Strategic mapping of cultural and creative industries. The case of the Veneto region

Issue and Argument: What are the real and potential boundaries of cultural enterprise? How can we restore economic value and, at the same time, cultural value through the definition of a sector that seems to have no fixed borders? This paper intends to open up a reflection on the boundaries of the cultural industry, the nature of the chosen business and how the sector can become the hub in the dynamics of local development, innovation and competitiveness within the territory of reference. The concentric circles model will be the basis for a strategic mapping of the cultural and creative sector, realized starting from the funding calls for the sector in the Italian Veneto region. The Throsby's model is derived from the principle that cultural content is free from incorporating creative ideas into the production of goods, and that such ideas arise from the primary arts (music, theatre, dance, visual arts and literature). These make up the heart of the cultural industries, while the surrounding circles represent the ideas and influences that these creative activities radiate. The results of the strategic mapping will be put into dialogue with a new idea of entrepreneurship, which in part excludes the Core creative arts, i.e. the primary arts

Models for Art & Business Cooperation

This article aims to identify theoretical profiles and empirical evidence that have guided, in recent years, the study of artistic interventions in organizations. Based on 24 case studies carried out by the MacLab (Laboratory for the management of arts and cultures) of the Ca' Foscari University of Venice, and interviews conducted with the protagonists, artists, and companies of these interactions, we have identified art-based models capable of defining how collaboration between art and companies could take place. These theoretical models are compared with the case studies previously explored in order to analyze the impact of and the way in which the arts create a relationship with the corporate sphere. Finally, potential lines of research are outlined that could be useful to define optimal methods of collaboration between the art and business sectors, to strengthen interactions between both, and to ensure an impact on the medium to long-term development of both parties involved

Development of a non-chemical RNAi-based strategy for Amaranthus hybridus L. weed management

Weeds are one of the major issues in cropping systems, responsible for significant yield losses. Herbicide applications are the most effective strategy to control weeds, but stricter legislation has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of herbicides available on the market. Furthermore, the recent European legislation on the sustainable use of pesticides will require farmers to drastically reduce chemical use over the next ten years while promoting integrated weed management strategies that improve environmental sustainability and lower the risks to animal and human health. In addition, the over-reliance on chemical control has resulted in the evolution of resistant biotypes. As a result, new technologies to effectively manage weeds and weed resistance should be developed. In this regard, the development of a non-chemical weed control strategy based on RNA interference (RNAi) technology could: i) represent a potential non-chemical weed control strategy, ii) provide an emerging GMO-free strategy for managing invasive and resistant weeds, and iii) provide a valid opportunity to go inside the molecular mechanisms of weed biology. In this study, the acetolactate synthase (ALS) gene of Amaranthus hybridus L. has been used as the target to assess the effectiveness and applicability of in-vitro synthesized double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) direct application for endogenous gene silencing and weed control. A. hybridus is a monoecious and self-pollinated weed that has evolved multiple resistance to herbicides with different sites of action, including ALS inhibitors, which are the most used herbicides in soybean. ALS represents an ideal target for the development and future application of dsRNA-mediated gene silencing because it is an intronless, nucleotide-stable, and single-copy gene. We have produced dsRNAs of various lengths (ranging from 218 to 460bp) targeting three distinct ALS regions: the 5’- and 3’-ends, and a central region. dsRNAs molecules were transcribed in-vitro by T7 RNA polymerase and externally applied to the abaxial leaf surface of A. hybridus plants at 4-6 true leaves developmental stage by: i) mechanical inoculation, or ii) high-pressure spraying. Despite the expression of ALS gene transcripts was found to be lightly downregulated when synthetic 2 ALS-dsRNAs were applied, no phenotypic effects were observed. Our current research focuses on the determination of the effectiveness of ALS-dsRNAs silencing using agroinfiltration techniques, and on dsRNAs delivery techniques through the use of nanomaterials to maximize the effectiveness of gene silencing by exogenous dsRNAs application. This second approach was preliminary studied by RNA electrophoretic mobility of functionalized nanomaterial and by means of confocal microscopy on A. hybridus leaves. In parallel, we are examining the expression patterns of genes thought to be involved in the RNAi pathway in A. hybridus to verify if their expression is triggered by dsRNA applications

