Forme e usi del territorio. Indizi dalle fonti epigrafiche

This paper attempts to address the definition of land and territory in Sicily in some of its different forms – political entity, space of several cultural entities, place of exchange and economic production, civic space with multiple functions - through the study of three significant epigraphic evidence produced between the Archaic and Hellenistic periods. The documents analysed are a contract from Olympia (Dubois, I.Sicile I, no. 28; 530-500 BCE); a sales contract from around Gela (Arena, Iscrizioni I, no. 77; 500-470 BCE) and a sales contract from Camarina (Dubois, I.Sicile I, no. 124; c. 300 BCE)

The optimization of crop response to climatic stress through modulation of plant stress response mechanisms. Opportunities for biostimulants and plant hormones to meet climate challenges

This review discusses the use of agronomic management practices to enhance crop stress resilience to climate stress through the modulation of natural plant growth regulatory pathways. The use of biostimulants or plant hormones to improve crop resilience is subject to strict regulatory oversight if changes in the regulation of plant growth are implied. Climate change is a major threat to crop potential and is characterized by both long-term shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns as well as increased occurrence of extreme weather events, posing an immediate threat to agriculture. Breeding and exogenous inputs have been used to enhance cropping system resilience, although these management practices are either too slow or constrained by cost and availability, to address rapidly emerging climate challenges. Exogenous biostimulants, microbials and plant hormones have shown great promise as novel mechanisms to optimize natural plant resilience, resulting in immediate but non-permanent improvements in plant responses to climate-induced stresses, representing a powerful but underexplored approach to enhance crop productivity under climate stress. The use of these exogenous inputs is, however, constrained by outdated and scientifically unsound regulations that consider any such modification as pesticidal in nature. The failure to modernize regulatory frameworks for the use of biostimulants in agriculture will constrain the development of safe effective tools and deprive growers of means to respond to climate change. Here, we discuss the scientific rationale for eliminating the regulatory barriers governing biostimulants or products that modulate plant regulatory networks and propose a framework for enabling legislation to strengthen cropping system resilience

Corrupted Authority and Transgressive Villains in Young Adult Dystopias

This article examines how authority and transgression are dramatised through villainous figures in contemporary Young Adult (YA) dystopias, focusing on Coriolanus Snow in Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games saga (2008-2010; prequel 2020), Scythe Goddard in Neal Shusterman’s Scythe (2016) and Thaddeus Valentine in Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines (2001). While classic dystopias of the twentieth century often culminated in bleak warnings, YA dystopias oscillate between despair and hope, offering what Sambell (2003) terms “critical utopias”: spaces where resistance remains possible. By foregrounding adolescent perspectives, these narratives transform villains into catalysts for ethical inquiry, forcing protagonists and their readers to interrogate the legitimacy of power. Snow weaponises scarcity and humiliation, Goddard reframes death as spectacle and Valentine cloaks violence in paternal respectability. Read through theoretical lenses including Arendt, Foucault and Girard, these figures illustrate how authority is rehearsed, corrupted and finally destabilised. More than narrative antagonists, they shape adolescent subjectivity by modelling the costs and limits of rebellion. Beyond the fictional realm, YA dystopias resonate with contemporary youth activism. From Fridays for Future to the March for Our Lives and the Umbrella Movement, young people mobilise across borders using performative strategies reminiscent of dystopian protagonists. Social media and emerging technologies, though susceptible to authoritarian control, are equally repurposed for solidarity, critique and storytelling. YA dystopias thus function not as escapist fantasies but as affective rehearsals for civic engagement, equipping readers with frameworks to recognise corruption, resist domination and reimagine the future as a contested terrain of possibility

Next generation multi-element monolithic Germanium detectors for spectroscopy: First integration at ESRF facility

The XAFS-DET work package of the European LEAPS-INNOV project is developing high-purity Germanium detectors for synchrotron applications requiring spectroscopic-grade response. The detectors integrate three key features: (1) newly designed monolithic Germanium sensors optimized to mitigate charge-sharing events, (2) an improved cooling and mechanical design structure supported by thermal simulations, and (3) complete electronic chain featuring a low-noise CMOS technology based preamplifier, enabling high X-ray count rate capability over a broad energy range (5–100 keV). This paper discusses the first integration and characterization of one of the two multi-element Ge detectors at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). The integration phase included validating high-throughput front-end electronics, integrating them with the Ge sensor, and operating them at liquid nitrogen temperature, in addition to the experimental characterization, which consists of electronics noise study and spectroscopic performance evaluation

Structural purification of technical lignins via fractional dissolution using non-azeotropic solvent mixtures

