The Dark Side of Outsourcing: The Case of Logistics

Contemporary capitalism is characterized by the central role of global value chains (GVCs) that heavily rely on logistics and transport services. Thus, logistics services––and among them warehousing and handling of commodities and consumption goods––affect the competitiveness of companies and countries. In the last decades, firms have reacted to this new environment by outsourcing logistics services to specialized operators, from large multinational logistics companies to small worker cooperatives. In some cases, logistics cost efficiency has been reached by investments in new technologies and organizational arrangements, thus increasing workers’ qualification. In other cases, labor cost-savings within GVCs have accompanied by heavy social costs, in terms of workers’ wage and nonwage conditions often bordering full-fledged exploitation practices. In this chapter, we focus on the functioning of a “shadow management system” that has characterized part of logistics firms in Northeastern Italy

Garigliano nuclear power plant: seismic evaluation of the turbine building

The Italian Garigliano Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) started its energy production in 1963. At present it is in the decommissioning stage. In order to get a proper management of the radioactive waste that will be produced during the dismantling operations it has been considered convenient to convert the turbine building of the plant into a temporary waste repository. This decision posed a remarkable seismic safety assessment issue. As a matter of fact, the challenge was to extend, in satisfactory safety conditions, the use of an important facility that has reached the end of its designed lifetime and to have this extended use approved by nuclear safety agencies. In this context many tasks have been accomplished, of which the most important are: (a) a new appraisal of site seismic hazard; (b) the execution of many investigations and testing on the construction materials; (c) the set up of a detailed 3D finite element model including the explicit representation of foundation piles and soil; (d) consideration of soil structure kinematic and dynamic nteraction effects. This paper describes the adopted seismic safety assessment criteria which are based on a performance objectives design approach. While performance based design is the approach currently recommended by European Regulations to manage seismic risk and it is fully incorporated in the Italian code for conventional buildings, bridges and plants, NPP are not explicitly considered. Therefore it was necessary to delineate a consistent interpretation of prescribed rules in order to properly select the maximum and operating design earthquakes on one side and corresponding acceptable limit states on the other side. The paper further provides an outline of the numerical analyses carried out, of the main results obtained and of the principal retrofitting actions that will be realized

Borgate romane. Due itinerari didattici

Un progetto dedicato alla storia delle borgate organizzato da due scuole di periferia, l’Istituto paritario Giovanni Paolo II di Ostia e l’Istituto di istruzione superiore statale Giorgio Ambrosoli di Roma (sede di Torre Maura), pensato come momento di approfondimento dello studio condotto in classe su due periodi cruciali della storia italiana: il ventennio fascista e gli anni settanta del secolo scorso

Assessing Shallow Soft Deposits through Near-Surface Geophysics and UAV-SfM: Application in Pocket Beaches Environments

This study employs a multimethod approach to investigate the sediment distribution in two pocket beaches, Ramla Beach and Mellieha S Beach, in Malta. Both study sites were digitally reconstructed using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry. For each case, an ERT and a dense network of ambient seismic noise measurements processed through a horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) technique were acquired. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) analysis enables the estimation of sediment thickness in each beach. HVSR analysis revealed peaks related to beach sediments overlying limestone rocks in both sites and also indicated a deeper stratigraphic contact in Mellieha S Beach. Based on ERT measurements, sediment thickness is calculated for each HVSR measurement. Interpolation of results allows for bedrock surface modelling in each case study, and when combined with digital terrain models (DTMs) derived from photogrammetric models, sediment volumes are estimated for each site. The geometry of this surface is analyzed from a geological perspective, showing structural control of sediment distribution due to a normal fault in Mellieha S Beach and stratigraphic control facilitated by a highly erodible surface in Ramla Beach. The results emphasize the importance of adopting a three-dimensional perspective in coastal studies for precise sediment volume characterization and a deeper understanding of pocket beach dynamics. This practical multimethod approach presented here offers valuable tools for future coastal research and effective coastal management, facilitating informed decision making amidst the growing vulnerability of coastal zones to climate change impacts

Ecological risk assessment for contaminated sites in Italy: Guidelines and path forward

Ecological risk assessment (ERA) is defined as an iterative process that evaluates the likelihood of adverse ecological effects resulting from exposure to one or more stressors. Although ERA is recognized as a valuable procedure to better address efforts and strategies for site remediation, in Europe a common framework for the implementation of ERA in the management of contaminated sites is lacking. In Italy, there are no legally binding provisions regulating the direct assessment of potential likelihood of ecological risks. In this context, the main objective of this article was to develop a guideline to facilitate ERA application in support of an effective and sustainable management of contaminated sites in Italy and to facilitate a multistakeholder dialogue. The work was based on a critical review of existing ERA guidelines in the international context, as well as other regulatory documents and technical approaches dealing with the evaluation of ecological effects of chemical contaminants in different environmental compartments. Approaches and tools available in these documents were then used to prepare a proposed guideline for the Italian context; the proposed ERA guideline is meant to represent a flexible but robust approach that can be useful in evaluating existing data (e.g., from past investigations) as well as in the planning of site-specific investigations. To facilitate the direct application of the ERA procedure, the guideline was prepared including several templates of summary tables, checklists, and examples. The proposed ERA guideline could facilitate the decision-making process for contaminated sites with ecological values, although its application would necessarily require, at least in the initial phase, testing of its suitability to the Italian context and setting-up of a close dialogue and collaboration with local authorities and other stakeholders. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;00:1-7. (c) 2022 SETA

