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The Alessandrina Library was founded in 1667 by pope Alexander VII Chigi and is nowadays housed in the Campus of Sapienza University of Rome (Italy). Within its Ancient (mostly made of rag paper) and Modern (mostly made of contemporary paper) collections, it includes more than one million books produced from the XVI to the XXI century. In 2019, six thermo-hygrometers were deployed in its multi-storey repository to monitor temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH). Hourly T and RH data collected over 2 years allowed us to evaluate spatial and temporal thermo-hygrometric distributions and to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the climate-induced risks (mechanical, chemical, and biological deterioration mechanisms). Vertical temperature gradients associated with unstable conditions occurred in winter, resulting in upraising air flows up to the ceiling. The risky short-term RH fluctuations (EN 15757:2010) were determined to avoid mechanical stress in case of loans, relocation, and consultation. The Time Weighted Expected Lifetime (TWEL) index was used to evaluate the chemical risk for different paper-based collections as a function of their acidity and degree of polymerisation, also considering the typical response time of paper books to T and RH changes. The TWEL calculation estimated that the durability of acidic paper was around 300 years and highlighted that rag paper could be subject to cellulose hydrolysis only in summer and autumn, while contemporary paper was mostly at no risk. The risk of mould germination (Sedlbauer diagram) was possible on few days in Autumn, while the production of insect eggs (Brimblecombe empirical function) was favoured during approximately 42% of time over the year. In addition, illuminance and colorimetric measurements (performed on selected book covers) showed that light-sensitive objects could be exposed to the photodeterioration risk in the east-facing side of the repository. Although the investigation focussed on a specific case study, a similar approach could be effectively adapted to most library and archival repositories conserving paper-based collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three oil sketches on paper forming the basis of this study—all of elderly, male sitters—are attributed to unknown sixteenth- or early seventeenth-century Bolognese artists: painters associated with the Carracci family and their Academia degli Incaminati. This context was notable for its near-constant examination of the world around it through consistent drawing and painting, and for its success in exporting its negotiations of the contemporary religious landscape beyond Bologna, to Rome and further afield. A brief overview of the original intention, forms and early functions of these works is given, before focus turns to traditions of ownership and collection in the generations immediately after their creation. The British contexts that the sketches entered during the eighteenth century—collections at Stourhead House, Saltram House and General John Guise's bequest to Christ Church—are then explored through consideration of the social and artistic milieux in which these works were acquired. All three sketches have been mounted on to canvas or panel supports: this conservation history sheds light on how these works have been altered structurally, aesthetically and in functionality as they moved from an early didactic purpose to that of display in the eighteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gierycz argues provocatively in his paper that the identity of the European Union as reflected in its motto, "United in Diversity," has been "derived" from the model offered by the Roman Catholic Church. His argument, however, is flawed in a number of key respects. Among other things, he ignores entirely the fact that the Catholic Church did not invent the wheel in this respect but modeled itself in turn on the earlier example of the Roman Empire. The impression he leaves of the ways in which the Church went about imposing its version of "unity in diversity" on the local cultures over which it came to exercise dominion, moreover, is highly misleading. A third problem is that he treats the terms "Catholic Church" and "Christian thought" as if they were interchangeable when their references are obviously not necessarily identical. There are also deep problems with Gierycz's attempt to establish that Church-based moral norms are superior to those reflected in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights because, as he seeks to convince us, the former are grounded on the "rock" of "absolute" values while the latter are built upon the "sand" of shifting sociological opinion. These flaws diminish the value of what could have been an important contribution to our understanding of the extent to which the European Union should look to the experience of the Church in seeking to establish its own identity as a supranational institution "united in diversity." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aimac), Rome, Italy; 6Alleanza Contro il Cancro, Rome, Italy; 7SC Haematology, IRCCS Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II", Bari, Italy; 8Rehabilitation Medicine Unit, Strategic Health Services Department, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy; 9Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy; 10Evaluative Epidemiology Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Milano, Italy; 11DOPO Clinic, Department of Pediatric Haematology/Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy; 12Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; 13Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, IEO European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy; 14Psychology Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy; 15Medical Oncology Unit, Umberto I Hospital, Department of Oncology, RAO, Siracusa, ItalyCorrespondence: Luigino Dal Maso, Epidemiologia Oncologica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, Aviano (PN), 33081, Italy, Tel +39 0434 659354, Email [email protected] Paolo Tralongo, Medical Oncology Unit, Umberto I Hospital, Department of Oncology, RAO, Via Giuseppe Testaferrata 1, Siracusa, 96100, Italy, Tel +39 0931 724 464, Email [email protected] A multidisciplinary panel of experts and cancer patients developed a position paper to highlight recent evidence on "cancer cure" (ie, the possibility of achieving the same life expectancy as the general population) and discuss the consequences of this concept on follow-up and rehabilitation strategies. The aim is to inform clinicians, patients, and health-care policy makers about strategies of survivorship care for cured cancer patients and consequences impacting patient lives, spurring