Search Results (94)

Descola describes western culture, influenced by the Christian worldview, as “naturalist”. However, semiotic and ethnographic research shows that different perspectives about the relationship between humans and animals coexist with mainstream naturalism. In particular, the introduction of animals in churches is not rare in Italy today, even though it fuels an ongoing debate. The relationship with animals is central in Saint Anthony’s figure and feast, which includes the blessing of animals. This article first focuses on the figure of Saint Anthony, finding in its first sources the seeds of a worldview based on love for creation that fully flourishes centuries later with Saint Francis, then it contextualizes the blessing of animals in the context of a changing sensitivity towards animals, which are often considered from an affective perspective and as part of an ecological standpoint that is also expressed in the institutional discourse of the Catholic Church. Then, the patronal feast of Saint Anthony and the blessing of animals in two different urban communities of Turin (Italy) are the subject of an ethnosemiotic analysis highlighting the animals’ position (inside or at the border of the sacred space), the rite’s structure and the relation between the verbal discourse and the performance of celebrants and worshipers. The position of the animals is thus considered as the expression plane of semantic values about their status in relation to the family. Full article

The liturgical reforms of the mid-twentieth century had major impacts on not only the forms of liturgies in the Western church but also on liturgical theology. The 1979 Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church, the Anglican province in the United States, along with several dioceses across the world, represents the culmination of these developments in that jurisdiction. Among its revolutionary suggestions is the reservation of Holy Baptism for certain occasions: the Easter Vigil, Pentecost, All Saints’ Day or the Sunday following, the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, and the visitation of a bishop. Many liturgical guides emphasize the advantages of observing these so-called “baptismal feasts,” but none treat them in any lengthy manner. Do the different occasions for baptism have something specific to say about what baptism is? How do the appointed lectionary readings shed light on baptism, and vice versa? In this article, I will explore these feasts and especially their assigned lessons in the Revised Common Lectionary. I will show that when read with a liturgical hermeneutics, the appointed scriptures and, therefore, the baptismal feasts themselves paint a comprehensive picture of a contemporary baptismal theology. Full article

In the present study, we aim to review a series of constitutional provisions related to the status of religious freedom in Romania since the first Constitution to the present-day Law no. 489/2006 regarding religious freedom and the general status of denominations in Romania, the law that regulates the relationship of the state with all acknowledged denominations. We thus seek to achieve an analysis and evaluation of the Romanian legal framework that is relevant to the topic. In the second part of the study, we shall raise some cross-cutting issues related to derogations and limitations of the freedom of religion and belief as we briefly analyse two instances related to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, namely officiating religious services without public access and the restrictions regarding the pilgrimage in Iaşi, held every year on the 14th October, during the feast of Saint Pious Parascheva. Full article

The production of short-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (scl-PHAs) from municipal solid waste-derived volatile fatty acids (VFAs) has been demonstrated. The objective of the study was to evaluate the technical feasibility of the process under real operational conditions. Moreover, the process operation was conducted without pH and temperature control to reduce potential industrial implementation barriers, i.e., by simplifying the process control and minimizing the auxiliary services available for the process. A two-step bioprocess was developed, consisting of an enrichment phase in a 20 m³ fermenter operated for 214 days and an accumulation phase carried out in a 3 m³ batch fermenter across 39 accumulation cycles. In the enrichment phase, steady-state conditions were achieved once the feast/famine ratio was lower than 0.2 h/h. Thus, the impact of environmental conditions was analyzed. It was found that the system’s response was a destabilization of the culture under sharp variations at environmental temperature, followed by an adaptation period and final recovery of the system. During the accumulation phase, the impact of chemical oxygen demand (COD) feeding rates was assessed, with a maximum scl-PHA accumulation of 59 wt.% (2.87 g/L) recorded. The extraction process was also performed at demonstrative scale using dimethyl carbonate (DMC) as the solvent, yielding a scl-PHA recovery of 92% with a purity of 90%. These results confirm the technical feasibility of producing scl-PHAs from municipal organic waste at demonstrative scale, supporting the circular bioeconomy model. Full article