Use of Natural Agents and Agrifood Wastes for the Treatment of Skin Photoaging

Photoaging is the premature aging of the skin caused by repeated exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. The harmful effects of UV rays—from the sun or from artificial sources—alter normal skin structures and cause visible damage, especially in the most exposed areas. Fighting premature aging is one of the most important challenges of the medical landscape. Additionally, consumers are looking for care products that offer multiple benefits with reduced environmental and economic impact. The growing requests for bioactive compounds from aromatic plants for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications have to find new sustainable methods to increase the effectiveness of new active formulations derived from eco-compatible technologies. The principle of sustainable practices and the circular economy favor the use of bioactive components derived from recycled biomass. The guidelines of the European Commission support the reuse of various types of organic biomass and organic waste, thus transforming waste management problems into economic opportunities. This review aims to elucidate the main mechanisms of photoaging and how these can be managed using natural renewable sources and specific bioactive derivatives, such as humic extracts from recycled organic biomass, as potential new actors in modern medicine

Integrating near-surface geophysical methods and remote sensing techniques for reconstructing fault-bounded valleys (Mellieha valley, Malta)

The island of Malta (central Mediterranean) is dissected by several WSW-trending fault-line valleys related to Miocene-Pliocene extensional tectonics. Some valleys host remnants of alluvial deposits that could provide information on possible Quaternary faulting, but the thickness of these deposits and their subsurface extent is poorly constrained. Our study aimed to investigate the structural configuration of the southern sector of the Mellieha valley, which is located in the north-west part of the island and is limited by the ENE-WSW general trending Mellieha and Ghadira faults, and their relation with a thin layer of infill sediments. We employed different near-surface geophysical techniques (electrical resistivity tomography, active and passive seismic methods, ground-penetrating radar), as well as remote sensing techniques (unmanned aerial vehicle digital photogrammetry and ground-based Light Detection and Ranging) to complement classic structural surveys. The valley structure has an asymmetric graben configuration, being bounded by a normal fault to the southeast (Mellieha Fault) and other to the north-west (Ghadira Fault). Our study provides insights of possible Quaternary fault displacements and revealed the presence of an additional fault splay, the previously unmapped NNW-dipping Mellieha Fault 2 at the south-eastern edge of the valley. Additionally, by integrating results from geophysical surveys, we estimated the thickness of the valley's recent deposits, being thicker towards the Mellieha Bay sector, with maximum values of 8–10 m. Our study aligns with the general model of horst and graben structuring with associated regional tilting since the late Miocene, and supports the hypothesis that some segments of NW-trending normal faults within the North Malta Graben exhibit Quaternary activity, although with minimal throw rates (<< 0.1 mm/yr).peer-reviewe

Prolonged complete hematologic response in relapsed/refractory T-large granular lymphocyte leukemia after bendamustine treatment

T-large granular lymphocyte leukemia (T-LGLL) is a chronic clonal proliferation of effector memory cytotoxic CD3+CD57+CD56- T cells and the current guidelines suggest immunosuppressive therapy as first-line therapy, but the treatment of refractory/relapsed patients is still challenging due to the lack of prospective studies. We describe a series of two refractory/relapsed T-LGLL patients successfully treated with bendamustine, a chemotherapeutic agent largely used for B-cell neoplasms, but poorly investigated for the treatment of T-cell diseases. Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 3 and 6 months, respectively, and maintained for at least 20 months. One patient relapsed after a 20-month CR, but she was responsive to bendamustine therapy again, obtaining a further prolonged CR. Bendamustine as single agent or in combination could be a feasible therapeutic option in refractory/relapsed T-LGLL, especially for elderly patients because of its safety profile

A new revolutionary practice: operaisti and the 'refusal of work' in 1970's Italy

The social protest that engulfed Italy in the 1970s found a theoretical analysis in the work of the operaisti. Through a series of concepts, they outlined a new revolutionary practice that aimed to return to a more authentic reading of Marxism. This article focuses on the notion of ‘refusal of work’ and the ancillary concept of ‘appropriation’ and examines how these theoretical tools emerged out of radical protest in factories and were put forward by the operaisti as a central plank of a revolutionary strategy for the working clas

Scritti in memoria di Leopoldo Cassese

2 volum