public health authorities and research organizations to implement resources to the purpose. Two identifiable, measurable, and reproducible indicators of cancer cure are presented. Cure fraction (CF) is > 60% for breast and prostate cancer patients, > 50% for colorectal cancer patients, and > 70% for patients with melanoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and cancers of corpus uteri, testis (> 90%), and thyroid. CF was > 65% for patients diagnosed at ages 15– 44 years and 30% for those aged 65– 74 years. Time-to-cure was consistently < 1 year for thyroid and testicular cancer patients and < 10 years for patients with colorectal and cervical cancers, melanoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma. The working group agrees that the evidence allows risk stratification of cancer patients and implementation of personalized care models for timely diagnosis, as well as treatment of possible cancer relapses or related long-term complications, and preventive measures aimed at maintaining health status of cured patients. These aspects should be integrated to produce an appropriate follow-up program and survivorship care plan(s), avoiding stigma and supporting return to work, to a reproductive life, and full rehabilitation. The "right to be forgotten" law, adopted to date only in a few European countries, may contribute to these efforts for cured patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the recent (since 9/11) widespread attention across academic disciplines paid to the theme of Empire, the author considers a primary question which emerges: What might we learn from and about the Bible which was composed in the context of Empire and has functioned in communities which both benefited from and suffered under imperial rule? Attention is given to critical 're-readings' of the New Testament in light of the reality of the Roman Empire and its overriding, pervasive imperial rule. Consideration is given to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (325/381 B.C.E.) and Christology for 'hidden transcripts' of the radical alternative message of the Gospel vis-à-vis the power of emperor and Empire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a successful technique often used for the elemental analysis of cultural heritage artefacts. It is non-invasive, the equipment can be miniaturized and made portable and it allows addressing crucial issues such as the fabrication technology, authenticity and provenance of the artefacts. Depending on the components' selection (e.g., the primary source, the detector and the focusing optics, if present), the analytical performance and the consequent suitability to investigate a given class of materials may vary significantly. The present paper discusses the analytical performance—with special regard to the limits of detection and the quantification uncertainty—of two portable XRF spectrometers developed within a collaboration between INFN-LNF-FISMEL and CNR-ISPC. The devices are expressly designed for heritage materials. In particular, one is equipped with focusing optics and it is intended to analyze small details on glasses and pigmented surfaces, whereas the other has a 70 kV X-ray tube, which greatly improves sensitivity for medium-Z elements, which is important in copper-based artefacts. Finally, this paper discusses two case studies to highlight the features of the instruments: one concerns Etruscan vitreous material beads and the other pre- and proto-historic copper-based artefacts from Tyrrhenian Central Italy. Thanks to the small size of the equipment, both investigations could easily be carried out in situ, namely, at the Museo Nazionale Etrusco in Rome and the Museo della Preistoria della Tuscia e della Rocca Farnese at Valentano. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, it has been considered that the Ptolemaic or classical maps from the four editions of Ptolemy's Geography published in Rome (1478, 1490, 1507, and 1508) are apparently indistinguishable at first glance because they have been printed from the same plates. This poses a problem for antiquarians, collectors, and curators who wish to accurately date their copies. Recently, two very comprehensive articles have been published on the different paper watermarks associated with each edition, which would allow for the correct identification of each one. However, there are occasions when the maps do not display watermarks. This article aims to provide some keys to distinguish between the incunabula editions (1478, 1490) and those of 1507–1508 in cases of the absence of watermarks. In this process of detecting differences, we have used digitized images of the maps. The results show small modifications in the copper plates made between the editions of 1490 and 1507/08. Our findings reveal that seven previously unknown reworked maps have been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between territory and urban space, discussing the joint development processes of urban and territorial morphologies. The paper argues that territorial structure is a precursor to urban design. It also discusses how landscape architecture can respond to the morphological needs of contemporary urban design as the boundaries between city and territory merge. The introduction and framework review section examines various approaches to studying the relationship between urban morphology and interstitial spaces or unbuilt geographies, which are often still considered empty spaces, physically incorporated but excluded from urban design. It also briefly discusses the role that green spaces and territorial morphologies have played, or not played, in defining urban form from antiquity to modernity. The paper then focuses on the role of hydromorphologies in shaping the urban form of Rome, Boston and Bari. These cities are analyzed as case studies to discuss 20th-century approaches to urban planning in relation to territorial layout. Finally, this study analyzes a marginal area of the metropolitan city of Bari in order to propose possible landscape morphologies of reconnection for the resulting interstitial areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of the paper is tax and the tax system of the Byzantine Empire. The tax system analysed in this paper was created and applied from the 3rd to the 9th century. In this research, the author tried to point out the changes that took place in the property relations in the agriculture of the Empire, which in many ways affected the organization and method of tax collection. The paper provides an analysis from which it can be noted that the organization of tax collection followed the changes that took place in Byzantine society. Agricultural production in the first centuries was based on the relationship between the colonists and the landowners. That