This article offers a unique interdisciplinary theoretical examination of the stigmatisation of ‘drug addicts’ and its impacts on health and wellbeing. In the present conjuncture, drug addiction has become a metaphor for a ‘wasted’ life. The stigmatisation of addicts creates artificial monsters. They constitute matter out of place—addiction is dirt and the addict a form of symbolic pollution—as their excessive consumption means they are ostracised and branded as failures. Providing a tripartite framework—of failure, feast, and phoenix—this article will suggest that addiction occupies a contradictory social and conceptual space, at once cause, effect, and solution. It is in this context that the stigmatisation of addiction operates, despite the fact addicts constitute a consumer par excellence, solicited by the very system that seeks to punish, control, and cure them. Drawing on Girard’s generative scapegoat alongside the philosophical concept of the Muselmann, which parallels it, this paper will examine the hypocritical and contradictory portrayal, consumption and treatment of addiction; the social harm and stigmatisation arising from this portrayal; the systems of power and privilege that reproduce this; and how these systematically affect not only the health and wellbeing of addicts, but also their medical care and treatment. The health impacts arising from this framework will illustrate how scapegoating can lead to worsening mental and physical health, social isolation, and create barriers to treatment, which ultimately perpetuate the cycle of addiction that create public health challenges (e.g., drug-related deaths). The ensuing discussion will show how the addict is a symptom of capitalism and colonialism before it, sustaining it as well as serving as a convenient distraction from the systematic problems and illustrating the brutal realities of biopolitical power and its inherent contradictions. Only by understanding the broader socio-cultural and political implications of addiction within the context of late capitalism can we start to reduce stigma and scapegoating and focus on addiction as a medical issue rather than a moral and/or criminal one; a key to improving health outcomes. Full article

This paper explores the material culture of religious life on the Greek island of Anafi during the peak tourism season of summer 2023. Through ethnographic fieldwork, the paper examines the public celebration of a number of feasts coinciding with the summer high season: the Transfiguration of Christ, one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on the sixth of August; the Dormition of the Theotokos (Mary the “Birthgiver of God”) on the fifteenth, with evening Supplications to the Theotokos in church on every August weekday leading up to the feast; the feast and commemoration of the immensely popular Saint Fanourios on the twenty-seventh of August, with the main celebration centering on the preceding day’s vespers; and, in September, the major feast of the island: the Nativity of the Theotokos (8 September), which unfolds into four-days-long festivities, due to the main shrine of the island being dedicated to the protectress of Anafi, Panayia Kalamiotissa. This paper focuses especially on the role of commensality and shared meals in maintaining kinship ties and social communion. Ritualized festive eating emerges as a way of consolidating the community of permanent island residents and diasporic islanders returning for summer. The continuity of these embodied practices provides insight into Anafiot identity and lived religion. Ultimately, this paper reflects on how contemporary Orthodox theologians have re-discovered the priority of materiality and the senses in ecclesial life. Full article

The excavation of residential areas is a growing focus of research in Andean archaeology. Studies reveal that interpreting household remains from some prehispanic societies can be complex because of the nature of abandonment ritual, which may involve burnt offerings, the placement of valuables on floors, or the purposeful destruction of ceramic vessels that are distributed in patterned ways. The goods that constitute these offering practices can be confused with post-occupation refuse, especially when excavation units are relatively small. In this paper, I discuss the importance of assessing site formation processes in residential spaces and illustrate how different modes of household abandonment can make comparative analysis a complex exercise. I describe and compare several examples from Wari-affiliated residences at the sites of Cerro Baúl and Cerro Mejía, located in the department of Moquegua, Peru, to show how ritual depositions corresponding to house abandonment might affect the interpretation of daily domestic life. In particular, I examine how ritual assemblages have been interpreted as evidence of feasting to support propositions regarding the Wari political economy. I advocate that archaeologists interested in domestic areas, lifeways, and the political economy engage in large-scale horizontal excavations to ensure they can correctly distinguish between the remains of quotidian practices, the goods associated with ritual depositions, and refuse resulting from feasting, which is best substantiated with features and facilities to host empowering events. Full article

The polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production process that uses mixed microbial cultures combined with main stream wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a competitive integrated resource recovery process in which non-oxygen electron acceptors can be used to enrich the PHA producer. Trials carried out in operating plants are very scarce, and there are no simulation tools available to analyse the feasibility of integrating the two processes. This research presents a novel analysis tool for a techno-economic assessment of value-added biopolymers. A general model for a conventional WWTP has been designed and eventually validated using the operating data collected in the database of a fully operational plant. In the model, a simulation of a PHA production line based on thickened primary sludge as a substrate has been integrated. The assembly has been treated as a closed-loop system with an accuracy level of 0.1% with a limit of 1000 iterations. Two strategies based on internal (ADF) or external (AN/AD) limitations of some nutrients have been contrasted for the selection of a biomass capable of feast–famine PHA synthesis. The ADF strategy was found to be the most favourable system, with a production of 0.226 kg of COD_PHA·kg⁻¹ COD. The calculated production cost was EUR 0.11·kg⁻¹ COD_PHA. The sludge production was reduced by 6%. Full article

