Up the nose of the beholder? Aesthetic perception in olfaction as a decision-making process

Is the sense of smell a source of aesthetic perception? Traditional philosophical aesthetics has centered on vision and audition but eliminated smell for its subjective and inherently affective character. This article dismantles the myth that olfaction is an unsophisticated sense. It makes a case for olfactory aesthetics by integrating recent insights in neuroscience with traditional expertise about flavor and fragrance assessment in perfumery and wine tasting. My analysis concerns the importance of observational refinement in aesthetic experience. I argue that the active engagement with stimulus features in perceptual processing shapes the phenomenological content, so much so that the perceptual structure of trained smelling varies significantly from naive smelling. In a second step, I interpret the processes that determine such perceptual refinement in the context of neural decision-making processes, and I end with a positive outlook on how research in neuroscience can be used to benefit philosophical aesthetics

Land use change in the Veneto floodplain and consequences on minor network drainage system

Anthropic pressure has been proven to be one of the most evident forces able to alter landscapes. Its impact on the surroundings can be easily detectable especially in a high-density populated country such as Italy. Among the most evident anthropic alterations, the most important are the urbanization processes but also changes in cultural techniques that have been occurring in rural areas. These modifications influence the hydrologic regimes in two ways: by modifying the direct runoff production and by having a strong impact on the drainage system itself. The main objectives of this work are to evaluate the impact of land cover changes in the Veneto region (north-east Italy) on the minor drainage network system, and to analyze changes in the direct runoff in the last 50 years. The study area is a typical agrarian landscape and it has been chosen considering its involvement in the major flood of 2010 and considering also the availability of data, including historical aerial photographs, historical information, and a high resolution LiDAR DTM. The results underline how land cover variations over the last 50 years have strongly increased the propension of the soil to produce direct runoff (increase of the Curve Number value) and they have also reduced the extent of the minor network system to the detriment of urbanized areas and changes of plots of land boundaries. As a consequence, the capacity of the minor network to attenuate and eventually laminate a flood event is decreased as well. These analysis can be considered useful tools for a suitable land use planning in flood prone areas

Subsidence zonation through satellite interferometry in coastal plain environments of ne italy: A possible tool for geological and geomorphological mapping in Urban Areas

The main aim of this paper is to test the use of multi-temporal differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR) techniques as a tool for geological and geomorphological surveys in urban areas, where anthropogenic features often completely obliterate landforms and surficial deposits. In the last two decades, multi-temporal DInSAR techniques have been extensively applied to many topics of Geosciences, especially in geohazard analysis and risks assessment, but few attempts have been made in using differential subsidence for geological and geomorphological mapping. With this aim, interferometric data of an urbanized sector of the Venetian-Friulian Plain were considered. The data derive by permanent scatterers InSAR processing of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images acquired by ERS 1/2, ENVISAT, COSMO SKY-Med and Sentinel-1 missions from 1992 to 2017. The obtained velocity maps identify, with high accuracy, the border of a fluvial incised valley formed after the last glacial maximum (LGM) and filled by unconsolidated Holocene deposits. These consist of lagoon and fluvial sediments that are affected by a much higher subsidence than the surrounding LGM deposits forming the external plain. Displacement time-series of localized sectors inside the post-LGM incision allowed the causes of vertical movements to be explored, which consist of the consolidation of recent deposits, due to the loading of new structures and infrastructures, and the exploitation of the shallow phreatic aquifer

Including Urban Metabolism Principles in Decision-Making: A Methodology for Planning Waste and Resource Management

Circular economy and urban metabolism concepts have recently received great attention both in the political and academic arenas, starting a roll-over process of the \u201ctake, make, and dispose\u201d dominant economic model that is leading to an ongoing increase of resource consumption and waste generation. However, there is a relative lack of guidelines for introducing such concepts in a decision-making process able to support the design of appropriate policies and strategies and the definition of specific actions to cope with such challenges. This paper attempts to contribute to the recent efforts at incorporating these concepts in policy and decision-making processes by providing a methodology for the development of strategic plans for waste prevention and resource management. The proposed methodology, developed within the Urban_WINS project, combines different quantitative\u2013analytical and qualitative methods and tools, together with a participatory process. The methodology was tested in eight EU cities and allowed to formulate several measures and actions aimed at addressing the challenges posed by the current consumption patterns. Moreover, the participatory approach led to the legitimization of the strategic plans, as well as to raise awareness among stakeholders. Although it might require specific tailor-made adjustments, this methodology is suitable to be replicated in other contexts