Target-site mutations and expression of als gene copies vary according to Echinochloa species

The sustainability of rice cropping systems is jeopardized by the large number and variety of populations of polyploid Echinochloa spp. resistant to ALS inhibitors. Better knowledge of the Echinochloa species present in Italian rice fields and the study of ALS genes involved in target- site resistance could significantly contribute to a better understanding of resistance evolution and management. Using a CAPS-rbcL molecular marker, two species, E. crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv. and E. oryzicola (Vasinger) Vasing., were identified as the most common species in rice in Italy. Mutations involved in ALS inhibitor resistance in the different species were identified and associated with the ALS homoeologs. The relative expression of the ALS gene copies was evaluated. Molecular characterization led to the identification of three ALS genes in E. crus-galli and two in E. oryzicola. The two species also carried different point mutations conferring resistance: Ala122Asn in E. crus-galli and Trp574Leu in E. oryzicola. Mutations were carried in the same gene copy (ALS1), which was significantly more expressed than the other copies (ALS2 and ALS3) in both species. These results explain the high resistance level of these populations and why mutations in the other ALS copies are not involved in herbicide resistance

The Italian Draft Law on the \u2018Provisions Concerning the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage\u2019

Intangible cultural heritage in Italy is still in need of a unified approach, capable of providing reliable criteria for identifying its assets and for indicating timescales and means by which they should be safeguarded. In the continued absence of up-to-date, ad hoc state legislation (since the content of those laws which do implement international Conventions is too generic in nature to be sufficiently effective), the Regions have proceeded to act in a somewhat scattered manner, giving rise to an extremely fragmented and very disorderly regulatory framework. The draft law N. 4486, "Provisions Concerning the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage", presented on 12th May 2017 at the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic - as the result of the work of an interdisciplinary and inter-university research team coordinated by Marco Giampieretti, who has drafted the final text with the collaboration of Simona Pinton - seeks to fill the serious void that exists in Italian legal system by aligning it to the principles of international and European law, by redirecting the relevant State and Regional legislation, and by satisfying the fundamental requirements of the national community

Who are the visitors of the art museums: Particularities of the publics of the weekends at the Art Museum of Tigre (Argentina)

