Reconstructing the Late Pleistocene – Anthropocene interaction between the neotectonic and archaeological landscape evolution in the Apennines (La Sassa cave, Italy)

Caves are one of the most conservative environments on Earth, where archaeological, anthropological,climatic and tectonic data can be well-preserved. Here, we present the results of a multidisciplinarymethod that allowed us to recognize, for thefirst time in this area, the interaction between Late Pleis-tocene to Anthropocene neotectonic and archaeological evolutionary stages of a cave of the Apennines(La Sassa cave), that encompass also its surroundings (Volsci Range and Pontina Plain). Both structuraland 3D survey highlighted a step-wise shape of the cave due to normal fault steps that allowed thelocalized formation of concretions also enveloping archaeological layers. Sixteen14C ages on fauna andhuman bonds and thousands of archaeologicalfinds provided chronological constraints of faulting in theLate Pleistocene and possibly also after the Middle Bronze Age. In the frame of a region that was notpreviously recognized as tectonically active, the structural evidence is relevant for understanding thespeleogenesis of the cave from the Late Pleistocene and its human occupation. Burial and ritual activitiesin the cave from the Copper Age to the Middle Bronze Age have been recognized with implications onpossible settlement pattern schemes with the La Sassa cave as a“persistent place”in the prehistorichuman landscape. The analyses of the ceramic style in a regional framework also suggests the presenceof a cultural boundary near La Sassa, which becomes highly osmotic just after the beginning of theMiddle Bronze Age. The La Sassafindings provide as well implications for the seismic hazard assessmentin a region inhabited by about 0.4 million peopl

A Precise Measurement of the Weak Mixing Angle in Neutrino-Nucleon Scattering

We report a precise measurement of the weak mixing angle from the ratio of neutral current to charged current inclusive cross-sections in deep-inelastic neutrino-nucleon scattering. The data were gathered at the CCFR neutrino detector in the Fermilab quadrupole-triplet neutrino beam, with neutrino energies up to 600 GeV. Using the on-shell definition, ${\rm sin ^2\theta_W} \equiv 1 - \frac{{\rm M_W} ^2}{{\rm M_Z} ^2}$, we obtain ${\rm sin ^2\theta_W} = 0.2218 \pm 0.0025 ({\rm stat.}) \pm 0.0036 ({\rm exp.\: syst.}) \pm 0.0040 ({\rm model})$.Comment: 10 pages, Nevis Preprint #1498 (Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett.

Data approximation strategies between generalized line scales and the influence of labels and spacing

Comparing sensory data gathered using different line scales is challenging. We tested whether adding internal labels to a generalized visual analog scale (gVAS) would improve comparability to a typical generalized labeled magnitude scale (gLMS). Untrained participants evaluated cheeses using one of four randomly assigned scales. Normalization to a cross‐modal standard and/or two gLMS transformations were applied to the data. Response means and distributions were lower for the gLMS than the gVAS, but no difference in resolving power was detected. The presence of labels, with or without line markings, caused categorical‐like lumping of responses. Closer low‐end label spacing for gLMS increased influenced participants to mark near higher intensity labels when they were evaluating low‐intensity samples. Although normalization reduced differences between scales, neither transformation nor normalization was supported as appropriate gLMS/gVAS approximation strategies. This study supports previous observations that neither scale offers a systematic advantage and that participant usage differences limit direct scale comparisons

Can information affect sensory perceptions? Evidence from a survey on Italian organic food consumers

This paper aims to investigate the influence of information on consumers’ preferences and sensory perceptions of organic food using a sample of 301 Italian organic food consumers. Consumers stated their preferences for “core organic” attributes, labels and information on food products and performed blind and informed tests on strawberry yoghurts and cookies. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis, Mann-Whitney U tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results revealed that consumers appreciate “core organic” attributes, like artisanal production and variability of sensory attributes. Comparing blind and informed tests, results showed that information affects the overall liking of products and consumers’ perception of product-specific sensory attributes. However, the influence of information on sensory perceptions depends on the product category, sensory attributes and the type of information provided

Does corporate reputation matter? Role of social media in consumer intention to purchase innovative food product

The exponential growth of the corporate reputation in food industry has resulted in innovations in every link of its supply chain. There have been studies that have characterized innovation in various industries from the perspective of technology, but far fewer in the area of corporate reputation, consumer perception, and intention towards innovations in food products. This research analyses the innovations in the food industry from the perspective of the consumer and provides a conceptual framework of food innovation stages. The study also investigates the relationship between corporate reputation and intention towards food innovation along with the other components of TPB model with an extension of social media engagement. The results from India and US samples confirm that social media engagement have a significant role to play in creating intention to purchase innovative food products. The study compares the US and Indian samples and identifies differences in subjective norms and perceived behavioural control

Regional differences in portion size consumption behaviour: Insights for the global food industry

Abstract: Given the influence of globalization on consumer food behaviour across the world, the purpose of this paper is to contribute to the theoretical discourse around food portion size as a global consumption-related symbol and its underlying socio-economic drivers for food industry strategy. Overall, 25,000 global food consumers were surveyed across 24 countries to elicit insight on portion size consumption behaviour as well as consumer perception on eating and drinking small portion size within selected socio-economic classes. The data was quantitatively analysed to answer the pertinent research objectives. In 20 out of the 24 global markets surveyed, large food portion size was statistically established as a prevalent consumption-related symbol. The paper found that there are regional differences in portion size food consumption behaviour, and further disparities exist across age, gender and income status in 24 countries covering all regions, including Australia, China, Mexico, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America. The outlined food industry implications reveal that adaptation and standardisation strategies are still relevant in global food and nutrition strategy as revealed by the variations in the preference for food portion sizes across various countries of the world

Sensory and Instrumental Texture Properties of Flaked and Formed Beef

Four experiments were conducted to assess the sensory textural properties, consumer acceptability and instrumental-sensory correlates of flaked and formed beef steaks. In Experiment 1, the effects of additions of NaCI, TPP and soy isolate on the texture of steaks were examined using a trained texture profile panel, and the texture of these steaks was compared to that of intact muscle (ribeye) steaks. Results showed large differences between the flaked and formed samples and the ribeye steak, as contrasted to small differences among the flaked and formed samples treated with different levels of NaCI, TPP and/or soy isolate. In Experiments 2 and 3 the effect of flake size on the texture of flaked and formed beef was examined . In Experiment 2, instrumental shear data and SEM data were col lected and compared to the sensory data. In Experiment 3, a comparison was made of the texture of these products to both ribeye steak and ground beef patties. Systematic differences in a variety of textural attributes were observed as a function of flake-size. In general, the smallest flake-size produced a texture most like ground beef, whereas certain intermediate and large flake sizes produced a texture most like whole muscle steak. Simple and multiple linear regression equations were established between sensory and shear stress measures on these steaks, and these data, combined with the SEM data, suggested that tenderization of these meats is attributable to mechanical disruption of the tissue and not to an enzymatic process. In Experiment 4, a consumer test was conducted to assess the effect of flake -size on the acceptability of flaked and formed steaks, and to assess consumer perception of the similarity of the texture of these products to other beef products. Although few significant differences in the acceptability of the flaked and formed products were observed, maximal acceptability ratings were found for the intermediate flake sizes. In addition, it was found that consumers do not associate the texture of flaked and formed steaks with any one of a variety of traditional beef products