Outra versão da história : empresas, direitos humanos e práticas tributárias a partir de uma lente de gênero

Orientadora: Prof.ª Dr.ª Melina Girardi FachinCoorientadora: Prof.ª Dr.ª Danielle Anne PamplonaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Jurídicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Direito. Defesa : Curitiba, 19/07/2021Inclui referências: p. 166-180Área de concentração: Direito Humanos e DemocraciaResumo: A relação entre a igualdade de gênero, direitos humanos, empresas e práticas fiscais tem ponto de contato no desenho de políticas fiscais e planejamento tributário que aumentam o poder econômico de empresas ao passo que oneram desproporcionalmente as mulheres. A presente dissertação tem como objetivo investigar, a partir do marco conceitual de Direitos Humanos e Empresas, os efeitos da perda de recursos dos Estados por ausência de pagamento de impostos de empresas, seja em razão de abusos fiscais cometidos por corporações, ou por benefícios fiscais concedidos por países visando atrair investimento. O fio condutor da análise será a igualdade substancial de gênero, compreendida como a igualdade social política e econômica entre homens e mulheres. Neste sentido, busca demonstrar a necessidade de uma dimensão de gênero aos Princípios Orientadores sobre Empresas e Direitos Humanos em razão do impacto desproporcional sofrido por mulheres, como resultado das práticas tributárias adotadas pela atividade empresarial transnacional, devido à discriminação interseccional. A realização da igualdade substancial demanda, portanto, investimentos de políticas públicas, as quais são majoritariamente custeadas pelo pagamento de impostos. De igual sorte, a ausência de políticas públicas impactará em maior medida as mulheres. A partir desta ligação que o direito tributário servirá de ferramenta de análise, lido a partir do human rights approach. Desta sorte, a análise proposta será conduzida a partir de levantamento bibliográfico que permita a conciliação das três temáticas propostas. Palavras-chave: Direitos Humanos e Empresas; Igualdade de gênero; Políticas fiscais e tributárias; Abusos fiscais; Privilégios fiscais.Abstract: The relation between gender equality, human rights, corporations and tax resides on the design of fiscal policies and tax planning that increases the economic power of companies however, diminishes women's rights. The present dissertation investigates, parting from the conceptual mark of Business and Human Rights, the effects of the loss of resources by the States due to the lack of tax payments by corporations because of tax abuse or tax incentives given by States to attract investment. The guiding thread of the analysis will be substantial gender equality, meaning the social, political and economic equality between man and women. Thus, the objective is to demonstrate the necessity of a gender dimension of the Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights because of the disproportional impact suffered by women, because of intersectional discrimination and tax practices adopted by the transnational business activity. The realization of substantial equality demands, therefore, investment in public policies, which are mostly funded by tax payment. Likewise, the lack of public policies will affect women to a greater extent. Tax law with serve as an instrument of analysis based on this connection, interpreted from a human rights approach. For this means, the proposed analyses will be conducted by bibliographical research that enables the connection of the three proposed themes. Keywords: Business and Human Rights; Gender equality; Fiscal and tax policies; Tax abuse; Tax privilege

Nuts and Bolts : Microfluidics for the Production of Biomaterials

Nanotechnology holds the promise of bringing revolutionary therapeutic strategies into the clinic. However, an enormous fraction of the currently proposed nanotechnology-based therapies suffers from lack of reproducibility, complexity, high costs, and scale-up-related issues. For these reasons, the research community is moving toward the miniaturization of biomaterials and fabrication methods. Customizable microfluidic-based products have gained tremendous relevance in the development of biomedical technologies. This review provides an overview of different materials that can be used for the fabrication of microfluidic devices, as well as the other parameters influencing the production of biomaterials and biosensors. Moreover, several advanced microfluidic-based technologies that are designed to overcome the current challenges of cancer, immunotherapy, and diabetes therapy, among others are described. Then, the pros and cons of microfluidics as alternative to conventional preparation methods, and the challenges of translating this technique to an industrial context are highlighted. Overall, microfluidic technologies and their accessibility to the research community offer a set of exciting opportunities to bridge the development of innovative therapies and their commercialization in the foreseeable future.Peer reviewe