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Pieces of places - First preliminary report from the Jade Odyssey Project on the new discoveries of the Jadeitite Quarries in the Kampos Valley on the Cycladic island of Syros
No full textJadeite is an extremely rare raw material, which has been highly desirable throughout human history because of its rarity, beauty and resilience to breakage, and is thus ideal for making axes of high prestige and status. Jadeitite polished stone tools (axes, adzes, chisels, and wedges) are an unexplored group of objects within Aegean prehistory. However, recent discoveries by researchers in our team, have documented their existence at Neolithic sites all over the Aegean region. The identification of all these jadeitite axes has raised the important question of where all those tools were produced and whether the source could be located. Only two jadeitite sources in the Aegean region have been cited in the geological literature. One is located on the Cycladic island of Syros, while the other is located near Harmancik, in western Anatolia. In 2021 and 2022, a Greek-Danish survey was undertaken in an attempt to locate jadeitite sources and prehistoric quarrying activities on Syros. During the investigations, it quickly became clear that the sources in the Kampos Valley, located in the northern part of Syros, were exploited during prehistoric times. This preliminary article presents the first results from these investigations of the Jade Odyssey Project from Kampos, showing unusual symbolic behaviour, with depositions in the fissures of rock boulders, combined with a highly specialized and large-scale production of preforms amde to produce polished stone tools of jadeitite. These new discoveries confirm that jadeitite is a unique raw material, and the quarrying processes were associated with a complex set of symbolic behaviour, involving narratives associated with distant sources, special quarrying places, all of which were embedded in the produced and exchanged polished stone tools of jadeitite
Sexually Transmitted Infections: Global Trends, Diagnostic Advances, and Emerging Challenges
No full textSexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to pose a major public health challenge and have profound social, economic and health impacts. These infections, which are caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses and parasites, are primarily transmitted through sexual contact, but can also be passed from mother to child during childbirth or through contaminated needles and blood products. Despite advances in medicine and public health, the prevalence of STIs continues to rise, fueled by factors such as stigma, limited access to sexual health services, and evolving pathogens. This review will examine the global burden of STIs and highlight their prevalence and impact on different populations. It will discuss some of the diagnostic challenges that hinder the effective management and control of these infections. It will also discuss the wider public health implications, including the economic costs, and identify emerging challenges and potential strategies to mitigate their impact
Nanoparticles-enhanced fiber optic plasmonic sensor for trace-level detection of mercury (Hg2+) ions
No full textContinuous release of heavy metal ions (HMIs) from industrial, mining, and domestic wastewater sources poses a
serious threat to the environment and living organisms. Among HMIs, mercury (Hg2+) is particularly hazardous
due to its high toxicity, bioaccumulation potential, and widespread presence in aquatic environments. We report
a low-cost and highly sensitive optical fiber-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing technique to detect
Hg2+ using copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) and iron nanoparticles (FeNPs). Fabrication of the sensor was mainly in
two distinct phases. In first phase, CuNPs and FeNPs were synthesized via the environmentally sustainable exploding wire (EW) method, which minimizes the use of hazardous chemicals and reduces energy consumption.
The second phase included the development of optical fiber-based SPR sensing probes and their application in
Hg2+ sensing. The nanoparticles were deposited onto a gold (Au)-coated optical fiber to develop two distinct SPR
sensing probes: one functionalized with CuNPs and the other with FeNPs. The structural and compositional
characteristics of the sensing probes were thoroughly investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and
energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Experimental characterization of sensors revealed that both sensing
probes exhibited high sensitivity toward Hg2+ in aqueous media, with detection capabilities in sub-micromolar
range. The CuNPs-modified probe demonstrated better analytical performance, achieving a sensitivity of 1.29
nm/μM and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.40 μM, compared to 0.96 nm/μM sensitivity and 0.51 μM LOD for the
FeNPs-modified probe. The results underscore the potential of this approach for large-scale deployment in
environmental monitoring and water quality assessment
Studying obstacles and enablers for women-led socio-ecological innovations in European rural areas: insights from a future foresight study
No full textThis methodological contribution presents an exploratory foresight study run as part of the GRASS CEILING project to identify obstacles and enablers to women-led socio-ecological innovations in European rural areas. Despite rural women are considered as relevant agents of change for rural development and the ecological transition in EU strategies, policies have not yet satisfactorily addressed the double discrimination they suffer (i.e., the gender gap and the rural-urban divide). Moreover, academic literature about rural women as socio-ecological innovators remains scarce and fragmented, and future studies on rural areas and agriculture are rarely focused on gender issues.