Saber quiénes son sus visitantes es una de las principales tareas de los museos en la actualidad, en la medida en que fluctúan entre ajustarse a las imposiciones del sistema capitalista y convertirse en instituciones democráticas y participativas. No obstante, este aspecto resulta aun más dificultoso en los museos de arte, en virtud de los atributos particulares de su estructura y actores. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo aproximar algunos criterios que permitan conocer quiénes son los visitantes de los museos de arte creados en Argentina desde el inicio del nuevo milenio. Dada la magnitud del desafío, se procura, con el foco puesto en un caso particular, trazar algunos lineamientos sostenidos en los enfoques teórico-críticos aplicados a la museología y en los estudios de públicos. En cuanto a lo metodológico, se recurrió a un estudio de visitantes que apeló a orientaciones cuantitativas y cualitativas, realizado en el Museo de Arte de Tigre durante 2017, centrado en los públicos del fin de semana. Se considera que, al indagar los rasgos singulares de esta entidad patrimonial, pueden identificarse algunos indicios que permitan comenzar a trazar un perfil, tanto general como específico, de los visitantes de los museos de arte.Knowing who its visitors are is one of the main tasks of museums today, as they fluctuate between conforming to the impositions of the capitalist system and becoming democratic and participatory institutions. However, this aspect is even more difficult in the arts museums because of the particular attributes of their structure and its diverse actors. The present work has as main object to bring near some criteria that may allow to know who are the visitors of the art museums in Argentina since the beginning of the new millennium. Given the extent of the challenge, we’ll try, focusing in a particular case, draw some guidelines sustained in the theorical-critical approaches applied to museology and studies of the publics. In terms of methodology, a visitor study was carried out at the Tigre Art Museum in 2017, using both quantitative and qualitative guidelines, focusing on weekend audiences. It is considered that, when we question the singularities of this entity, there are some indications that a general and specific profile of visitors to art museums can begin to be identified.Saber quem são seus visitantes é uma das principais tarefas dos museus na atualidade, na medida em que flutuam entre amoldar-se às imposições do sistema capitalista e converter-se em instituições democráticas e participativas. Não obstante, este aspecto resulta ainda mais dificultoso nos museus de arte, devido aos atributos particulares de sua estrutura e atores. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo aproximar alguns critérios que permitam conhecer quem são os visitantes dos museus de arte criados na Argentina desde o início do novo milênio. Dada a magnitude do desafio, e com o foco posto em um caso particular, buscou-se traçar alguns lineamentos sustentados nos enfoques teórico-críticos aplicados à museologia e nos estudos de públicos. Quanto à metodologia, a pesquisa teve como base um estudo de visitantes que apelou a orientações quantitativas e qualitativas, realizado no Museu de Arte de Tigre durante o ano de 2017, focado nos públicos de fim de semana. Considera-se que, ao indagarmos os traços singulares desta entidade, podem ser identificados alguns indícios que permitam começar a esboçar um perfil, tanto geral quanto específico, dos visitantes dos museus de arte.Fil: Panozzo Zenere, Alejandra Gabriela. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Relaciones Internacionales. Instituto de Investigaciones. Centro de Investigaciones en Mediatizaciones; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; Argentin

Basis of herbicide resistance in two troublesome summer weeds, Echinochloa crus-galli and Sorghum halepense

