Search Results (97)

This study explores the reuse of Ornamental Stone Waste (OSW) in water-based drilling fluids, investigating its potential as a substitute for bentonite. To enhance stability and rheology, OSW particles were functionalized with terephthalic acid (TPA) and combined with xanthan gum (XG). Characterization confirmed successful surface modification, with increased stability at a basic pH. However, rheological analysis showed that the physical mixing of OSW-TPA with XG resulted in low viscosity and poor yield stress, indicating weak interactions. All formulations exhibited shear-thinning behavior. Future work will focus on promoting chemical interactions to form nanocomposite structures and improve fluid performance. Full article

Background: In an increasingly digitized supply chain landscape, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face mounting challenges in regard to delivering differentiated and responsive customer experiences. This study investigates the role of Industrial Internet of Things-enabled coopetition networks (IIoT-CNs) in enhancing the customer experience and value cocreation among SMEs. Grounded in Service-Dominant Logic, this research explores how interfirm collaboration and real-time data integration influence key performance indicators (KPIs), including perceived product quality, delivery timeliness, packaging standards, and product performance. Methods: An experimental design involving SMEs in Portugal’s ornamental stone sector contrasts traditional operations with digitally integrated coopetition practices. Results: While individual KPI improvements were not statistically significant, regression analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between IIoT-CN participation and the overall customer experience. The reduced variance in the performance metrics further suggests increased consistency and reliability across the network. Conclusions: These findings highlight IIoT-CNs as a promising model for SME digital transformation, contingent on trust, interoperability, and collaborative governance. This study contributes empirical evidence and practical insights for advancing customer-centric innovation in SME-dominated supply chains. Full article

Given the relevance of sustainability, this study analyzed the impacts on water consumption in the production chain of ornamental stone pieces (marble and granite) and quartz-based composites. The goal was to compare the water demand throughout the process, from extraction to manufacturing, using 1 m³ blocks as the unit of analysis. This study was conducted in Bahia, a state with significant ornamental stone production, located in a semi-arid region with limited water availability. The methodology included data collection from participating companies, combined with sectorial information and the Ecoinvent version 3.3 database, modeled using the SimaPro 8.0 software. The impact assessment was carried out using the AWaRE (Water Scarcity Footprint) and ReCiPe Endpoint methods, following the guidelines of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), as per ABNT NBR ISO 14040 standards. The results showed that marble and granite have lower water demand and environmental impact in the categories of particulate matter, human toxicity, ecotoxicity, eutrophication, and acidification when compared to quartz composites. The highest environmental impact occurred during the processing stage, which requires a large amount of water and generates effluents, losses, and particulate matter. The results indicate that marble and granite demand less water and exhibit lower environmental impacts—across categories like particulate matter, human toxicity, ecotoxicity, eutrophication, and acidification—than quartz composites. Notably, the processing stage incurred the highest environmental burden due to its intensive water use and consequent generation of effluents, losses, and particulate matter. These findings highlight the necessity of efficient water management and the adoption of circular economy principles—including water reuse and waste valorization—to promote long-term sustainability in the ornamental stone industry. Full article

Sustainability urgently needs to be achieved in urban green infrastructure. Maintaining and restoring biodiversity are critical for developing an urban ecosystem more resilient to abiotic and biotic stresses. The biodiversity of urban green spaces is vital as it reduces the risks associated with climate change (diseases and pests), improves the resilience of the urban ecosystem, and enhances citizens’ well-being. Urban green areas can provide important ecosystem services necessary for achieving prosperity, urban well-being, and the One Health paradigm at various scales. Urban green areas can serve as corridors and stepping stones between the rural environments surrounding cities, increasing their connections and reducing the risk of ecological traps. The conservation and restoration of biodiversity are strategies to increase ecosystem services. In this context, this review aims to analyze the possible contribution of ornamental plants to urban biodiversity, investigating the available knowledge and the gaps that need to be filled. Plants chosen for their esthetic functions are often allogamous species, characterized by showy flowers that attract fauna for pollination, thus helping insects and other fauna survive. If not invasive, these plants can actively contribute to biodiversity in the urban environment and to human well-being. Choosing suitable species and methods that favor plant communities and sustainable maintenance practices improves biodiversity and the ecosystem services that ornamental plants provide. Full article

