1,721,226 research outputs found
Nuclear astrophysics deep underground : the LUNA experiment
No full textMeasuring nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest at the relevant energies is not always possible
on the Earth’s surface because of the cosmic-ray background that dominates the spectra. The
LUNA collaboration exploits the low-background environment of Gran Sasso National Laboratory
to study these reactions at or close to the Gamow peak. The status is summarized in this
contribution
Agriculture Sustainability in mountain areas: a Willingness To Pay (WTP) approach
No full textThe agricultural crisis forces the researchers and the world of science to address problems related to the primary sector through new theoretical and methodological approaches. Although the trend is the same worldwide, the phenomenon is more noticeable in disadvantageous areas, as the mountains. Some traits of mountain agriculture as remoteness, low productivity due to the poor quality land, extreme weather and small farm size, can limit the adaptation and competitiveness of this branch (Mazzocchi and Sali, 2016). The pastures, which are key elements of the mountain livestock, are undergoing for several decades a gradual process of abandonment (Giannini and Gabbrielli, 2013). Moreover they are important to the permanence of the typical alpine landscape mosaic and constitute a touristic attraction (Gios et al., 2006). However, the economic revitalization of agriculture in the mountains require substantial innovation: what could be the drivers for the innovation of alpine farms economy? Talking about multifunctional agriculture as the means to preserve agricultural landscape, to sustain rural development and to preserve the cultural heritage values, is possible to focus some basic elements that must be included in a process of innovation of the concept of mountain agriculture. The paper proposes a Choice Model analysis in order to evaluate the alpine pasture system in an area of the Orobie Bergamasche Park, in the Northern of Italy
Nuclear astrophysics deep underground : the case of the 15N(p,γ)16O reaction at LUNA
No full textMeasuring nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest at the relevant energies
is not always possible on the Earth’s surface because of the cosmic-ray background
that dominates the spectra. The LUNA collaboration exploits the lowbackground
enviroment of Gran Sasso National Laboratory to study these reactions
at or close to the Gamow peak. The latest experimental efforts included
the measurement of the 15N(p,γ)16O at beam energies between 77 and 350
keV. The status of these measurements is summarised in this contribution
Exploring the approach to socio-economic evaluation of technologies in circular economy using residual agricultural biomass
Full text linkQuantifying Agricultural Biomass Potential in a Circular Economy: A Comprehensive National Study
In the context of a circular economy, the effective utilization of agricultural biomass is paramount, particularly given the potential for biomass to be transformed into energy, thus reducing dependency on non-renewable resources. This study endeavours to estimate the available biomass derived from various agricultural activities across the national territory by intersecting data from the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) concerning agricultural production across different product categories, with data from the JRC - Biomass estimates database. This database, a collaborative project between the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Nova-Institute, quantifies the production and residues of agricultural biomass, incorporating indicators such as harvested biomass, agricultural residues (categorised into used and non-used), domestic extraction used (DEU), harvested area, and the yield of the domestic extraction used.
The preliminary results gleaned from this cross-analysis reveal a rich tapestry of biomass distribution across the national landscape, emphasising the variations in biomass production and residue utilisation among different crops and regions. It becomes evident that specific crops and their corresponding regions demonstrate a higher efficiency in biomass utilization, with a prominent presence of harvested biomass and used agricultural residues. These findings are indicative of the potentialities that lie within the realm of agricultural biomass and its strategic role in fostering a circular economy.
Understanding the nuances of these findings is vital in comprehending the multi-faceted nature of agricultural biomass within the national territory. The intricate interplay between harvested biomass, agricultural residues, and DEU highlights the need for a holistic approach towards maximizing biomass utilization and minimizing wastage. The implications of these findings extend far beyond the realms of agriculture and bioenergy, providing a framework that can be leveraged to inform policy-making, enhance sustainable farming practices, and foster a more efficient and circular agricultural sector.
