Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Università degli Studi di Venezia Ca' Foscari
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Religious Ambivalences as a Source of Change in Early Buddhisms
No full textThis paper addresses the formation of Buddhisms against the backdrop of the double
ambivalence its practitioners hold between (a) the religion of the Buddha and local
religious practice, and (b) between the physical and conceptual spaces of the
wilderness and the urban. Such tensions internal to the religious field are considered
paramount to unpacking and analyzing the transformations of Buddhism as they hold
the potential for religious changes. The first section presents some examples of
temporary and situational subversion of power relations between divine entities,
Buddha and metapersons, as well as spatial consequences of unsolved tensions. By
focusing on the northern Gandharan context, the second section discusses two cases
in which the Gandharan urban culture acts as booster and stabilizer of ambivalencedriven
changes in the religious field regarding the Buddhist doctrine and authorised
media of communication
Nash Meets Wertheimer: Using Good Continuation in Jigsaw Puzzles
Get PDFJigsaw puzzle solving is a challenging task for computer vision since it requires high-level spatial and semantic reasoning. To solve the problem, existing approaches invariably use color and/or shape information but in many real-world scenarios, such as in archaeological fresco reconstruction, this kind of clues is often unreliable due to severe physical and pictorial deterioration of the individual fragments. This makes state-of-the-art approaches entirely unusable in practice. On the other hand, in such cases, simple geometrical patterns such as lines or curves offer a powerful yet unexplored clue. In an attempt to fill in this gap, in this paper we introduce a new challenging version of the puzzle solving problem in which one deliberately ignores conventional color and shape features and relies solely on the presence of linear geometrical patterns. The reconstruction process is then only driven by one of the most fundamental principles of Gestalt perceptual organization, namely Wertheimer’s law of good continuation. In order to tackle this problem, we formulate the puzzle solving problem as the problem of finding a Nash equilibrium of a (noncooperative) multiplayer game and use classical multi-population replicator dynamics to solve it. The proposed approach is general and allows us to deal with pieces of arbitrary shape, size and orientation. We evaluate our approach on both synthetic and real-world data and compare it with state-of-the-art algorithms. The results show the intrinsic complexity of our purely line-based puzzle problem as well as the relative effectiveness of our game-theoretic formulation
Aggregation Phenomena in Lignin
No full textThe present chapter describes a survey of the aggregation phenomena occurring during lignin nanostructures formation, the main variables affecting them, the most common strategies for their preparation and their applications. The interactions affecting the conformation of single lignin chains in a specific solvating environment pertain to cohesive, dispersive, and dipolar forces, as well as to the formation of H-bonds. With respect to extrinsic factors, the solvating ability of the chosen medium, lignin concentration, pH of the medium, ionic strength, the nature of specific ions in the solvating environment, and temperature demonstrated all significant impact on lignin aggregation. By modulating intrinsic and extrinsic factors, the possibility to tailor the nature of lignin aggregates is emerging as witnessed by the development of several methodologies for the preparation of lignin-nanoaggregates. In this scenario, lignin-based nanoparticles and nano-capsules are finding applications across multiple fields. Among these, the most promising applications are those directly related to enhancing the quality of our lives, such as in agriculture, UV-shielding materials, and drug delivery systems
Latin America's grassroots approach to social innovation: Expanding the international debate
Get PDFIn a world experiencing profound environmental, technological, and demographic shifts, welfare systems are being fundamentally reshaped, highlighting social innovation (SI) as crucial for addressing emerging societal challenges. This research examines the distinctive Latin American approach to SI, exploring its role in transforming regional welfare states whilst bridging the gap between Latin American and European perspectives. The theoretical framework combines SI theory with the quintuple helix model, emphasizing interactions among public bodies, businesses, academia, civil society, and citizens in fostering local innovation. Through comparative analysis of Argentinian and Brazilian cases, contrasted with Italian and British examples, this study employs ethnographic methods, questionnaires, and interviews. The findings reveal a uniquely Latin American SI approach, characterized by robust community engagement and university partnerships, diverging from market-driven European models. The research advances the global SI discourse by highlighting the significance of grassroots, collaborative initiatives, particularly within contexts of institutional and welfare system fragility
Advances in optical devices for the detection of contaminants in food and water
No full textThe detection of water and food contaminants is contributing to reach the Global Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (especially Goal 2 “Zero hunger” and Goal 6 “Clean water and sanitation”: ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all). The widespread presence of contaminants has created an urgent need for analytical tools that are sensitive, specific, accurate, rapid, and easy-to-use to support legislative efforts and enable early warnings. Optical biosensors have emerged as powerful alternatives to traditional methods, which are often time-consuming and labor-intensive. Herein, we review the recent
advances in the development of biosensors based on several optical techniques for the detection of food and water contaminants. In our excursus, all the main classes of biological and biomimetic recognition elements are presented ranging from traditional antibodies and molecularly imprinted polymers to DNAzyme and nanobodies.
