Networks within Industrial Districts: Organising Knowledge Creation and Transfer by Means of Moderate Hierarchies

This paper furnishes evidence of innovative modes of organisationof inter-firm relationships and knowledge management within industrialdistricts. With the aid of a district firm, we first highlight the marked tendency among the largest companies to eschew an exclusively endogenous innovative process. Next, we analyse how the leading firm can play an active role within a network by assigning outside its boundaries tasks that were once undertaken in-house. This happens gradually with the moderate hierarchisation of originally destructured network relationships. In its attempt to organise innovative modes of design and manufacturing, without losing control and strategic legitimisation, the leading firm elects a coordinating agent withdirect responsibility over a selected team of specialist suppliers.     

Study of the association between gait variability and physical activity

Background

Gait variability can be considered an indirect measure of gait stability, in particular regarding temporal or spatial variability assessment. Physical activity, such as walking, is advised for the elderly and can be improved by gait stability. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between gait stability and physical activity in women of different age ranges.

Methods

Forty-two healthy women of different age ranges (18-40 yrs. and 65-75 yrs.) were recruited in the study. To assess physical activity, the subjects wore a multi-sensor activity monitor for a whole week, inferring the time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). MVPA were analysed in bouts of at least 10 subsequent minutes (MVPA_bouts) and in overall minutes (MVPA_tot). A kinematic analysis was performed with an optoelectronic system to calculate gait variability - expressed as standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variability (CV) of step width, stride length, stance and swing time (during treadmill walking at different speeds).

Results

Elderly women, with high walking speed (5 km/h), and moderate step width variability (CV = 8–27%), met the recommended levels of physical activity (MVPA_tot and MVPA_bouts). Furthermore, gait variability, adjusted for age and number of falls, was significantly and negatively associated with MVPA_tot only at 3.5 km/h, and with MVPA_bouts only at 4 km/h.

Conclusions

In a population of healthy elderly women, gait variability was significantly and negatively associated with the level of physical activity. Healthy elderly women, with moderate gait variability (step width variability), and high preferred walking speed, seem to be able to meet the recommended levels of physical activity.