This study – to our knowledge, the first foresight focused on rural women – comprised three phases, designed ad hoc to adapt to the needs of the women innovators in GRASS CEILING’s living labs (LLs). Firstly, we identified megatrends and drivers of change. Secondly, LLs engaged women innovators in workshops meant to identify present struggles, envision future challenges, and define personas (fictitious characters representative of the women innovators). Thirdly, two online foresight workshops saw participants embodying the personas to explore four plausible future scenarios. As one major value of future studies is to facilitate thinking ahead, charting uncertainties and potential areas of concern, the set of enablers and barriers identified can inform policy recommendations by highlighting: (i) relevant elements to better understand and recognise the contribution of women innovators in future rural areas, (ii) different policy domains which cannot be considered in isolation, and (iii) the need to test strategies against future drivers and context-specific concerns
Dos and Don'ts in Kidney Nutrition: Practical Considerations of a Panel of Experts on Protein Restriction and Plant-Based Diets for Patients Living with Chronic Kidney Disease
No full textDietary management is a pillar of chronic kidney disease (CKD) treatment. While some rules are the same as dietary prescriptions for the general population and those suffering from other chronic diseases (energy intake, salt intake, avoidance of ultra-processed food and limited intake of animal fats), in non-dialysis-dependent patients living with CKD, the specific focus is on protein intake. Low-protein diets (LPDs) and supplemented very low protein diets (sVLPDs) have been successfully employed to decrease the symptoms of people living with non-dialysis-dependent CKD, delay the progression of the disease and retard the need for dialysis. Randomized clinical trials have yielded conflicting results on efficacy, resulting in conflicting guidelines. Concerns about the risk of malnutrition (specifically when the main source of proteins is plant-derived), electrolyte imbalances, and energy intake, and the idea that adherence is difficult, jeopardize the use and wide application of LPDs and sVLPDs. That dietary management focuses mainly on nutrients while dietary quality occupies second place is also an erroneous concept that requires discussion. In September 2023, a group of experts composed of nephrologists and dieticians gathered in Frankfurt, Germany, to try to reconcile the different guideline indications and address most of the common doubts of final dispatchers to increase the prescription of “renal diets” and improve people living with CKD’s adherence to them
The CAP 2023–2027
No full textBased on the new delivery model, the CAP 2023-2027 indicates that the CAP Strategic Plans shall be submitted to the Commission for approval, according to the EU regulations and the common strategic guidelines. Consequently, based on a set of indicators, the Commission is expected to monitor the achievement of the results indicated in the plan. Direct payments are divided into the following measures: Basic income support for sustainability, Complementary redistributive income support for sustainability, Complementary income support for young farmers, Climate, environment, animal welfare schemes (Eco-schemes), and Coupled income support. The support is linked to compliance with enhanced conditionality based on the respect of environmental and, for the frst time, social commitments. Sectoral measures are also included under the frst pillar. The EU rural development policy sets interventions concerning and environmental related high value, investments support, young farmers support, risk management, cooperation and knowledge exchange together with information circulation. The last part of the chapter is devoted to an analytic judgement of the CAP 2023-2027. This chapter is updated to September 2024
Topological and geometric restrictions on hyperconvex representations
No full textWe study the geometry of hyperconvex representations of hyperbolic groups in PSL (d, C) and establish two structural results: a group admitting a hyperconvex representation is virtually isomorphic to a Kleinian group, and its hyperconvex limit set in the appropriate flag manifold has Hausdorff dimension strictly smaller than 2
CATALIZZATORI DI SINTESI E COMMERCIALI IN OTTICA DI SOSTENIBILITÀ
No full textL’attività legata alla Medaglia Gian Paolo Chiusoli assegnata dalla Divisione di Chimica
Industriale e dal Gruppo Interdivisionale di Catalisi della Società Chimica Italiana ha riguardato la sintesi, la caratterizzazione e l’impiego di catalizzatori preparati ad-hoc in reazioni di interesse industriale e l’ottimizzazione di processi catalitici rivolti alla valorizzazione di biomasse, incluse quelle di scarto, ponendo sempre grande attenzione alla sostenibilità
RESURVEYING DUNE VEGETATION OF THE WWF NATURE RESERVE “DUNES OF FORTE DEI MARMI” (LUCCA): WHAT HAS CHANGED IN 20 YEARS?|Il ricampionamento della vegetazione dunale nell’oasi WWF “Dune di Forte dei Marmi” (Lucca): cosa è cambiato negli ultimi 20 anni?
No full textCHANGES TO KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN MANUFACTURER DIGITAL SERVITIZATION: PRIORITIES AND CHALLENGES
No full textDigital servitization marks a strategic shift for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), transitioning from product-oriented models to integrated service-based offerings. This transformation, driven by smart Product-Service Systems (PSS) and digital technologies, profoundly impacts Knowledge Management (KM). As servitization increases data and knowledge complexity across products, services, and interactions, effective KM processes become critical enablers. However, their role in digital servitization remains underexplored. Through a qualitative analysis of seven case studies, this research examines how KM processes evolve to support service management in OEMs. Findings identify three priority domains of intervention—Field Service Management, Customer Service, and Inquiry to Order—where KM optimisation is essential. The study highlights key challenges of KM in PSS delivery, offering insights to enhance KM strategies in digital servitization