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This paper provides new empirical evidence on regional–national disparities in environmental efficiency, based on analyses of NAMEA data referring to Italy and the Lazio region, where Rome is the main city. Shift-share analyses provide evidence on the drivers of environmental efficiency and on sector specificity. Our evidence shows that although the region around Rome has achieved higher environmental performance compared to Italy mainly thank to its being less industry based, some critical points in the energy sector and in some services should be taken into account in shaping the future development of the region. In addition, the use of regional NAMEA for econometric investigations of emission efficiency drivers at national level shows that though north south disparities favour northern and richer regions, in accordance with development oriented dynamics, environmental hot spots driven by specialisation and efficiency related issues also appear in some northern industrial regions. Further, the role of public ad private R&D is of main relevance in enhancing emission on economic value ratios. Environmental, industrial and sector-oriented policy making may derive valuable information from the evidence provided by our study, that highlights how analytical exploitation of NAMEA offers rich array of insights for regional policy making. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into the particle number concentration and size distribution of ultrafine particles (UFPs) near the city of Rome. Measurements were made using Scanning Mobility particle Sizer System (SMPS), at Montelibretti station in October and November, 2007. The major focus of this study was the evaluation of aerosol size distribution from 4 to 70nm using scanning mobility particle size with a high resolution Nano Differential Mobility Analyzer (DMA). Cluster analysis and factor analysis were used to analyze the correlation of different diameter particle fractions with related gaseous pollutants and meteorological parameters. The results obtained showed that over the measurements period the daily average particle total number concentration was 19,000cm−3. There was a weekly cycle which makes it evident that the values on workdays were higher than the values on the weekends by a factor of around 1.3. The cluster analysis and factor analysis conducted with an hourly data set suggest that the N30–50 (number concentration of particles with diameter between 30 and 50nm) and the N50–70 closely correlated to NOx and relative humidity, while the N4–10, N10–30 and N4–70 consort with solar radiation, temperature and wind speed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper illustrates a procedure aimed at estimating diachronically soil sealing in suburban areas by using cartographical and statistical data. The procedure was applied (1949-2006) to the metropolitan area of Rome (Italy), a Mediterranean city with important land use changes observed during the last fifty years. A total of 1.477 random sites was chosen encompassing the entire investigated area (1.285 km2) and evaluated in terms of sealing condition in 1949, 1990, 1994, 2000, and 2006. Although resident population has been found quite stable since 1970s, the sealed surface area grew rapidly from 8% in 1949 to 26% in 2006. The sealing status of each site was found correlated to the distance from the city centre, while not correlated to the distance from the major roads, railways, and the boundaries of the neighbor protected area. These results suggest that soil sealing in Rome was associated to recent processes of urban sprawl which testify the slow transition from the semi-compact city to a more diffused urban agglomeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, a new bio-cleaning procedure based on the glucose oxidase (GOx) has been applied on the travertine and peperino substrata to remove the biological patina (i.e., biofilm). Glucose oxidase, used as a model enzyme system, is able to produce in situ H2O2 (the cleaning agent having oxidizing properties) by the enzymatic reaction at room temperature. The travertine and peperino samples came from the Villa Torlonia in Rome (Italy), and an analytical diagnosis on them was performed applying several analytical techniques, such as the differential interference contrast microscopy (DIC), the optical microscope (OM), the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) that evidence the presence of biofilms on the substrata. Better results were obtained on the travertine samples in terms of the cleaning efficiency and the absence of the etching effect on the surface, eventually induced by the peroxide molecule. These results could be explained in terms of the different porosities of the two kinds of stone materials, according to the BET data. A comparative study was also performed to validate the new bio-cleaning procedure, using both traditional approaches based on saturated (NH4)2CO3 solution and EDTA in buffer solution and the enzyme lipase treatments. Among all, the cleaning procedure via GOx shows the best result, probably because the enzyme controls the concentration of the H2O2 in situ and also retains the H2O2 preferentially on the surface (where the biological patina is present) depending on the porosity of the substrata. A synergistic effect, with other enzymes such as lipase and protease, combined with the biocompatibility of the enzymatic treatments, could represent a new way for a higher cleaning efficiency to apply on different stone substrata. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, I reflect on the experience of conducting qualitative research in the city of Rome, in which daily exchanges between myself, the researcher, and the people whose city I was inhabiting for a brief period, became an essential part of the research process. Many of these conversations took place in casual encounters, while walking the city streets: the act of walking in the city (see de Certeau, 1988) was, for me, a way of becoming a part of the city's rhythms; engaging people in conversation was a way of talking through the often unspoken understandings of place to which I, a stranger, would not otherwise have been exposed. In order to establish a more equal exchange, I avoided the divide that often exists between researcher and researched, opening myself up, responding to questions, and offering my opinions to the people I met, such that the act of collecting the life stories that inform my examination of immigration in an urban environment became entangled with friendships and more intimate conversational exchanges, through which, together, we explored what it meant to create a home for oneself in Rome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper shows the results obtained through an experimental activity carried out on a pilot-scale plant using an innovative technology which couples the granular aerobic sludge with the sequencing batch process. Treatment efficiency and operation costs were evaluated in order to assess feasibility of this new technology for the upgrading of the existing continuous flow activated sludge treatment plant located in Casal Monastero, a decentralized area of the City of Rome. During start-up (about 3 months), the granular aerobic sludge was developed by controlling the dissolved oxygen concentration, the value of pH and the up-flow velocity. Besides, the influent organic loading was progressively increased starting from 0.1 kg/m3d up to 0.9 kg/m3 d. In order to improve nitrogen removal, an anoxic phase was temporary added to the operative cycle. Complete development of the granular sludge determined an appreciable improvement of the denitrification process which allowed to eliminate the anoxic phase. At regime conditions, the plant was operated with 3 daily cycles, each one of 8 h. The new system showed a reduced sludge production (of about 20-35%) as compared to the existing plant, along with high removal efficiency of both Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and nitrogen. However, the operation was discontinuous and strictly related to the strength of the granular sludge. Therefore, a careful monitoring is recommended in order to control operation and performance of this new system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University students’ drop-out is a crucial issue for the universities’ efficiency evaluation and funding. In this paper, we analyze the drop-out rate of the Economics and Business faculty of Sapienza University of Rome. We use administrative data on 9,725 undergraduates students enrolled in three-years bachelor programs from 2001 to 2007 and perform a Generalized Linear Mixed Model. Our aim is to improve the general understanding of the students’ withdrawing focusing on personal characteristics of students rather than on institutional aspects of the university. The empirical analysis unveils the statistically significant effect of students’ characteristics, like citizenship and income, while the main findings relate a high drop-out probability to a high secondary school final mark and a low individual students’ performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the application of pulsed laser recording for three-dimensional display of ancient artefacts, medical dissections for hospital museum exhibition and also non-destructive testing techniques for the detection of subsurface damage on such items such as paintings or frescos and other ancient artefacts where debonding between surfaces and their supporting background may have occurred. It also considers the information storage potential of holography that could be of use for museum applications. A further associated laser technique is also discussed which detects defects in ancient metal structures; the latter technique was used on the Marco Aurelio equestrian bronze, located in Rome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To those who regard the Letter to the Romans as part of a thoroughgoing critique of Roman power and ideology on the part of Paul, the first seven verses of Chapter 13 represent a major problem of interpretation, since they appear to represent endorsement rather than criticism of the prevailing political authorities. This paper looks at the way the text has been handled by those involved in the debate, as well as making some suggestions as to how the passage should be understood in its context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceneri Base Tunnel: drilling and blasting of main tunnel starts in Sigirino – Ceneri-Basistunnel: In Sigirino beginnt der Sprengvortrieb am Haupttunnel Durchmesser