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Maps depicting historical regions of the Holy Roman Empire are mostly represented by clearly defined borders and, thereby, areas. This highly fragmented space is usually visualised as a 'Flickenteppich' ('patchwork quilt'; Figure 1), which insufficiently addresses interconnections between territories, as well as human and material border-crossings. The former territorial units are characterised by political fragmentation as well as complex administrative and social organisation, where dominion rights such as manorial, ecclesiastical, judicial and other rules overlap each other. Therefore these decentralised spaces are highly fragmented and inhomogeneous. Only at the beginning of the 19th century began a fundamental reorganisation with homogenisation and centralisation of territories at all levels of administration and jurisdiction (Marges, 2020). Thus, it is essential to question traditional notions of spatial representations and conventional historical cartographic approaches, usually with polygon and line-oriented maps, which can only insufficiently capture the multidimensional space. We address multiperspective representations, together with developing and testing new concepts of collection, modelling, and visualising of early modern spatial data from the Holy Roman Empire (especially the 17th and 18th centuries) in the ongoing interdisciplinary project (involving historical research, information science, and cartography), 'Digitale Kartenwerkstaat Altes Reich' (DigiKAR). Within our project, the overarching research aim is to model place-based (location-based) spatial constructions and phenomena of historical assignments of authorities, mobility, and networking. The research addresses the central challenge of the manifold borders of the Holy Roman Empire and its territories. This study aims to experiment with and develop different forms of web-based spatial visualisations for historical datasets by avoiding the usual area-based representations of territories often seen in conventional historical maps. For this purpose, the visualisations will be designed for chosen case study areas of the Holy Roman Empire's different geographical regions and political entities. They will be further developed and tested in an iterative user study process. The research focuses on the one hand on location- and point-based visualisations that enable the illustration of multiple spatial overlaps of affiliations, networks and inter-related human phenomena, as well as capturing the local environment by focusing on individuals' or institutionalised activities in space and time (Merschdorf & Blaschke, 2018). On the other hand, it involves developing and using a grid-based area visualisation, which can represent a generalised image of the phenomena at different zoom levels. This paper will give insights into these first steps of the development, showing various examples and mock-ups. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that historical data is complex. It includes different categories of uncertainties with space, time, and attribute components. Thus, the research entails finding, implementing, and testing visualisation techniques that can apply to uncertainties of historical datasets. Considering that visualising uncertainties is context-sensitive and not separable from their interpretation, these aspects will also be addressed in a user study. The novelty of the research is the exploratory and interdisciplinary approach to visualising and comprehending historical spaces by experimenting with cartographic representations. As a result, an alternative representation of borders and investigation of the mobility of actors and objects will open up new research and knowledge perspectives on early modern territoriality and historical data at large. The future potential of our research results will have great importance in the field of cartography and digital humanities by developing data and visualisation-related standards for similar projects. This interdisciplinary project will contribute to a knowledge transfer by communicating research outcomes (such as processed data, visualisations, workflow documentation, and tutorials) and making them accessible to researchers, institutions, and the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel gas-liquid compressed air energy storage prototype, installed in the laboratory of DIAEE Department of Sapienza University of Rome, is studied. Similar to the Compressed-Air Energy Storage (CAES), the Gas-Liquid Energy Storage (GLES) technology is based on gas compression/expansion, where the liquid-piston compression and expansion are utilized. This paper reports on the experimental performance of the first GLES prototype and presents the results from a validated mathematical model. The results show that the proposed system has a high energy efficiency (indicated) over 90%, and then to achieve high values of round trip efficiency (RTE), it is important to improve and optimize the efficiency of the auxiliaries (Motor/Pump and Turbine/Generator). Two different Test, with two different speed of charging phase were done. From the results of the experimental measurements done with the prototype built in the laboratory of the DIAEE Department of Sapienza University of Rome, it can be seen that for slow compression the RTE of the system is around 72%, instead for the fast compression phase, the RTE is around 70%. A mathematical model was implemented and tested with the experimental measurements. From results it can be seen a good agreement between the experimental and numerical analysis, with a maximum error in the Test B (slow compression) equal to 2.5% and 1% respectively for charging and discharging phase. From the parametric analysis it can be seen that only the volume of the tank and the pressure ratio are needed to predict the round trip efficiency of the system. • A novel prototype of an energy storage system (CEAS) where the air is compressed by liquid is presented. • Energy storage (compression) achieved via liquid piston with hydraulic pump. • Energy recovery (expansion) achieved passing liquid through hydraulic turbine. • A validated mathematical model of the system is presented. • Experimental and simulated system performance are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic severely affected national health systems, altering the modality and the type of care of patients with acute and chronic diseases. To minimize the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV2 for patients and health professionals, face-to-face visits were cancelled or postponed and the use of telemedicine was strongly encouraged. This reorganization involved especially patients with rare diseases needing periodic comprehensive assessment, such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The paper reports a proposal of strategy adopted for patients followed at our PAH center in Rome, where patients management was diversified based on clinical risk according to the European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society PH guidelines-derived score and the REVEAL 2.0 score. A close monitoring and support of these patients were made possible by policy changes reducing barriers to telehealth access and promoting the use of telemedicine. Synchronous/asynchronous modalities and remote monitoring were used to collect and transfer medical data in order to guide physicians in therapeutic-decision making. Conversely, the use of implantable monitors providing hemodynamic information and echocardiography-mobile devices wirelessly