scholarly journals Highly Sensitive Detection of Chemically Modified Thio-Organophosphates by an Enzymatic Biosensing Device: An Automated Robotic Approach

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Paolo Cetrangolo ◽  
Janis Rusko ◽  
Carla Gori ◽  
Paola Carullo ◽  
Giuseppe Manco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Residual Activity ◽  
Agricultural Field ◽  
Robotic Approach ◽  
Pest Infestation ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Public Areas ◽  
Alicyclobacillus Acidocaldarius ◽  
Automated Screening ◽  
Highly Sensitive Detection

Pesticides represent some of the most common man-made chemicals in the world. Despite their unquestionable utility in the agricultural field and in the prevention of pest infestation in public areas of cities, pesticides and their biotransformation products are toxic to the environment and hazardous to human health. Esterase-based biosensors represent a viable alternative to the expensive and time-consuming systems currently used for their detection. In this work, we used the esterase-2 from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius as bioreceptor for a biosensing device based on an automated robotic approach. Coupling the robotic system with a fluorescence inhibition assay, in only 30 s of enzymatic assay, we accomplished the detection limit of 10 pmol for 11 chemically oxidized thio-organophosphates in solution. In addition, we observed differences in the shape of the inhibition curves determined measuring the decrease of esterase-2 residual activity over time. These differences could be used for the characterization and identification of thio-organophosphate pesticides, leading to a pseudo fingerprinting for each of these compounds. This research represents a starting point to develop technologies for automated screening of toxic compounds in samples from industrial sectors, such as the food industry, and for environmental monitoring.

What makes leaders resilient? An exploratory interview study

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 281-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Förster ◽  
Stephanie Duchek
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Individual Traits ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
German Regions ◽  
Resilience Factors ◽  
Behavioural Factors ◽  
Effective Development

Can the boss take the heat? Is he or she tough enough for the job? Can they take it, endure the pressure, tolerate or stand up to it? Although we know that resilient leaders are essential for a healthy and efficient workforce, the resilience of leaders itself is still largely unexplored. Our study aims to identify distinctive resilience factors in leadership and help close this research gap. We interviewed 27 leaders from various industrial sectors, German regions and leadership positions. In a qualitative content analysis, we identified 77 individual, situational and behavioural factors that seem to impact on the resilience of leaders. We divided these factors into meaningful categories and integrated them into a framework appropriate for leadership. This framework shows that in addition to individual traits and abilities, situational factors (private and work environment) and behavioural factors (personal and interpersonal behaviour) are highly important and that leaders’ resilience results from an interaction of these factors. As most of the identified factors can be directly influenced by the leader or the organization, our study provides important insights into the effective development and nurturing of leaders’ resilience. Furthermore, the findings can be a helpful starting point for future empirical studies.

Simultaneous detection of Dopamine and Serotonin in real complex matrices

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florina Truţă ◽  
Mihaela Tertisa ◽  
Cecilia Cristea ◽  
Florin Graur
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanotubes ◽  
Gold Nanoparticles ◽  
Simultaneous Detection ◽  
Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes ◽  
Differential Pulse ◽  
Sensitive Detection ◽  
Complex Matrices ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Highly Sensitive Detection

Background: Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers with crucial implication in human body. Perturbations in concentration of neurotransmitters can affect a multitude of mental and physical functions, such as heart rate, sleep, appetite and mood. Thus, the sensitive detection of these compounds is a real need for a new generation of treatments. Method: Two important neurotransmitters namely dopamine and serotonin were investigated in this study for simultaneous detection using differential pulse voltammetry. The optimization of several surface parameters were performed in order to choose the best electrode material for electrochemical oxidation of targets. Screen printed electrodes based on carbon, gold and platinum and modified with different nanomaterials (carbon nanotubes, gold nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes decorated with gold nanoparticles) were tested. Results: Carbon-based electrodes modified with multiwall carbon nanotubes and gold nanoparticles were chosen after the optimization protocol. Linear correlations between the analytic signals obtained and the concentration of dopamine and serotonin respectively were obtained with good sensitivity and the detection limits were 0.3 µM for dopamine and 0.8 µM for serotonin with no significant reciprocal influences. Selectivity studies were also performed, as well as tests in real samples (e.g. human serum, tears and saliva) complex matrices for which acceptable recoveries were obtained. Conclusion: The results obtained within this study can be considered as an important starting point for the development of a fast and simple method for selective and highly sensitive detection of neurotransmitters, with possible applications in the diagnosis of different pathologies and for monitoring the effectiveness of the applied drug treatment.

