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Abstract Pilot tests for (semi-)autonomous transport via inland waterways are already taking place in Belgium and other European countries. However, the full commercial implementation of autonomous inland shipping might be hampered by liability issues. The allocation of liability, especially extracontractual liability, is an important concern for shipowners who want to invest in autonomous barges, and for other ecosystem actors. For this reason, a balanced risk distribution framework could boost the investment decision. A legal analysis of the current laws and regulations is necessary to evaluate whether they can be applied to new autonomous systems. The research approach consists of two steps. First, an in-depth literature review is carried out to determine whether extracontractual liability research has already been conducted and to highlight the gaps in autonomous inland waterways transport studies. Once it is proved that the vast majority of the research focuses on technology, it can be affirmed that there is a need to inquire about extracontractual liability. In the second part, thus, the two international Conventions on liability limitation and collision in inland navigation are examined.

Hydrogen is in the spotlight in the energy world, and it will remain so. In Europe, the necessity to integrate ever-growing amounts of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in order to implement the ambitious European decarbonization policy (package Fit-for-55) and to preserve the security of energy supply (package Repower-EU) are feeding the interest in hydrogen. This paper will provide a thorough analysis of prospects and criticalities for the development of hydrogen both as a carrier and as a feedstock and, definitively, as a key element for the implementation of the European decarbonization policies. First, the present regulatory framework will be highlighted, taking the European Union as a main reference, since it presently has one of the most advanced hydrogen legislations in the world. Then, both hydrogen offer (technologies) and demand (both as a feedstock and as an energy carrier) will be dealt with in detail. Two additional sections will take care to illustrate, respectively, the interactions between hydrogen and the electricity grid and the issues related to the creation of a liquid hydrogen market. Finally, a conclusion section will wrap up and summarize the most urgent issues to be tackled to create a well-functioning hydrogen economy.

Noise exposure may cause auditory and extra-auditory effects. School teachers and students are exposed to high noise levels which have an impact on perceptual-cognitive and neurobehavioral aspects. The latter influence teaching conditions and student school performance. A Protocol was defined and parameters to be investigated were identified for acoustic characterization of unoccupied and occupied school environments, assessment of users by means of questionnaires completed by teachers and students, and vocal effort evaluation. Classrooms, laboratories, auditoriums, gymnasiums, common areas, canteens and outdoor areas were analysed in terms of acoustic features and identification of the origin of noise. The Protocol was tested in three kindergartens, three primary schools and three secondary schools placed in Rome, Florence and Perugia. Results of nine case studies are presented, including comparisons of objective and subjective investigations. Generally, the acoustic performances of the spaces under investigation do not meet the requirements of current Italian legislation. In particular, student activity determines high noise levels in laboratories, gymnasiums, and canteens. Students notice that noise mainly causes loss of concentration, fatigue, boredom, and headache. The outcomes of this research will be the starting point to define strategies and solutions for noise control and mitigation in schools and to draft guidelines for the acoustical school design.

Minimum lap-time planning (MLTP) is a well-established problem in the race car industry to provide guidelines for drivers and optimize the vehicle’s setup. In this paper, we tackle the 3D nature of the problem in its full extension, making no simplifying assumptions on the mechanics of the system. We propose a multibody vehicle model, described by rigorous dynamical equations. To effectively handle the resulting complexity, we devised an efficient direct dynamics computational method based on Featherstone’s articulated-body algorithm (ABA). To solve the MLTP, we employed a direct-collocation technique, discretizing the problem so that all information of the 3D track is pre-processed and directly embedded into the discrete problem. This discretization approach turns out to be perfectly compatible with our vehicle model, leading to a solution in accessible computational time frames. The high level of detail of the model makes the proposed approach most useful for in-depth vehicle dynamics analyses on complex tracks. To substantiate the analysis, we provide a comparison with the results obtained by a double-track model on the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. Consistently with the average trend defined by the double track, the proposed model features a more dynamically rich behavior, realistically capturing the higher-order effects elicited by the sharp corners and the highly variable slope of the track.

'Liederistic' music is a musical genre on which architectural acoustical research is rarely focused. Despite this lack of scholarship, however, this genre represents one of the most interesting challenges for acoustical problem solving. In fact, it combines speech and music comprehension requirements in a fascinating manner to illuminate elements of both the magnification of the musical score and the hidden tension of a sung poetry text. To individualise the main characteristics of this genre, a multidisciplinary approach is taken, starting from a musical point of view. A knowledge and comprehension of music is a fundamental step to determine the parameters that allow for the best performance and listening experience of this particular music. Consequently, an introduction to the physics and acoustical characteristics of the singing voice and the piano is given, specifically highlighting the technological development of the piano since the 18th century. Through a combination of historical, architectural, and interior design research, a possible location of the original performance is recreated to investigate the probable primal acoustic conditions using computational analysis. Various contemporary chamber music halls were then considered and compared to the reconstructed location to investigate whether actual places exist with similar acoustic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]