connecting was limited by the poor experience existing in this setting. Large surveys and clinical trials are welcome to test the potential benefit of the optimal balance between traditional PAH management and telemedicine opportunities. Italy was found unprepared to manage the dramatic effects caused by COVID-19 on healthcare systems. In this emergency situation telemedicine represented a promising tool especially in rare diseases as PAH, but was limited by its scattered availability and legal and ethical issues. Cohesive partnership of health care providers with regional public health officials is needed to prioritize PAH patients for telemedicine by dedicated tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates the often repeated modern claim of significant trading in ‘shares of the societates publicanorum ’ ( partes ) during the late Roman Republic cannot be supported using the available ‘primary sources’. Building on recent contributions detailing the economy of the late Republic, in general, and the tax farming activities of the publicani , in particular, an alternative more plausible legal and commercial explanation of the ‘primary sources’ – especially In Vatinium [12.29] and Pro C. Rabiro Postumo [2.4] – is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes four frameworks for understanding linguistic politeness (Brown and Levinson, Watts, Terkourafi, Hall) and tests each on the same corpus to see whether they yield results that are useful and/or in keeping with the other information we have about the material. The corpus used consists of 661 polite requests made in letters by a single Roman author, Cicero. The results demonstrate first that politeness theories are helpful as explanatory tools even in dealing with very well-known material, and second that no one theory is best: different theories are more and less useful in answering different questions about the data. It is therefore suggested that the use of multiple frameworks will provide the best understanding of the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although celebrating five hundred years in Sweden in 2012, only little attention has been given to the Roma's long-term presence in the Swedish landscape, and even lesser to their historical presence in urban contexts. Bearing in mind the Roma's twentieth-century European history and knowing of their contemporary situation, this knowledge gap is no surprise. This paper will present a study that has assembled various traces of Roma dwelling in a Swedish urban setting from the late nineteenth century until the 1950s. The study enables a pinning down of the mobile-immobile nexus around which the Swedish Roma everyday cultural practices of dwelling evolved during the particular period before citizenship and subsequent settlement: regulation, seasonality, income opportunities and material devices. Hereby it hopes to contribute to an understanding of Roma urban dwelling as moored in history by corporeality and materiality, and as related both with locality and with 'elsewhere'. The following questions are posed: Which were these urban places of dwelling and what characteristics do they have; what kinds of social connections and interactions were established at these places (co-habitation); in what sense can these places reveal a differentiated Roma history of dwelling? Besides uncovering a particular ephemeral 'multi-sitedness', the study also reveals Roma urban dwelling as related to broader spectrum of tenure than hitherto recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Google Earth (GE) has recently become the focus of increasing interest and popularity among available online virtual globes used in scientific research projects, due to the free and easily accessed satellite imagery provided with global coverage. Nevertheless, the uses of this service raises several research questions on the quality and uncertainty of spatial data (e.g. positional accuracy, precision, consistency), with implications for potential uses like data collection and validation. This paper aims to analyze the horizontal accuracy of very high resolution (VHR) GE images in the city of Rome (Italy) for the years 2007, 2011, and 2013. The evaluation was conducted by using both Global Positioning System ground truth data and cadastral photogrammetric vertex as independent check points. The validation process includes the comparison of histograms, graph plots, tests of normality, azimuthal direction errors, and the calculation of standard statistical parameters. The results show that GE VHR imageries of Rome have an overall positional accuracy close to 1 m, sufficient for deriving ground truth samples, measurements, and large-scale planimetric maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents partial results of a Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey conducted in the oldest section of the Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome (Italy). This cemetery, a unique spot within the walls of Rome, has been the principal burying-ground for non-Catholic foreigners for the past three centuries. Extensive information exists about the oldest burials in the Cemetery: many were marked by headstones or horizontal stone markers carrying inscriptions; others are recorded in literary sources but their precise locations are unknown. Moreover, the headstones and markers can be lost or misplaced as time passes. GPR survey therefore plays an important role in non-destructively investigating the subsurface of the cemetery. This is the first time that such a geophysical survey has been conducted at this site. Using a GPR system specifically designed for forensic purposes, it has helped to determine whether the grave records for the oldest part of the cemetery are consistent. In the case study reported here, the effectiveness of the technique is demonstrated by reference to a single, anomalous stone monument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The comprehension of vehicular traffic in urban environments is crucial to achieve a good management of the complex processes arising from people collective motion. Even allowing for the great complexity of human beings, human behavior turns out to be subject to strong constraints—physical, environmental, social, economic—that induce the emergence of common patterns. The observation and understanding of those patterns is key to setup effective strategies to optimize the quality of life in cities while not frustrating the natural need for mobility. In this paper we focus on vehicular mobility with the aim to reveal the underlying patterns and uncover the human strategies determining them. To this end we analyze a large dataset of GPS vehicles tracks collected in the Rome (Italy) district during a month. We demonstrate the existence of a local optimization of travel times that vehicle drivers perform while choosing their journey. This finding is mirrored by two additional important facts, i.e., the observation that the average vehicle velocity increases by increasing the travel length and the emergence of a universal scaling law for the distribution of travel times at fixed traveled length. A simple modeling scheme confirms this scenario opening the way to further predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the beginning of the fifth century the praetorian prefect for Gaul and the governor of Viennensis relocated their headquarters from Trier and Vienne respectively to Arles, which created a dispute between the bishops of Vienne and Arles as to whom should be metropolitan of the province of Viennensis. While