"Do agente deriva apenas a existência": Avicena e a concepção comum de causa

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar o conceito de causa eficiente conforme definido por Avicena na Metafísica VI.1 em contraposição a certa concepção comum de causa eficiente que pressupõe a anterioridade da não existência relativamente à existência e a continuidade da existência do causado finda a ação do agente. Pretende-se mostrar os motivos que levam Avicena a refutar estas características e como tal refutação tem a finalidade de ressaltar o caráter original de sua definição de causa eficiente. AbstractThe aim of this paper is to analyze the concept of efficient cause as defined by Avicenna in Metaphysics VI.1 as opposed to some common conception of efficient cause which presupposes the priority of non existence over existence and the continued existence of the caused even when the agent's action has already ended. This paper intends to show the reasons why Avicenna refutes these features and how such rebuttal is purports to emphasize the unique character of his definition of efficient cause

Consumer Sentiments and Emotions in New Seafood Product Concept Development: A Co-Creation Approach Using Online Discussion Rooms in Croatia, Italy and Spain

Growing Mediterranean seafood consumption, increasing consumers’ awareness of food safety and quality, and changing food lifestyles are leading to the development of new food products. However, the majority of new food products launched on the market are expected to fail within the first year. One of the most effective ways to enhance new product success is by involving consumers during the first phases of New Product Development (NPD), using the so-called co-creation approach. Based on data collected through online discussion rooms, two new seafood product concepts—sardine fillets and sea burgers—were evaluated by a set of potential consumers in three Mediterranean countries—Italy, Spain, and Croatia. Textual information was analyzed by first using the topic modeling technique. Then, for each main topic identified, sentiment scores were calculated, followed by the identification of the main related emotions that were evoked. Overall, consumers seem to positively evaluate both proposed seafood product concepts, and three recurrent positive emotions (trust, anticipation, joy) were identified in relation to the main topics aroused during the discussions. The results of this study will be useful to guide future researchers and actors in this industry in the next development steps of the targeted seafood products in Mediterranean countries

Underutilized crops for diversified agri-food systems: spatial modeling and farmer adoption of buckwheat in Italy

The widespread standardization of agri-food systems through monoculture practices has resulted in biodiversity loss and reduced ecosystem resilience. Incorporating underutilized crops such as buckwheat into crop rotations offers a viable strategy to enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and foster more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems. This study examines the potential adoption of buckwheat in Italy and analyzes its economic viability across different crop rotations. It evaluates how factors such as financial incentives, peer influence, and farmers' willingness to adopt affect the diffusion of this underutilized crop. To this end, a spatial agent-based model (ABM) is employed to simulate farmers' decision-making processes based on profit maximization and peer influence. The model evaluates two diffusion scenarios (traditional and expansion) alongside two levels of willingness to adopt (high and low), comparing the profitability of traditional crop rotations with rotations that include buckwheat across nine Italian regions. The results revealed that while increased contract prices can incentivize buckwheat adoption, financial incentives alone are insufficient to generate widespread adoption, particularly when the willingness to adopt is low. Peer influence and intrinsic motivation emerged as key drivers, highlighting the need for strategies beyond monetary incentives. These findings suggest that policies should combine financial support with initiatives that foster knowledge-sharing, educational outreach, and improved supply chain integration. The study provides a framework for evaluating the adoption of other underutilized crops and emphasizes the need for further research on risk aversion, environmental variability, and broader supply chain interactions to refine adoption strategies

Multiple Description Coding Using Data Hiding and Regions of Interest for Broadcasting Applications

We propose an innovative scheme for multiple description coding (MDC) with regions of interest (ROI) support to be adopted in high-quality television. The scheme proposes to split the stream into two separate descriptors and to preserve the quality of the region of interest, even in case one descriptor is completely lost. The residual part of the frame (the background) is instead modeled through a checkerboard pattern, alternating the strength of the quantization. The decoder is provided with the necessary side-information to reconstruct the frame properly, namely, the ROI parameters and location, via a suitable data hiding procedure. Using data hiding, reconstruction parameters are embedded in the transform coefficients, thus allowing an improvement in PSNR of the single descriptions at the cost of a negligible overhead. To demonstrate its effectiveness, the algorithm has been implemented in two different scenarios, using the reference H.264/AVC codec and an MJPEG framework to evaluate the performance in absence of motion-compensated frames on 720p video sequences