Herbicide resistance is a worldwide problem and is evolving fast even in Italy, mainly in areas where monoculture and poor rotation of herbicide modes of action are common practices. Furthermore, reduction in number and diversity of active ingredients available due to the implementation of the EU regulations, as well as the widespread use of highly-active herbicide groups, which are target site specific, will increase the risk of resistance and make its management harder. The main guideline of my project was the multidisciplinary study of herbicide resistance in polyploid summer crop weeds in order to obtain information for a more responsible use of herbicides and new indications for the management. The research focused on two of the most troublesome weeds in summer crops: Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. infesting maize and rice in northern Italy and Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. infesting dicot crops in Italy and maize in Hungary. Both species have evolved resistance to two groups of selective herbicides, the acetil coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) inhibiting herbicides and the acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibiting herbicides. This study may have two important impacts: at practical level because these two weeds are becoming a big problem in the management of infested crops, and at scientific level because very few studies have been done on polyploid species for the difficulty to work with. The project evolved during the three years, starting from the screening of the putative resistant populations of each species and the determination of the resistance patterns and levels through dose-response experiments. Twenty two E. crus-galli populations resistant to ALS inhibitors (thirteen sampled in maize and nine in rice fields) and five E. crus-galli populations multiple-resistant to ALS and ACCase inhibitors in rice crops were confirmed. Furthermore, ten S. halepense populations were confirmed to be resistant to ALS inhibitors in maize fields (nine in Hungary and one in Italy) and five to ACCase inhibitors in dicot crops. This means that resistance to ALS inhibitors in E. crus-galli is spreading rapidly in Italy and it is particularly worrying where multiple resistance to ALS and ACCase inhibitors is present. Resistance to sulfonylureas, an ALS inhibitors chemical family, in S. halepense is instead rapidly spreading in some Hungarian regions. Resistance indexes calculated for ALS inhibitors resulted very high for all populations, indicating that a target-site resistance mechanism may be involved. Subsequently, the experiments diverged for the two species. For E. crus-galli the focus was the molecular and physiological basis of ALS inhibitors resistance, through several in vitro experiments. The Southern blotting analysis clearly showed the presence of multiple copies of the ALS gene in the genome of E. crus-galli. ALS enzyme activity bioassay showed high resistance levels to both ALS inhibitors tested, confirming that an altered target site was responsible for conferring resistance to this group of herbicides. A long and tedious work, due to the polyploid nature of the species and the paucity of information in the literature, allowed to obtain the first ALS gene sequence of E. crus-galli, which was published in GenBank database. Specific primers were designed on that the sequence and two or three plants for each populations were analyzed through cloning and phylogenetic trees designed on clone sequences. This procedure permitted to identify two clusters that were associated to the expressed ALS genes (ALS1 and ALS2). The “strong” mutation Trp-574-Leu, one of the most documented mutation proved to endow resistance to ALS inhibitors in several weed species, was detected in all the samples belonging the resistant populations, and it was always found in ALS1. A molecular marker, called AS-CAPS (Allele Specific - Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequences), was designed and validated for the rapid detection of the mutation 574, in homozygous or heterozygous status, in a large number of samples. For S. halepense, geophyte which reproduces even by seed, growth analysis experiments were designed in order to study the biomass allocation in these two reproductive organs of different biotypes (susceptible, ACCase inhibitors resistant, and ALS inhibitors resistant). Furthermore, the molecular bases of the two different types of resistance were partially investigated. Previous molecular analyses confirmed that in all of the ACCase inhibitors resistant populations included in the experiments, a single amino acid substitution Ile-2041-Asn had occurred. Analyses with the molecular marker Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequence (CAPS) 2041 confirmed the presence of this allelic variant in all the plants belonging the resistant populations. The three growth analysis experiments indicated that the resistance status of S. halepense is associated with different patterns of dry matter partitioning, at least for the ACCase inhibitors resistant populations having the Ile-2041-Leu allelic variant: the resistant biotype showed a lower panicles production, as well as seeds, and a higher ratio of biomass allocated below ground, due to their higher production of rhizomes. No clear differences were observed between the susceptible and the ALS resistant biotypes, probably due to the different type of resistance involved, i.e. two different mutation were detected, Trp-574-Leu in one population and Asp-376-Glu in another. Results were consistent when the same starting material was used. In particular, 2009 and 2011 experiments, where plants grew from rhizome buds, showed very comparable results. Some differences were, instead, detected in the 2010 experiment, where plants grew from seeds. Results showed as the overall situation of E. crus-galli in Italian rice crops is of great concern, due to the scarcity of effective herbicides with different modes of action available. It is very important to prevent at least the evolution of multiple resistant biotypes. This can only be pursued through the implementation of resistance management strategies based on real integrated weed management approach.La resistenza agli erbicidi è un problema a livello mondiale e sta evolvendo velocemente anche in Italia, in particolare nelle zone dove monocoltura e scarsa rotazione di erbicidi con diverso meccanismo d’azione sono pratiche comuni. Inoltre, a causa dell’implementazione dei regolamenti a livello Europeo e dell’ampio utilizzo di gruppi