scholarly journals análisis de los costos ocultos como punto de partida para el crecimiento en las miypes en Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-70
Author(s):  
Manuel Ernesto Becerra Bizarron ◽  
Georgina Dolores Sandoval Ballesteros ◽  
Luz Amparo Delgado Diaz
Keyword(s):  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Induction Programs ◽  
Labor Conditions ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Medium Enterprises

En la actualidad las micro, pequeñas y medianas empresas (mipymes) enfrentan grande retos como baja productividad y falta de disciplina por parte de los empleados, ocasionando así, problemas laborales referentes a los costos ocultos, considerados también como gastos innecesarios, ya que estos surgen en las operaciones diarias de la empresa a causa de la falta de comunicación entre el personal o equipo de trabajo, desmotivación, por conflictos, de esta manera se genera una mala planeación en la estructura de la organización y por ende  hay perdidas de utilidades, que la empresa no detecta a simple vista.      El presente artículo tiene como finalidad analizar los costos ocultos como punto de partida de crecimiento en las micro y pequeñas empresas de puerto vallarta, con diseño no experimental, alcance descriptivo. La muestra fue de 320 empresas, se realizó un instrumento de 12 dimensiones y 62 items.      Los resultados encontrados muestran que las condiciones de trabajo son buenas, un clima laboral agradable, herramientas indispensables para realizar sus actividades, capacitación exporadica, sin embargo se observa el retrabajo,  la perdida de potencias estrategico y la comunicación-concertación como principales generadores de costos ocultos. Abstract Today micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are confronting great challenges such as low productivity and a lack of discipline on behalf of their employees. This is causing labor related issues associated to hidden costs, which are also considered unnecessary expenditures, arising from an enterprise’s day-to-day operation. This situation is given to the lack of communication among their personnel or workforce, leading to conflict or demotivation. As a consequence, poor planning within the organization’s structure is generated and thus losses in utilities. The aim of this article consists of the analysis of hidden performance as a starting point to boost growth in MSMEs in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. For this purpose, we worked with a sample which consisted of 325 enterprises from commerce, services and industrial sectors, an instrument was devised consisting of 12 dimensions and 31 items. Among the main conclusions we found that poor labor conditions and the inexistence of formal induction programs, entails MSMEs workers to operate with the least required effort and indifference in the quality of their tasks, thus generating inefficiencies.

Responsibilities and accountabilities for industrial facility commissioning and startup activities

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-645
Author(s):  
James T. O'Connor ◽  
Brant Mock
Keyword(s):  
Project Delivery ◽  
Illustrative Case ◽  
Industrial Facility ◽  
Industrial Construction ◽  
Capital Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Delivery Models

Purpose Successful commissioning and startup (CSU) is critical to successful capital project completion. Industrial facility production and operations can also be affected by the level of CSU success. Specifically, transitions between construction, commissioning and startup (CCSU) phases, as well as between project organizations, have been identified as an opportunity for improvement across the industry. The purpose of this paper is to establish and clarify CCSU accountabilities and responsibilities for industrial-type capital projects across these transitions. Design/methodology/approach This research used a panel of industry practitioners to assist with data collection, review research products and provide industry perspective. The authors used the insight of these CCSU experts to craft new CCSU models. A separate set of industry practitioners was used to validate the findings, and an illustrative case study is also provided. Descriptive analyses and statistics aid the interpretation of research findings. Findings Substantial research findings include: three novel CCSU project delivery models, a comprehensive CCSU activity flowchart applicable across industrial sectors, and an extensive CCSU RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed) matrix detailing responsibility and accountability assignments across 60 project functions for all of the 124 CCSU flowchart activities. Four key leadership functions are found to be accountable for most of the CCSU process. A need for frontloading CCSU activities during construction is clearly demonstrated, and the value of administrative activities as enablers of core CCSU activities should not be underestimated. Research limitations/implications The findings contribute to a more accurate model of CCSU execution best practices for industrial applications. Specifically, CCSU project delivery models give insight into high-level transition structures between organizations and across phases. Practical implications The extensive listing of CCSU activities along with suggested accountability and responsibility assignments for each activity give CCSU managers a starting point for ensuring that important tasks are not left undone during this critical phase of capital projects. Originality/value New CCSU models for industrial capital projects presented in this paper (including CCSU project delivery models, activity flowchart and RACI matrix) constitute substantial contributions to the industrial construction body of knowledge. These models provide more comprehensive coverage of CCSU topics than their predecessors, and specifically address activities and issues pertinent to industrial construction. The establishment and clarification of responsibility and accountability assignments are of particular value during this high-transition stage of capital projects.

