The Collaborative Management of Sustained Unsustainability: On the Performance of Participatory Forms of Environmental Governance

n modern democratic consumer societies, decentralized, participative, and consensus-oriented forms of multi-stakeholder governance are supplementing, and often replacing, conventional forms of state-centered environmental government. The engagement in all phases of the policy process of diverse social actors has become a hallmark of environmental good governance. This does not mean to say, however, that these modes of policy-making have proved particularly successful in resolving the widely debated multiple sustainability crisis. In fact, they have been found wanting in terms of their ability to respond to democratic needs and their capacity to resolve environmental problems. So why have these participatory forms of environmental governance become so prominent? What exactly is their appeal? What do they deliver? Exploring these questions from the perspective of eco-political and sociological theory, this article suggests that these forms of environmental governance represent a performative kind of eco-politics that helps liberal consumer societies to manage their inability and unwillingness to achieve the socio-ecological transformation that scientists and environmental activists say is urgently required. This reading of the prevailing policy approaches as the collaborative management of sustained unsustainability adds an important dimension to the understanding of environmental governance and contemporary eco-politics more generally

Refigurative Politics: Understanding the Volatile Participation of Critical Creatives in Community Gardens, Repair Cafés and Clothing Swaps

Collective alternative everyday practices (CAEPs), such as commu-nity gardens, clothing swaps or repair cafés, have become a prominent sight in the critical-creative milieus. So far, CAEPs have been mostly conceptualized in terms of prefigurative politics, i.e. as the strategy to change society through an everyday conduct that fully reflects idealized notions of the Self and society. However, there is increasing evidence of practitioners who engage in rather irregular, spontaneous ways and remain bound to an unsustainable consumer lifestyle. Scholars have identified such volatile participation as a problem for mobilization, but have not answered a) how the lack of continuous embodiment can be understood from a social movement perspective, and b) what the political quality of this behaviour might be. In this article, I address these research questions by drawing on theories of the late-modern subject and existing qualitative studies. Late-Modern Subject Theory assumes that individuals increasingly construct themselves through the market and in a multi-faceted way, due to processes such as commercialization, flexibilization and acceleration. From that perspective, volatile participants attempt to mobilize an idealized Self but are unable to do so persistently, due to the structural constraints (such as lack of time resources) and personal liberties (such as excess of consumer options) that define everyday life in late-modern society. The result are figurations of utopia that are bound to fail, but repeated ever again. These ‘refigurations’ maintain a political ele-ment through conveying a critique of and an alternative to the status quo, if only for a moment

Il miglioramento genetico dell'Actinidia negli ultimi 20 anni: prolematiche affrontate e soluzioni proposte.

Il principale obiettivo della presente tesi consiste nell’ esporre, con particolare attenzione alla realtà italiana, quali tematiche sono state affrontate durante l’attività di miglioramento genetico in Actinidia svolta durante gli ultimi 20 anni, Per tale scopo sono stati messi in evidenza i principali traguardi raggiunti nell’ottenimento di nuove cultivar e le tecniche a cui i miglioratori hanno fatto ricorso. Sono, inoltre, riportati alcuni richiami agli aspetti economici e “sociologici” della coltura, quali ad esempio le richieste dei consumatori. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------The main goal of this thesis is a critical reading of genetic breeding activity in Actinidia during he las 20 years, whit a particular regard to the Italian situation. For this goal it has been reported and discussed efforts performed by the breeders for obtaining new cultivars, as far as the techniques they used. Some aspects regarding nomical and “social” aspec t, such as the changes of consumers' requirements , are also included.openAGR-39

Politicisation beyond post-politics: new social activism and the reconfiguration of political discourse

In the wake of the financial crisis of 2008/9 social movements reminis-cent of ecoemancipatory movements of the 1980s powerfully repoliticised the post-political order of neoliberalism. Additionally, and more recently, right-wing populist movements, Fridays for Future or political mobilisations related to the COVID-19 pandemic have substantially refashioned both the understanding of post-politics and the patterns of its repoliticisation. This article introduces a special issue on Movements and Activism beyond Post-politics. In light of these recent shifts we revisit the notion of post-politics, identify key characteristics of contemporary forms of repoliticisation, zoom in on academic debates about prefigurative and transformative politics and – following a preview of the contributions collated in the special issue – explore what the ongoing reconfiguration of public discourse may imply for further research into social movement activism beyond post-politics

Confronto fra invecchiamento accelerato e naturale di rivestimenti organici protettivi: uso di dati meteorologici

Confronto fra invecchiamento acceleratoe naturale di rivestimenti organiciprotettivi: uso di dati meteorologiciF. Deflorian, S. Rossi, L. Fedrizzi, C. ZanellaLe proprietà protettive dei rivestimenti organici per applicazioni per esterni sono tradizionalmentevalutate attraverso test accelerati di laboratorio. Una questione aperta rimane la reale correlazionefra questi test accelerati e l’esposizione naturale in ambienti diversi. In questo lavoro è descrittoun nuovo approccio basato sulla semplice idea di quantificare il grado di invecchiamento naturaleutilizzando un numero limitato di parametri ambientali che possono influenzare le proprietà protettive:l’energia totale nell’intervallo UV, il tempo di esposizione ad umidità relative superiori ad una certasoglia (tale da causare condensa superficiale), il tempo di esposizione ad una temperature superiorealla Tg del polimero, ecc. In questo lavoro si è cercato di applicare questo approccio a un rivestimentopoliestere ottenuto per coil-coating per applicazioni per esterni. I primi risultai sono molto interessantie incoraggiano ulteriori sviluppi che considerino un maggior numero di materiali e siti naturalidi esposizione

Prep1.1 has essential genetic functions in hindbrain development and cranial neural crest cell differentiation

