Integration of functional and traditional food in emerging markets. Regulatory and substantive aspects of yerba mate and quinoa

Given the rising cost of healthcare, the increase in life expectancy and the wish for a better quality of life, the request for foods and beverages producing a beneficial effect on health has increased worldwide. “Functional food” is a new concept and may play a key role in diseases’ prevention and management. Although its meaning is currently under definition, its role in global health improvement is growing constantly. This article aims at giving a description of existing legislation on functional food in South America, identifying future directions for health and marketing policies. Furthermore, authors provide a literature revision on two products widely consumed in Latin American countries: Yerba Mate and Quinoa. Thanks to their beneficial health effects in terms of disease prevention and promotion of well-being, they may be considered as functional foods with a potential key role in health care

The Involvement of the Taxpayer in the Public Administration Decision

The relationship between taxpayers and Tax Authority and the involvement of the taxpayer in the public administration decision is a very important area of investigation in Italian tax law. This relationship is based on equity and cooperation in good faith, which stems from constitutional principles, such as the principle of sound administration (Art. 97 Italian Constitution), fairness and solidarity (Art. 3 Italian Constitution). Therefore, Tax Authority must exercise his control and assessment powers in compliance with such principles. The fundamental expression of the involvement of the taxpayer in the public administration decision is the “right to be heard”, intended as anticipation of the future activities of the administration. Precisely, it is a phase of research, acquisition and assessment of the evidence and of any other information which may facilitate a better reconstruction of the application of the tax (“presupposto”). In these terms, the “right to be heard” is an implementing tool for taxpayer’s right of defense and for best practice in the public administration. Therefore, it should be mandatory, always and in any case, in accordance with art. 3 and art. 97 of Italian Constitution, and with European law. However, this assumption is not found to be peaceful

L’effetto della liberalizzazione ferroviaria sulle politiche di prezzo delle compagnie aeree e ferroviarie. Evidenze preliminari sui principali collegamenti ad Alta Velocità in Italia

Il mercato italiano del trasporto ferroviario passeggeri è stato recentemente caratterizzato dall'ingresso di un nuovo operatore nel settore dell'Alta Velocità, Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV). L'ingresso di NTV ha stimolato sia la concorrenza intramodale con l’incumbent Trenitalia sia la concorrenza intermodale con le compagnie aeree. Il presente lavoro si propone di studiare le strategie di pricing nel mercato del trasporto passeggeri, con il duplice l'obiettivo di esplorare l'effetto della concorrenza intramodale sulle tariffe degli operatori ferroviari - applicate sulle principali rotte Italiane servite dall’Alta Velocità (AV) - e di analizzare l'effetto della concorrenza intermodale sulle strategie di prezzo delle compagnie aeree. I risultati dell'analisi evidenziano che le due compagnie ferroviarie che operano nel segmento AV pongono in essere una politica di prezzo strategica, sebbene eterogenea fra le rotte. Inoltre, le compagnie aeree riducono in misura consistente le tariffe quando operano in concorrenza diretta con i servizi ad AV

Proceedings of a Workshop on "Nanotechnology for the agricultural sector: from research to the field"

Innovation is at the centre of the EU's growth strategy for the coming decade (EU2020). New technologies and their adoption by EU farmers are essential in maintaining European agriculture competitive in a global world. Within this context, nanotechnology represents an innovative technology with great potentials in many areas of applications as diverse as medicine, biotechnology, electronics, materials science and energy technologies. Furthermore, nanotechnology is showing a great potential in the agricultural sector, in particular for the development of more precise and effective methods for disease diagnosis and treatment in crop plants. The purpose of the workshop "Workshop on nanotechnology for the agricultural sector: from research to the field", held at JRC-IPTS (Seville) on 21st and 22nd November 2013, is to review the state-of-the-art of R&D of nanotechnology for the agricultural sector and to analyse possible markets and commercial pipeline of products. The scope is on nanotech-based products with applications in crop production (e.g. applications in plant protection products, fertilisation, soil structure, nano-sensors for biotic and abiotic stresses). This workshop brought together leading scientists, key stakeholders and experts, in order to promote the presentation of research and industry results and the discussion of experiences.JRC.J.4-Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Econom

