Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Università degli Studi di Venezia Ca' Foscari
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Structural change and its discontents
Get PDFThis paper explores the relationship between social discontent and labour market dynamics, particularly with respect to the creation and destruction of stable jobs. By bridging studies on discontent with the literature on structural dynamics, the paper conceives the former as a signal that some countries or regions are experiencing a trajectory of structural change characterized by economic deprivation and social inequality, rooted into limited access to secure and quality jobs. If not properly addressed by policymakers to achieve greater cohesion, this trajectory may lead to irreversible economic decline. Focusing on Italy, results show that jobs destruction amplifies support for anti-elite parties while the creation of secure jobs mitigates social discontent. Policy implications highlight the need for labour market, welfare and education measures fostering structural change trajectories that are sustainable, i.e., where the interests of both vulnerable and well-off socio-economic groups are reconciled in the definition of societal policy goals
Detection of sodium ion in aqueous soil extract using Prussian blue modified screen-printed electrodes
No full textDifferent ways to quantify ions in solutions require the pre-treatment of the sample and experimental measurements to be performed. This research proposes to develop an electrochemical method for ions, specifically for sodium ions, using modified surfaces by electrodeposit of Prussian Blue (PB) on carbon (C) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) to get PB-C and PB-CNT. It was observed that the PB-CNTCࣦC modified electrode showed the highest current density compared to the bare carbon (C) and CNTࣦC electrodes, including the modified PB-CࣦC. For this reason, the highest detection and quantification limits were obtained using PB-CNTࣦC with 13.1 and 43.7 μmol L−1, respectively. The different modified and bare electrodes were characterized by electrochemical, spectroscopically, and microscopically methods, where the electronic transference using a probe molecule showed a quasi-reversible behavior in different cases, with the PB presence by cube shape in order of the number of cycles indicating a 3D growth. Additionally, these electrodes were probed for the electrochemical detection of sodium in a synthetic aqueous media. In aqueous samples from soil extracts, these results showed that they are competitive with other analytical methods, such as flame atomic absorption, by the similarity of the sodium concentrations obtained. They look attractive for use in the field of detection of sodium. It is worth noting that this is the first time that this type of surface and electrodes have been used for sodium detection, compared to the existing ones based on the same methodology in the detection of Na+ at lower concentrations
Ecological data reveal imbalances in human–human collision avoidance due to dyads' social interaction
Get PDFHumans navigate public spaces safely and smoothly using complex collision avoidance strategies. Traditional models of human–human collision avoidance often draw from physics, relying on repulsive forces, but the effect of social factors on these strategies is not well understood. This study examines frontal encounters between single pedestrians and two-person groups (dyads), investigating the contributions of each party to collision avoidance and the impact of social interaction within the group. Using an ecological dataset of pedestrian trajectories, we measured deviations from a straight path as a proxy for collision avoidance. Our findings reveal a systematic imbalance and significant effects of social interaction on collision avoidance. Single pedestrians tend to prioritise trajectory efficiency in undisturbed situations and are the primary contributors to avoidance during encounters, adjusting their paths according to the dyad's interaction level. For dyads, social interaction correlates with lower efficiency in undisturbed cases and reduced responsiveness during encounters. An analysis of the impact parameter further shows that collision risk influences path deviations: individuals demonstrate larger deviations in response to highly interactive dyads, both in high-risk and less critical encounters. For dyads, the difference in deviation between low and high interaction levels is most pronounced when the single pedestrian is on a near-collision course. These results deepen our understanding of human pedestrian navigation, illustrating dynamical and social implications of group dynamics
Introduction
No full textArchaeologists studying different periods of South Asian prehistory have always considered the importance of beads for understanding the development of specific manufacturing technologies, ornament styles and even trade networks. While some of the earliest studies of beads were somewhat generalized, over time archaeologists have developed very detailed methodologies for identifying the manufacturing technologies used for different materials, as well as the typologies needed to adequately define and differentiate beads of different shapes and designs. With the development of more refined methods of scientific materials analysis, it has also been possible to better define the raw materials used to produce beads and to source some of these materials to specific regions of the Indian sub-continent and beyond. The study of beads from Barikot presented in this volume represents the first time that a comprehensive collection of beads from the Early Historic period have been studied using these latest methodologies and scientific approaches.