Girsu, the modern site of Tello (southern Iraq), represents one of the earliest known urban centres of the ancient world, along with Uruk, Eridu, and Ur. During the 3rd millennium BCE (3000–2000 BCE), Girsu was revered as the sanctuary of the Sumerian heroic deity Ningirsu, who fought with supernatural beasts and made possible the introduction of irrigation and agriculture in Sumer. While much is known about the gods, their roles, and rituals inside the temples, there is little textual or archaeological evidence concerning the rituals that took place in the large open-air plazas adjacent to the temples. These areas within the sacred precinct were where the general population would gather to participate in festivals and ceremonies to honour the gods. To better understand the ancient cultic realm in southern Mesopotamia, an in-depth investigation of a favissa (ritual pit) discovered within the sacred precinct at Girsu was undertaken. The excavations recovered a large quantity of ceramics and animal remains that had been used for ritual purposes. Through the study of archaeological remains of cultic spaces at Girsu, information on ritual behaviour such as sacrificial animal slaughtering and consumption for the purpose of feasting, the types of libations provided to quench the thirst of the gods, and the distance travelled to take part in the annual festivals to pay homage to the patron god of their sacred city were explored. Analysis of the associated ceramics, cuneiform texts, and zooarchaeological remains (including stable isotope data), allowed a multi-faceted and integrative approach to better understand ceremonial behaviour and ritual feasting in this sacred city. New insights into communal and performative participation in ceremonies, especially by non-elite individuals, are generated. These data increase our knowledge not only of how Girsu’s citizens organised their sacred spaces and religious festivals, but also of how they behaved in order to satisfy the ever-demanding needs of their gods. Full article

This study investigates the densification/granulation of activated sludge with poor settleability, treating real industrial wastewater from a tank truck cleaning company. The wastewater is low in nutrients, acidic in nature, and high and variable in chemical oxygen demand (COD, ranging from 2770 mg·L⁻¹ to 14,050 mg·L⁻¹). A microbial selection strategy was applied to promote slow-growing glycogen-accumulating microorganisms (GAO) by the implementation of an anaerobic feast/aerobic famine strategy in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). After 60 to 70 days, the uptake of carbon during the anaerobic phase exceeded 80%, the sludge morphology improved, and the sludge volume index (SVI) dropped below 50 mL·g⁻¹. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed the enrichment of the GAOs Defluviicoccus and Candidatus Competibacter. Stable sludge densification was maintained when using a constant organic loading rate (OLR) of 0.85 ± 0.05 gCOD·(L·d)⁻¹, but the sludge quality deteriorated when switching to a variable OLR. In view of the integration of densified/granular sludge in a membrane bioreactor configuration, the filtration properties of the densified SBR sludge were compared to the seed sludge from the full-scale plant. The densified sludge showed a significantly lower resistance due to pore blockage and a significantly higher sustainable flux (45 vs. 15 L·(m²·h)⁻¹). Full article

This paper discusses hitherto unidentified loose folios of a parchment liturgical and musical book held in the Archdiocesan Archive of Gniezno (Poland), containing the offertory and communion antiphons for the feasts De Trinitate and Corpus Christi. The author provides the codicological description of the leaves (analyzing Latin script, musical notation, ornamentation); identifies the time of their creation (15th century); indicates the type of the liturgical book to which they belong (graduale); seeks a melodic model for them and puts forward provenance hypotheses. He states that the melodics of the antiphons, although closest to the Cistercian tradition, are nevertheless variantly different from the melodic line preserved in foreign and Polish codices. It is possible to narrow down the dating of the leaves thanks to the type of Latin script, the calligraphic ornamentation of the initials and the spelling of certain letters. Full article