Through a critical analysis of the latest optical biosensor innovations, we explore their current limitations and
potential, emphasizing the need to transition these strategies from research to practical applications. This work
highlights the synergy of sensing mechanisms, nanomaterials, and technologies in creating advanced optical
devices that are cost-effective, miniaturized, accurate, multi-parameter, and integrated, with the goal of bridging
the gap between laboratory research and market-ready solutions
Libertà di pensiero nell’era digitale. Genesi ed evoluzione della libertà di pensiero dal V sec. a.C. ad oggi: sfide, rischi e prospettive future
No full textLa libertà di manifestazione del pensiero è riconosciuta da tutte le moderne costituzioni democratiche, sancita dalla Dichiarazione universale dei diritti dell’uomo del 1948, dalla Convenzione europea del 1950 e dal Patto internazionale di New York del 1966. La sua affermazione è il risultato di un percorso iniziato nella Grecia del V secolo a.C. (contrapposizione nomos e physis), passando per la Rivoluzione francese e il periodo napoleonico, fino alle democrazie parlamentari, che hanno consacrato la libertà di opinione e di stampa tra i diritti fondamentali.
Pubblicato in una prima edizione da Mimesis nel 2011, il volume è stato ora rivisto e ampliato, intrecciando analisi storico-filosofica e riflessione critica sull’impatto delle tecnologie digitali. Vengono affrontate questioni cruciali come privacy, disinformazione, manipolazione cognitiva, moderazione dei contenuti e capitalismo della sorveglianza, mostrando come la libertà di pensiero si ridefinisca costantemente nell’ambiente digitale, tra rischi di censura, fake news e concentrazione del potere informativo.
Con uno sguardo rivolto al futuro, l’opera propone strumenti e prospettive per una governance globale e sostenibile della libertà digitale, offrendo al lettore chiavi di lettura essenziali per comprendere e affrontare le trasformazioni della società interconnessa
Greenwashing, interesse soggettivo e ruolo attivo del consumatore nella transizione ecologica
No full textL’interesse soggettivo del consumatore all’ecosostenibilità di un prodotto è oggetto di attenzione sia da parte della direttiva 2019/771/UE, riguardante i difetti di conformità del bene nella vendita al consumatore, sia da parte della direttiva 2005/29/CE relativa alle pratiche commerciali sleali. Il contributo evidenzia la complementarità delle due discipline, sia dal punto di vista dell’interesse tutelato, sia dal punto di vista dei rimedi azionabili. Esso si sofferma sull’obiettivo, perseguito dalla proposta di direttiva sulle asserzioni ambientali, della conformazione preventiva delle asserzioni ambientali che il professionista scelga di adottare.Consumer interest in the environmental sustainability of a product is addressed both by Directive 2019/771/EU on non-conforming goods in consumer sales and by Directive 2005/29/EC on unfair commercial practices. The contribution highlights the complementarity of the two disciplines, both from the point of view of the interest protected and from the point of view of the remedies available. It goes on to focus on the aim, pursued by the proposed directive on environmental claims, of the preventive conformation of the environmental claims that the professional chooses to adopt
Postface. Pour une esthétique hétéronome et plurielle
No full textBy discussing the essays collected in the volume, Roberta Dreon's paper focuses on the reasons that justify the very idea of a pragmatist aesthetic. This is done by considering that the association between the traditional, contemplative, disinterested, and anti-instrumental conception of aesthetic experience seems to preclude the possibility of characterizing it in practical or pragmatic terms.
The author argues that this is achieved on the one hand by a rethinking of the very notion of the "aesthetic" found in the philosophies of James and Dewey. This allows for supporting the idea that artistic practices are grounded in ordinary experience, and particularly in their aesthetic-qualitative aspects. On the other hand, the author argues that Dewey's aesthetics was convincingly pragmatist to the extent that it lucidly focused on the consequences of the autonomist conception of art and proposed a continuist, meliorist, and pluralist alternative capable of providing effective contributions to democratic and inclusive development
Heinrich Aldegrever, Autoritratto, all'età di ventotto anni (Scheda 1); Hans Holbein il Giovane, Autoritratto (Scheda 9)
No full textSchede di catalogo sull'autoritratto inciso a bulino da Aldegrever nel 1530 e quello disegnato da Hans Holbein il Giovane nel 1542-3
Giant Nonreciprocal Band Structure Effect in a Multiferroic Material
No full textMultiferroic materials, combining ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism, can host complex band phenomena. Using density functional theory and symmetry analysis, we identify the multiferroic EuO as a prototypical system exhibiting a giant, switchable nonreciprocal band structure effect, that is an asymmetry in electronic bands at special points in the Brillouin zone, enabled by spin-orbit coupling. In particular, our results highlight the crucial role of magnetic symmetries - beyond inversion and time-reversal breaking. Ultimately, the predicted effect leads to a colossal bulk photovoltaic response, with injection currents far exceeding those in known oxides, enabling new cross-functionalities