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Wearable systems have become an integral part of our daily lives. Scientific research has succeeded in integrating various systems for monitoring human physiological parameters such as heart rate, respiration, sweating, and more. In this context, the proposed work focuses on the study, design, and development of an innovative wearable sensor based on graphene. The device was produced using a screen-printing ink filled with graphene nanoplatelets and it was integrated into a fabric through the transfer printing process. The graphene-filled ink was optimized with respect to the filler concentration, enabling the production of a smart textile that incorporates high-performance deformation sensors. Another innovative aspect of this study concerns the investigation of the biocompatibility of the sensor-integrated fabric through in vitro tests using human keratinocytes. Lastly, the sensor was integrated into a garment and tested in an operational environment for the monitoring of elbow joint movement. The results obtained indicate the potential to scale up the developed sensor technology, according to the specific considered application, while maintaining high sensitivity and process scalability. Furthermore, ensuring biocompatibility makes the proposed solution valuable for human monitoring using wearable devices.

It is crucial to extend the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) studies to the new frequency regions where modern telecommunication systems operate, specifically those related to the fifth-generation (5G) technology standard for broadband cellular networks. Electric autonomous vehicles (EAVs) are systems that feature 5G technology on board and for which it is essential to ensure the proper management of EMC to prevent malfunctions. Given the considerable development of the EAV-related sector, new materials and solutions for EMI shielding with properties that reduce interference in the frequency regions of 5G technology are being investigated. Today, meatal-based solutions are the most common EMI shielding materials used to mitigate EMC problems. Nevertheless, with the appearance of EAVs, it is needed the design of novel materials that provide a significant balance in terms of shielding effectiveness (SE) and mechanical properties. Thereby, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an attractive alternative to conventional EMI shielding materials due to their characteristics. The lightweight condition, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, easy processing, and resistance to corrosion made this new type of material perfect to be used in the field of EAVs. This contribution focuses on describing and characterizing three nanocomposite materials manufactured by loading a polymer matrix with 5%, 7%, and 10% CNT concentrations, respectively. The SE measurement is carried out with a coaxial sample holder based on the standard ASTM D4935-18. This measurement setup makes it possible to determine the performance of the three materials under test up to 18 GHz, covering part of the operation frequencies of 5G systems.

In this paper, we present archaeological evidence of seismic damage in the ancient Roman town of Ostia and we perform structural analysis on damaged buildings based on the application of the principles of arch mechanics, in order to provide an objective means to identify the seismogenic origin of the observed ruptures and collapses. We combine a review of literature reports on possible earthquake damages affecting the ancient structures with field investigations, aimed at selecting representative cases in which collapse modalities can be traced back and the seismic origin evidenced. Nine cases of failure affecting masonry structures are analysed, illustrating the collapse dynamics through the virtual arches model. Using this method we also reconstruct tentative collapse vectors for the analysed cases, highlighting iso-oriented, prevalent horizontal components, indicative of earthquake-induced ruptures.

Trace element compositions determined by ICP-MS have been acquired for six eruptive units from the most recent explosive activity of the Colli Albani Volcanic District, central Italy, documented at the Albano maar by seven eruptive units dated at ~69ka (Albano 1–3) and ~41ka through ~36ka (Albano 4–7). Ratios of selected immobile trace elements (e.g. Zr/Y vs Nb/Y) have been used to build an original reference dataset of 15 samples for discriminating the six main units of the Albano maar eruptive succession, albeit it has to be considered preliminary since scarcity of outcrops and incomplete occurrence of these eruptive units hindered the acquisition of a larger dataset. In order to test its applicability, we have used it as an integrative tool to identify a weathered tephra layer (CIS-1) which has been here dated by 40Ar/39Ar method at 70±2ka, previously attributed to an undefined Albano unit, occurring in the stratified Paleolithic site of Cava Muracci. The new 40Ar/39Ar and trace element data, alongside the previous major element composition, indicate that tephra CIS-1 correlates with Albano 3 (~69ka). The results of this study, besides providing a chronological constraint for a local archaeological site, demonstrate how trace element discrimination diagrams combined with other tephrochronological constraints can provide a useful indication for tephrostratigraphic purposes. Although more reference data are needed to test the full soundness of the trace element ratios for fingerprinting individual Albano units, the results also support this method as a new promising tool for the development and application of the tephrochronology, which would offer the great advantage to be potentially applied even to strongly altered and unsuitable volcanic deposits.