the synod of Turin had proposed dividing the province in two ecclesiastically, problems emerged in 417 when Zosimus, bishop of Rome, within the first week of his election, asserted in his Epistula 1 (JK 328) that the bishop of Arles was to be metropolitan not only of Viennensis but over several provinces in the civil diocese of Septem Provinciae as well (depriving the bishops of Marseille, Vienne, and Narbonne of their metropolitan status) and thereby making him virtual papal vicar in the exercise of Roman prerogatives. This new arrangement created enormous religious conflict, as a further seven letters and synod in Rome in September 417 attest, including the efforts of Zosimus to declare the synod of Turin invalid. Ralph Mathisen investigated this episode and concluded that Zosimus's efforts to assert his own authority over Gaul resulted only in uniting the Gallic churches against him. This paper seeks to analyse Zosimus's involvement in Gaul and argues that this was not really his plan but rather that of the bishop of Arles. It also seeks to ask whether or not Zosimus anticipated the resultant conflict, as well as the authority by which he sought to make these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the relation between urban form and the socio-economic patterns of the resident population in three southern European cities ( Athens, Lisbon and Rome) featured by different processes of urban diffusion. The paper goes beyond the literature on sprawl focused on (residential, income and ethnic) segregation and the different features of the inhabitants of the suburbs and those of the inner cities residents. By integrating multivariate statistics and spatial analysis, a methodology is proposed, based on morphological and socio-economic indicators available at a fine geographical scale. Results show how urban diffusion processes vary widely according to the context, as does the socio-economic profile of the actors, stressing the need to think about different 'southern European alternatives' of sprawl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Available manually scaled f o F 2 observations over 50 years on Juliusruh, 33 years on Slough, and 37 years on Rome stations were used to check the association between quiet-time f o F 2 disturbances (Q-disturbances) and following on isolated magnetic storms. Of course, such cases exist, however Pearson's contingency coefficient, Chi-square and Odds ratio tests applied to check a measure of association gave the absence of relationship even at the 95% confidence level. The lack of association makes it impossible to use F 2 -layer disturbances as precursors for magnetic storms. The observed cases of apparent relationship between two events should be considered as random and physically unconditioned. The published cases indicating the relationship between two events can be explained in the framework of regular F 2 -layer variations not related by any means to the following on magnetic storms. The Earth's upper atmosphere, including the ionosphere, is under total solar control – direct or indirect. F 2 -layer disturbances occurring during magnetically disturbed periods are due to these magnetic disturbances and they are not discussed in the paper. However there are quiet-time F 2 -layer disturbances (Q-disturbances) occurring under low and very low level of geomagnetic activity. The relationship of such Q-disturbances with following on isolated magnetic storms is analyzed in the paper. All available manually scaled hourly f o F 2 observations on Juliusruh (50 years), on Rome (37 years), and Slough (33 years) have been analyzed to estimate a measure of association between two binary variables: F 2 -layer Q-disturbances and isolated magnetic storms. Pearson's contingency coefficient, Chi-square and Odds ratio tests applied to check a measure of association gave the absence of relationship even at the 95% confidence level. This is an expected result as from physical point of view such relationship has no physical explanation. The lack of association makes it impossible to use f o F 2 -layer disturbances as precursors for magnetic storms – the idea being discussed in the literature. The observed cases of apparent relationship between two events should be considered as random and physically unconditioned. The published cases indicating the relationship between two events can be explained in the framework of regular F 2 -layer variations not related by any means to the following on magnetic storms. • Pearson contingency coefficients are <0.2 i.e. magnetic storms and preceding Q-disturbances are not related to each other • Two events manifest different distributions on season and UT confirming the absence any relationship between them. • Published cases of apparent relationship between two events can be explained by regular F 2 -layer variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the paper by Peter Brown that was published in 1961. Model for understanding the historical process; Influences of Brown's paper on the English-speaking world; Arguments on the Roman aristocarcy; Prosopographical study by Werner Eck.

Presents an abstract of the study `The plague in Rome in the Late Middle Age: Demographic and stress aspects,' by A. Cucina, A. Coppa, D. Mancinelli, M. Lucci and R. Vargiu. Analysis of demographic and stress aspects of the plague from a cemetery in Rome; Characteristics of the skeletal remains of plague victims.

Ponte della Musica is a shallow arch bridge for pedestrians/cyclists, and designed for future tram use, crossing the River Tiber in Rome in a single span. The project was instigated by an international design competition in 2000 and was opened to the public in May 2011. The bridge is almost 190 m long, and at 20 m wide is one of the widest pedestrian bridges ever built. It is an elegant structure using the highest quality of materials, all of which are typical of Rome and have been sourced locally. Its innovative design uses the springing points of the arch to provide stairs for public access from below the bridge. At a cost of €10⋅5 million it provided excellent value for money for a publicly funded bridge. The low cost was achieved by an efficient design concept, as well as value engineering to reduce the quantity of steel. This paper presents the extraordinary story of this landmark bridge from the competition stage to construction and addresses the creative design process, European collaboration, planning and conceptual design in an urban environment, and discusses the many technical challenges including dynamic analysis, lateral torsional buckling of the long spanning arches and unique foundation solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early Imperial age Roman unroofed theatres were endowed with velaria . Velaria were awnings made of sailcloth, in either canvas, linen or cotton, attached to spokes of rope that could be extended or retracted with ropes and pulleys over the cavea . Their main purpose was to provide shade for the spectators who watched the show in blistering sun and heat. The aim of this paper is to understand if velaria , beside their primary function, could affect the acoustics of the theatres. A specific study was carried out with the use of a commercial software for the prediction of room-acoustics characteristics of halls. Actually, numerical simulations were aided by acoustic measurements performed in two existing theatres, namely the “Teatro Grande” in Pompeii and the “Teatro Romano” in Benevento as they are in the present state. Both theatres are used rather regularly for public shows including