Sex-mediated changes in foraging behaviour according to breeding stage in a monomorphic seabird adapted to rural habitats

In contrast to sexually size-dimorphic species, monomorphic ones rarely show sexual differences in foraging behaviour as such variations have been primarily attributed to dissimilar body size. To investigate this aspect, we analysed foraging behaviour in breeding gull-billed terns, Gelochelidon nilotica, a monomorphic seabird adapted to rural habitats. We equipped 19 breeding birds with GPS devices and assessed differences in foraging behaviour and habitat use according to sex and breeding stage. Foraging trip distance and duration and daily frequencies were influenced by both breeding stage and sex, with females, but not males, performing closer, more frequent and shorter duration trips during chick rearing than incubation. Females, but not males, increased the repeatability of foraging metrics from incubation to chick rearing, while both sexes increased individual foraging site fidelity between the two breeding stages. Agricultural fields were the most exploited habitat for both sexes, but females made more use of aquatic habitats than males, especially during chick rearing. By foraging in different ways and in different habitats, the breeding pair can provide a wider range of prey types to their offspring, maximizing the chances of delivering high quantity and quality of food items under different environmental conditions. Our work provides new additional evidence of sex differences in foraging behaviour of monomorphic species, while highlighting the need to better understand underlying mechanisms driving foraging niche divergence and the consequences for fitness

Physico-mechanical properties of geopolymers prepared with the partial incorporation of ceramic wastes

Abstract The utilization of waste or by-products in geopolymers is an effective strategy that contributes to the development of more sustainable ceramics. The present study aimed to evaluate the physico-mechanical properties of compositions prepared by partially replacing aluminosilicate precursors (metakaolin or calcined diatomite) with solid wastes (granite, roof tile chamotte, or glass powder) at contents of 10, 20, and 40 wt%. Geopolymers were synthesized by blending the solid raw materials (precursor+wastes) with an alkaline activating solution comprising NaOH and colloidal silica suspension. The samples were cured at 40 °C for 24 h, and the following analyses were conducted: elastic modulus, compressive strength, porosity, density, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy measurements. The results demonstrated that the formulation containing 10 wt% of chamotte exhibited the best performance, showing a remarkable mechanical strength of 31.7 MPa after one day of curing. Therefore, by incorporating waste materials into geopolymers, not only can the environmental impact be minimized, but it also presents an opportunity to utilize resources that would otherwise go to waste

What is climate change doing in the Himalaya? Thirty years of the Pyramid Meteorological Network (Nepal)

Climate change is deeply impacting mountain areas around the globe, especially in the Himalaya. However, the lack of long-term meteorological observations at high elevations poses significant challenges to understanding and predicting impacts at various scales. This also represents a serious limit for model-based projections of future behavior of crucial elements of the mountain cryosphere such as glaciers. Here, we present the Pyramid Meteorological Network, located in the Himalaya (Nepal) on the southern slopes of Mt. Everest. The network is composed of seven meteorological stations located between 2660 and 7986 ma.s.l., which have collected continuous climatic data during 30 recent years (1994–2023). In this paper, we provide details regarding instrument types and characteristics as well as data quality control and assessment. The obtained data series are available on a newly created geoportal. We leverage these unique records to present new knowledge on the Himalayan climate, also benefiting from the highest observational climatic series in the world (Pyramid station, located above 5000 ma.s.l., close to the Khumbu Glacier). These data will provide fundamental knowledge on climate dynamics in the Himalaya that will inform research at high elevations in the coming years. The dataset is freely accessible from https://geoportal.mountaingenius.org/portal/ (last access: 1 September 2025) (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15211352; Salerno et al., 2024).</p