper shows how a versatile CubeSat Test Platform (CTP), together with standardized procedures and specialized facilities enable the acquisition fundamental and unprecedented information. Measurements can be taken both by specific ground support equipment placed inside the vacuum facility and by dedicated sensors and subsystems installed on the CTP, providing a completely new set of data never obtained before. CTP is constituted of a 6U primary structure hosting the EP system, representative CubeSat avionics and batteries. For the first test campaign, CTP hosts the ambipolar plasma propulsion system, called Regulus and developed by T4I. After the integration and the functional test in laboratory environment, CTP + Regulus performed a Test campaign in relevant environment in the vacuum chamber at CISAS, University of Padua. This paper is focused on the test campaign description and the main results achieved at different power levels for different duration of the firings.