music of various genres and drama. Like other ancient theatres not in a good state of conservation both theatres are deficient of natural reverberation because of the lack of structural elements important for this acoustic feature. To overcome inherent drawbacks electroacoustic means are used. However, there are instances where these remedial measures are not appropriate. The results of this study show that the use of suitable awnings can improve the reverberation in these venues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pyramid of Caius Cestius in Rome is a funerary architecture erected between 272 and 279 AD. The Pyramid is composed by a nucleus in opus caementicium covered by Luni marble slabs. The marble surface has been colonized by a biocoenosis of microorganisms. The most frequent alteration found on the surface of the stone is the grey-black microbial crust, consisting of three different systematic groups: coccoid and filamentous Cyanobacteria, belonging mainly to the genera Chroococccus , Gloeocapsa and Tolypothrix , and green algae often associated with microscopic fungi or lichenized. The present work is aimed to establish which taxa present in the black crust are epilithic and which ones are endolithic. The cyanobacterium Chroococcus lithophilus is the most abundant and frequent taxon in all the samples collected; its growth is epilithic, chasmoendolithic, cryptoendolithic and euendolithic. The resin embedding-casting technique allowed to define the traces produced by this cyanobacterium highlighting its ability to actively dig tunnels into the marble. The present paper is a significant contribution to the knowledge of the important role of C. lithophilus in the biodeterioration of stone monuments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests how migrants’ willingness to remit changes when given the ability to direct remittances to educational purposes using different forms of commitment. Variants of a dictator game in a lab-in-the-field experiment with Filipino migrants in Rome are used to examine remitting behavior under varying degrees of commitment. These range from the soft commitment of simply labeling remittances as being for education, to the hard commitment of having funds directly paid to a school and the student's educational performance monitored. We find that the introduction of simple labeling for education raises remittances by more than 15%. Adding the ability to directly send this funding to the school adds only a further 2.2%. We randomly vary the information asymmetry between migrants and their most closely connected household, but find no significant change in the remittance response to these forms of commitment as information varies. Behavior in these games is then shown to be predictive of take-up of a new financial product called EduPay, designed to allow migrants to directly pay remittances to schools in the Philippines. We find this take-up is largely driven by a response to the ability to label remittances for education, rather than to the hard commitment feature of directly paying schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When we find an archaeological network, how can we explore the necessary versus contingent processes at play in the formation of that archaeological network? Given a set of circumstances or processes, what other possible network shapes could have emerged? This is the problem of equifinality, where many different means could potentially arrive at the same end result: the networks that we observe. This paper outlines how agent-based modelling can be used as a laboratory for exploring different processes of archaeological network formation. We begin by describing our best guess about how the (ancient) world worked, given our target materials (here, the networks of production and patronage surrounding the Roman brick industry in the hinterland of Rome). We then develop an agent-based model of the Roman extractive economy which generates different kinds of networks under various assumptions about how that economy works. The rules of the simulation are built upon the work of Bang (; ) who describes a model of the Roman economy which he calls the 'imperial Bazaar'. The agents are allowed to interact, and the investigators compare the kinds of networks this description generates over an entire landscape of economic possibilities. By rigorously exploring this landscape, and comparing the resultant networks with those observed in the archaeological materials, the investigators will be able to employ the principle of equifinality to work out the representativeness of the archaeological network and thus the underlying processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper we provide a revision of the Pleistocene Rhinocerotidae remains collected so far in the sedimentary deposits of the urban area of Rome. Five Pleistocene species have been identified: Stephanorhinus etruscus (Falconer), Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis (Toula), Stephanorhinus hemitoechus (Falconer), Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis (Jäger), and Coelodonta antiquitatis (Blumenbach). By establishing correlations of the sedimentary sections hosting the fossil remains with the geochronologically-constrained, astronomically-forced aggradational successions of the Paleo-Tiber River, we frame the fossil remains within a detailed chronostratigraphic scheme with no equivalent in the previous literature. This approach leads to new considerations on the occurrences and paleobiogeography of the recovered species. Based on the studied material, the last occurrence of S. etruscus in Italy is here referred to a timespan between 0.86 and 0.82 Ma, thus suggesting a long persistence of this species. Recalibration of the considered deposits enabled us to refer the first evidence of S. hundsheimensis in Italy to approximately 0.8 Ma (Ponte Milvio gravels and sands; urban area of Rome). In the Roman area, specimens referred to S. hundsheimensis are coeval with relatively smaller and slender remains of an undefined rhinoceros species. S. hemitoechus is recorded in fossiliferous deposits earlier than 0.4 Ma and its persistence in the studied area is reported at least until 0.19 Ma. S. kirchbergensis occurs for the first time in Italy at ca. 0.56–0.5 Ma (Tor di Quinto deposit; urban area of Rome) and persists in the considered area until 0.37–0.29 Ma. C. antiquitatis is here reported for the first time within the Roman area, so adding a new record of this species in Italy. Unfortunately, the exact locality in which the specimens were collected is unknown, preventing from precise chronostratigraphic assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to investigate the income distribution of Romanian households, focusing on the role of the tax-benefit system in income redistribution. We evaluate the redistributive effect by estimating income inequality changes due to tax-benefit components. We use EU-SILC microdata and the EUROMOD microsimulation model to simulate income components. The results point out that income inequality is considerably reduced through the tax-benefit system, as a great deal of income is redistributed among households. The analysis of the income components that contribute to inequality reduction emphasizes that pensions, personal income taxes and social benefits are in favour of inequality reduction, while social contributions act the opposite way. Our results are sensitive to social and fiscal policy changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow monitoring of riverine environments is crucial