Digital twin technology offers immersive and cost-effective solutions for workforce training, yet its practical implementation within SME training frameworks remains limited. This study develops and evaluates the Digital Twin Framework for Workforce Training (DT4WFT), addressing key challenges such as resource constraints and precision through tools like Siemens NX Mechatronic Concept Design (MCD) and StoneCUT@Line^®. Employing a mixed-methods approach, qualitative insights from managers, and quantitative analysis demonstrated the framework’s potential to enhance operator performance, improve efficiency, and reduce lead times. However, the validation was based solely on managerial perceptions, as the framework has not yet been implemented in real-world settings. Statistical analysis confirmed strong correlations between the framework’s perceived implementation and improved training outcomes, highlighting its scalability and adaptability. Future research should focus on practical implementation, cross-industry applications, and longitudinal studies to evaluate sustained impacts, ensuring the DT4WFT framework’s broader relevance and effectiveness in workforce development. Full article

In the globalized, technologically advanced landscape, coopetition—simultaneously cooperating and competing—has become a key strategy for innovation and enhanced value creation. This research focuses on the impact of technology-driven coopetition networks in the Portuguese ornamental stone sector, using a framework based on Service-Dominant Logic (S-D Logic). It emphasizes the importance of resource integration, service exchange, and institutional arrangements in successful coopetition. Employing a two-phase experimental approach with selected small and medium enterprises (SMEs), this study assesses customer perceptions of product quality under traditional best practices versus those enabled by technology-driven coopetition networks. The results indicate a notable improvement in the customer-perceived quality and outcome consistency. The statistical analysis shows that these networks allow firms to better align with customer expectations, optimize resource allocation, and improve operational coordination. The findings highlight the strategic potential of coopetition networks, particularly when augmented by advanced technologies like IoT-based systems. These networks facilitate sustainable value co-creation and operational resilience by enabling firms to share expertise, distribute tasks, and synchronize efforts. This research contributes to the coopetition and S-D Logic literature by offering a practical framework for firms aiming to boost competitiveness and sustain growth in dynamic service ecosystems. Full article

Asbestos is a fibrous variety of certain minerals, some of which occur naturally as an accessory to a wide variety of mineral resources. Although asbestos itself has been historically mined for various useful properties, the negative health effects of asbestos dust have greatly diminished it as a useful earth material, as many countries have banned the use of these fibrous minerals based on those health concerns. Resulting regulations of asbestos have focused primarily on intentionally mined material used in product manufacturing, such as building materials made with beneficiated asbestos and their derivative exposures, e.g., airborne asbestos in schools with asbestos-containing materials. The hazards of asbestos as unintended byproducts have not been as extensively considered, although this “contamination” has been repeatedly observed in common earth materials including talc, vermiculite, sand, and gravel. This study reveals such contamination of ornamental and dimension stone commonly referred to as “marble”. Asbestos types that can be associated with certain Indian marble reserves include asbestiform tremolite, actinolite, anthophyllite, and chrysotile asbestos. This case reveals such contamination in a marble reserve in Rajsamand, Rajasthan. At this location, marble dust in slurry is disposed at waste collection points, unfortunately including a location now open to the public that has become a tourist destination. Using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) in this study, dust from this location revealed abundant tremolite asbestos fibres in the disaggregated dust. This poses potential health risks to the workers, bystanders, and tourists that may be exposed to this recognized carcinogen, a known cause of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related diseases. Full article

This research, situated in the geographical and historical context of the Tangut and East Java, uncovers a significant aspect of the evolution of Buddhist art styles. A thangka of the goddess Vajravārāhī found in Khara Khoto, dated to the late 12th century, shows the bodhisattva decorated with a pearl-chain girdle and upper-arm bands. This form of pearl-chain jewellery, which appears on Vajravārāhī and other Sino-Tibetan-style bodhisattvas, also appears on three stone statues of the goddess Prajñāpāramitā in East Java, all of which depict a near identical use of this pearl-chain ornamentation, as well as on a statue of Prajñāpāramitā at the Muara Jambi Buddhist site in Sumatra. Maritime trade between the regions of China and Java was extensive. The commonality of such motifs in China and Java may highlight a convergence of cultural forces and perhaps shared styles originating from the maritime realm and traded via maritime routes; however, a direct or indirect influence of Sino-Tibetan styles on thangka paintings featuring this depiction of the jewellery perhaps occurred following dynamics of north–south exchange, highlighting the interrelated links along maritime and overland routes through the Pāla Buddhist kingdom in eastern India. Thus, I propose that the connection between the Vajravārāhī and other Tibetan thangka paintings was inspired by Northeast Indian influence from the Hexi corridor, eventually reaching East Java. Full article