relationship began to change from the beginning of the 7th century, when an increasing number of free peasants began to appear in agricultural production. The Roman and then the Byzantine system of tax collection was based on the registration of the land in the cadastre. Every land owner had to be registered in the cadastre, and thus was obliged to pay taxes. The financial administration of the Empire gave estimates every year of how much tax should be collected. The tax system in these times is going through changes in the way it is collected. The old relationship in which head tax and land tax are collected is abandoned and a system of special assessments, household tax and land tax is introduced. The changes that occurred in the method of tax collection influenced the further development of relations in Byzantine agriculture. Throughout this period, taxes were collected in money, mostly gold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-quality development of the industrial software industry is of strategic significance to enhancing the core competitiveness of the manufacturing industry and promoting the high-quality development of China's industrial economy. By integrating the "capital-technology-environment-human" production factor theory and configuration perspective, this paper constructs a comprehensive analysis framework that drives the total factor productivity (TFP) of the industrial software industry. This paper uses 40 typical industrial software firms in 2018–2020 as case samples and uses fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to empirically explore the influencing factors and complex mechanisms that achieve high-quality development of the industrial software industry. It is found that: (1) a single industrial factor is hardly a necessary condition to drive the industrial software industry; (2) there are four paths to achieving high TFP, which are summarized as "technical-human-environmental" balanced driving type, "capital-human-environmental" balanced driving type, "technical-capital" dual driving type, and "capital" single driving type. There are four driving mechanisms. There are also four not-high TFP configurations with asymmetric characteristics; (3) under certain conditions, the combination of capital factors, technical factors, environmental factors, and human factors can drive TFP in an "all roads lead to Rome". In this process, the government's attention plays a more universal role. The study not only expands the application scenarios of fsQCA but also provides decision guidelines for the practice of strategic emerging industrialization represented by the industrial software industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The call for papers for this Special Issue Iidentifies contemporary humanity as experiencing a global "biogeochemical ... political, economic, technological, ethical, and therefore, biocultural" crisis and asks scholars to consider how "religion may function as an adaptive or maladaptive presence" in response. Unasked is the adaptive capacity of scholarship as a crisis response. When buildings fall in earthquakes, or cities burn in wildfires, or second stories flood, few people just keep on doing what they were doing, "with a change of focus". This is "studying Rome while it burns". It's time to put out the fire if we can and survive it if we cannot. We scholar/teachers can't go on doing the same things and expecting different results. Unprecedented circumstances call for unprecedented actions in response. What would actual crisis responses on our part look like? What steps do we need to take as human beings in response to this crisis? How will that affect us as professionals? Seeking an ecology, rather than unanimity, of action and thought, and guided by Brian Walker's resilience theory and a number of Indigenous scholars, I suggest a process of reintegration, analogous to regenerative agriculture, which is at once both socio-cultural and ecological. This process, necessarily rooted in place, progressively situates us experientially in a dynamic, creative, and relational world characterized by connection, collaboration, and relation. As scholars, we will find forms of discovery, discussion, and dissemination that share these qualities. As teachers, we will model this world to our students and embody it in our classrooms and curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes and interprets the prose of Ernest Koliqi including his short story collections Hija e maleve (“The Shadow of the Mountains”, 1929), published in Zadar; Pasqyrat e Narçizit (“The Mirrors of Narcissus”, 1934), published in Bari and Rome; Tregtar flamujsh (“Flag Merchant”, 1935), published in Tirana; and the novel Shija e bukës së mbrume (“The Taste of Leavened Bread”, 1960), published in Rome. Pasqyrat e Narçizit/“The Mirrors of Narcissus” (1934) is written in a style between poetry and prose. In Hija e maleve/“The Shadow of the Mountains” (1929), the author remains truthful about Albanian traditions. The theme of this collection portrays the main elements of the Albanian way of living and their mentality. The central aspect of Koliqi’s works deals with the drama of the homeland, the struggles of the Albanian intellectuals in general and those of Shkodër in particular. Most stories present cohabitation with mythological creatures; however, there is also Tregtar flamujsh/“Flag Merchant” (1935) which shows modern symbolism with an element of psychoanalysis. In Shija e bukës së mbrume/“The Taste of Leavened Bread” (1960) Koliqi writes about life, the struggles, and the atmosphere of Albanian life. This novel is filled with patriotic, social, and moral values of the Albanian people, even though the main character of the story lives in Albania and abroad. Ernest Koliqi’s characters are typical Albanian people, and the spirit of his works is also of the typical Albanian spirit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bibliography on the subject of Roman empire is presented which includes the book "Roman Philosophy and the Good Life," by R. A. Belliotti, "Forms of Astonishment. Greek Myths of Metamorphosis," by R. Buxton and "Catullus," by J. H. Gaisser.

