25325 research outputs found
Sort by
Just transition in transport: the impact of a weather protective bicycle tube
No full textCycling offers numerous benefits, positively impacting cyclists’ health and having fewer harmful effects on the environment compared to most other forms of transport. However, adverse weather conditions can deter regular cycling. To mitigate these disadvantages, constructing a bicycle tube is a potential solution. We exemplify this with a planned bicycle tube in a Norwegian city known for harsh weather, discussing how it could promote cycling by reducing the negative impact of weather conditions. The number of cyclists is influenced by weather indicators such as temperature, wind, and precipitation, as well as variations between workdays and seasons. It is estimated that the construction of the bicycle tube would double the number of cyclists in the studied transport corridor due to improved weather protection. This increase would generate benefits related to travel time, health, and the environment. Additionally, the free-to-use bicycle tube could improve accessibility for people without access to a car, contributing to a just transition to sustainable transport. However, for the case studied, the benefits are not sufficient to cover the construction costs of the bicycle tube. Therefore, the project is not strictly profitable from a welfare perspective. Nonetheless, other non-monetary effects could be substantial for such a project
Sign-changing solutions for (sub)critical problems in higher dimensional spheres
No full textBy using mountain pass arguments and a novel grouptheoretical approach, in this paper we study the existence of multiple sequences of nodal solutions with prescribed different symmetries for a wide class of (sub)critical elliptic problems settled on the unit sphere (Sd, h), of dimension d ≥ 5, whose simple prototype is given by the celebrated Yamabe equation on the sphere
"Il nuovo grande internamento". Intorno a Neoliberalismo, angoscia securitaria e passione punitiva
No full textThis paper examines the investigation conducted by Stefano Anastasia in Le pene e il carcere, delving into the political and economic causes that the Author identifies as underlying the transformations of penality over the past three decades through reference to the relationship between neoliberalism and authoritarianism. An attempt will be made to show that, contrary to what is normally believed, today's regressive populism is not so much the effect of the crisis of neoliberal hegemony, but rather a continuation of neoliberal policies, and that the use of penal policies as tools for managing the political and social anxiety created by the crisis can only increase, due to the difficulty of reaching a new compromise between capital and labor
Navigating the future: retracing 20th century inland and coastal mobility visions for the Friuli Venezia Giulia region
No full textThe coastal region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, stretching from the Tagliamento River to Muggia, presents a complex interplay between natural environments and human activities. Historically a crossroads between continental and Mediterranean Europe, it has long been shaped by water-based infrastructures such as the Litoranea Veneta. Twentieth-century plans by figures like Max Fabiani and Ernesto Nathan Rogers foresaw canals connecting the Adriatic to Central Europe and explored innovative relationships between urban growth, landscape preservation, and mobility. Today, amid climate change and rising sea levels, these visions could inspire renewed strategies for sustainable coastal and inland navigation.La regione costiera del Friuli Venezia Giulia, che si estende dal fiume Tagliamento a Muggia, presenta una complessa interazione tra ambienti naturali e attività umane. Storicamente crocevia tra l'Europa continentale e quella mediterranea, è stata a lungo plasmata da infrastrutture idrauliche come la Litoranea Veneta. I piani del XX secolo di figure come Max Fabiani ed Ernesto Nathan Rogers prevedevano canali che collegavano l'Adriatico all'Europa centrale ed esploravano relazioni innovative tra crescita urbana, tutela del paesaggio e mobilità. Oggi, tra cambiamenti climatici e innalzamento del livello del mare, queste visioni potrebbero ispirare strategie rinnovate per una navigazione costiera e interna sostenibile
Beyond Authenticity: MacIntyre on Overcoming Liberal Individualism
No full textAlasdair MacIntyre’s Ethics in the Conflicts of Modernity is often received as a late restatement of his Aristotelian–Thomist doctrine, or dismissed as the work of a Christian conservative philosopher. This paper argues instead that it should be recognised as a methodological and epistemological masterpiece. The book is constructed as a deliberate attempt to free readers from the conceptual schema of liberal modernity at a perceptual level, by mobilising the techniques of cognitive reconstruction, genealogy, and resensitisation. To grasp this project, I situate it within the tradition of paradigm-based epistemology—tracing its roots in MacIntyre’s Marxist formation, his dialogue with Kuhn’s philosophy of science, and his openness to psychology and cognitive science. I then reconstruct the path the book intends the reader to travel: from recognising the complicity between abstract moral universalism and liberalism, to the epiphanies of perceiving anew the distortions of community and the fragmentation of modern life, culminating in a hindsight narrative that renders the modern liberal ethos no longer credible. The exemplar life of C.L.R. James is invoked to resensitise us to the possibility of unity and integration. The main limitation of MacIntyre’s project, I suggest, lies not in its philosophical scope but in its medium: as an academic philosopher, he left the task of mediating his achievement to a broader audience to future MacIntyrean intellectuals. Yet the book nonetheless sets a new standard for what philosophy can do: by articulating the sophistication needed to escape the imaginative block of liberal individualism, it redefines the state of the art in practical philosophy
Sustainable Applications of HDPE in Boatbuilding: Parametric Design and Experimental Investigations