di erbicidi con sito d’azione altamente specifico, sta diminuendo il numero di principi attivi a disposizione, aumentando così il rischio di insorgenza di nuovi casi di resistenza e rendendo più difficoltosa la loro gestione. La linea guida principale del mio progetto è lo studio multidisciplinare della resistenza agli erbicidi in infestanti poliploidi di colture estive, allo scopo di ottenere informazioni utili per un uso più responsabile degli erbicidi e nuove indicazioni per la gestione della resistenza. In particolare sono state caratterizzate due delle malerbe più problematiche nelle colture estive: Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv., infestante di mais e riso in Nord Italia, e Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers., infestante di colture dicotiledoni in Italia e di mais in Ungheria. Entrambe le specie hanno sviluppato resistenza a due classi di erbicidi selettivi: gli inibitori dell’acetil coenzima A carbossilasi (ACCasi) e quelli dell’acetolattato sintasi (ALS). Gli scopi di questo lavoro sono molteplici, a livello pratico in quanto queste due specie stanno diventando un grosso problema nella gestione delle colture infestate e a livello scientifico poiché, vista la difficoltà di lavorarci, sono stati fatti pochi studi su specie poliploidi. Il progetto è stato sviluppato nel corso dei tre anni, a partire dallo screening delle popolazioni presunte resistenti di ogni specie e la determinazione del pattern e dei livelli di resistenza attraverso degli esperimenti di dose-risposta. I risultati mettono in evidenza come la resistenza agli inibitori dell’ALS in E. crus-galli si stia diffondendo rapidamente: sono state confermate diverse popolazioni resistenti agli inibitori dell’ALS (tredici campionate in mais e nove in riso) e, per la prima volta in Europa, dei casi di multi-resistenza agli inibitori dell’ALS e dell’ACCasi (cinque in colture di riso). La situazione del S. halepense in Italia è abbastanza stabilizzata (le cinque popolazioni resistenti agli inibitori dell’ACCasi trovate in colture dicotiledoni risalgono al 2007), mentre la resistenza alle solfoniluree (una famiglia degli inibitori dell’ALS) si sta diffondendo rapidamente in alcune regioni dell’Ungheria, dove dieci popolazioni sono state confermate negli ultimi tre anni. Gli indici di resistenza calcolati per gli inibitori dell’ALS sono risultati molto elevati per tutte le popolazioni, indicando che potrebbe essere coinvolto un meccanismo di tipo target-site. Successivamente sono stati condotti esperimenti diversi per le due specie. Per quel che riguarda E. crus-galli lo studio si è concentrato sulle basi molecolari e fisiologiche della resistenza agli inibitori dell’ALS, attraverso una serie di esperimenti in vitro. Il Southern blotting ha chiaramente dimostrato la presenza di copie multiple del gene ALS nel genoma di E. crus-galli. Il saggio enzimatico che misura l’attività dell’ALS ha dato alti livelli di resistenza per entrambi gli inibitori dell’ALS testati, confermando che un sito target alterato è responsabile della resistenza a questo gruppo di erbicidi. Un lavoro lungo e difficile, a causa della natura poliploide della specie e della scarsità di informazioni in letteratura, ha permesso di ottenere per la prima volta la sequenza del gene ALS di E. crus-galli, che è stata pubblicata nel database GenBank. Su questa sequenza sono stati costruiti primers specifici e, attraverso degli esperimenti di clonaggio, sono state analizzate due o tre piante per ogni popolazione, per arrivare infine alla costruzione di alberi filogenetici utilizzando le sequenze dei cloni. Questa procedura ha permesso di identificare due clusters che sono stati associati a due copie espresse del gene ALS (ALS1 e ALS2). La mutazione forte Trp-574-Leu, una tra le mutazioni più documentate che inducono resistenza agli inibitori dell’ALS in diverse specie, è stata trovata in tutte le piante resistenti, e sempre nella copia del gene ALS1. E’ stato poi costruito e validato un marcatore molecolare, chiamato AS-CAPS (Allele Specific - Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequences) per l’identificazione della mutazione 574, in omozigosi o in eterozigosi, in un ampio numero di campioni. Per quel che riguarda S. halepense, geofita che si riproduce anche per seme, sono state eseguite delle analisi di crescita con lo scopo di studiare l’allocazione della biomassa nei due organi riproduttivi di diversi biotipi (suscettibili, resistenti agli inibitori dell’ACCasi e resistenti agli inibitori dell’ALS). Inoltre, sono state parzialmente studiate le basi molecolari della resistenza dei due diversi gruppi di erbicidi. Analisi molecolari precedenti hanno confermato che in tutte le popolazioni resistenti agli inibitori dell’ACCasi incluse nell’esperimento era presente la mutazione Ile-2041-Asn. L'analisi dei campioni con il marcatore molecolare Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequence (CAPS) 2041 ha confermato la presenza di questa variante allelica in tutte le piante delle popolazioni resistenti. I tre esperimenti di analisi di crescita hanno indicato che la resistenza è associata a diversi pattern di allocazione della biomassa, almeno per quel che riguarda le popolazioni resistenti agli ACCasi che hanno la variante allelica Ile-2041-Asn: il biotipo resistente ha una produzione minore di pannocchie, e allo stesso tempo di semi, e una maggior percentuale di biomassa allocata sotto terra, dovuta alla maggior produzione di rizomi. Non sono state invece osservate chiare differenze fra il biotipo resistente agli inibitori dell’ALS e quello suscettibile, probabilmente a causa del diverso tipo di resistenza coinvolto: infatti sono state trovate due diverse mutazioni, la Trp-574-Leu in una popolazione e la Asp-376-Glu in un’altra. I risultati si sono dimostrati coerenti quando è stato utilizzato lo stesso materiale di partenza. In particolare, gli esperimenti del 2009 e del 2011, dove sono state utilizzate piante cresciute da rizoma, hanno dato risultati molto simili. Invece alcune differenze sono state registrate nell’esperimento del 2010, dove le piante utilizzate sono cresciute da seme. I risultati mostrano come la situazione di E. crus-galli in coltivazioni di riso sia particolarmente preoccupante, a causa della scarsità di erbicidi efficaci con diversi modi d’azione. Quindi è molto importante prevenire almeno l’evoluzione di biotipi multi-resistenti. Questo può essere ottenuto solamente attraverso l’implementazione delle strategie di gestione della resistenza basate su un reale approccio di gestione integrata delle malerbe

