1,721,114 research outputs found
A tale of reverse deviance: non-compliant spatial practices in the land of Gomorrah
Full text linkThe paper provides an ethnographic account of the regeneration of space for the establishment of legal worker cooperatives in previous mafia territories. It aims to illuminate, by contrast, how space reflects the social construction of the mafia governance. The account of non-compliant spatial practices of legal worker cooperatives in the area of Caserta elucidates how mafia groups set great value on space, making sense of the societal dimension of territoriality for Italian organised crime. This paper explores the link between space and organised crime not only in ecological terms but also in cultural ones. Furthermore, it suggests an alternative methodology for accessing the unspoken of the mafia phenomenon
Research progress in transfer, accumulation and effects of microplastics in the oceans
No full textOne of the major concerns regarding the presence of plastics in ocean environments are the effects on marine biota. Plastics can be distinguished in macro-(≥25 mm), meso-(<25 mm–5 mm) micro-(<5 mm–1 μm), and nano-plastic (<1 μm) and are practically omnipresent in aquatic habitats and subject to long-range transport. The purpose of this review is to report the last findings on the release, transfer, accumulation, and effects of micro-plastics, MPs, in the oceans. MPs have the chance to adsorb different kind of organisms and compounds on their outer surface, including bacteria, viruses, algae, and abiotic substances. In this way, they can cause sever hazard once they enter the food chain. Their harm to higher organisms is discussed as well as main routes of MPs–organism interactions, i.e., ventilation, and ingestion. Potential effects on populations, communities, and ecosystems and uptake routes and transition into tissues are discussed. In consideration of the potential threats of plastic particles to ecological functions and human health risks, we recommend specific directions of future research approaches
The dual role of microplastics in marine environment: Sink and vectors of pollutants
No full textThis review is a follow-up to a previous review published in Journal of Marine Science and Engineeringon the issues of accumulation, transport, and the effects of microplastics (MPs) in the oceans. The review brings together experimental laboratory, mathematical, and field data on the dual role of MPs as accumulators of hydrophobic persistent organic compounds (POPs), and their release-effect in the marine ecosystem. It also examines the carrier role, besides POPs, of new emerging categories of pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). This role becomes increasingly important and significant as polymers age and surfaces become hydrophilic, increasing toxicity and effects of the new polymer-pollutant associations on marine food webs. It was not the intention to provide too many detailed examples of carriers and co-contaminants, exposed marine species, and effects. Instead, the views of two different schools of thought are reported and summarized: one that emphasizes the risks of transport, exposure, and risk beyond critical thresholds, and another that downplays this view
Soil microbial biomass, activities and diversity in Southern Italy areas chronically exposed to trace element input from industrial and agricultural activities
No full textHigh concentrations of trace elements in the soil can have toxic effects on the microbial community which plays a
key role in fundamental ecosystem processes like the organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycles. The aim
of this study was to evaluate if trace element concentrations in soils chronically exposed to industrial and
agricultural activities did affect the soil microbial community, in terms of biomass, activity and diversity. Soil
samples differing in trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) concentrations were analysed for the total
microbial biomass (Cmic), fungal mycelium, microbial activity, indexes of microbial community structure (fungal
percentage of total Cmic) and microbial metabolism (metabolic quotient or qCO2; carbon mineralization rate or
CMR), and genetic bacterial diversity (richness, Shannon index and evenness of bacterial groups). Relationships
of the microbial variables with individual trace element concentrations, relative Overall Contamination Index
(OCI), and ordinary soil properties (pH, water content, organic C content, electrical conductivity) were assessed
by simple and multivariate statistical analysis. Neither OCI nor single element concentrations determined a
significant reduction in soil microbial biomass, activity and diversity, these variables being mainly driven by soil
organic C and water content. Only soil Cr concentration affected indexes of the microbial metabolism and
structure, without causing stressful conditions. Even Cmic and bacterial diversity showed higher values in soils
richer of Cr. The results suggest that the concentrations of considered trace elements measured in our soils, or
probably their bioavailable fractions, did not cause toxic effects on the microbial community. However, the
chronic exposure to different patterns of trace element contamination probably elicited site-specific adaptive
responses in microbial populations
Partecipazione ricreativa e culturale
No full textIl capitolo esplora il ruolo della partecipazione ricreativa e culturale nella produzione di capitale sociale, evidenziandone il contributo alla coesione civica e alla costruzione di legami sociali. A partire da una riflessione teorica sulle dimensioni prosociali dell’associazionismo sportivo e culturale, si propone una lettura integrata delle pratiche partecipative come forme di civicness capaci di generare capitale sociale di tipo bridging. Lo sport e la cultura, pur originando da scelte individuali, assumono una funzione collettiva attraverso la creazione di spazi educativi e di condivisione, contribuendo alla trasmissione di valori democratici e all’attivazione di reti relazionali. La partecipazione a pratiche culturali, come il canto corale, è analizzata in connessione con l’associazionismo sportivo, mettendo in luce la capacità di entrambi gli ambiti di promuovere inclusione sociale e cittadinanza attiva. Il capitolo si conclude sottolineando l’importanza di sviluppare politiche pubbliche che riconoscano e sostengano queste forme di partecipazione come leve strategiche per la sostenibilità sociale
Equilibria in the Vanadium(III)-Fluoride-Hydroxide system. I. A potentiometric study of the binary V(III)-F- complexes
No full text
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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