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Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) is a relatively new discipline and it is an expanding field of research. After an initial period characterized by the application of the SLCA Guidelines of the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative, now practitioners are going through an in-depth and critical analysis. The epistemological and methodological aspects of SLCA are now dealt with, as a basis for defining the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of the methodology.This chapter provides an overview of where we are in SLCA, from the methodological and practical point of view, discussing new trends and approaches, and also in the context of a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment.

In this work, we establish the use of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) as a label-free analytical technique for the direct detection of G-quadruplex formation. In particular, we demonstrate that SERS analysis allows the evaluation of the relative stability of G quadruplexes that differ for the number of G tetrads and investigate several structural features of quadruplexes, such as the orientation of glycosidic bonds, the identification of distortions in the sugar–phosphate backbone, and the degree of hydrogen-bond solvation. Herein, the fluctuation of the SERS spectra, due to the specific interaction of vibrational modes with the SERS-active substrate, is quantitatively analyzed before and after quadruplex formation. The results of this study suggest a perpendicular orientation of the quadruplexes (with or without the 3′-tetra end linker) with respect to the silver colloidal surface, which opens new perspectives for the use of SERS as a label-free analytical tool for the study of the binding mode between quadruplexes and their ligands.

While generous national incentive schemes may help attract FDI, the withdrawal of incentive schemes or subsequent changes thereto affecting foreign investors might be challenged under IIAs, with host countries facing the risk of being overwhelmed with investment arbitration claims.

While generous national incentive schemes may help attract FDI, the withdrawal of incentive schemes or subsequent changes thereto affecting foreign investors might be challenged under IIAs, with host countries facing the risk of being overwhelmed with investment arbitration claims.

The work aims at formulating hypothesis on the actual alterity (Kirwan, 2004) of those realities that either define themselves or have been considered in the Calabria political, social and scientific contexts as examples of “filiere corte”, that is as food practices characterised by the AFN (Alternative Food Networks) features, in the way they have been defined by the international scientific literature. The study rises from the need to avoid the “conceptual conflation” (Tregear, 2011), which biased the AFN comprehension at the international level and is finding a fertile land within the Italian scientific and empiric reality where scholars discuss the “filiere corte” initiatives in the frame of the AFN studies although warning on the possibility of overlapping existing practices typical of an agri-food system that is not completely modernised (Malassis e Ghersi, 1998; Rossi et al., 2008). Concerning this last point Calabria doesn’t lag behind requiring an investigation on the actual nature and alterity of those realities framed among the “filiera corta” initiatives. Favouring a theoretical frame that allows considering the existing realities as dynamically interacting, rather than opposing each other, Convention Theory is the theoretical starting point operationalized through the Granovetter (1985) concept of “emebeddedness”: “filiere corte” are identified as one of the possible conventions organizing the Calabria agri-food system and shaping in the relation with the other agri-food, political and social systems. After an empiric analysis, three general typologies have been identified among those either self-defined or recognised as “filiere corte”: Farmer’s Market, GAS and GODO. Moreover three hypothesis on their technical, social and political “alterity” have been introduced: in the first case it could derive from their ability to close the food chain, merging supply and demand; secondly it could be founded on their capacity to stimulate local form of social cooperation; third they seem to require an innovative participatory approach in order to be politically framed. Each of the three hypothesis are theoretically elaborated and require further empirical tests.

Objective of this paper is to analyse the presence of gender differences in the purchase motivations of Fair Trade (FT) food products sold in the Italian World Shops (WS). At this end, a questionnaire has been distributed to a sample of consumers in four Italian regions. A bivariate ordered probit analysis has been performed in order to identify the determinants of the two main ethical motivations in the purchase: worker guarantees and solidarity. The variables used as determinants are individual and municipal characteristics. Among individual characteristics, gender is significant; among the municipal characteristics, the rate of female job market participation is also significant. These results give evidence of a gender gap in the preferences for public goods.