Changes in the frequency of temperature extremes are often attributed to global warming. The recent availability of near‐surface temperature data records from reference networks, such as the U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN), enables the quantification of measurement uncertainties. Within an activity of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the estimation of the measurement uncertainty has been provided for USCRN temperature data, using metadata made available by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In this paper, four climate extreme indices (Frost Days, Summer Days, Ice Days, Tropical Nights) and the related uncertainties are calculated for the period 2006–2020 from the USCRN data set and compared with traditional indices. Moreover, the asymmetric USCRN measurement uncertainties are propagated to estimate the uncertainties of climate indices. The comparison shows expanded uncertainties homogeneously distributed with the latitude and typically within 15 days per year for Frost Days and within 10 days for Ice Days, while smaller uncertainties are estimated for Summer Days and Tropical Nights, with values typically within six to seven days per year. Positive uncertainties are typically larger than negative ones for all the indices. The values of Frost and Ice Days with the related uncertainties for USCRN have also been compared with the corresponding values calculated from reanalyses data, showing differences typically within 60 days for median values, quite often smaller than USCRN and inconsistent within the related uncertainties, Overall, the results show that USCRN measurement uncertainties increase confidence in the estimation of climate extreme indices and decisions for adaptation. The relationship between the intensity and frequency of extremes and climate change as well as their attribution to human activities is fundamental for improving the assessment of risk and the elaboration of adaptation strategies. Temperature extremes are often reported and estimated using observations or model data using indices, which are widely adopted in the research community and by decision‐makers. However, the number of temperature extremes is quantified assuming input observations as perfect, whereas these are always affected by uncertainties due to instrumental noise and systematic effects that cannot be always properly accounted for. This also implies that climate extreme indices may under or over‐represent the number of temperature extremes. The advent of reference measurement networks, as well as the overall increase in observational data quality due to recent technological improvements, allows us to quantify measurement uncertainties in detail. In this paper, temperature extremes over the US are estimated from near‐surface temperature measurements provided by the USCRN network in the period 2006–2020 with related uncertainties. The use of uncertainty illustrates the range of values that climate extreme indices may assume. Possible sources of uncertainties and comparisons with data from atmospheric reanalysis are also discussed. An extensive assessment of uncertainties for four climate extreme indices is provided using reference near‐surface temperaturesEstimate uncertainties of climate indices for reanalysis validation and quantification of extremes by propagating measurement uncertaintiesUSCRN traceable measurements with quantified uncertainties increase confidence in estimating extreme indices and decisions for adaptation An extensive assessment of uncertainties for four climate extreme indices is provided using reference near‐surface temperatures Estimate uncertainties of climate indices for reanalysis validation and quantification of extremes by propagating measurement uncertainties USCRN traceable measurements with quantified uncertainties increase confidence in estimating extreme indices and decisions for adaptation

Lapis Gabinus is a durable volcanic stone originally exploited and employed in construction at the ancient Latin city of Gabii. From the second century BCE it was also exported to Rome, where it appears in a series of important monuments, including the Tabularium and the Forum of Augustus. It is a lithified hydromagmatic-surge deposit erupted about 285,000years ago by the Castiglione Crater, 20km east of Rome, and is similar in appearance to other local rocks that geologists and archeologists often call “peperino”. In the present study we establish geochemical identification criteria to classify this rock and distinguish it from the other “peperini” employed by Roman builders. To this end, we have performed trace-element analyses on 17 samples of Lapis Gabinus collected from outcrops at Gabii, and on 11 samples representative of the other “peperino” stones occurring in the area of Rome. The resulting reference dataset has been employed to construct discrimination diagrams in which the geochemical compositional fields of the different rocks are defined. We then tested this identification method by plotting in these diagrams the trace-element compositions of 16 archeological samples of “peperino” stones collected from the buildings of ancient Gabii and Rome, spanning the sixth century BCE through the first century CE. Our results show that the three most common such stones (Lapis Gabinus, Lapis Albanus, Tufo del Palatino) have distinct trace-element compositions and can be readily distinguished using the proposed discrimination diagrams. This relatively simple and inexpensive identification method can be successfully extended to other archeological research on volcanic materials and employed for wider petrographic purposes.