Five ICS cybersecurity myths based on Kaspersky Lab ICS CERT experience

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 372-382
Author(s):  
Evgeny Goncharov ◽  
Kirill Kruglov ◽  
Yuliya Dashchenko
Keyword(s):  
Objective Assessment ◽  
Industrial Control ◽  
Industrial Control Systems ◽  
Industrial Manufacturing ◽  
Industrial Enterprises ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Modern Cities ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Right ◽  
Future Technologies

Abstract Today, industrial cybersecurity is in the early stages of its development, gradually evolving into a science and technology discipline that will become the cornerstone of industrial manufacturing and construction technologies, the infrastructure of modern cities, transportation, healthcare, etc. The community of researchers and engineers is constantly looking for solutions to protect both existing systems and future technologies. As we depart from the starting point, we must build our assumptions on an objective assessment of the current situation, because, at this stage, even seemingly insignificant misconceptions can cause major fluctuations that prevent us from choosing the right strategy. In this article, we will discuss typical misconceptions and common errors in assessing the security of industrial control systems that Kaspersky Lab ICS CERT experts encounter in their day-to-day communication with people from different industrial sectors and the community of information security experts. We will support our conclusions with the results of the past several years’ research into the various cyberthreats affecting industrial enterprises.

scholarly journals Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde's Oeuvre on Religious Freedom Applied to Recent Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ute Sacksofsky
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
European Convention ◽  
Constitutional Courts ◽  
Minority Religions ◽  
Proper Role ◽  
European Court ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Public Areas

In Europe, issues concerning religious freedom are hotly debated. Many courts had to consider cases concerning infringement of religious freedom. This Article will focus on three examples: Headscarves, burqas, and crucifixes. Often, the interests of members of minority religions have lost in European courts and European constitutional courts. This is particularly true considering the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. The European Court of Human Rights upheld bans on headscarves for students in universities and public secondary schools, as well as for teachers in public schools. The Court also accepted bans on full-body veils worn in public areas. Finally, mandatory crucifixes in public schools have been deemed to conform to the standards set by the European Convention on Human Rights. In all of these cases, the European Court of Human Rights has not adequately construed religious freedom as a strong right.This is where the work of Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde comes in. Böckenförde has thoroughly discussed the proper role of religion in a democratic society. Coming from a theoretical starting point, he developed an understanding of religious freedom as a strong right. He also explained why State neutrality should be understood in terms of open neutrality. Both perspectives help to more fully explain the scope of religious freedom.

Environmental Sustainability Awareness in Product Design Practices: A Survey of Italian Companies

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Favi ◽  
Michele Germani ◽  
Fabio Gregori ◽  
Marco Mandolini ◽  
Marco Marconi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Product Design ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Environmental Decisions ◽  
Industrial Companies ◽  
Sustainable Products ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Market Requirement ◽  
A Current

This paper aims to analyze the attitude and the awareness of environmental sustainability issues within diverse Italian industrial companies. A survey has involved a balanced sample of companies operating in different industrial sectors. Considering the survey’s results it can be concluded that: (i) environmental sustainability is an opportunity and a current market requirement, (ii) environmental sustainability is not formalized, since specific methods and tools are not used in technical departments, and (iii) environmental decisions are mainly made by specific key figures (i.e. energy/environmental manager). This analysis can be considered as a useful starting point for the framework formalization of eco-design approaches and tools able to bring eco-design principles into the work of technical departments with the aim to foster the future development of green and sustainable products and services.

scholarly journals Pricing Strategy for Residential Water in Drought Years. Application to the City of Tianjin, China

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1073
Author(s):  
Bing Yu ◽  
Yu Li ◽  
Jinggang Chu ◽  
Wei Ding ◽  
Guangtao Fu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Pricing Strategy ◽  
Industrial Water ◽  
Net Benefit ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Residential Water