The years between 1890 and 1914 saw several prominent studies from statesmen-administrators comparing British India with the Roman empire. These were not the self-congratulatory comparisons of earlier decades, but serious comparative studies aimed at learning practical lessons from Rome's successes and failures. To gain a clearer picture of the significance of these analogies and how they were used, the Indian Civil Service (ICS) examination papers from the same period are analysed. It is argued that, following a move in 1892 to make the ICS a fully graduate service, the Civil Service commissioners showed a sustained interest in asking candidates to compare India (and the wider British empire) with the empires of Rome and Greece. Rome was considered particularly relevant for the directly ruled parts of the empire, with a focus on provincial administration and frontier defence, while Athens was preferred for questions of colonial federation. In the final section, the spread of subjects and weighting of marks within the examination are considered. It is argued that a series of changes post-1892 were designed to favour candidates who had studied Classics at university enabling them to obtain a higher proportion of the overall marks than those specializing in other subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores and relates the changing social and economic context to the particular national themes of Italian town planning since 1945, including case-specific aspects and ideologies, practices and models. It begins with a consideration of the immediate reconstruction efforts after 1945 before turning to the issues of urbanisation, land speculation and real estate markets from the 1950s with which town planners from the left had to contend; the examples of plans for Assisi, Rome and the historic centre of Bologna are examined. The 1970s brought about a centre-left realignment and considerable innovation in the discipline, although the growth of industrial districts and development pressures on the historic fabric of towns provided challenges with which practice found it difficult to deal. From the 1990s the introduction of new, complex programmes with EU links began to weaken the traditional strength of the master plan concept and innovations in local administration and new issues, such as landscape conservation, have emerged together with an awakened public interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the early 19th century decorative program of the Villa Torlonia on the Via Nomentana in Rome, in particular the historicist rooms by painter-architect Giovanni Battista Caretti that were completed during the 1830s under the patronage of Alessandro Torlonia. Taking the Camera dei poeti e degli artisti italiani as a central case study in articulating the nature and context of Rome's neo-gothic projects, this paper proposes that Caretti's creation of small, interior gothic spaces as part of a collection of historicist rooms - a diminutive, enclosed 'capsule gothic' housed in a neoclassical shell - is a decorative phenomenon that was developed and implemented across the Villa, as well as in the since-demolished Palazzo Torlonia in Piazza Venezia. Considering both sites together elucidates how Caretti's visual vocabulary draws from both international and local sources, namely a cosmopolitan Neoclassical-Gothic aesthetic alongside extant elements of the medieval Roman landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent crises have highlighted the vulnerabilities of global supply chains and, consequently, a profound need for food system transformation. In this scenario, local food policy and agroecology arise as two different but converging paradigms capable of fostering an inclusive and sustainable transition of the food systems, especially in urban contexts. The purpose of this paper is to strengthen the relationship between these two paradigms by proposing agroecological assessment as a tool for formulating evidence-based local food policies. Considering the city-region food system of Rome (Italy) as a reference context, the paper proposes an adaptation of the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) model on a sample of 20 farms to analyse urban agriculture and understand the extent to which it contributes to the transformation of the food system. Data processing shows that, in the city-region context of Rome, agroecological principles are not fully adopted by the majority of farms considered. In addition, farms with the highest agroecological level are those driven mainly by social factors and have a lower propensity for innovation. This could be read as a constraining aspect because it hinders and slows down the transformation process of food systems. However, these data turn out to be essential to the implementation of local food policy and in identifying pathways toward sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UEFA Europa League group stage clash on 24 October and 7 November 2019 between Celtic FC of Glasgow and SS Lazio of Rome offers fascinating insight into ultra social movements as forms of leadership. This exploratory research paper conceptualizes this tie as an Event that provides both a pivotal point of cross-cultural reflection on ultra fan groups as emergent social movements, and a means for the examination of forms of social leadership in contemporary society. In such terms, the paper initiates a critical consideration of The Green Brigade, a self-styled ultra fan group of Celtic FC as an emerging social movement, characterizes the group in terms of the differentiated ultra/ultraS binary, begins to qualitatively address the question as to levels of support for the group among the wider constituency of Celtic supporters, and as such, tentatively explores the groups' leadership and organizational characteristics. The research concludes that a creative and action-oriented leadership style can be discerned. While organizational characteristics require further examination, intimations of a logic of development emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En este trabajo estudiamos los testimonios conservados de magistrados de colonias y municipios de la Hispania Ulterior Baetica que se datan entre el 49 a.C. y la muerte de Tiberio. Su objetivo es buscar captar, mediante un enfoque prosopográfico, los principales rasgos que caracterizaron a los miembros de este colectivo y resaltar los comportamientos sociopolíticos comunes de dicho grupo que fue el encargado de guiar los primeros pasos de las nuevas comunidades cívicas surgidas de los procesos de colonización y municipalización cesariano-augusteos. Igualmente, la documentación epigráfica y numismática generada en este periodo nos permitirá mostrar los momentos iniciales del proceso de formación de una nueva élite hispano-romana caracterizada por la mezcla e integración de Hispanienses e Hispani, que asumió el gobierno de las comunidades cívicas de la Bética y de la que pronto comenzarán a surgir "hombres nuevos" deseosos de promocionar a los ordines superiores y de ocupar puestos de responsabilidad en Roma y en la administración imperial. Summary: This paper aims to study the evidence on magistrates of colonies and municipalities from Baetica between 49 BC and the death of Tiberius. Its purpose is to identify, through a prosopographical approach, the main features of these magistrates and to highlight the common socio-political behaviours