Observational records are more often than not influenced by residual non‐climatic factors which must be detected and adjusted for prior to their usage. In this work, we present a novel approach, named Radiosounding HARMonization (RHARM), providing a homogenized data set of temperature, humidity and wind profiles along with an estimation of the measurement uncertainties for 697 radiosounding stations globally. The RHARM method has been used to adjust twice daily (0000 and 1200 UTC) radiosonde data holdings at 16 pressure levels in the range 1,000–10 hPa, from 1978 to present, provided by the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive. Relative humidity (RH) data are limited to 250 hPa. The applied adjustments are interpolated to all reported levels. RHARM is the first data set to provide homogenized time series with an estimation of the observational uncertainty at each sounding pressure level. By construction, RHARM adjusted fields are not affected by cross‐contamination of biases across stations and are fully independent of reanalysis data. Analysis of trends for temperature, RH and winds highlights increased geographical coherency of trends over 1978–2000 globally, but especially in the Northern Hemisphere and South America. RHARM shows warming trends of 0.39 K/decade at 300 hPa in the Northern Hemisphere and of 0.25 K/decade in the tropics. The RHARM adjustments also reduce differences with the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecast ERA5 reanalysis, with the strongest effect in the Northern Hemisphere for temperature and relative humidity. For wind speed, the comparison indicates a good agreement with ERA5 in the troposphere. Systematic observations of atmospheric parameters by balloon soundings have been collected regularly across the globe since decades. However, changes in the instrumentation, calculation algorithms, station re‐locations and other factors can influence the measurement time series, making the identification of climate signals difficult. The availability of measurement metadata, cross‐comparison with (sparser) reference networks and the application of statistical methods allows to greatly improve the physical consistency of the records. We developed the Radiosounding HARMonization (RHARM) methodology to provide users with homogenized radiosonde profiles of temperature, humidity, and wind, along with measurement uncertainties, for 697 locations globally and twice daily based on the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive. Key features of RHARM are the provision of multiple fundamental atmospheric parameters, adjusted for spurious biases and the inclusion of measurement uncertainties estimated following the standards of the metrological community when available metadata permits. The current version of the RHARM data set can be used to investigate tropospheric weather and climate for the last four decades. The Radiosounding HARMonization (RHARM) data set provides homogenized time series of temperature, relative humidity and wind profiles for hundreds of radiosonde stationsMetrologically accurate estimates of the observational uncertainty are provided together with each observation and variableFor all variables, RHARM increases the geographical coherency of estimated trends and the agreement with a modern atmospheric reanalysis The Radiosounding HARMonization (RHARM) data set provides homogenized time series of temperature, relative humidity and wind profiles for hundreds of radiosonde stations Metrologically accurate estimates of the observational uncertainty are provided together with each observation and variable For all variables, RHARM increases the geographical coherency of estimated trends and the agreement with a modern atmospheric reanalysis

This article provides a geological framework for the study of the cut-stone and concrete masonry of ancient Rome that yields important new insights into the many uses of native volcanic rock—tuffs, pozzolane, and lavas—in the development of Roman architecture. Geological maps and field observations of building stones in existing monuments, along with experimental and petrographic measurements of the physical and material characteristics of the Roman tuffs and travertine, offer a scientific basis for the examination of descriptions of Roman stone construction by Vitruvius. The appendix gives a full geological description of each stone and a gazetteer of extant Roman buildings using that stone. These data form a thorough and precise foundation for tracing the provenance of various volcanic rocks and for appreciating the Romans' empirical understanding of their diverse and distinctive characteristics. Our geological reassessment corrects misconceptions in previous archaeological scholarship that depend on a faulty nomenclature for Roman stone building materials based, in part, on mistranslations of the original Latin terms used by Vitruvius. The updated geological maps included here will make possible accurate studies of the transport of stone from quarries and the economy of urban construction, with a view to documenting the human capacity to transform the landscape of Rome and its surroundings both geomorphologically and architecturally over many centuries. A better understanding of the geological characteristics of Roman stone masonry can guide us in the archaeological preservation of the ancient monuments.

A comprehensive volcanological study of the Albano multiple maar (Alban Hills, Italy) using (i) 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of the most complete stratigraphic section and other proximal and distal outcrops and (ii) petrographic observations, phase analyses of major and trace elements, and Sr and O isotopic analyses of the pyroclastic deposits shows that volcanic activity at Albano was strongly discontinuous, with a first eruptive cycle at 69±1 ka producing at least two eruptions, and a second cycle with two peaks at 39±1 and 36±1 ka producing at least four eruptions. Contrary to previous studies, we did not find evidence of magmatic or hydromagmatic eruptions younger than 36±1 ka. The activity of Albano was fed by a new batch of primary magma compositionally different from that of the older activity of the Alban Hills; moreover, the REE and 87Sr/86Sr data indicate that the Albano magma originated from an enriched metasomatized mantle. According to the modeled liquid line of descent, this magma differentiated under the influence of magma/limestone wall rock interaction. Our detailed eruptive and petrologic reconstruction of the Albano Maar evolution substantiates the dormant state of the Alban Hills Volcanic District.A comprehensive volcanological study of the Albano multiple maar (Alban Hills, Italy) using (i) 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of the most complete stratigraphic section and other proximal and distal outcrops and (ii) petrographic observations, phase analyses of major and trace elements, and Sr and O isotopic analyses of the pyroclastic deposits shows that volcanic activity at Albano was strongly discontinuous, with a first eruptive cycle at 69±1 ka producing at least two eruptions, and a second cycle with two peaks at 39±1 and 36±1 ka producing at least four eruptions. Contrary to previous studies, we did not find evidence of magmatic or hydromagmatic eruptions younger than 36±1 ka. The activity of Albano was fed by a new batch of primary magma compositionally different from that of the older activity of the Alban Hills; moreover, the REE and 87Sr/86Sr data indicate that the Albano magma originated from an enriched metasomatized mantle. According to the modeled liquid line of descent, this magma differentiated under the influence of magma/limestone wall rock interaction. Our detailed eruptive and petrologic reconstruction of the Albano Maar evolution substantiates the dormant state of the Alban Hills Volcanic District.

