Search Results (4)

Nowadays, the research in the fields of conservation and restoration is focusing on recording large amounts of data and information in order to obtain highly accurate surveys that include most details of constructions. Documenting and surveying are fundamental activities in achieving the successful preservation of cultural heritage, but also in implementing efficient strengthening interventions of structures. The applications of methods and techniques that link the disciplines of geometrical surveys and structural analyses are still fragmented, and further research is necessary to fully transfer site information into structural models. In this article, the authors propose a methodology with which to link different restoration fields, with the aim of highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the interoperability between surveys (carried out through detailed restitution from point clouds), heritage building information modeling (HBIM), and structural analyses to connect three different disciplines. The goal is to find a synthesis model that brings together historical and geometric characteristics, but also physical–mechanical properties, for a structural evaluation through a finite element model (FEM). The case study of the Escuela José Mariano Méndez is analyzed, an extremely damaged historical adobe building in Santa Ana, the second largest city of El Salvador; it is considered fundamental to the national economy, particularly after the “coffee boom” in the late 1800s. The site, located near the historic center, is also known as “Antigua Escuela de Artes y Oficios” and embodies the architectural traditions of the region, being built in adobe and stone. Roma Tre University and the Secretaría de Cultura de la Presidencia (SECULTURA) are partners in this research project to document and restore the historical and cultural value of this site. Full article

Land relations in the Mekong Region are marked by the densely populated and intensively cultivated lowlands and the more extensive settlement and cultivation areas in the uplands. Land-use changes in the lowlands and uplands are interlinked and are a key process of agrarian and environmental transition. The ‘tenure-scape’ approach is introduced as a qualitative analysis combining integrated landscape approaches, governance and rights-based approaches, while underlining the centrality of legitimate tenure rights, limitations and obligations. This approach is used to analyze the impact of the Green Revolution and the global commodity boom, in particular the growth of rubber and coffee, on sustainability in the Mekong countries, i.e., Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Viet Nam. The way forward points to the use of the elements of the ‘tenure-scape’ approach to re-valuate the potential contribution of smallholder farmers to the wider physical and societal landscape. The ultimate goal is to go from transition to transformation toward a more secure, equitable future for those at risk of being excluded from effective access to, use of, and control over land, fisheries, forests and water resources, which are providing the basis for their livelihoods if the concession model of land-based investments were to be continued. Full article

The booming prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adults and children will threaten the health system in the upcoming years. The “multiple hit” hypothesis is the currently accepted explanation of the complex etiology and pathophysiology of the disease. Some of the critical pathological events associated with the development of NAFLD are insulin resistance, steatosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis. Hence, attenuating these events may help prevent or delay the progression of NAFLD. Despite an increasing understanding of the mechanisms involved in NAFLD, no approved standard pharmacological treatment is available. The only currently recommended alternative relies on lifestyle modifications, including diet and physical activity. However, the lack of compliance is still hampering this approach. Thus, there is an evident need to characterize new therapeutic alternatives. Studies of food bioactive compounds became an attractive approach to overcome the reticence toward lifestyle changes. The present study aimed to review some of the reported compounds with beneficial properties in NAFLD; namely, coffee (and its components), tormentic acid, verbascoside, and silymarin. We provide details about their protective effects, their mechanism of action in ameliorating the critical pathological events involved in NAFLD, and their clinical applications. Full article

Coffee is considered a boom crop in Southeast Asia. However, while it bears typical boom crop characteristics in many places where it has been grown, in other places it has contributed to agrarian transformation. This paper examines the context of coffee development in the Northwestern Mountain Region of Vietnam and describes how smallholder coffee growing has triggered an agricultural transition process, and corresponding land use changes, from subsistence-based to commercialized agriculture production. The research was conducted in a commune located in Son La province. Interviews with 46 selected households and three focus group discussions (10–15 people each) were conducted to understand changes in crop systems, corresponding land use, and labor use, due to the adoption of coffee (the boom crop). The research found that coffee has replaced swidden crops and enables a multicrop system, with less land devoted to swidden land use. The income from coffee is used to hire labor and to pay for the inputs needed to mechanize rice farming. The research findings show that the coffee boom has brought about livelihood transformation, changed land use, and transformed local livelihoods from subsistence to production for the market. Full article