Two technical lignins, a softwood kraft lignin (SKL) and a wheat straw organosolv lignin (WSOSL) were fractionated using a Soxhlet extractor that was connected to a piston pump for solvent movement such that Soxhlet extraction using non-azeotropic solvent mixtures was feasible. Fractionation of the lignins using such solvent mixtures that could be tuned in terms of hydrogen-bond acceptor and donor characteristics and polarities yielded novel fractions not accessible in standard Soxhlet-based fractionations. Two SKL fractions could be obtained applying aqueous acetone that displayed homogeneous structural characteristics while differing significantly in molecular weights. WSOSL could be gradually purified, allowing for the generation of a rather pure lignin carbohydrate complex (LCC) fraction and a purified high molecular weight lignin fraction

Passeggiando con Glauco a Venezia. Una mitologia letteraria sul presente

The contribution focuses on the image of Venice that emerges from literature, cinema, and TV series in recent decades. Three cultural models are identified and defined with three figures taken from Greek mythology: Dionysus (1980-2000), which was the time of a Venice immersed in luxury and lust; Narcissus (2000-2020), which was the time of a different, private Venice, seemingly far from its most well-known image; and Glaucus (2020-present), in which Venice becomes a meeting point for universal archetypes valid for the whole world

Craft-based experiences to revitalize touristic urban centers: the Venetian case study

Craft enterprises can play a crucial role in revitalizing urban centers generating positive externalities for local communities and territorial ecosystems from both economic and social perspectives. Their impact can benefit from the increasing interest among tourists in search of authentic interactions with local SMEs. This paper introduces a literature review framing culture-based regeneration projects as initiatives aimed at promoting territorial heritage, local know-how, working practices, and overall local attractiveness. Craft businesses can indeed play a pivotal role in this context, especially when their offerings combine educational features and tailored services that respond to the curiosity of an increasingly sophisticated tourist demand. The analysis of three case studies involving craft enterprises in Venice’s historic center illustrates the links between craftsmanship, territorial economic growth, social benefits, and enhanced city attractiveness. The chapter aims to demonstrate that through strategic management consulting and effective ecosystem integration, it is possible to foster urban and social regeneration, leveraging local and mindful touristic demand

Social innovation and networking in tourism: insights from case studies in Northeast Italy

This chapter explores the role of networks in social innovation in tourism (SIT), focusing on their capacity to foster inclusive and sustainable practices. Drawing on the concept of structural embeddedness, it highlights how networks mediate between individual actions and institutional frameworks. Using a mixed methods approach, including literature review, desk research, and 39 qualitative interviews, the study analyzes two case studies: Bassano del Grappa and the Trentino province. Findings show that networks, particularly those linked to festivals and local heritage, enhance collaboration, trust, and innovation across urban and rural contexts. Brokers and stakeholder engagement emerge as key elements in shaping effective and resilient networks. The research underscores the importance of balancing inclusive and specialized initiatives and calls for policies that support community-driven collaboration. Understanding how networks evolve and generate both tangible and intangible outcomes contributes to advancing SIT as a tool for local regeneration and long-term community development. The chapter concludes by highlighting the theoretical and practical implications

Chiseling Connections. Architecture and Epigraphy between Corinth and Syracuse

Official epigraphy on stone differs significantly from more spontaneous forms, such as writing on pottery sherds or vessels. Stone epigraphy demands specialized knowledge of stonemasonry, access to appropriate tools, and dedicated workspaces. This points to organised workshops with masters and apprentices, and raises the question of whether stone inscribers shared their expertise with other stoneworkers, or if they were, in some periods (particularly in the Archaic period), not solely letter-carvers, but also skilled in various forms of stonework, including architectural masonry and sculpture. Our contribution examines stone-working practices in architecture and epigraphy between Corinth and Syracuse, adopting a truly interdisciplinary approach and the anthropological concept of 'community of practice'

Una relación temporal de “simultaneidad coextensiva delimitada” en las variedades contemporáneas del español: dialectología y análisis de por mientras / para mientras

This paper examines a Spanish temporal connective that has been paid no attention in grammatical studies: por mientras / para mientras. The study has two main goals. The first one aims at establishing the geographical distribution of these expressions in contemporary Spanish varieties. The second objective attempts to advance a first preliminary description of the functions and uses of this connective. The starting point of the analysis deals with the hypothesis that theses essentially synonymous temporal expressions convey a relationship of “delimited coextensive simultaneity”. According to this hypotesis, the connective combines the durative properties of mientras (‘while’) and the delimitative characteristic feature of hasta (‘until’). These mixed properties collocates the connective in an intermediate zone. Tha analysys is based on data drawn from Corpus del español, although samples extracted from other databases will contribute to complete the sociodialectal distribution