In this study we analysed the function of the Meinox gene prep1.1 during zebrafish development. Meinox proteins form heterotrimeric complexes with Hox and Pbx members, increasing the DNA binding specificity of Hox proteins in vitro and in vivo. However, a role for a specific Meinox protein in the regulation of Hox activity in vivo has not been demonstrated. In situ hybridization showed that prep1.1 is expressed maternally and ubiquitously up to 24 hours post-fertilization (hpf), and restricted to the head from 48 hpf onwards. Morpholino-induced prep1.1 loss-of-function caused significant apoptosis in the CNS. Hindbrain segmentation and patterning was affected severely, as revealed by either loss or defective expression of several hindbrain markers ( foxb1.2/mariposa , krox20 , pax2.1 and pax6.1 ), including anteriorly expressed Hox genes ( hoxb1a , hoxa2 and hoxb2 ), the impaired migration of facial nerve motor neurons, and the lack of reticulospinal neurons (RSNs) except Mauthner cells. Furthermore, the heads of prep1.1 morphants lacked all pharyngeal cartilages. This was not caused by the absence of neural crest cells or their impaired migration into the pharyngeal arches, as shown by expression of dlx2 and snail1 , but by the inability of these cells to differentiate into chondroblasts. Our results indicate that prep1.1 has a unique genetic function in craniofacial chondrogenesis and, acting as a member of Meinox-Pbc-Hox trimers, it plays an essential role in hindbrain development

Valutazione della vita utile di acciaio zincato verniciato: esposizioni su campo e prove di laboratorio

Al fine di studiare a fondo le relazioni che intercorrono tra l’invecchiamento artificiale e quello naturale,sei diversi campioni zincati e rivestiti con primer e top coat sono stati esposti per 12 mesi in 3 diversi ambientinaturali: Trento (Italia), rappresentativo del clima continentale, Marsiglia (Francia) di clima mediterraneoe Daytona (USA) di ambiente tropicale umido. In tali siti sono stati raccolti, durante l’esposizione, i principalidati meteorologici. I rivestimenti sono stati testati in laboratorio mediante prove accelerate tradizionali(camera a nebbia salina, esposizione UV, etc). L’analisi delle proprietà protettive dei rivestimentie il monitoraggio dello stato di degrado è stato effettuato mediante misure elettrochimiche.I risultati dimostrano che il tempo trascorso in presenza di condensa e cloruri sembra il fattore determinanteil degrado del sistema di protezione. L'esposizione naturale induce un degrado misurabile, in gradodi classificare l'aggressività dei diversi siti di esposizione. Questo fatto è dovuto alla presenza di cloruri,alla maggiore energia di radiazione solare e al maggior tempo di condensa. L'ambiente urbano,con la presenza di inquinanti, può influenzare maggiormente il degrado del substrato metallico,più che influire sul deterioramento delle proprietà di barriera del rivestimento organico

Electrochemical properties and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of polypyrrole-coated platinum electrodes

Polypyrrole (PPy) films of different thickness were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements in acetonitrile and aqueous solutions, containing 0.1 M NaClO4 or sodium dodecylsulfate as the dopant. The PPy films were electrochemically deposited on Pt, and their electrochemical properties studied by cyclic voltammetry. Impedance spectra were obtained at potentials ranging from 0 to 0.8 V/SCE. The EIS data were fitted using two different equivalent electrical circuits (depending on the nature of the dopant). They involve a diffusive capacitance, which increased with the passing charge during electrosynthesis (i.e. film thickness) for ClO4--doped PPy, but was practically unaffected by the film thickness in the case of SDS-doped PPy. Also, a double-layer capacitance was found only in the circuit of ClO4--doped PPy. It increased with the film thickness, and showed a minimum near the open-circuit potential. Finally the charge-transfer resistance (Rct) obtained with SDS is nearly 200-fold higher than that obtained with ClO4- in the same solvent (H2O). With the same dopant (ClO4-), Rct is about five times higher in acetonitrile relative to water. All these EIS results of the different types of PPy suggest a relation with the wettability of the polymer.KEY WORDS: Conducting polymers, Polypyrrole, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Equivalent-electrical circuit, Micellar mediaBull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2006, 20(2), 279-293

Prevalence of Peri-Implantitis: A Multi-Centered Cross-Sectional Study on 248 Patients

The aim of this multicenter cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of peri-implantitis and to assess its association with several patient- and implant-related factors. Patients with at least one implant, who came for a recall visit to one of the four centers over a period of five months, were enrolled. Presence of peri-implantitis (defined as bleeding on probing, exudate/suppuration, bone loss > 0.2 mm/year and increased pocket depth) and several other variables (e.g., smoking habits, history of periodontitis, diabetes) were recorded. Out of 248 enrolled patients (1162 implants), 10 patients had at least one implant with peri-implantitis (4.03%); a total of 14 implants were affected (1.20%). A statistically significant association between peri-implantitis and diabetes was found (OR 8.65; CI: 1.94–38.57). Smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day (OR: 0.53; CI 0.03–9.45) and history of periodontitis (OR: 2.42; CI: 0.49–11.89) were not found to be statistically associated with peri-implantitis. Even if implant therapy is a consolidated treatment, biological complications do happen. Strict supportive therapy recalls could lead to lower rates of peri-implantitis and earlier diagnosis

Expected Polarization of Λ\Lambda particles produced in deep inelastic polarized lepton scattering

We calculate the polarization of Lambda and Anti-Lambda particles produced in deep inelastic polarized lepton scattering. We use two models: the naive quark model and a model in which SU(3)$_F$ symmetry is used to deduce the spin structure of SU(3) octet hyperons from that of the proton. We perform the calculations for Lambda and Anti-Lambda produced directly or as decay products of $\Sigma^0$ and $\Sigma^*$.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figur