In drought years, most residents fail to improve water use efficiency due to residential water supply normally being prioritized in many regions, which makes other low-priority industrial water users suffer more from water shortage. This paper proposes a Pricing Strategy for Residential Water (PSRW), a water tariff that changes on annual time scale, based on the scarcity value of water resources, aiming to promote residential water conservation and reallocate water resources across the residential and industrial sectors during droughts. An optimization model to maximize the total benefit of residents and industrial sectors is introduced based on marginal benefit and price elasticity. The water shortage of industrial sectors is used to reflect the scarcity of water resources, and the lowest water supply standard for households and the maximum proportion of household water fee expenditure (HWFE) to household disposable income (HDI) are used to ensure the residents’ acceptability to price raising. It shows an “S-type” relationship between the optimal price raising coefficient and industrial water shortage, and two turning points are found in the curve, which are the starting and stopping points of price raising. The appearance of starting point depends on the non-negative net benefit, and the stopping point is affected by the factors that represent the residents’ acceptability to price raising. The application to Tianjin, a city in northern China with the rapid growth of population and economy but scarce water resources, shows PSRW is a potential means to improve water efficiency and optimize water resource allocation in water scarcity situations.

scholarly journals Histopathological changes in the gonads, liver, and kidney of Glossogobius giuris exposed to sub-lethal concentration of diazinon

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 530-538
Author(s):  
U Banik ◽  
MM Rahman ◽  
T Khanam ◽  
MFA Mollah
Keyword(s):  
Probit Analysis ◽  
Lethal Concentration ◽  
Agricultural Field ◽  
Histopathological Changes ◽  
Behavioral Alterations ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Haematopoietic Cells ◽  
Exposure Trial ◽  
Liver And Kidney ◽  
Glossogobius Giuris

The organophosphorus insecticide, diazinon that is widely used in agricultural field and private industrial premises to control pests, easily accumulates in aquatic ecosystems and exerts toxic effects on aquatic animals. The study aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity (LC50) of diazinon on Glossogobius giuris and histopathological alterations of its gonads, liver and kidney due to the effect of this insecticide. G. giuris were exposed to different concentrations of diazinon ranging from 0.00025 ppm to 2.048 ppm with parallel untreated control. At the doses of 0.0005 ppm, 0.001 ppm, 0.002 ppm, and 0.004 ppm 40%, 50%, 70%, and 90% mortality of G. giuris were observed within 96 hrs, respectively, whereas, 100% mortality was observed at doses above 0.008 ppm. Based on probit analysis, the LC50 value of diazinon for 96 hrs of exposure on G. giuris was found as 0.001 ppm. During the exposure trial several behavioral alterations including restlessness, sudden and quick movements, loss of equilibrium, increased opercular activities and paralysis were observed in the fish. The histopathological changes observed in the tissues of G. giuris indicate that sub lethal concentration as well as higher concentration caused moderate to severe alterations in the liver, kidney as well as gonads. Kidney was found to be the most seriously affected organ compared to gonads and liver. Major histopathological changes like fragmentation of testis and ovary with ruptured wall, karyolysis, hypertrophy, pyknosis and degenerative changes such as necrosis of tubular and haematopoietic cells of kidney, necrotic hepatocytes, pyknosis, hypertrophy, haemorrhage and vacuolation were observed in the liver cells. The present study demonstrated that diazinon is highly toxic especially to G. giuris and thus, indiscriminate use of this insecticide in the agriculture and industrial sectors should be strictly controlled.Progressive Agriculture 27 (4): 530-538, 2016

scholarly journals A Fully Automated Primary Screening System for the Discovery of Therapeutic Antibodies Directly from B Cells

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 492-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Tickle ◽  
Louise Howells ◽  
Victoria O’Dowd ◽  
Dale Starkie ◽  
Kevin Whale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
B Cells ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Therapeutic Antibody ◽  
Variable Regions ◽  
Primary Screening ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Single Antigen ◽  
Antibody Discovery ◽  
Automated Screening ◽  
Screening Platform

For a therapeutic antibody to succeed, it must meet a range of potency, stability, and specificity criteria. Many of these characteristics are conferred by the amino acid sequence of the heavy and light chain variable regions and, for this reason, can be screened for during antibody selection. However, it is important to consider that antibodies satisfying all these criteria may be of low frequency in an immunized animal; for this reason, it is essential to have a mechanism that allows for efficient sampling of the immune repertoire. UCB’s core antibody discovery platform combines high-throughput B cell culture screening and the identification and isolation of single, antigen-specific IgG-secreting B cells through a proprietary technique called the “fluorescent foci” method. Using state-of-the-art automation to facilitate primary screening, extremely efficient interrogation of the natural antibody repertoire is made possible; more than 1 billion immune B cells can now be screened to provide a useful starting point from which to identify the rare therapeutic antibody. This article will describe the design, construction, and commissioning of a bespoke automated screening platform and two examples of how it was used to screen for antibodies against two targets.

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