line in Zürich: TBM has reached Central – Durchmesserlinie Zürich: TBM hat das Central erreicht Start of shield drive on the Wehrhahn Line – Schildanfahrt auf der Wehrhahn-Linie Double tunnel breakthrough on the new line Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle – Doppelter Tunneldurchschlag auf der Neubaustrecke Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle Alpine to build the urban railway tunnel in Karlsruhe – Alpine baut den Karlsruher Stadtbahntunnel Züblin to build part of the new line Ebensfeld–Erfurt – Züblin errichtet Teilstück der Neubaustrecke Ebensfeld–Erfurt Leighton Asia awarded rail contract in Hongkong – Leighton Asia erhält Eisenbahn-Auftrag in Hongkong Hochtief to extend the Metro in Prague – Hochtief erweitert Prager U-Bahn Aker Wirth to deliver tunnel boring machine for hydropower station in Switzerland – Aker Wirth liefert Tunnelbohrmaschine für Wasserkraftwerk in der Schweiz Construction of the new Lower Inn valley line is on schedule – Bau der neuen Unterinntalbahn liegt im Zeitplan German Railways postpones commissioning of the new Schlüchterner Tunnel – Bahn verschiebt Inbetriebnahme des Neuen Schlüchterner Tunnels Call for papers – Themes for the next issues of Geomechanics and Tunnelling – Themen für die nächsten Ausgaben der “Geomechanics and Tunnelling” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropic risk in places of strong tourist attraction poses a threat to cultural heritage and the surrounding area. Many elements cause anthropic risk: they are not easily identifiable due to the dynamic and often uncontrollable nature of phenomena linked to the presence of humans. In order to mitigate such risk, areas close to these sites can be identified so as to extend the visitor's range of action and offer alternative activities integrated with the main site. Cultural sites and appropriate activities can be identified using a method of analysis that is able to trace the identity of places, their characteristics and potential, to provide sustainable and integrated enhancement. The aim of this paper is to use PlaceMaker, an urban analysis method to enable identification of elements not shown on traditional maps which form place identity, to plot them on a complex map, thereby making them 'readable'. In order to highlight the method's potential, the experiment carried out in the Trevi-Pantheon area in Rome is illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It may appear rational to pursue short term self interest if the ecological crisis is unsolvable: it may be rational to fiddle while Rome burns. This is especially true when others are not making environmentally friendly choices and when we want to allow peole extensive liberty to make their own choices. This paper examines this problem by utilizing the prisoner's dilemma and Hardin's tragedy of the commons. It argues that voluntary solutions to the ecological crisis are not promising, while also recognizing that governmental interventions are equally unhelpful. The problem identified is that it may in fact be rational to fiddle while Rome burns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in the battle of Pollentia in recent years has been confined to the issue of dating the year in which it occurred, the extent to which either Claudian or Prudentius, the two late Roman poets who mention it, depended on the other's work, and the significance of the battle in the political and military careers of its two chief protagonists, Stilicho, the Vandal regent of the emperor Honorius, and Alaric, the Visigothic leader and rebellious Roman agent. In this paper, I consider religion as a tactic in the conduct of the battle. We know from Orosius that it was fought at Easter, something for which he chastised Stilicho. While scholars refer to its Easter date and Vanderspoel has found Easter allusions in another of Claudian's poem written in the light of the battle, none has investigated the significance of the battle taking place at Easter. It is argued here that religious considerations were crucial in determining the moment of engagement and not just coincidental and that, by attacking Alaric at Easter, we have another indication of just how precarious Stilicho's position was. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a multi-isotopic (oxygen, strontium, carbon and nitrogen isotopes) investigation of population and dietary diversity in Roman Gloucester, focusing on individuals found in a late 2nd century AD mass burial pit at London Road, and comparing them to those found in the nearby cemetery. There were no statistical differences in isotopic composition between mass grave and cemetery burials, suggesting, in agreement with the osteological evidence, that the mass burial was the result of a catastrophic event, probably an epidemic disease. Strontium and oxygen isotope analysis demonstrated considerable diversity in the origins of the Gloucester population, with evidence for both UK and non-UK individuals. Diet was predominately terrestrial and similar to that of other Romano-British populations. Elevated δ13Cdentine ratios in some individuals are correlated with raised δ18Op values and are therefore probably due to childhoods spent in warmer climates, rather than dietary variation. Given the geological complexity of the Gloucester area, this study also