for hydrology and hydraulic engineering practice. Besides few experimental implementations, flow gauging relies on local water level and surface-flow velocity measurements through ultrasonic meters and radars. In this paper, we describe a novel permanent gauge-cam station for large-scale and continuous observation of surface flows, based on remote acquisition and calibration of video data. Located on the Tiber River, in the center of Rome, Italy, the station captures 1 min videos every 10 min over an area oriented along the river cross section of up to 20.6 × 15.5 m2 . In a feasibility study, we demonstrate that accurate surface-flow velocity estimations can be obtained by analyzing experimental images via particle tracking velocimetry (PTV). In medium illumination conditions (70–75 lux), PTV leads to velocity estimations in close agreement with radar records and is less affected by uneven lighting than large-scale particle image velocimetry. Future efforts will be devoted to the development of a comprehensive test bed infrastructure for investigating the potential of multiple optics-based approaches for surface hydrology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyze the Calatis comitiis testament drafted before the curiata assembly bearing the name of comitia curiata which gathered on two fixed days of the year. Due to the fact that this type of will could be done only twice a year and only in Rome, the subsequent emergence of the will per aes et libram was fully justified. This will allowed the testator to designate his/her heir, the traditional opinion shared by most authors being that this will had the role of establishing a successor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper deals with the scientific identification of timbers utilised for the production of the sculptures preserved within the collection of the National Museum of the “Palazzo di Venezia” in Rome, Italy. After a brief description of the Museum and its sculpture collections, and, more specifically, the wooden sculpture collection which is the largest in Italy, the sampling of the artwork is discussed and described, together with the methodology used for the identification of wood species following the Italian standard UNI 11118:2004. The 12 identified timbers are listed together with their distribution within the cultural provenance of the sculptures. The discussion deals with the timber species utilised by the artists from the four cultural European provenances most represented within the collection: Italy, Alps, central-southern Germany and Lowlands around the Rhine delta. In the different Italian regions, several wood species were utilised and among them mostly poplar and limewood, while the alpine sculptors mostly used Swiss stone pine and the German artists, limewood. Finally in the Rhine delta, most of the sculptures were made out of deciduous oak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its wide geographical and chronological horizons, the so-called Fredegar Chronicle from the seventh century covers the Roman past and revives elements of the cultural heritage of Rome. This paper addresses the issue of ' Romanness after Rome' by analysing two elements of Roman culture important in the text: the architectural remnants of the empire and the tales that relate to a classical Roman tradition. It looks at the prerequisites and the contexts according to which Fredegar adapted Romanness in his chronicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present a reconstruction of the stratigraphic setting of the continental sedimentary sequences that were deposited by the Paleo-Tiber River within the greater area of Rome between 0.9 and 0.6 Ma, carried out through analyses of a large number of borehole data. Through palinspastic restoration of several cross sections we depict the original geometry of the sedimentary record that has been dislocated by intense tectonic activity linked to volcanism, and we reconstruct the geologic and paleogeographic evolution of this area. Moreover, we provide a complete review of the chronostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic data reported in previous work, and we extend paleomagnetic analyses to three new clay sections. These geochronological constraints allow us to compare aggradation of the Paleo-Tiber sedimentary successions with the δ18O record, evidencing a strict link between sedimentation and sea-level changes in the Rome area. By doing so, we provide a direct test on the timing of the sea-level rise for MIS 19 through MIS 15: a record of data for which no equivalent exists in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends the results of the "fuzzy" OEN mixture model to estimate the probability densities, autocorrelations and spectra of the individual wind mechanisms within the mixed climates of Rome: Fiumicino and Ciampino, and discusses the implications for synthesising long-term simulation of the surface wind vector and for the assessment of extreme mean wind speeds. The paper confirms, from observations, that the strong diurnal effects observed at these locations are confined to a low range of wind speeds and do not significantly affect the extreme wind speeds for annual, or longer, epochs. A procedure is proposed to simulate exceptionally long timeseries of the mean wind vector from the OEN mixture model to examine convergence of the upper tail of the extreme wind speed distribution to the presumed asymptote. Every observation is assigned a fuzzy probability of belonging to each ellipse mechanism of the OEN model and sorted into nominally diurnal (sea-land breeze, transient coastal jet or nocturnal downslope wind) and nominally non-diurnal (pressure-driven geostrophic wind) sets. All the 200 largest independent daily-maximum 10-min mean wind speeds belong to the non-diurnal set. Diurnal variations have no significant effect on the distribution of annual maximum mean wind speeds. Key: All – All daily maxima. Hard D , Hard ND – Daily maxima of uncorrected Diurnal and Non-diurnal sets. Serial D , Serial ND – Independent maxima separated by at least 4 days of serially-corrected Diurnal and Non-diurnal sets.The paper presents the groundwork necessary to define a procedure to generate very long synthetic timeseries of wind speed and direction that correctly reproduce seasonal-diurnal variations. Image 1 • The fuzzy model extends to estimate the PDFs, ACFs and PSDFs of the OEN model components. • Diurnal variation is confined to low wind speeds and does not contribute to the annual maxima. • The OEN random perturbation PDFs can be represented by a hyperbolic probability distribution. • The OEN random perturbation PSDFs can be represented by a bandwidth-limited pink noise model. • The Harris (2014) simulation method is adapted to generate seasonal/diurnal timeseries of each OEN component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The material fabric of a city is never neutral. It speaks to the opportunities of access and usage that some are given at the exclusion of others. Scholars of the everyday have analyzed how city residents counter oppression by appropriating and transforming spaces. Less attention, however, has been given to how not only people, but also material things have agency in producing opportunities for insurgency. This paper examines how people and materialities imbricate, co-producing geographies of survival on Ponte Sant'Angelo, a bridge in Rome where diverse immigrants eke out a living by selling trinkets. Interviews and observations revealed that both seniority on the street and immigration status divide vendors