Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Università degli Studi di Venezia Ca' Foscari
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Chiseling Connections. Architecture and Epigraphy between Corinth and Syracuse
No full textOfficial epigraphy on stone differs significantly from more spontaneous forms, such as writing on pottery sherds or vessels. Stone epigraphy demands specialized knowledge of stonemasonry, access to appropriate tools, and dedicated workspaces. This points to organised workshops with masters and apprentices, and raises the question of whether stone inscribers shared their expertise with other stoneworkers, or if they were, in some periods (particularly in the Archaic period), not solely letter-carvers, but also skilled in various forms of stonework, including architectural masonry and sculpture. Our contribution examines stone-working practices in architecture and epigraphy between Corinth and Syracuse, adopting a truly interdisciplinary approach and the anthropological concept of 'community of practice'
More on areal distinctions in Sinitic: focus on Northern China
Full text linkChinese ‘dialects’ are characterised by a considerable degree of diversity, and some major differences within Sinitic follow areal patterns, in which contact is often claimed to play a crucial role. Following Hashimoto’s (1976) hypothesis on the ‘Altaicisation’ of Northern Chinese, and the ‘Taiisation’ of Southern Chinese, several other studies have proposed further areal distinction within Sinitic. Szeto, Ansaldo, and Matthews (2018) showed that a North-South divide exists not only in Sinitic, but also within the Mandarin group; Szeto & Yurayong (2021) identify four major areal groups for Sinitic languages, and Northern China is seen as the least diverse region within Sinitic. However, recent research (Arcodia 2021) has shown that there is an area within Northern China, spread over the Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, and Shandong provinces, in which we find Sinitic languages possessing some features not seen (or uncommon) elsewhere: nonconcatenative morphology, object markers based on speech act verbs, and structural particles with an l-initial. In a subset of those varieties, we find also (proto-)markers of tense (Arcodia 2023). In this paper, we shall discuss those features in the context of the areal typology of Northern China, and we shall offer a comparative analysis of parallel features in Central and Southern Sinitic varieties, showing how they are clearly differentiated from what is found in the North (see e.g. Chappell 2023). Also, we shall assess the role that contact (with Sinitic and non-Sinitic languages) may have played in the development of the features considered here
Next generation multi-element monolithic Germanium detectors for spectroscopy: First integration at ESRF facility
No full textThe XAFS-DET work package of the European LEAPS-INNOV project is developing high-purity Germanium detectors for synchrotron applications requiring spectroscopic-grade response. The detectors integrate three key features: (1) newly designed monolithic Germanium sensors optimized to mitigate charge-sharing events, (2) an improved cooling and mechanical design structure supported by thermal simulations, and (3) complete electronic chain featuring a low-noise CMOS technology based preamplifier, enabling high X-ray count rate capability over a broad energy range (5–100 keV). This paper discusses the first integration and characterization of one of the two multi-element Ge detectors at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). The integration phase included validating high-throughput front-end electronics, integrating them with the Ge sensor, and operating them at liquid nitrogen temperature, in addition to the experimental characterization, which consists of electronics noise study and spectroscopic performance evaluation
Unlocking Growth: Digitalization in B2B Marketing
No full textThis chapter examines the transformative role of digitalization in B2B marketing, emphasizing how advancements in digital technologies such as blockchain, data analytics, and social media have reshaped traditional marketing strategies and business practices. It highlights the convergence of B2B and B2C marketing, driven by the increasing influence of digital natives, the prioritization of customer experience, and the adoption of content marketing and storytelling techniques.
The chapter also explores challenges in digital adoption, including resource allocation, limited use of new channels like TikTok and YouTube, and the need for stronger integration of digital tools in marketing strategies. Using examples from Italian SMEs and global campaigns, it outlines practical approaches to leveraging digital platforms, engaging customers, and fostering innovation. Ultimately, it underscores the importance of aligning digital tools with brand values, sustainability goals, and measurable outcomes to drive growth and competitive advantage in the evolving B2B landscape
The Materiality of Writing in a Multilingual Landscape: Epigraphic Habits in Archaic–Classical Sicily
No full textThis paper examines the epigraphic habits of Archaic and Classical Sicily (c. 750–323 BCE) across Greek, Phoenician–Punic, and indigenous contexts. The Sicilian dossier is marked by asymmetry: stone was used selectively for funerary and dedicatory monuments, lead for ritual regulations and curse tablets, while ceramics dominated among Elymians and Sikels, especially in sanctuaries and burials. Case studies from Segesta, Selinus, Motya, and Montagna di Marzo show how sanctuaries, cemeteries, and industrial quarters functioned as contact zones, yet rarely produced bilingual texts. Instead, alphabets themselves mediated cultural interaction. Rather than a single Sicilian koine, the island reveals a mosaic of epigraphic practices
Art Practice and Asylum in Israel: Home in the Making
No full textWeaving together first-person narratives of art practice, analytical accounts, and ethnographic research by artists and scholars in art history, theater, new media, music, and anthropology, this volume offers an overview of the wide range of conditions, processes, and motivations for art-making among asylum seekers in view of Israel’s continued legal obfuscation of the refugee status process.