This study serves as a stepping stone towards a comprehensive understanding of the biomass potential from agricultural activities within the national territory. While the preliminary results offer a glimpse into the vast potentialities of agricultural biomass, further research is essential to delve deeper into the intricacies of biomass production, utilization, and transformation within the context of a circular economy. As we move forward, the insights derived from this study will prove invaluable in guiding the nation towards a sustainable and circular future, rooted in the efficient utilization of its agricultural biomass resources
Consumers’ preferences for biodiversity: a choice experiment on wine
No full textIn recent years consumers’ concerns for environmental impact of food production has significantly increased, also due to food sustainability, food safety and food security issues. Environmental concerns are steering consumers to better understand the impact of production processes, and to increase consumers’ demand for products that carefully consider environment protection. A number of certification systems for environmental-friendly products have been created, as occurred for water-saving labels, fishery sustainable labels and others. Among several environmental issues, the protection of biodiversity has recently gained popularity both in public opinion and in scientific debate. Biodiversity in the vineyard has been seen as a limiting factor to be eliminated for a long time, but recent research proved how it can affect the production process in different positive ways. At our knowledge, there is a gap in literature on assessing consumers’ willingness to pay for agricultural practices able to maintain or implement biodiversity in the vineyards. This paper implements a Choice Experiment on wine consumers to estimate their WTP for biodiversity conservation practices in vineyards. The survey was conducted by direct interviews in a wine tasting event in an italian winery located at Montefano, in the Marche Region. According to the main results, biodiversity issue in wine certification seems to be positively accepted by consumers, who are willing to pay a premium price. Moreover, the WTP for this attribute does not exist only for medium-high price wines, but also for low-price wines, revealing a consumer’s sensitivity for biodiversity issue over a range of products with different prices. In addition, quality of the wine and price remains important attributes in purchasing choices, and this is a precise productive indication, that is the consumer considers very carefully the wine's reputation for quality
Perception of Microgardens in Dakar, Senegal
Full text linkPromoting sustainable urban food systems through edible urban landscape promotion is a matter of policy and planning. Development Cooperation (DC) providers and local institutions all around the world are now converging on urban food and greening strategies. The role of urban greening and more precisely of Urban and Periurban Agriculture (UPA) in implementing sustainable food systems in developing countries is widely recognized. Microgardens (MGs), which are a specific typology of UPA, are small-scale urban gardens using different techniques, adapted to the local context, such as organic vegetable gardening, etc. The peculiar characteristic of MGs approach is the focus on sustainable recycling materials as productive inputs such as containers or growth mediums. The present study aims to investigate the consumers’ perception of the MGs’ supply chain, to better analyse MGs in the city and to give suggestions to urban policy makers and DC providers. The analysis was carried on by direct survey on 671 respondents, in the city of Dakar in Senegal. The study is based on a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) followed by a Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA). Results suggest that UPA's direct experience, meaning in this case the fact of knowing MGs, leads to greater degree of approval, a positive perception of MGs’ market and may lead to greater DC intervention impact
Wine list analysis and restaurant popularity : an exploratory study in the city of Bergamo /The STAR WARS of Michelin Guide restaurants from a Wine List perspective : a case study from North-West Italy
No full textWine lists are a fundamental part of high-class restaurants. Nevertheless, how a good wine list can influence the rating of restaurants that are not top classified? The role of how the wine list is structured and how are distributed the prices of wines, however, have not yet considered. The manners to classify and rate restaurants twofold. There are official channels, where the most famous example is the Michelin restaurant guide, and there are plenty of websites that collect customer options on restaurants: TripAdvisor, Googlemaps, TheFork, Yelp, just to mention few of them. Using data from TripAdvisor, a study aiming to evaluate the impact of the features of a wine list on the rating of restaurants, has been conducted on the city of Bergamo to fill this gap about the function of wine lists on restaurant ratings increase. A number of models were specified to assess the impact of wine lists feature on the restaurant's ratings. The results indicated a significant negative impact of the average wine price, the coefficient of wine price variation, and the price range, and a negative impact of high price level. Showing that high ratings are not influenced by high price wines in general, placing luxury wines into a niche. The heterogeneity of the wine lists had a positive for regional variety and negative for typology variety, both not significant, influence on the restaurant's rating. These results are helpful for restaurant managers and in general for the restauration-retail system, such as a food franchising, it provides a setting guide to the wine lists composer in order to appear better evaluated on reviews-based websites
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