The volcanic rocks of Rome provide chronostratigraphic constraint that is of use to geologists, archaeologists, and paleontologists. Identifying the areal distribution of these rocks, their mode of emplacement and a detailed chronology of the eruptive events also, is crucial for assessing local natural hazards in a volcanic-tectonic context, and for recognizing whether the volcanoes may erupt again in the future. We have identified and dated many of the volumetrically significant eruptive units from the Monti Sabatini and Alban Hills (Colli Albani) and propose a formalized volcanic stratigraphy for Rome. It is probable that seismic events triggered some eruptions, as several ignimbrites from the two volcanoes have statistically indistinguishable ages. Following a 200+kyr period of dormancy that was coincident with a pulse of regional uplift, the Alban Hills appears to have begun recently (circa 45ka), a new eruptive cycle. Therefore, accurate assessment of volcanic-tectonic hazards, and estimation of possible future volcanic activity, is necessary for the safety of the five million people living near these volcanoes.

The construction age of the Tullianum, the oldest portion of the Carcere Mamertino (Mamertine Jail), the early Roman execution site, is not known. Identifying the provenance of the building stone used to construct the Tullianum can aid in determining the approximate age of the structure because the introduction of different types of building materials occurred at known times. The40Ar/39Ar age of the rock used to construct the Tullianum is 36±1ka, indicating that it is Lapis albanus, which crops out only on the flanks of the Alban Hills volcano approximately 20km from Rome. Based on the general belief that the introduction of Lapis albanus as a building stone did not occur before the 4th centurybc, we interpret that the Tullianum was built, or rebuilt, after this time. This age conflicts with the architectural style of the Tullianum, which matches that of ancient cisterns, believed to date to the 7th or 6th centuries bc. This younger age for the Tullianum suggests a unique history for this building, perhaps tied to ancient religious rituals.

Strong site effects were observed during the two MW5.7 and MW6.0 main shocks of the Colfiorito seismic crisis which occured on September 26, 1997 in Umbria-Marche (Central Italy).The most obvious indications of these effects are the dramatic differences in damage shown by buildings of similar construction in neighboring villages.Such observations were specifically made in the Verchiano valley in the fault area, 15 km south of Colfiorito where the Verchiano village and the Colle and Camino hamlets were heavily damaged (MCS intensity IX-X) since the first main shock of 1997/09/26,while in contrast, the Curasci village located 2 km eastwards remains almost intact.In order to study the anomalous ground motion amplifications in this area, an array of 11, 3-components seismo- and accelero-meters was set up during the 1997/10/20-24 period, extending from the western side of the valley, up to the top of Mount San Salvatore, going accross the Colle and Curasci hamlets.During the experiment, 67 aftershocks enlightened the valley from the Colfiorito (10 km north) and the Sellano (6 km south) active swarms.Seismic refraction experiments were conducted at the same time in the 500 m wide, 1500 m long Verchiano valley in order to determine the thickness and main characteristics of the alluvial infilling.The main results are: (i) compared to the valley side ground motion, and for all the events, recordings in the central part of the valley (piana di Verchiano) show relative amplification of ∼10 with a clear lengthening of the seismogram duration by a factor of ∼2 – (ii) broad band relative amplification of ∼6–8 is also clearly identified at the top of the Mount San Salvatore overhanging the valley – (iii) any of the site effect measurements done explains by itself the strongly contrasted damage observed at Colle and Curasci: i.e. the modification of the near-field radiation pattern by interaction with the free heterogeneous surface may have induced local shadow zones that saved Curasci.