into three groups, each with a different degree of power over other users of the bridge. At the same time, Ponte Sant'Angelo, a physical entity made by permanent built forms as well as contingent elements such as water levels and car traffic, generate five distinct areas, each with a different degree of attractiveness in the eyes of diverse vendors. Differences across vendors and material elements intertwine with one another. The nitty-gritty of the city, its seemingly banal materialities, partner with vendors as they negotiate power and counter exclusion. These circumstances call for expanding scholarship of the everyday , exploring how multiple, interdependent agencies shape urban patterns of oppression and resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the Testa Grigia high altitude research Station (3480 m. a.s.l, Italy, 45°57′ N, 7°42' E) several dosimetric campaigns for the measurement of the dose due to secondary neutrons produced in the atmosphere and in the surrounding environment by primary cosmic rays have been carried out from 2014 until 2021. Because of the high altitude of the site, the neutron flux at Testa Grigia is 10–15 times higher than at the sea level. Various instruments has been used to evaluate the dependence of the ambient dose equivalent rate from different factors as atmospheric parameters, environmental conditions and solar activity. Moreover, since October 2014 a modular neutron monitor designed, realized and tested by the SVIRCO Observatory Group INAF-IAPS in Rome, is permanently operating in the laboratory, providing a continuous monitoring of primary cosmic ray variability and making the laboratory an ideal place for dosimetric studies, instrument calibration and "in field" tests. In this paper the results of several neutron measurements carried out in the last years in periods of different solar activity and environmental conditions are reported, with a discussion on the origin of the observed variations of the ambient dose equivalent rate. • The dose rate due to secondary cosmic rays neutrons is monitored at the Testa Grigia Laboratory. • Neutron dose rate variations are studied in different environmental conditions. • The sensitivity of different neutron detectors to neutron flux variations is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of corrugated shell structures is an interesting problem in Structural Mechanics, which has many practical applications in Civil Engineering and Architecture. Thanks to corrugation, these structures have a remarkable feature: the wavy (undulated) shape in their edge provides significant enhancements in their structural behaviour, increasing the bending stiffness at the edge and allowing for a non-negligible reduction of its thickness. Moreover, looking at the non-linear behaviour, domes corrugation plays a relevant role in instability phenomena, such as the influence of imperfections and increasing resistance to snap-through. A problem in the study of such kind of shells is the definition of mathematical and geometrical model and the construction of a suitable mesh to perform FE analyses. The aim of this paper is to find an automated way to generate a double-curvature geometric surface that can be used both in static and in non-linear stability analyses of such corrugated shell structures. A method to generate a NURBS surface, suitable for a parametric FE analysis from a geometrical model expressed in a parametric form, is proposed and applied to a shell inspired by the well-known dome designed by Pier Luigi Nervi in 1959 for the roof of the Palasport Flaminio in Rome. • Short introduction on the use of corrugation to increase the structure stiffness. • Geometry of corrugated-edge spherical shells, whose wavy-perturbation is controlled by suitable equations and parameters. • Generation of an accurate mesh through a geometric modeller. • A simple example for a pressure load is carried out to highlight the structural enhancement due to the corrugated shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer is a mission dedicated to the measurement of X-ray polarization from tens of astrophysical sources belonging to different classes. Expected to be launched at the end of 2021, the payload comprises three mirrors and three focal plane imaging polarimeters, the latter being designed and built in Italy. While calibration is always an essential phase in the development of high-energy space missions, for IXPE it has been particularly extensive both to calibrate the response to polarization, which is peculiar to IXPE, and to achieve a statistical uncertainty below the expected sensitivity. In this paper we present the calibration equipment that was designed and built at INAF-IAPS in Rome, Italy, for the calibration of the polarization-sensitive focal plane detectors on-board IXPE. Equipment includes calibration sources, both polarized and unpolarized, stages to align and move the beam, test detectors and their mechanical assembly. While all these equipments were designed to fit the specific needs of the IXPE Instrument calibration, their versatility could also be used in the future for other projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a preliminary survey in a central urban area of Rome, Italy. The results were obtained from both desktop and remote sensing surveys. The Aventinus Minor Project (AMP) is a community archaeological excavation project focusing on an understudied area in Rome with limited modern archaeological excavation: the Aventinus Minor or Little Aventine. The remote sensing (RS) anomalies revealed by the survey illustrate that this area is potentially rich in buried structures potentially correlated with ancient visible remains (i.e., the Servian Walls and Santa Balbina church). The application of RS approaches (such as NDVI, VARI, and GPR) and the creation of a GIS platform lays the foundations for a correct and georeferenced reporting of all collected data, providing a nuanced understanding of the urban archaeology in the dense topography of Rome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollutant monitoring is a basic issue in contemporary urban life. This paper describes an approach based on the diffused use of low-cost sensors that can be mounted on board urban vehicles for more abundant and distributed measures. The system exchanges data, exploiting a "Smart Road" infrastructure, with a central computing facility, the CIPCast platform, a GIS-based Decision Support System designed to perform real-time monitoring and interpolation of data with the aim of possibly issuing alarms with respect to different town areas. Experimental data gathering in the Rome urban area and subsequent processing results are presented. Algorithms for data fusion among different simulated monitoring systems and interpolation of data for a geographically denser map were utilised. Thus, in the framework of the Smart Road, protocols for data exchange were designed. Finally, air pollutant distribution maps were produced and integrated into the CIPCast platform. The feasibility of a full system architecture from the sensors to the real-time pollutant maps is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined heat and power (CHP) generation plants are an assessed valuable solution to significantly reduce primary energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Nevertheless, the primary energy saving (PES) and CO2 reduction potentials of this solution are strictly related to the accurate definition and management of thermal and electric loads. Data-driven analysis could represent a significant