of this group, who was responsible for ruling the first years of the new colonies and municipalities enfranchised by Caesar and Augustus. Likewise, the epigraphic and numismatic evidence from this period will allow to show the initial stages of the process of formation of a new Hispano-Roman elite characterised by the mixture and integration of Hispanienses and Hispani who took over the government of the communities of Baetica. From these towns, "new men" soon began to emerge, eager to be promoted to the higher orders and to hold offices of responsibility in Rome and in the imperial administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sheds light on the manufacturing processes, techniques, and materials used in the splendid illuminations of the oldest surviving copy of De Balneis Puteolanis, preserved at the Angelica Library in Rome (Ms. 1474). The codex is one of the masterpieces of mid-13th-century Italian-Southern illumination, traditionally referred to as the commission of Manfredi, son of Frederick II. The findings reported in the article result from the interdisciplinary study conducted in 2021–2023 in the framework of "Codex 4D: journey in four dimensions into the manuscript", a multidisciplinary project involving many competences and dealing with art-historical studies on manuscripts, diagnostic and conservative analyses, scientific dissemination, storytelling, and public engagement. The considerations we present aims at increasing the knowledge of book artefacts while respecting their extraordinary complexity; data from non-invasive diagnostic investigations (X-ray fluorescence, Vis-NIR reflectance and Raman spectroscopies, hyperspectral imaging, and multi-band imaging techniques as ultraviolet, reflectography, and thermography), carried out in situ with portable instruments on the book, have been integrated with observations resulting from the historical-artistic study, and the reading of some ancient treatises on the production and use of the pigments and dyes employed in illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing has a long history of use and reached a good level of maturity in archaeological and cultural heritage applications, yet further advances are viable through the exploitation of novel sensor data and imaging modes, big data and high-performance computing, advanced and automated analysis methods. This paper showcases the main research avenues in this field, with a focus on archaeological prospection and heritage site protection. Six demonstration use-cases with a wealth of heritage asset types (e.g. excavated and still buried archaeological features, standing monuments, natural reserves, burial mounds, paleo-channels) and respective scientific research objectives are presented: the Ostia-Portus area and the wider Province of Rome (Italy), the city of Wuhan and the Jiuzhaigou National Park (China), and the Siberian "Valley of the Kings" (Russia). Input data encompass both archive and newly tasked medium to very high-resolution imagery acquired over the last decade from satellite (e.g. Copernicus Sentinels and ESA Third Party Missions) and aerial (e.g. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAV) platforms, as well as field-based evidence and ground truth, auxiliary topographic data, Digital Elevation Models (DEM), and monitoring data from geodetic campaigns and networks. The novel results achieved for the use-cases contribute to the discussion on the advantages and limitations of optical and SAR-based archaeological and heritage applications aimed to detect buried and sub-surface archaeological assets across rural and semi-vegetated landscapes, identify threats to cultural heritage assets due to ground instability and urban development in large metropolises, and monitor post-disaster impacts in natural reserves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the assessment of the impacts of using electric vehicles for urban service trips. In particular, the focus is on trips performed for delivering and installing products, as well as for reverse logistics. Such components of commercial traffic in urban areas have not received the level of attention it deserves. In fact, recent research on commercial traffic mainly deals with shop restocking, service visits to establishments and e-commerce deliveries, and limited attention has been paid to the service sector (e.g., installation, maintenance, repairs) which can have a high impact on city sustainability in terms of pollution emissions, congestion as well as land use for parking. Furthermore, pushed by the current trend towards the promotion of electric vehicles, an assessment is developed comparing potential service patterns using real data from the inner area of Rome (Italy) when the electric fleet replaces the traditional one. Results show the opportunity to decouple the delivery operation from the installation one, and to integrate service with reverse logistics. These significant results could address the adoption of suitable integrated urban policies to make the most of the opportunities arising from the use of electric vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric micromobility, both as a private option and as a shared service, can represent an alternative to cars, particularly for given user groups (market segments) and specific classes of travel distance. The paper explores the potential for shifting from cars to electric micromobility (specifically, e-bikes and e-scooters) for commuting trips, investigated through floating car data (FCD). The methodology combines the calibration of random utility models (RUMs) and the subsequent simulation through the adoption of FCD spanning the entire city of Rome (Italy). The data used for the calibration of RUM models have been sourced from an online revealed preferences and stated preferences survey carried out between November 2020 and January 2021. Socioeconomic factors, along with transport features (travel time, access time, monetary costs, and perceived safety levels), enter into the definition of the mode choice probability. The first results showed that in Rome, the potential demand for electric micromobility could range between 14% of the FCD sample in the best case (low cost, high accessibility, and road infrastructures with a high perceived level of safety) and about 2% in the worst case (high cost, low accessibility, and a low perceived level of safety). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite early imperial portenta being largely ignored in secondary literature, the reports of such incidents demand increased scholarly attention. This paper contends that decoding reports of portents from the early empire can give us fundamental insights into key moments of identity negotiation in this period. This paper will primarily focus on two such reports, signs of divine displeasure reported in Athens and in Camulodunum. This paper contends that within such reports we can glimpse complex and contested issues of identity creation and redefinition at intra-local, trans-local, and global levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities and urban areas are one of the critical global systems that can accelerate and upscale climate action and more than ever need to achieve the 11 goals of Agenda 2030 becoming inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. In 2019, Science published a paper suggesting that planting trees, on a massive scale and sustained period of time, represented one of the most effective solutions at our disposal to mitigate climate change. Cities across the world have started implementing urban forests to address multiple environmental issues. Urban forests are capable to provide more complete solutions than other urban NBS. In this context, the challenge for cities is to disseminate UF-NBS throughout the city in order to release environmental and social benefits even in the most dense areas, spreading wellbeing for all citizens. The paper illustrates a cutting-edge experimentation of a tiny forestation action at the neighborhood scale, aimed at integrating both regulative and social-cultural ecosystem services. In line with the principles of the UN Agenda 2030, the Eco-Pedagogical Microforest project, that took place in Rome, demonstrates that even a small patch of nature can increase young people's biospheric values, influencing pro-environmental behaviors and actions, enhancing wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been increased interest in adopting novel sensing technologies for continuously monitoring structural systems. In this respect, micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) sensors are widely used in several applications, including structural health monitoring (SHM), in which accelerometric samples are acquired to perform modal analysis. Thanks to their significantly lower cost, ease of installation in the structure, and lower power consumption, they enable extensive, pervasive, and battery-less monitoring systems. This paper presents an innovative high-performance device for SHM applications, based on a low-noise triaxial MEMS accelerometer, providing a guideline and insightful results about the opportunities and capabilities of these devices. Sensor nodes have been designed, developed, and calibrated to meet structural vibration monitoring and modal identification requirements. These components include a protocol for reliable command dissemination through network and data collection, and improvements to software components for data pipelining, jitter control, and high-frequency sampling. Devices were tested in the lab using shaker excitation. Results demonstrate that MEMS-based accelerometers are a feasible solution to replace expensive piezo-based accelerometers. Deploying MEMS is promising to minimize sensor node energy consumption. Time and frequency domain analyses show that MEMS can correctly detect modal frequencies, which are useful parameters for damage detection. The acquired data from the test bed were used to examine the functioning of the network, data transmission, and data quality. The proposed architecture has been successfully deployed in a real case study to monitor the structural health of the Marcus Aurelius Exedra Hall within the Capitoline Museum of Rome. The performance robustness was demonstrated, and the results showed that the wired sensor network provides dense and accurate vibration data for structural continuous monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a key passage in the Palestinian Talmud (the Yerushalmi), on mGit 4.8, that presents a salient discussion about the halakhic meaning of gentile ownership of lands in the land of Israel. Two theoretical moves are evident within the amoraic effort to define it. The first is an innovative turn, achieved through a creative reading of Leviticus 25, that interprets Jubilee law as a model by which gentile possession of the Land is portrayed as a lamentable yet temporary form of partial ownership, similar to enslaved Jews in gentile hands, until returning to Jewish control.The second is a conceptual deliberation on select legal categories of ownership, most notably the concept of ususfructus , which may be seen in light of their centrality in Roman property law, especially given the key role that such designations hold in Roman construction of hierarchies and space. I suggest viewing the rabbinic use of these categories as a subversive strategy, either as an adaptation to the Roman definition of Italic land or in opposition to Roman perceptions of provincial lands, that is, in dialogue with the very Roman notions of space and control over subordinate populations that the rabbis themselves were confronting in the land of Israel.This sugya thus provides a unique view of how these Palestinian rabbis perceived the Roman presence in their land and their mindset as a conquered community and, in a broader sense, a valuable source for better understanding provincial perspectives under the Roman Empire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between gender and space through a consideration of women's ritual performances in the Regia, an ancient and sacred building at the edge of the Roman Forum. In this space, the regina sacrorum , the flaminica Dialis , the saliae virgines , and the Vestal Virgins performed a range of public rituals on behalf the Roman people. The paper examines how the material setting of the Regia and traditions associating it with the regal period shaped the experiences of the priestesses as they carried out their ritual obligations. It also considers how their ritual performances contributed to the perception that the Regia and many of the city's most important rituals were rooted in the regal period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dominant constructions of what looks "appropriate" enable the exclusion of poor immigrants from public spaces around the world. This paper analyzes how Bangladeshi vendors challenge exclusion by tactically appearing and disappearing in Rome's iconic landscapes. While xenophobic, pro-decorum regulations seek to banish marginalized subjects from the tourist-friendly city center, immigrant vendors mobilize their own visibility by emplacing urbanisms of opportunity, refuge, and belonging. Learning from these urbanisms, planners can deploy a spatial lens of visibility to advance the right to difference. I propose In Plain Site, a policy and place-making approach that helps empower oppressed groups to see and be seen in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Seven Books of History against the Pagans by Paulus Orosius was written as