Atmosfere creative per la collaborazione tra arte e impresa

Negli ultimi due decenni le possibilità di interazione tra arte e impresa sono state estese oltre le forme tradizionali e consolidate di filantropia, sponsorizzazione, attività di pubbliche relazioni, al fine di esplorare forme di impegno orientate all’apprendimento, meglio definite come interventi artistici nelle organizzazioni (Berthoin Antal 2009; Berthoin Antal & Strauß, 2016; Darsø 2004). Promuovendo nuovi modi di vedere, pensare e allo stesso tempo andare incontro alle necessità aziendali, tali interventi rappresentano vere e proprie esperienze estetiche in grado di coinvolgere completamente i sensi delle persone, guidando le decisioni e le azioni dei manager e dei referenti aziendali anche in condizioni incerte, sviluppando quelle capacità delle persone nei confronti dell’organizzazione quale organismo consapevole necessarie per affrontare “l’inaspettato”, ossia qualsiasi nuovo elemento in grado di mettere in discussione se stessi e gli stessi meccanismi decisionali (Berthoin Antal & Strauß, 2016; Weick & Sutcliffe 2007). Gli studiosi in questo campo hanno riconosciuto che l’effetto più promettente degli interventi artistici risiede nel potere del cosiddetto “apprendimento esperienziale”, sviluppato attraverso approcci artistici ed estetici (Darsø 2016), ossia mediante un processo di apprendimento che si svolge nei cosiddetti “interspazi” (Berthoin Antal & Strauß, 2016). Gli interspazi (o interspaces) sono stati definiti come “spazi di possibilità”, in cui i partecipanti sperimentano nuovi modi di vedere, pensare e fare cose diverse dal solito, che aggiungono valore per loro personalmente, spazi in cui le norme sono sospese per consentire la sperimentazione, dove l’energia e le emozioni sono elementi chiave per il loro stesso funzionamento. Arte ed estetica possono quindi potenziare processi innovativi di apprendimento e generazione di conoscenza nelle organizzazioni (Caré et al., 2018) in quanto consentono alle persone di acquisire sapere non soltanto in modo cognitivo, ma anche attraverso il coinvolgimento di elementi fisici ed emotivi quali sentimenti, desideri, ricordi, che hanno il potere di trasformare il semplice spazio di lavoro in uno spazio di lavoro estetico (Sutherland 2012). Il presente lavoro nasce da queste premesse e si propone di comprendere e definire le condizioni essenziali che facilitano e consentono l’incontro fecondo tra arte e impresa, inteso quale forma di impegno orientato all’apprendimento, vero e proprio processo di creazione e trasformazione della conoscenza