contribution for optimizing the CHP plant design and operation and then to fully deploy this potential. In this paper, the use of a bi-level optimization approach for the design of a CHP is applied to a real application (a large Italian hospital in Rome). Based on historical data of the hospital thermal and electric demand, clustering analysis is applied to identify a limited number of load patterns representative of the annual load. These selected patterns are then used as input data in the design procedure. A Mixed Integer Linear Programming coupled with a Genetic Algorithm is implemented to optimize the energy dispatch and size of the CHP plant, respectively, with the aim of maximizing the PES while minimizing total costs and carbon emissions. Finally, the effects of integrating biogas from the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) of the Spent Coffee Ground (SCG) and Energy Storage (ES) technologies are investigated. The results achieved provide a benchmark for the application of these technologies in this specific field, highlighting performances and benefits with respect to traditional approaches. The effective design of the CHP unit allows for achieving CO2 reduction in the order of 10%, ensuring economic savings (up to 40%), when compared with a baseline configuration where no CHP is installed. Further environmental benefits can be achieved by means of the integration of AD and ES pushing the CO2 savings up to 20%, still keeping the economical convenience of the capital investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The introduction of assistive technology (AT) into people's lives is a deliberative and long-term process, which presupposes teamwork as much as professionalism, time, and experience. The aim of the assistive technology assessment (ATA) process is to suggest guidelines to follow in order to reach valid results during the AT selection and assignment process. Purpose: This paper aims to critically discuss the application of the model of the ATA process developed by Federici and Scherer (2012c). Method: A cross-cultural comparison of AT service delivery systems and discussion of the ATA process model adopted by the Leonarda Vaccari Institute of Rome was conducted. Conclusion: Currently, the wide variety of AT devices on the market opens up new frontiers for the individual's enhanced functioning, inclusion, and participation. Because the choice for the most appropriate match is often a complex process, a systematic selection process such as the ATA process described in this article can help practitioners to efficiently achieve successful outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explores the long-term changes (1971-2001) in the socio-economic structure of a monocentric Mediterranean urban region ( Rome's province, central Italy) undergoing moderately polycentric development. Descriptive and correlation statistics and a multiway factor analysis ( MFA) have been used to analyse the spatio-temporal evolution of 24 socio-economic indicators made available at the urban district/municipal scale. The socio-economic disparities observed along the urban-rural gradient in 1971 decreased only moderately in 2001. The MFA clearly separates urban districts from suburban municipalities in both 1971 and 2001. Results indicate that exurban development has impacted only partly Rome's urban form which remained mainly compact and dense with persisting socio-economic gaps between urban and suburban areas. The paper discusses the partial failure of Rome's master plan to promote a really polycentric development and a new, more sustainable, urban form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An original case of incomplete (and reasonably fatal) human trepanation is described in this short paper. The diagnosis was made on the cremated remains of a young adult individual who died in Rome, Italy during the 2nd century AD. Clinical Presentation: The trepanation was incomplete, as death occurred quickly due to vascular lesions, according to the anatomic analysis of the bone piece. Comparable trepanation from Roman times are described and related to this case. Conclusion: Even if archaeological, this case highlights the possibility of such a diagnosis on post-fire fragmented bones. Very suggestive lesions of section are of great interest for the history of such a practice during classical Antiquity. Lastly, from a medical and forensic point of view, such a diagnosis may be of interest during any identification process and research for a cause of death during anthropological analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses, with epigraphic and archaeological references, the features of trade and shipping on the western coast of the Black Sea during the ancient period. It starts with the political and military context of Rome's involvement in the area since the late second century BC, before dealing with the Mithridatic crisis, when the focus of Roman policy moved to the Aegean and the Black Sea. This tense political constellation triggered the development of regional trade, analysed on the basis of relevant sources, with a special attention devoted to Tomis, the largest outlet in the area of the mouths of the Danube. The author contends that excellent relations existed with the commercial centres of Asia Minor, more precisely Bithynia. A veritable maritime line from Nicomedia to Tomis acted as a major route between Asia Minor and the Black Sea - Danubian region. During the Roman age, the commercial and transport patterns established from Hellenistic times were preserved, and they continued to co-exist with those specific to the Roman world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is every reason to believe that honor based violence is one of the forms of domestic violence that is being practiced against females all over the world. This type of violence includes a wide range of crimes, the severest of which is honor killing. Many studies have adopted different definitions for the so-called honor killing. In this paper some of these definitions are discussed and a working definition is proposed. The scope of the problem worldwide is presented. Honor killing goes beyond ethnicity, class, and religion. It is a very old phenomenon that was practiced in ancient Rome, guided by penal codes. Some of the older as well as new penal codes are discussed concerning this matter from different regions of the world. The different efforts of international governmental and nongovernmental organizations in combating this problem are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the context of archaeological and historical assessment of Roman black-appearing glass, the chemical and physical characterization of a large collection of samples originating from various areas of the Roman Empire has been gathered over the past years to (i) verify whether a minor segment of the overall Roman glass production can help in determining possible diachronic changes in Roman imperial glass production (1st century AD – 5th century AD) and (ii) reveal regional compositional differences. In this paper, the latest results on the chemical composition of an additional 44 black-appearing Roman glass samples are presented, together with general conclusions based upon the entire compositional dataset of over 400 analyzed black glass samples. The results show that the Roman black glass is obtained through several glass compositions with a specific chronological, geographical and typological distribution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper focuses on the inscriptions from