This study used feces from 0-day-old (36 rabbits), 10-day-old (119 rabbits), and 60-day-old (119 rabbits) offspring rabbits and their corresponding female rabbits (36 rabbits) as experimental materials. Using 16s rRNA sequencing, the study analyzed the types and changes of gut microbiota in rabbits at different growth and development stages, as well as the correlation between gut microbiota composition and the weight of 60-day-old rabbits. All experimental rabbits were placed in the same rabbit shed. Juvenile rabbits were fed solid feed at 18 days of age and weaned at 35 days of age. In addition to identifying the dominant bacterial phyla of gut microbiota in rabbits at different age stages, it was found that the abundance of Clostridium tertium and Clostridium paraputrificum in all suckling rabbits (10-day-old) was significantly higher than that in rabbits fed with whole feed (60-day-old) (p < 0.05), while the abundance of Gram-negative bacterium cTPY13 was significantly lower (p < 0.05). In addition, Fast Expected Maximum Microbial Source Tracing (FEAST) analysis showed that the contribution of female rabbits’ gut microbiota to the colonization of offspring rabbits’ gut microbiota was significantly higher than that of unrelated rabbits’ gut microbiota (p < 0.05). The contribution of female rabbits’ gut microbiota to the colonization of gut microbiota in 0-day-old rabbits was significantly higher than that to the colonization of gut microbiota in the 10- and 60-day-old rabbits (p < 0.05). Finally, the correlation between gut microbiota composition and body weight of 60-day-old rabbits was analyzed based on a mixed linear model, and six ASVs significantly affecting body weight were screened. The above results provide important theoretical and practical guidance for maintaining gut health, improving growth and development performance, and feeding formulation in rabbits. Full article

In the urban centers of Türkiye, where cultural changes are more widespread and effective, wedding processional is replaced by the solemnization of the marriage at indoor weddings, and the Kūdegū (old Turkic language; refers to bridegroom, son-in-law) awaiting the bride’s arrival at the boy’s house is replaced by differences in the way of the bride and groom’s entry together; moreover, while wedding rituals such as the bridal bath and groom’s hammam are being forgotten, bachelor/bachelorette parties are on the rise. The beliefs and practices related to the bride being taken out of the girl’s house with a special ceremony have deep meanings, such as blessing the bride who has just joined the family, acclimatizing the bride who feels like an outsider and avoiding her from these feelings, and protecting the bride and groom from the körmös (spirits in Turkic mythology, devilish entities living in the underworld), bad spirits, and the evil eye. In this paper, the structure, function, practices, and beliefs of the rituals surrounding the bride and groom on the last day of Anatolian Turkish weddings are analyzed using a qualitative research method. In addition, this study identified the betrothal, performance, beliefs, and practices surrounding the ritual of “bridal pick up” among Anatolian Turks and evaluated the symbols and signs in the ritual procedures in the functional context of the origins and reflections of traditional Turkish beliefs. Full article

The number of Russian immigrants to Finland has already been steadily increasing since 1990, when the President of Finland launched an initiative aimed at facilitating the repatriation of Ingrian Finns living in the territories incorporated into the USSR. Today Russian-speaking immigrants account for approximately 1.3% of Finland’s population. The segmented assimilation theory encourages one to explore the lived experiences of second-generation immigrants. This article analyses the data from qualitative interviews conducted within the framework of the field work carried out in the central part of Finland, from 1 October to 31 December 2021. Young people who spoke Russian in their family and were a part of groups where Russian is a tool of communication and used for the intergenerational transmission of cultural traditions were selected for interviews. The empirical data resulting from a study conducted in Finland provide insight into the factors that have contributed to the migration of their families, from the perspective of these young people. Applying the concept of identity as a “moveable feast”, this article focuses on the process of self-identification as depending, first, on the dynamics between inherited and obtained identity and, second, on the identity level (ethnicity, nationality, global identity) at which these dynamics are present. Full article

Annually, the food industry generates large amounts of waste and by-products, causing serious problems in their management and final disposal. In particular, by-products are mainly recovered as livestock feed. A most appealing strategy to valorize them has herein been investigated, through polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production. In this view, a stream rich in volatile fatty acids deriving from the acidogenic fermentation of reground pasta (RP), a farinaceous food-industry by-product, was used as a carbon source for PHA production with a phototrophic purple bacteria (PPB) consortium. PPB are very versatile organisms that present a unique metabolism allowing them to adapt to a variety of environmental conditions. The PPB-PHA enrichment phase was performed in a lab-scale semi-continuous photo-bioreactor under a permanent carbon feast regime, with organic loading rate (OLR) increments from 14 to 19 mmolC/Ld. The results showed that the fermented RP solution composition (with 23.4% of HV precursors on a COD basis) was suitable for the PHBHV copolymer production, with the PPB consortium being capable of reaching a very high content in the hydroxyvalerate (HV) monomer, with a maximum of 60% (gHV/gPHA). Regarding the PHA accumulation stage where the light intensity was increased up to 20.2 W/L, a further increase in the culture PHA content by 76% after 12 h was obtained. Overall, these results open the possibility of valorizing food-industry by-products through the development of a biocatalytic process for PHA production with PPB, thus making the overall approach more sustainable from a green perspective. Full article