This study builds on earlier studies of prehistoric bead technologies that were carried out at sites such as Mehrgarh, Nausharo and Harappa, using generally comparable terminology and methods. However, during the first millennium BCE and on into later time periods, new drilling technologies and new types of raw materials began to be utilized for bead making. It is important to note that beads from these later periods have unique features that are not seen in beads from the prehistoric sites. The most important new development is the perforation of hard stone beads using diamond tipped drills as well as a drilling technology using a fine abrasive and very thin tapering metal drill. This later technology is still not clearly understood, but is seen in many of the beads found at Barikot as well as other sites such as the Mauryan, Indo-Greek and Kushana period occupations at Taxila (Bhir Mound and Sirkap) as well as at many contemporaneous sites in peninsular India. The fact that the beads at Barikot have been recovered from well documented and chronologically defined stratigraphic layers makes this assemblage extremely important in the overall study of South Asian bead industries. The presentation of the individual beads with proper orientation as proposed by Horace Beck and others, along with measurements, raw material identification and other manufacturing details, provides an important model for other researchers who arein the process of documenting their bead assemblages. The detailed documentation provided in this study will be a very useful comparative guide for understanding the development of the bead industries at sites throughout Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and beyond. (from the Foreword by M.J. Kenoyer)
Pedagogical Implications of AI-Enhanced Digital Storytelling in EFL Education
No full textEducational practices have often incorporated the sequential and structural parameters of digital storytelling into task-based methodologies to develop students’ language proficiency through interactive activities based on virtual narratives. The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) sparked a new era of creativity and innovation, opening up new possibilities for teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to postgraduate students. This study examines the integration of AI-based digital storytelling into language learning practices, specifically focusing on how AI can provide methodological guidelines to inform and prepare educators. Data were collected from 20 EFL students enrolled in a semester-long AI-assisted digital storytelling course at the University of Verona. The adopted methodology covers the three aspects of writing, image generation, and audio creation. The students created cultural tours on the platform izi.TRAVEL adhering to digital place-based storytelling principles. Data was gathered as students personalised story content within a task-based framework using the AI tools ChatGPT, Craiyon, Fotor, character.ai, Adobe Firefly, and Speechify. Qualitative observations of students’ activities and perceptual information on the methodological efficacy of AI-integrated digital storytelling practices are outlined to assess their impact on students’ creativity in EFL production. The study also showcases students’ digital stories and their iterative processes of generating AI content, images, and videos, with both individual and cooperative supervision. Results describe the methodological effects on student self-expression and experimentation through platforms of AI-assisted narration and address future implications for AI ethics and agency support in language education
Reviews of the Pre-Critical Kant
No full textThis paper deals with the reviews of Kant’s pre-critical philosophy before 1770, which involve minor works such as Gedanken von der wahren Schätzung der lebendigen Kräfte, Allgemeine Naturgeschichte und Theorie des Himmels, Der einzig mögliche Beweisgrund zu einer Demonstration des Daseins Gottes and the Beobachtungen über das Gefühl des Schönen und Erhabenen. These reviews involved authors who were protagonists of the philosophical debate of that time such as Johann Georg Hamman, Moses Mendelssohn, and Johann Gottfried Herder, and determined the way in which Kant developed his philosophical thought from an initial approach to natural science to more genuine metaphysical themes
Rethinking the Double Law of Habit: James’ Case
No full textIn this paper I suggest to rethink the traditional double law of habit as a theoretical
development of the co-presence of activity and passivity inherent to the concept
of habit. My thesis is twofold: firstly, I will argue that speaking in terms of the double
nature of habit is conceptually different from speaking in terms of the double law of habit because recognition of the former does not necessarily entail endorsement of the latter. Secondly, I will argue that the traditional formulation of the double law brings the risk of the dualism between activity and passivity of action, and the dualism between habit and will. In particular, I will look at James’ Principles of Psychology as a relevant example: I will argue that James conceptualizes the double nature of habit through the notion of plasticity without formulating the double law of habit as developed by his predecessors
La giuntura spazio-temporale dell'Ereignis
No full textThe article aims to shed light on Heidegger’s Ereignis by investigating it from the point of view of its ‘jointure’. Indeed, terms often associated with the Ereignis, such as Kehre, Kranz and Ring, are here read together from another fundamental concept, that of time-space. Thanks to the analysis of the spatio-temporal meaning of the ring structure that is outlined in this way, it is possible to exclude certain misunderstandings about the meaning of the Ereignis and to think adequately about its rigour
