Eco-Friendly Preservation of Pharaonic Wooden Artifacts using Natural Green Products

Featured Application The cross-disciplinary investigation conducted here utilized natural green products (essential oils and plant extracts) as effective eco-friendly antifungal agents for the preservation of archaeological wooden artifacts.Abstract The biodeterioration of wooden cultural heritage is a severe problem worldwide and fungi are the main deteriorating agents. The identification of effective natural products, safer for humans and the environment, is a current challenge. Ten deteriorated archaeological objects (a wooden statue of a seated man, an anthropoid wooden coffin with a cartonnage mummy of Nespathettawi, and a wooden box of Padimen's son), stored at the Egyptian museum in Cairo, were considered here. The wood species of the three most deteriorated objects were previously identified as Acacia nilotica, Ficus sycomorus, and Tamarix gennessarensis. Twenty-six fungal species were isolated and identified from the wooden objects and the four most frequent species belonged to the genus Aspergillus. Fourteen fungal species among those isolated showed the greatest biodeterioration activity on the experimental wood blocks of the archaeological objects. The antifungal activities of several eco-friendly plant essential oils (from cinnamon, eucalyptus, frankincense, geranium, lavender, lemongrass, menthe, rosemary, tea tree, and thyme) and plant extracts (from basil, eucalyptus, henna, melia, and teak) were tested against the fungal species with the greatest biodeterioration activity. The essential oils (Eos) were more effective than the plant extracts. Thyme EO, followed by geranium and cinnamon ones, was the most active (minimum inhibitory concentrations: 0.25-1 mu L/mL). These EO; also showed inhibitory effects on the enzymatic activities (cellulase, amylase, and protease) of the four most dominant fungal species. Thymol and p-cymene were the two main components of thyme oil, while geraniol and beta-citronellol were those of geranium oil; eugenol and caryophyllene were those of the cinnamon EO. Thyme oil applied to the most deteriorated experimental aged A. nilotica wooden cubes inoculated with the four highly frequent fungal species was effective in wood preservation. Moreover, no significant interference was observed in the wood before and after thyme treatment. Thyme oil seems to be a promising eco-friendly antifungal agent for the preservation of archaeological wooden artefacts

Storytelling, a Pedagogical Device in Higher Education

La costruzione dell'identità narrativa individuale (Bruner, 1987) si fonda sulla comunicazione, ossia su una competenza-chiave trasferibile. Per produrre la conoscenza funzionale necessaria a vivere in maniera significativa il proprio contesto culturale e sociale, le persone ri-elaborano e ri-strutturano la propria esperienza attraverso il pensiero narrativo, trasformando i propri scambi in storytelling. L'ascolto reciproco tra soggetti narranti diventa così una virtù civica (De Angelis, 2017). La ricerca sul campo condotta all'interno del Master in Storytelling: tecniche e contesti narrativi, e nel laboratorio di lingua inglese per il quinto anno di Scienze della formazione primaria (Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione, Università degli Studi Roma Tre), è stata incentrata sull'analisi delle caratteristiche che rendano lo storytelling decisivo nell'uso riflessivo dell'esperienza, nella costruzione di significati condivisi, e nel migliorare i processi di apprendimento (Leproni, 2020). Dopo aver definito la tradizione, i limiti e l'opportunità di utilizzare lo storytelling come codice narrativo, la metodologia narrativa è stata impiegata per identificare strumenti e competenze per promuovere capacità di ascolto e attenzione alle narrazioni altrui, incluse le strategie linguistiche e la loro funzione sociale in un contesto culturale. All'inizio dei corsi agli studenti è stato somministrato un questionario per accertare le competenze e conoscenze pregresse sull'argomento; i risultati sono ancora oggetto di studio. Si è cercato di stimolare la riflessione sui processi e le tecniche utilizzati nel proporre le diverse attività, per fornire a futuri educatori, formatori, insegnanti un adeguato scaffolding che permetta loro di utilizzare lo storytelling come strumento pedagogico per promuovere l'inclusione culturale e sociale nella loro attività professionale, e per sviluppare strategie di coping nella mediazione/relazione attraverso l'uso di un testo in contesti differenti.The construction of the individual’s narrative identity (Bruner, 1987) is founded on communication, which is a transferable key-skill. To produce the functional knowledge necessary to live the social and cultural context significantly, people re-elaborate and re-structure their experience through narrative thought, thus transforming their exchanges in storytelling. Mutual listening between narrating subjects thus becomes a civic virtue (De Angelis, 2017). The field research conducted within the post-graduate course in Storytelling: narratives’ techniques and contexts and the Laboratory of English Language for Primary teachers, Science of Education Dep.t, Roma Tre University, focused on the analysis of the features that make storytelling decisive in the reflective use of experience, in the construction of shared meanings, and in improving learning processes (Leproni, 2020). After defining the tradition, the limits and the opportunities of using storytelling as a narrative code, the narrative methodology was employed to identify tools and competences to foster listening capacities and the attention to others’ narratives, including language strategies and their social function within a cultural context. A questionnaire was administered to students at the beginning of the courses, to ascertain the competences/knowledge they possessed on the topic; results are still under investigation. Reflection on the processes and techniques used in proposing the different activities was triggered, so to provide future educators, teachers and trainers with proper scaffolding to employ Storytelling as a pedagogical device to foster social and cultural inclusion in their professional activity, and to develop mediation/relational coping strategies through the use of a text in different contexts

Agrobiodiversity Conservation Policies: Insights from an Integrated Micro-macro Economic Model in Ethiopia