Brazil stands out as one of the main producers of dimension stones and, in order to maintain sustainable production, the principles of environmental sustainability have been increasingly desired. The importance of studying sludge from dimension stone processing is not only based on the economic and environmental burden that its waste disposal represents for the sector but also on the opportunity to use a material that can reduce the extraction of other mineral goods. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of this sludge at different stages of the processing to evaluate the differences between the material circulating in the production process and after dehydration, when it becomes a residue to be disposed of. Aluminum, iron, manganese, and barium concentrations were high in the liquid phase of the sludge, but they were reduced considerably in the solubilized extract. The hydrogen potential reduced, falling below the threshold of corrosivity, after the withdrawal of the liquid phase. Elements with concentrations higher than the maximum allowed value for inert wastes come from both the inputs used in the processing and the processed stone itself. Initiatives to segregate materials from different sources and investments for the creation of eco-products that can replace inputs, besides the use of wastes, should be encouraged to work towards sustainable production. Full article

The construction industry plays a crucial role in the global economy but faces significant challenges, including inefficiencies, high costs, and environmental impacts. Although Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been widely adopted as a solution to these issues, its practical impact remains limited. This study investigates how manufacturers can enhance their contributions to improve BIM’s effectiveness, proposing that coopetition practices—combining competition and cooperation—can positively influence these contributions, thereby enhancing the benefits of BIM. To explore this hypothesis, an Experimental Coopetition Network was implemented in the Portuguese ornamental stone (POS) sector, utilizing Industrial IoT technology to facilitate collaboration among selected companies. The study assessed the impact of coopetition practices on key performance indicators related to BIM, including on-time delivery, labor productivity, and CO₂ emissions. The findings demonstrate significant improvements in scheduling, operational efficiency, and environmental sustainability, validating the hypothesis that coopetition practices can enhance manufacturers’ contributions to BIM. These results suggest that coopetition practices contribute to better project outcomes, increased competitiveness, and sustainability within the construction industry. Despite the promising results, the study acknowledges limitations such as the scope of the sample size and observation periods, indicating areas for future research. This research contributes to the theoretical framework of coopetition, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and provides valuable insights for industry practitioners and policymakers seeking to implement more sustainable construction practices. Full article

Collecting is a form of leisure, and even a passion, consisting of collecting, preserving and displaying objects. When we look for its origin in the literature, we are taken back to “the appearance of writing and the fixing of knowledge”, specifically with the Assyrian King Ashurbanipal (7th century BC, Mesopotamia), and his fondness for collecting books, which in his case were in the form of clay tablets. This is not, however, a true reflection, for we have evidence of much earlier collectors. The curiosity and interest in keeping stones or fossils of different colors and shapes, as manuports, is as old as we are. For decades we have had evidence of objects of no utilitarian value in Neanderthal homes. Several European sites have shown that these Neanderthal groups treasured objects that attracted their attention. On some occasions, these objects may have been modified to make a personal ornament and may even have been integrated into subsistence activities such as grinders or hammers. Normally, one or two such specimens are found but, to date, no Neanderthal cave or camp has yielded as many as the N4 level of Prado Vargas Cave. In the N4 Mousterian level of Prado Vargas, 15 specimens of Upper Cretaceous marine fossils belonging to the Gryphaeidae, Pectinidae, Cardiidae, Pholadomyidae, Pleurotomariidae, Tylostomatidae and Diplopodiidae families were found in the context of clay and autochthonous cave sediments. During MIS 3, a group of Neanderthals transported at least fifteen marine fossils, which were collected from various Cretaceous units located in the surrounding area, to the Prado Vargas cave. The fossils, with one exception, show no evidence of having been used as tools; thus, their presence in the cave could be attributed to collecting activities. These activities could have been motivated by numerous tangible and intangible causes, which suggest that collecting activities and the associated abstract thinking were present in Neanderthals before the arrival of modern humans. Full article