With attention to the theorization of artistic production as a form of active, effective citizenship, it decentres these discourses to account for illiberal political contexts, geopolitical border zones and new disciplinary orientations, considering art-making in contexts of danger and incarceration. This carefully curated collection seeks to highlight the place of African asylum seekers in a increasingly illiberal, nationalist Israel, and the role of art as a resistant, affirming, and life-sustaining practice.
A study of the social, political and aesthetic considerations that asylum-seeking artists bring to their practice, Art Practice and Asylum in Israel will appeal to scholars across the social sciences with interests in migration and diaspora, art activism and refugee studies
Analysis of structured deep kernel networks
No full textIn this paper, we leverage a recent deep kernel representer theorem to connect kernel based learning and (deep) neural networks in order to understand their interplay. In particular, we show that the use of special types of kernels yields models reminiscent of neural networks that are founded in the same theoretical framework of classical kernel methods, while benefiting from the computational advantages of deep neural networks. Especially the introduced Structured Deep Kernel Networks (SDKNs) can be viewed as neural networks (NNs) with optimizable activation functions obeying a representer theorem. This link allows us to analyze also NNs within the framework of kernel networks. We prove analytic properties of the SDKNs which show their universal approximation properties in three different asymptotic regimes of unbounded number of centers, width and depth. Especially in the case of unbounded depth, more accurate constructions can be achieved using fewer layers compared to corresponding constructions for ReLU neural networks. This is made possible by leveraging properties of kernel approximation
State and Environment in the Ordos Loop (8th–early 9th Century CE)
No full textThis chapter examines Tang state policies for resource exploitation in the Ordos Loop during the eighth and early ninth centuries, focusing on agricultural land reclamation, horse trade, military provisioning, transportation, and the resettlement of military and civilian populations to reinforce state presence on the northern frontier. By comparing hydroclimatic and historical data, it analyzes state responses to the region’s ecological and climatic constraints. It argues that the state continued to invest in resettlement policies and local farming, despite low agricultural productivity, which was worsened by drought in the early ninth century. These policies were driven by the need to restore population stability in the northern frontier, recover losses in the western territories, and reduce transportation costs
Defending Natural Philosophy and Its Demarcation: Hocazāde’s (d. 893/1488) Prolegomenon to Mullāzāde’s Hidāya al-ḥikma Commentary on the Subject Matter of Ḥikma
No full textThe article examines a central disciplinary question in post-formative Islamic intellectual history: how to define ḥikma (post-Avicennan philosophy), determine its internal branches, and demarcate the boundaries of natural philosophy (al-ḥikma al-ṭabīʿiyya) in relation to metaphysics (al-ilāhiyyāt) and other domains of philosophical inquiry. It centers on the pedagogical prolegomenon to the Ottoman verifier Ḫocazāde’s (d. 893/1488) gloss on Mullāzāde al-Kharziyānī’s (d. 809/1407) commentary on Hidāya al-ḥikma, wherein Ḫocazāde critically examines whether certain foundational concepts—such as natural bodies, numbers, souls, circular motion, matter and form—fall legitimately within the purview of natural philosophy or whether they are to be subsumed under the expanding jurisdiction of other types of scientific knowledge—most importantly, metaphysics. Ḫocazāde’s analysis unfolds within a broader postclassical context in which natural philosophy sought to reassert its autonomy at a time when metaphysics and theology were increasingly dominating philosophical inquiry and debates over the proper subject matter. By following the Avicennan framework as mediated by Mullāzāde, Ḫocazāde seeks to reaffirm the autonomy of natural philosophy against this encroachment. His gloss operates as a paratextual intervention—both a pedagogical clarification for students and a disciplinary defense against his scholarly contemporaries—offering a model of scholarly practice where conceptual distinctions and curricular structures are actively renegotiated. The text also marks a pivotal intervention in postclassical debates on scientific taxonomy, shaping the contours of early Ottoman scholasticism and anticipating, if not informing, subsequent exchanges between Mollā Luṭfī (d. 900/1494) and Mollā ʿİzārī (d. 901/1496), as well as Ṭaşḳöprīzāde’s (d. 968/1561) sustained treatise on the definition and subject matter of ḥikma and kalām
The Supervision of Social Workers in Italy: Defining an Essential Level for Social Services
No full textSocial work is both a rewarding and challenging profession. On the one hand, social workers are called upon to work with people who have diverse needs throughout the life cycle and who are not always willing to accept help; on the other hand, they work in organisations that are often chronically under-resourced and therefore have very high caseloads. The direct and indirect consequences of the SARS COV 2 health emergency have presented social services with unprecedented challenges. In this context of increasing complexity, research has shown that professional supervision is associated with job satisfaction, personal well-being, commitment to the organisation and retention. Since the end of 2000, the Italian government has introduced measures to support social work practice: first by increasing the number of social workers in the field, then by introducing supervision as an essential activity to support professional well-being.
Based on an analysis of the Italian case, this chapter focuses on the potential of effective professional supervision as a factor that can facilitate the recruitment and retention of social workers, thereby contributing to solving the problem of the post-Covid-19 workforce. It describes the process that led to the definition of supervision as an essential support for social workers, highlighting the collaborative efforts of government, the professional association and academia in the creation of a supervision pathway (with public sector funding) for social workers employed in local authorities, the training of social worker supervisors and the definition of supervision evaluation tools