National strategies aiming to enhance agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa have traditionally focused on encouraging the adoption of improved modern crop varieties. This approach led to genetic erosion and reduced option value for bioprospecting, an unintended consequence of the decline of locally conserved traditional varieties. Governments are often left with poor guidance to evaluate the costs and benefits of this strategy. In this paper, we propose a methodological framework for assessing agricultural policies based on local agrobiodiversity conservation. In particular, we modify a computable general equilibrium model with trade to account for the land allocated to traditional and improved modern varieties as input for the agricultural sector. As a case study we select the Ethiopian durum wheat. Several sources of data at macro, micro and agronomic levels are adopted to estimate parameters and economic effects. Accounting for climate change and technological projections up to 2050, results of a counterfactual scenario show that when policy-driven breeding programs in specific agroecological niches are implemented, they simultaneously achieves conservation and food production goals. The findings underscore the need for policy interventions aimed at promoting context-specific strategies that consider conservation and production objectives within the broader agricultural landscape

Metal(loid)s and Rare Earth Elements in Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile (1813) banquettes

The Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile 1813 banquette provides precious ecosystem services for Mediterranean beach nourishment and protection, representing an important way of energy transfer through marine-coastal habitats. It is surprising to note how it is poorly investigated, especially concerning its double role as potential sink and source of chemicals. In particular, few studies exist about the metal (loid)s occurrence and no data are available on emerging contaminants, such as Rare Earth Elements (REEs). The present research investigated for the first time the concentrations of twenty-eight metal(loid)s and fifteen REEs in a well-structured banquette along the Italian coast (Central Tyrrhenian Sea) showing that (i) metal(loid)s and REEs occur in banquettes, with higher relative concentrations of some metal(loid)s (B, Sr, Mn, Fe, Al, Zn) and REEs (Ce, Y, La, Nd) with no statistically significant seasonal variations; (ii) Posidonia banquettes may represent an interesting biological model for chemicals monitorin

Leisure Time Use and the Third Sector’s Role in Combating Educational Poverty of Minors with a Migratory Background

Due to the insights provided by various studies and a legislative trajectory that was, in part, influenced by the ad- vocacy initiatives of the Third Sector (Save the Children, 2014), the issue of educational poverty has gained promi- nence in recent scientific and political discussions. It is now integrated into public policy agendas, calling for a comprehensive, multi-level analysis to underscore its unique complexity. Educational poverty is a concept with broad semantic boundaries, characterized by polysemy and multidimension- ality (Agasisti et al., 2021; Battilocchi, 2020; Botezat, 2016). It exhibits a poly-prospective nature and takes on diverse forms whenever educational circumstances impede individual growth, thereby constraining the expansion of perspectives, opportunities, and the range of accessible experiences (Sottocorno, 2019). This contribution addresses the issue of educational poverty among minors with a migratory background, with a particular focus on the use of leisure time and the role of the Third Sector in promoting inclusive educational prac- tices. Through a quantitative approach, as a part of a broader research, a self-administered semi-structured question- naire hab been given to a statistically representative sample of 1761 students enrolled in the third year of lower secondary school in the academic year 2021/2022 in the municipality of Rome. The results reveal a statistically significant association between migratory background and engagement in certain educational or social activities during leisure time, mainly due to the characteristics of the territory of residence. Therefore, on the one hand there is a need to counteract ecological poverty by promoting the expansion of coverage and access to educational facilities. On the other hand, the importance of promoting the empowering function of the territory and a pedagogical responsibility extended to the entire community is emphasized (Curti et al., 2020), recalling the importance of the Frabbonian concept of “integrated educational system” (Frabboni, 1989; Maia, 2018). In this context, the central role of the Third Sector emerges, whose active participation underscores the importance of a collaborative and synergistic approach to address this challenge, highlighting how combating educational poverty requires the joint and coordinated commitment of all stakeholders involved

Microplastic in an apex predator: evidence from Barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets in two sites with different levels of anthropization

Plastic pollution in terrestrial and freshwater environments and its accumulation along food chains has been poorly studied in birds. The Barn owl (Tyto alba) is an opportunistic and nocturnal apex predator feeding mostly on small mammals. In this note, we reported evidence of microplastics (MPs) contamination in Barn owl pellets collected, for the first time, in two sites with different levels of anthropization (low: natural landscape mosaic vs. high extensive croplands). The following polymers have been recorded: polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), expanded polyester (EPS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyester (PL), viscose, and starch-based biopolymer. We found significant higher MPs frequency in the most anthropized site. Our results suggest that pellet’ analysis may represent a cost-effective method for monitoring MP contamination along food chains in terrestrial ecosystems

A Psychometric Evaluation of the Achievement Emotion Questionnaire - Short Version in the Context of Italian Physical Education

Emotional states are fundamentally related to cognitive processes such as attention, perception, memory and learning, and they play a very important role in helping to assess daily challenges. Thus, we need tools that measure emotions in the context of Physical Education. In this study, we adapted and tested the factor structure of the Achievement Emotion Questionnaire – Short Version (AEQ-SV) in the Italian physical education context. We administered the AEQ-SV to 867 participants (M age = 16.43 years, SD = 1.23) enrolled in Italian physical education classes to analyze the questionnaire’s psychometric properties using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM), an internal reliability analysis, and a criterion validity analysis. The AEQ-SV subscales consisted of eight emotions and 32 items. Reliability analyses revealed acceptable fit indices and adequate temporal stability. Linear regression analysis showed that positive emotions positively predicted academic performance, while negative emotions negatively predicted academic performance. These results are in line with research on the original scale, and these data support the use of the AEQ-SV in the Italian educational context