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are vital to the European economy, but sustaining coopetition networks—collaborative arrangements between competitors—remains challenging. In this study, this gap is addressed by developing a reference model and methodology for coopetition networks explicitly designed for SMEs and grounded in the service-dominant (S-D) logic framework. The model provides a structured approach for managing coopetition across the entire network lifecycle, from initiation to dissolution, emphasizing value co-creation and resource integration. A proof of concept (PoC) was implemented in the Portuguese ornamental stone sector to validate the model, revealing significant improvements in manufacturing effectiveness and demonstrating the model’s practical applicability. The results underscore the potential of coopetition networks to boost SMEs’ competitiveness and performance while identifying key trade-offs and risks, such as knowledge sharing and market cannibalization. Although the model addresses critical challenges, in this study, limitations are acknowledged and areas for future research are suggested, particularly in relation to the long-term sustainability of coopetition and the influence of interpersonal dynamics. Full article

American plum line pattern virus (APLPV) is the most infrequently reported Ilarvirus infecting stone fruit trees and is of sufficient severity to be classified as an EPPO quarantine A1 pathogen. In late spring, yellow line pattern symptoms were observed on leaves in a few flowering cherries (Prunus serrulata Lindl.) grown in a public garden in Northwest Italy. RNA extracts from twenty flowering cherries were submitted to Ilarvirus multiplex and APLPV-specific RT-PCR assays already reported or developed in this study. One flowering cherry (T22) with mixed prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) and prune dwarf virus (PDV) infection also showed infection with APLPV. Blastn analysis of PCR products of the full coat protein (CP) and movement protein (MP) genes obtained from flowering cherry T22 showed 98.23% and 98.34% nucleotide identity with reference APLPV isolate NC_003453.1 from the USA. Then, a LAMP-specific assay was designed to facilitate the fast and low-cost identification of this virus either in the laboratory or directly in the field. The developed assay allowed not only the confirmation of APLPV (PSer22IT isolate) infection in the T22 flowering cherry but also the identification of APLPV in an asymptomatic flowering cherry tree (TL1). The LAMP assay successfully worked with crude flowering cherry extracts, obtained after manually shaking a single plant extract in the ELISA extraction buffer for 3–5 min. The developed rapid, specific and economic LAMP assay was able to detect APLPV using crude plant extracts rather that RNA preparation in less than 20 min, making it suitable for in-field detection. Moreover, the LAMP assay proved to be more sensitive in APLPV detection in flowering cherry compared to the specific one-step RT-PCR assay. The new LAMP assay will permit the estimation of APLPV geographic spread in the territory, paying particular attention to surrounding gardens and propagated flowering cherries in ornamental nurseries. Full article

Coopetition, while offering significant strategic advantages, presents challenges in maintaining long-term collaboration among competitors, often due to a lack of perceived value for the participating actors. This study explores the role of technology in overcoming these challenges by applying the Service-Dominant Logic (S-D Logic) framework to investigate how technology-driven networks can enhance value co-creation among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study hypothesizes that transitioning to technology-driven coopetition networks can substantially improve value co-creation. To test this hypothesis, the research critically evaluates existing theoretical approaches to coopetition, identifies gaps in understanding value creation mechanisms, and implements an experimental technology-driven coopetition network leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The research design is applied explicitly to the Portuguese ornamental stone industry, a significant economic and cultural sector. The findings confirm that technology-driven coopetition networks can enhance value co-creation and improve outputs. These results suggest that integrating technology into coopetition frameworks can provide a viable path to sustaining competitive advantages in SMEs. Full article

The mining and steelmaking industries, while vital for economic and social development, produce and dispose of waste that contributes to environmental instability and discomfort. In this context, this study aimed to develop novel polymer composites intended for Artificial Ornamental Stone (AOS) application by incorporating iron ore tailings (IOTs), quartzite waste (QTZ), and steel slag (SS) into an epoxy (EP) matrix. The chemical, mineralogical, physical, mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties of the materials were assessed. Three waste mixtures were proposed using the Modified Andreassen Curve method, each with 35, 45, and 55 v/v% of EP. The composite properties were evaluated, showing that the composite with QTZ, SS, and 55 v/v% EP exhibited the lowest porosity (0.3%), water absorption (0.1%), and highest flexural strength (41 MPa). The composite containing the three wastes with 55 v/v% EP presented 1.0% porosity, 0.4% water absorption, and 34 MPa flexural strength. Lastly, the composite with IOTs, QTZ, and 55 v/v% EP exhibited 1.1% apparent porosity, 0.5% water absorption, and 23 MPa flexural strength. Therefore, the polymer composites developed with IOTs, QTZ, SS, and EP demonstrated suitable properties for wall cladding and countertops, presenting a potentially sustainable alternative to reduce environmental impacts from the mining and steelmaking industries. Full article