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Abstract Infrastructure is often a limiting factor in microplastics research impacting the production of scientific outputs and monitoring data. International projects are therefore required to promote collaboration and development of national and regional scientific hubs. The Commonwealth Litter Programme and the Ocean Country Partnership Programme were developed to support Global South countries to take actions on plastics entering the oceans. An international laboratory network was developed to provide the infrastructure and in country capacity to conduct the collection and processing of microplastics in environmental samples. The laboratory network was also extended to include a network developed by the University of East Anglia, UK. All the laboratories were provided with similar equipment for the collection, processing and analysis of microplastics in environmental samples. Harmonised protocols and training were also provided in country during laboratory setup to ensure comparability of quality-controlled outputs between laboratories. Such large networks are needed to produce comparable baseline and monitoring assessments.

The article analyzes the relationship between Alberto Beneduce and Luigi Einaudi, when they were protagonists of the economic and political debate between the two world wars. Although starting from different standpoints, with political, economic and cultural divergences sometimes resulting in public controversies, Einaudi and Beneduce were often in agreement in the diagnosis of the problems of the Italian economy, they both worked to keep Italy within the international financial circuits, they were capable of developing networks of economists and managers, they became interpreters of an economic vision based on a central role of the institutions. Convergences and divergences between the two protagonists offer an insight into the problems and innovations, such as public intervention into the economy, faced by the Italian elite between the two world conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure is often a limiting factor in microplastics research impacting the production of scientific outputs and monitoring data. International projects are therefore required to promote collaboration and development of national and regional scientific hubs. The Commonwealth Litter Programme and the Ocean Country Partnership Programme were developed to support Global South countries to take actions on plastics entering the oceans. An international laboratory network was developed to provide the infrastructure and in country capacity to conduct the collection and processing of microplastics in environmental samples. The laboratory network was also extended to include a network developed by the University of East Anglia, UK. All the laboratories were provided with similar equipment for the collection, processing and analysis of microplastics in environmental samples. Harmonised protocols and training were also provided in country during laboratory setup to ensure comparability of quality-controlled outputs between laboratories. Such large networks are needed to produce comparable baseline and monitoring assessments., (© 2024. Crown.)