a response to the sack of Rome in 410 CE. In contrast to his contemporaries, Orosius responded to the disaster by writing a history that decentered the city of Rome. His work reshaped Roman history through deemphasizing traditional Roman values and by foregrounding a local perspective. This paper examines Orosius's literary strategies through his description of the destruction of cities in the Republican period. It first surveys the interaction between accounts of the sack of Rome in 410 and the literary archetypes that dominate the descriptions of destroyed cities in Roman sources. Turning to Orosius, it outlines how his Historiae adversus paganos both does and does not adhere to this model, arguing that the encounter between classical sources and the Christian structure of his work allowed Orosius to critique Rome's history of imperialism. Orosius saw and portrayed the past as a subjective experience, and the examples of Numantia and Carthage demonstrate that Orosius told the destruction of cities from a peripheral point of view. In pursuit of mitigating the effects of Rome's own recent disaster, Orosius gives a glimpse of an alternate, regional interpretation of Roman history, one of the many that surely existed alongside a historical tradition that our sources often present as empire-wide and monolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Can order spring from Chaos?" is the title of an extensive Report on Italian science published by NATURE on 12 May 1983 and written by Robert Walgate, the Chief European Correspondent. It is a twenty pages complete paper touching all aspects of the struggle of Italian scientists to work in the "curious amalgam of ingenuity and muddle, a reflection of the political system". (Nature, 1983; 303: 109–128). To read it after four decades is interesting but somewhat depressing since the main problems unfolded in the paper have not been solved, starting with the largely insufficient support of fundamental curiosity driven research. At page 114 you could find a item called: ITALY's TOP SCIENTISTS: Four in the top one thousand. The Author refers to the data reported by the ISI (Institute of Scientific Information) that took two years to scan 3,000 major journals over the period 1965–78 and covered 5 millions articles and 67 millions references. The four top Italian scientists working in Italy were: Eraldo Antonini (3127 citations), Enrico Clementi (4001), Silvio Garattini (2833), and Giorgio Giacomelli (2483); 3 out of four were 52 years old, and one 55. Antonini did not see the Report since he passed away on March 18, 1983. However the information leaked before the publication of Nature because I remember the Messaggero of Rome reporting a whole page with the ranking of the four Italians, and even a picture of Eraldo. The students of the first year Medical course, his Class, welcomed the Professor with a standing ovation. After a short time the Board of the SIB (Società Italiana di Biochimica) casted a unanimous vote in favour of the motion of President Noris Siliprandi to begin the annual Congress with an Antonini Lecture, forever. As reported below, the tradition began immediately at the Congress in Saint-Vicent, Italy, and is continuing. In this paper I report an account of the Eraldo Antonini Lectures that I attended over the years and until September 2019, a few months before the pandemics lock down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romans 1:18-2:29 connects with Stoic philosophy in a way that would be unmistakable to a Gentile audience. While acknowledging the Hellenistic tone of the passage, this paper focuses on the Stoic elements of natural law that were broadly recognized in Rome. Particularly, Cicero's speeches, rhetorical handbooks, and philosophical treatises provide a comprehensive account of the connections between Hellenistic philosophy and Roman law and declamation. Although no direct evidence exists to show that Paul had read Cicero, these texts reveal the culture of the Roman Christians to whom Paul was writing. Key concepts of natural law appear in Romans that contextualize Paul's message on internal obedience in 2:27-29, although he reworks them. Paul emphasizes spirit 'πνεῦμα' as the generating force of obedience. Two interpretations of πνεῦμα echo Stoic perspectives as the intent opposed to the letter of the law and as the inward motivation of the person obeying the law. The third interpretation as a foreshadowing of the Holy Spirit would be new for Paul's Roman audience. This paper demonstrates that by incorporating Stoic elements on natural law, Paul presents the central significance of internal obedience in a way that would be understandable to his Christ-believing auditors and readers in Rome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural concept of the dome dates back to the Pantheon in Rome. It is used as the cover of many churches and mosques all around the world. Light solutions, with a well-visible dome-shaped truss skeleton, are often preferred in modern architecture. Base isolation techniques can be adopted to mitigate the seismic effects. This paper aims to investigate the efficiency of different designs for the truss skeleton. To solve the problem, one has to assign the constraints, the materials and the geometry of the dome, its supporting structure and the isolation devices (number, locations, and type). The screening of the effects of different scheme assumptions on structural behaviour provides a better insight into the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recommender system is an approach to give an appropriate solution to a particular problem. This helps in recognising the pattern or behaviour of a user to suggest future possible likes of the user. Nowadays people like to travel during their spare time, it has become a rigid task to decide where to go. This paper represents a customised recommender system to help users in destining their itinerary. A model is designed to suggest the best places to visit in Rome. A questionnaire was prepared to get information about user's interest during their travel. The model generates the best five places to visit with respect to the choice picked by the user. The top five places for each category will be displayed to the user and the user was asked to pick a starting point for the itinerary. Then the model generates another set off a filtered list of places to enhance their travel experience. It includes displaying the top 5 restaurants to visit during their travel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops and tests a model that highlights the roles of improvisation and absorptive capacity as important mediating mechanisms through which entrepreneurial orientation (EO) influences new venture performance. Furthermore, we examine the interactive effect of