Dacia, which mention, by various terms, the occupations of private slaves. The epigraphic texts of Dacia mention slaves used by their masters for various administrative, financial or domestic duties, like actores, villici, dispensatores, vikarii and others. Three different ways of their involvement in different economic activities can be observed: they worked directly for their masters, they were assigned to actio institoria and they could hold a peculium. All these functions demonstrate that the servi privati were involved in public services as representatives of their masters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present paper addresses the analysis of the ambient vibrations of the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome. This monument, in the city centre and close to busy roads, was the largest vaulted structure in the Roman Empire. Today, only one aisle of the structure remains, suffering from a complex crack scenario. The ambient vibration response is used to investigate traffic induced vibration and compare this to values that could be a potential cause of structural damage according to international standards. Using output-only methods, natural frequencies and mode shapes are obtained from the response, allowing comparison with predictions made with a finite element model. Notwithstanding simplifications regarding material behavior and crack pattern in the finite element model, an agreement between numerical and experimental results is reached once selected mechanical parameters are adjusted. A knowledge of modal characteristics and the availability of an updated model may be a first step of a structural monitoring program that could reveal any decay over time in the structural integrity of the monument. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Members of the late Roman élite commemorated the holding of certain offices by the distribution of ivory diptychs. This paper attempts to show how diptychs came to play this rôle; that they were not originally distributed by consuls but by any official who provided games; that they had nothing to do with the ecclesiastical diptychs that are first heard of at about the same time; that the custom spread from east to west, not from west to east; and that the earliest western consular diptychs are not illustrated with scenes from games because there were no multi-day consular games at Rome before the fifth century. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents the summary of a symposium during which several history and archaeology students from the Universität Bochum, a university in Bochum, Germany, presented their academic papers from June 8-9, 2011. Academic papers presented at the conference included a paper on historical and archaeological sources on roman political and military history, a paper on Matilda of England, the wife of Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, and a paper on antisemitism in the history of the German Empire.

Temporary uses represent innovative and experimental solutions to give new life to disused facilities and spaces while conserving their historical, identity and environmental value. By offering the opportunity to assign new functions and meanings to abandoned places and create economic and social development, these practices can play a strategic role in promoting an integrated approach as a starting point for urban regeneration processes. Based on these assumptions, this paper aims to investigate how temporary uses of disused urban spaces can interact in a practical sense with formal planning systems and urban policies. To do so, it analyses a European project implemented in Rome aimed at fostering temporary activities in public space and reactivating several disused areas by directly involving the local community. The paper proposes a few observations touching on two issues: firstly, whether the temporary use of disused space can be a practical opportunity to not only re-design urban space but also establish a new governance model. Secondly, whether such practices can effectively address the needs and aspirations of citizens, as a precondition for improving quality of life in the city. • The paper analyses the spatial opportunities and the social implications of temporary uses in urban areas. • It investigates the strategic role of temporary uses in urban regeneration. • It analyses the EU project TUTUR, which aims to promote temporary uses, paving the way to new experimentation models. • It explores the potentialities and limitations of these practices and their possible transfer to other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 26th annual seminar of the European Library Automation Group (ELAG) was held in Rome in April 2002. This report provides an overview of the papers presented, including those describing relevant developments in Italy (such as the Italian Digital Library), those covering the theme of the seminar (semantic Web and libraries), as well as papers on functional requirements for bibliographic records and others. Workshops are a key feature of the ELAG seminars and a brief mention is made of these. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Class A predictions of the excavation of a three-tunnel station are presented. • The tunnels interact with a historic masonry building under very low covers. • The developed 3D model accounts for the most influential features of the problem. • Due to the protective measures implemented the expected damage is negligible. • A comparison with a simpler approach is provided. Tunnelling in urban environments often poses serious concerns regarding potential detrimental effects induced on the surrounding structures and infrastructures, as in the case of the soon-to-be-built new Flaminio railway station. The station's project involves the conventional excavation of three adjacent shallow tunnels, whose roofs are located very close to the foundation of a historic building. To minimize the risk of damaging the building, the excavation is preceded by ground improvement works and the installation of a very stiff pre-support system made of concrete-filled steel pipes just above the tunnels' roofs. This paper presents a Class A prediction of tunnelling-induced effects, obtained developing a three-dimensional numerical model that accounts for the complexities of the problem's geometry and construction phases. The soil mechanical behaviour is described by an advanced constitutive model (the Hardening Soil model with small strain stiffness). The results provide useful insights about the soil-tunnel-building system's behaviour. The expected settlements are very little and the potential damages to the building practically negligible. In addition to drastically reducing the risk of local instabilities, the heavy ground improvement works and the installation of the pre-support – whose effects are quantified through comparative analysis – further reduce settlements and distortions induced on the building. Finally, the results are compared with the predictions obtained adopting a simple linear elastic perfectly plastic constitutive model (Mohr-Coulomb model) both using the parameters employed at the design stage, calibrated assuming precautionary medium–high strain levels, and attempting to capture a more realistic level of induced strains. A comprehensive monitoring system will record a significant amount of data concerning the soil-structure interaction, enabling to better understand the behaviour of the system and to test the accuracy of the numerical predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]