No full textThe growing demand for sustainable materials in marine engineering has stimulated research into polymer-based alternatives to traditional composites. To ensure their effective and safe application, a thorough understanding of their mechanical properties is essential. Within this framework, parametric modelling was employed to design tensile specimens with optimized geometry and improved reproducibility, enabling a reliable assessment of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), both virgin and recycled, for boatbuilding applications. Experimental tests show that virgin HDPE exhibits superior tensile strength and ductility, while recycled HDPE provides adequate performance for selected design applications. The combination of modelling and testing highlights the structural potential of HDPE and supports the development of more sustainable practices in small craft construction, in line with the innovation and environmental goals of the maritime sector.La crescente domanda di materiali sostenibili nell'ingegneria navale ha stimolato la ricerca di alternative polimeriche ai compositi tradizionali. Per garantirne un'applicazione efficace e sicura, è essenziale una conoscenza approfondita delle loro proprietà meccaniche. In questo contesto, la modellazione parametrica è stata impiegata per progettare provini di trazione con geometria ottimizzata e migliore riproducibilità, consentendo una valutazione affidabile del polietilene ad alta densità (HDPE), sia vergine che riciclato, per applicazioni nella costruzione navale. Test sperimentali dimostrano che l'HDPE vergine presenta una resistenza alla trazione e una duttilità superiori, mentre l'HDPE riciclato offre prestazioni adeguate per applicazioni progettuali selezionate. La combinazione di modellazione e test evidenzia il potenziale strutturale dell'HDPE e supporta lo sviluppo di pratiche più sostenibili nella costruzione di piccole imbarcazioni, in linea con gli obiettivi di innovazione e ambientali del settore marittimo
Gorbachev and the forgotten democratic revolution in East Germany
No full textMore than thirty years after the fall of the Wall, German public memory continues to emphasize the role of Gorbachev and Kohl, relegating the citizens of the GDR to the role of passive spectators. Actually, the “Peaceful Revolution” and the last Volkskammer, freely elected in March 1990, were key actors in the democratic transformation. That brief parliamentary season helped define crucial conditions of the “2+4” treaties and of the treaty of friendship with the Ussr, supporting a peaceful course and symbolic gestures of reconciliation toward Moscow, Israel, and Poland. The oblivion of this experience, overshadowed by simplified narratives, has fueled victim-centered interpretations of reunification in the East, depriving German history of a fundamental element for understanding the negotiated and pluralistic dimension of national unity
Using Wooclap as an interactive learning tool to encourage digital competence according to the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators
No full textThe European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators promotes the development of digital competence for both educators and learners. It establishes a significant relationship between digital literacy and learning, covering six areas: professional engagement, digital resources, teaching and learning, assessment, empowering learners, and facilitating learners’ digital competence. To follow these guidelines and meet EU objectives, an engaging, useful tool can be the interactive platform Wooclap, which offers constructive opportunities for educator and learner development. In the classroom, Wooclap can be used to generate interest, create polls, prepare activities for immediate feedback, and design collaborative activities. In short, Wooclap can help develop digital skills, ranging from signing up to the platform to problem-solving and collecting and sharing data in real time. This study will provide examples of how Wooclap has been used in various university language courses by teachers and learners. The objective is to share experiences with this digital tool to encourage dialogue and, ultimately, the adoption of best practices in teaching and learning.The European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators promotes the development of digital competence for both educators and learners. It establishes a significant relationship between digital literacy and learning, covering six areas: professional engagement, digital resources, teaching and learning, assessment, empowering learners, and facilitating learners’ digital competence. To follow these guidelines and meet EU objectives, an engaging, useful tool can be the interactive platform Wooclap, which offers constructive opportunities for educator and learner development. In the classroom, Wooclap can be used to generate interest, create polls, prepare activities for immediate feedback, and design collaborative activities. In short, Wooclap can help develop digital skills, ranging from signing up to the platform to problem-solving and collecting and sharing data in real time. This study will provide examples of how Wooclap has been used in various university language courses by teachers and learners. The objective is to share experiences with this digital tool to encourage dialogue and, ultimately, the adoption of best practices in teaching and learning
Environmental sustainability of the agri-food chain and food miles: a literature review
No full textSupply chain sustainability is still a subject of debate. Some researchers believe that it is based on reducing the distances food travels, while others believe that it also relates to other aspects such as production locations, processes, product types, seasonality, direct sales, regional and local transport, and customer preference for local products and carbon labels. In this review, 119 papers address the concepts of food miles (FM) and local food (LF) with the aim of summarising whether the type of product and produc¬tion process, seasonality, supply chain organisation and consumer preferences affect the environmental footprint of the agri-food chain. The results show that the environmental impact of the food supply chain (FSC) is in¬fluenced by many factors beyond distance travelled, such as energy-intensive produc¬tion processes, the technology used in production methods, crops and soil characteristics, harvesting time, storage time, the number of intermediaries and consumer choices. Therefore, the sustainability of the FSC relies on a combination of factors rather than just the reduction of FM. Researchers studying the sustainability of the food chain and companies committed to greening the agri-food sector may find our work useful. Finally, it provides recom¬mendations for local authorities interested in developing policies for the distribution of goods and in guiding the logistics sector and the FSC as a whole towards practices that reduce the impact of climate change
La sorella gemella di Thomas Hobbes e il Socrate en veston. Note intorno alla paura
No full textBreve saggio che partendo da una novella di Han Ryner indaga il fenomeno politico della paura.A short piece that, starting from a short story by Han Ryner, investigates the political phenomenon of fear