improvisation and absorptive capacity on new venture performance. The results show that (a) improvisation and absorptive capacity both mediate the relationship between EO and new venture performance; (b) the interaction between improvisation and absorptive capacity is positively related to new venture performance; (c) improvisation moderates the indirect relationship between EO and new venture performance via absorptive capacity; and (d) absorptive capacity moderates the mediation of improvisation in the relationship between EO and new venture performance. With these findings, this paper provides insights into how different learning modes can enhance the EO-performance relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land consumption and climate change have intensified natural disasters in urban areas. In response to these emergencies under the European 2030 Agenda, Sustainable Development Goals have been established to improve ecosystem protection and increase resilience and adaptation to natural disasters globally (Goal 13 "Climate action" and Goal 15 "Life on land"). In order to implement governance tools appropriately, it is necessary to know the relationships among the drivers, the changes in the state of urban ecosystems and agro-ecosystems, and the impact on the supply of goods and services at spatial and temporal scales. In this paper, Land-Use and Land-Cover Changes (LULCCs) in the metropolitan area of Rome have been investigated, with the purpose of detecting the synergistic variations in the supply of the flood mitigation and agricultural production ecosystem services (ES). The methodology is based on a GIS (Geographic Information System) analysis that identifies the transformation processes and permanencies related to land-cover. The variation in flood mitigation services was quantified through the use of the Urban Flood Risk Mitigation Model (UFRM) from the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) suite, while the variation in agricultural production through productivity coefficients was associated with changes in land-uses. Finally, an analysis of LULC-induced synergies and trade-offs between the two services was performed. The results show a net negative change in ES supply, caused mainly by urbanization at the expense of agricultural land. This decrease in ES supply is not offset by other LULCC transitions. In addition, the analysis of synergies and trade-offs between flood mitigation ES and agricultural production ES (in arable land, orchards, vineyards, and olive groves) shows that the reduction of agricultural land negatively affects both ES. The innovative contribution of this paper lies in setting an integrated methodology that is able to investigate how LULCC influences both hydraulic safety and food security. Findings can be useful to support planning of enhancing the role of agriculture in metropolitan areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the proposed privileging of intersections and interconnections between Italian cinema and other national cinemas and art forms, many chose to engage with more traditional facets of Italian film studies. 11 JICMS 8.1 Bonnic 109-113.indd 111 30/11/19 9:30 AM Glen Bonnici www.intellectbooks.com 113 112 Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies These papers were accompanied by other film-centric contributions with a more overt transnational outlook. 11 JICMS 8.1 Bonnic 109-113.indd 109 30/11/19 9:30 AM Glen Bonnici www.intellectbooks.com 111 110 Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies The conference was opened by the organizers Dr Flavia Laviosa, from Wellesly College, and Prof. Catherine Ramsey-Portolano, from the American University of Rome. [Extracted from the article]

A list of books received by the publication on the subject of philology is presented including "Homer beside Himself: Para-Narratives in the Iliad," by Maureen Alden, "The Praetorship in the Roman Republic," by T. Corey Brennan, and "The Roman Cult of Mithras: The God and His Mysteries," by Manfred Claus.

In the end of the fifth book of Livy’s history there is a grand speech of Camillus against the proposal that Romans should move to Veii. Although this speech is the highlight of the first pentad, it is followed by a closing chapter which is full of words and expressions that are specific to land surveying. The present paper aims to examine the vocabulary of Livy and show that it is related to land surveyors’ terminology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Claudius’ plea to admit the Gallic nobility to the Roman senate is known not only from the Annals of Tacitus, but also from the Tabula Claudiana, a monumental bronze inscription found in Lyon in the 16th century at a site where archaeologists situate the most important sanctuary of Roman Gaul. This paper focuses on the physical form and spatial context in which it was displayed. It tries to demonstrate that the inscription should not be viewed as a simple copy of an original text kept in the archives of the senate in Rome and sent from the centre of the empire to be slavishly published in Gaul, but rather as an initiative by the Gallic provincial elites. It will be argued that the extensive quotation of the emperor’s words, the use of costly material and the publication at a highly politically symbolic place all served the interests of the Gallic nobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Based on the system theory and Pareto efficiency theory, this paper, based on the data of listed companies in China's A-share manufacturing industry in 2011–2022, explores the impact of market-driven green finance and government-guided green finance on the carbon emission intensity of manufacturing enterprises, and analyzes the intermediary role of debt financing cost. A negative "U" relationship exists in market-driven green finance/government-guided green finance and the carbon emission intensity of manufacturing enterprises. Further research shows that under the higher debt financing cost, market-driven green finance played a weaker carbon reduction effect. The heterogeneity analysis found that market-driven green finance can have a significant non-linear impact of "promoting growth first and weakening later" on the carbon emissions of energy-saving and environmental protection enterprises, large enterprises, and enterprises with high human capital levels. Government-guided green finance has a significant non-linear impact on non-energy-saving and environmental protection enterprises and small enterprises. This paper provides the theoretical basis and practical inspiration for the government to formulate relevant low-carbon development policies and promote the innovation of green financial tools in the financial market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]