Interpreting historic and cultural landscapes. Potential and risks in Geographical information Systems building for knowledge and management

The paper discusses potentials and limits of Geographical Information Systems in supporting the territorialization of multidisciplinary landscape analysis for the management of a World Heritage Site on the basis of several studies carried out about cultural landscapes in a spatial-planning perspective (Landscape Atlases, Regional Landscape Plans,…) On behalf of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, a multidisciplinary team of experts in historic features, built heritage and landscape studies has developed the analysis on the UNESCO serial Site "Residences of the Royal House of Savoy" to identify a strategic vision for the management of this complex system (12 properties, 7,000 hectares). Applying a landscape approach has implied: • developing a set of sectoral analysis sound from a disciplinary point of view but suitable to a direct comparison with existing lists of assets, which derive from several regulative and planning instruments; • extending expert analysis beyond the administrative boundaries of the WHL (property and buffer zone) to highlight fundamental relationships between the protected area and its territorial surroundings. The GIS must offer a response by: • returning experts' multidisciplinary analysis without losing the additional interpretative level arising from a holistic view. • highlighting landscape historic, scenic and environmental relations trespassing traditional WHL properties facilitating connections with broader land management. The discussion concerns the methodological approach proposed for a GIS responding to landscape-oriented research calling for the legibility/consultation of the single mapped features within the complex system in which each one finds its proper meaning. Examples concerning multiple landscape relations between WHL Site and its landscape are given as well as issues concerning their geographical representation. Final considerations will stress both the benefits and the risks of the coexistence of different data collections (strictly descriptive or management-oriented) within the same web-GIS, potentially leading to ambiguity. The proposed method is addressed to all cases of protected sites management plans encompassing cultural landscapes

Agricultural Nanotechnologies: What are the current possibilities?

Nanotechnology is recognised by the European Commission as one of its six "Key Enabling Technologies" that contribute to sustainable competitiveness and growth in several industrial sectors. The current challenges of sustainability, food security and climate change are engaging researchers in exploring the field of nanotechnology as new source of key improvements for the agricultural sector. However, concrete contributions are still uncertain. Despite the numerous potential advantages of nanotechnology and the growing trends in publications and patents, agricultural applications have not yet made it to the market. Several factors could explain the scarcity of commercial applications. On the one hand, industry experts stress that agricultural nanotechnology does not demonstrate a sufficient economic return to counterbalance the high initial production investments. On the other hand, new nanotech regulation in the EU might create regulatory uncertainty for products already on the market and affect public perception. However, recent studies demonstrate that public opinion is not negative towards nanotechnology and that the introduction on the market of nanotech products with clear benefits will likely drive consumer acceptance of more sensitive applications. The rapid progress of nanotechnology in other key industries may over time be transferred to agricultural applications as well, and facilitate their development

An integrated geodetic and InSAR technique for the monitoring and detection of active faulting in southwestern Sicily

We present the results of the analysis of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and InSAR (Interferometric synthetic-aperture radar) data collected in the frame of a project financed by the “Struttura Terremoti” of INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia). Combined investigations pointed out for potential seismogenic sources for destructive earthquakes recorded in southwestern Sicily, including the 1968 Belice earthquake sequence and that supposed to have destroyed the Greek city of Selinunte which, according to geoarcheological data experienced two earthquakes in historical times. Our approach is aimed to evaluate the current deformation rate in SW Sicily and to improve the knowledge about the seismic potential of this area. The geodetic data proposed in this paper show that the Campobello di Mazara–Castelvetrano alignment (CCA) is currently deforming with a vertical and horizontal displacements of 2 mm/yr and 0.5 mm/yr respectively, according to the tectonic setting of the are