provides new biosphere 87Sr/86Sr data for the wider region. A technical Appendix gives details of the analytical methods employed by the NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory (NIGL) for the measurement of oxygen stable isotope ratios in biogenic phosphate (δ18Op). It also evaluates different phosphate oxygen-drinking water conversion equations using data from Britain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The verbal image of Roma Aeterna is one of the most long-lived concepts in Western History. Its tradition flows without interruption from the last decades of the Roman Republic to the end of the Empire. From that time onwards, the expression Roma Aeterna maintained its politic meaning. The aim of this paper is to approach the myth of Roma Aeterna through the representations that gave visual form to this concept, taking as starting point the iconographic elements from the Imperial period, to continue with those that overcome the Pagan Empire. Thus, we will value the global use of certain images from an inter-disciplinary point of view, specially those still present in the popular belief about Rome, in order to show the convenience of strengthening links between different fields, as History and History of Art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to elucidate the role of late Antique poetry in the social construction of the Barbarian "other", a crucial point in the identity crisis of the late Roman Empire. To this end, I focus on Sidonius Apollinaris' (430/431-489 AD) caustic carmen 12, better known as "The Satire of Burgundians" (written around 461 AD). This poem -full of a bitter humour- shows the frustration of a nostalgic aristocrat, who -although eager to preserve the rich cultural legacy of the Roman world- must face the changes necessarily brought up by the appearance of this new "other" on the Western horizon. Ultimately, the poet is even compelled to confess the unfeasibility of his project, the impossibility of poetry. Taking the obvious ideological bias of this literary perspective as a starting point, I try to reconstruct the internal history of Burgundians, one of the most enterprising and creative human groups on the Proto-Germanic scene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A classical statement by Giuffrè points out that "the army as the main foundation of Roman Empire is beyond discussion". This centrality of the army and the military dimension in ancient Roman world was also perceived by the Romans themselves and a good proof of it can be found in the written reflections about the res militaris, most of times with prevalence of practical matters, but without omitting some remarkable theoretical aspects. The continuous cultivation of this subject-matter gave form to a proper literary subgenre with its own tradition within Latin technical literature. This literary tradition is underservedly unknown and has received few attention from scholars. Therefore, the aim of these paper is to provide a complete diachronic profile of Latin polemography and an outline of its main features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper establishes a new date for the publication of Suetonius’ Illustrious Men through allusions to Suetonius’ Virgil in Pliny, Letters 5.10. These allusions are part of a much wider network of allusions, both within this particular letter and more generally in Pliny’s Book 5, that revolves around the theme of unpublished writings. It is a partial or full publication of the Illustrious Men that probably led to Suetonius’ award of the ius trium liberorum in A.D. 110, and he may now have published all of the Caesars before his dismissal by Hadrian in A.D. 122. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suetonius (Aug. 72.2) records among the habits of Augustus his inclination to retreat from time to time to a place he called ‘Syracuse’ or his ‘technophuon’ (workshop). These names have been variously explained, without agreement. The paper argues that ‘Syracuse’ evokes a complex of associations beyond the obvious connection with Archimedes and his inventions. By recalling other well-known figures, such as Marcellus and Dionysius, as well as Augustus’ own experiences in Syracuse, the name of his den effectively encapsulates the courses of action available to the emperor as ruler and as private citizen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeneid's Book 8 offers a large version of Roman History from the beginnings of Janus and Saturnus to Accius' battle. Historic account is developed in two episodes: Evander and Aeneas' tour through Palanteum and the description of Vulcanus' shield. Both episodes can be taken as ekphrasis and the hypothesis of this paper considers that both must be read in a complementary way in order to assume that Virgilian proposal about history, unlike Livius, consists of a series of foundations written on the memory of Roman natural and urban geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The lifestyles of the three earliest Dominican women''s communities were formulated according to their specific historical conditions and exigencies during the years 1206–21. Initially, the women associated with the preaching mission of Diego of Osma and Dominic Guzman were based at Prouille in the Languedoc and followed the Augustinian Rule. The development of the first instituta for Dominican nuns was the result of 15 years of overseeing the lives of the sisters. However, enclosure, and the institutional requirement for its observance, only came about in 1220 with the establishment of San Sisto, when St Dominic wrote an instituta specifically intended for a cloistered nunnery. This paper retraces and elucidates the historical development of the first Dominican instituta for women, and considers the remarkable choice of the Augustinian Rule as the basis for an enclosed women''s order. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Anti-Westernism is a widespread phenomenon in the Orthodox world today, particularly in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, expressed by numerous actors, manifested at various levels and operating in different contexts, religious and otherwise. Historically it can be traced back to the long-term differentiation between the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) and the Western Roman Empire, as well as between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchates. Because many Orthodox earlier used to identify Europe with the West, anti-Westernism is sometimes closely connected with anti-Europeanism. Drawing examples mostly from the Greek and Russian cases, this paper attempts to assess Orthodox anti-Westernism in its contemporary dimensions by pointing to its numerous antinomical manifestations, which can hardly render it an obstacle and a threat to European integration today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: At the ENEA TRIGA research reactor (Casaccia Research Center, Rome) a new neutron collimator has been designed and installed at the neutron tangential channel. This collimator, that is part of a neutron/X-ray facility for NDT analysis, was experimentally characterized and optimized in terms of thermal neutron fluence rate, spatial/energetic distribution, photon air KERMA and effective beam diameter. This paper shows the methodologies and the results of the experimental analysis that were carried out. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The title of prince of the Holy Roman Empire was conferred in 1704 upon all the children heirs and lawful descendants, male and female, of John Churchill, the first duke of Marlborough. The title of prince of Mindelheim was granted in 1705 to all male descendants and daughters of the first duke. But following the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 and the Treaty of Rastatt in 1714 the principality passed to Bavaria. The right of the dukes of Marlborough to use the style and title was thus lost, and any residual rights would have expired in 1722 on the death of the duke, as they could not pass to a daughter (unlike his British titles). Despite this it is still common practice to describe the Duke of Marlborough as a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire and Prince of Mindelheim. This paper considers the differences in the treatment of the descent of the British and imperial titles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acacius's significance relates to the controversies between Arianism and monolithic church doctrine, and as a consequence, the ideas that developed during the 4th century that caused turmoil in the Eastern Church. After the condemnation of Arius's doctrine as heretical at the Nicaean Council in A.D. 325, orthodox opponents regarded many bishops as heretics; some were expelled, while others, called Homoians, formed the base of the episcopate. Acacius, was appointed as episcopus by Acacius Caesariensis in 360 (?), presumably up to 379 (?), after Silvanus of the Ecclesia Tarsensis Metropolis of Dioecesis Antiochena (Le Quien, 869 sqq.). He was cited and studied by Basilius, Epiphanius, Sozomenus, and Theodoretus, who were interested in the Churches' dealings with heretics. This paper analyzes the acts that played determinative roles in this interaction and focuses on the religious viewpoints that this aroused as well as the social and economic problems that the late Roman Empire faced in managing the Cilician territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of an initial architectural survey at the site of Lamos in western Rough Cilicia, undertaken as part of the Rough Cilicia Survey Project (RCSP). The results include the first measured plan of the city, incorporating both buildings and topography. The city is divided into four main areas, each area centered around a small knoll or hillock. From east to west these include an agora, colonnaded street, cemetery, and acropolis. The architectural survey has documented several new structures, while the identity of others has been corrected from that of previous scholars. The majority of the architectural remains appear to date from the 2nd through 3rd centuries A.D., the period of the city's greatest prosperity. Analysis of the architecture of Lamos within the context of world systems theory reveals a complex interaction between core and periphery. In this regard the finds at Lamos support the conclusions that RCSP has reached for the entire region: indigenous cultures were active in negotiating a complex relationship with the offshore power of Rome, managing to preserve both native traditions and social power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper we introduce a simulation algorithm based on fluid dynamic models to reproduce the behavior of traffic in a portion of the urban network in Rome. Numerical results, obtained comparing experimental data with numerical solutions, show the effectiveness of our approximation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents information on literature related to Caesars. It is stated that the descendants of the Caesars ended with Nero. In his "Tacitus" Ronald Syme stated that the last six biographies of Suetonius' Caesars which are thought to form the final two of eight books, were not a part of the author's original design. In two later papers, Syme modified his theory, with no less reservation or characteristic brevity. In both theories, he stated that what now stands as the beginning of Galba may have originally been at the end of the account of Nero.

Abstract: This paper describes the experimental model that formed the basis for the author''s PhD thesis. The main goal of the work is the implementation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in archaeological research. A survey of the state of the art was undertaken to enable an assessment of the model to be tried out and how implementation should be undertaken. The problem encountered then, and which still persists, is that data that are sufficiently reliable for archaeological purposes are hard to come by, in digital format. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper examines the identification of rural occupation and the changing settlement pattern during late antiquity in the central part of Adriatic Italy. Archaeological field survey has proven to be the most efficient tool to map ancient settlement patterns on a regional scale. Although the methodological approach to map and classify Roman rural settlements has undergone many advances over the years, the identification of Late Roman occupation and the evaluation of the data remain problematic. Recent survey work in the Potenza Valley (Picenum) provides an excellent case study, demonstrating the problems and pitfalls connected with the identification of Late Roman rural settlements. To optimize site detection, the Potenza Valley Survey project invested in the exhaustive analysis of diagnostic finds from stratified contexts of the Roman colony Potentia. Following the study of the surface scatters, the settlements were classified according to a site typology, creating a third dimension in the detected occupation pattern. Broader historical questions could he addressed by integrating the survey results into a wider framework, making use of information from excavated sites and written documents. This approach allowed us to sketch the particularities of the central Adriatic countryside during late antiquity, demonstrating the relevance of regional diversity within this period of transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eschatological fantasies of divine judgment and retribution constitute a common feature of sacred literature and often serve to legitimate violence, both physical and rhetorical, against others. This paper examines allusions to Roman spectacles of violence—which operated part and parcel of imperialist strategies to dominate and intimidate subject populations—in descriptions of final judgment. It argues that these references constitute forms of colonial mimicry, which ambivalently appropriate Roman symbols of power for their own self fashioning. This process, however, is not uniform, but serves different purposes and strategies in different texts and contexts. This article explores examples of such mimicry and asks what it means for visions of the final judgment to reinscribe the very methods of domination that these fantasies seek to displace. Additionally, it considers the role of voyeurism implicit in public disciplinary displays and the implications that imagining eschatological justice as a blood spectacle has for theological conceptions of divine surveillance and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decline and fall of the Roman Empire and the dramatic change of the Mediterranean world in late antiquity have ever been discussed in history. The present paper outlines, from the point of view of medical history, some recent tendencies of research, including those which bring in scientific evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the result of an invitation made to the author to assess his own contribution to the history of Roman slavery for presentation at a conference held at the University of Edinburgh in 2007. It describes the circumstances under which he began the study of Roman slavery (with special attention to the influence of contemporary studies of New World slavery), indicates the principal questions asked and answers proposed, and points to areas for further investigation. A key theme is the emphasis on the need to study the history of Roman slavery from a comparative point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The third centuryad was a complex period of crisis in the Roman world. In this paper, official and unofficial antoniniani, and double sestercii and sestercii, were analysed by fast neutron activation analysis (FNAA) to determine the alloys used by the craftsmen for producing forgeries. Moreover, at Châteaubleau, archaeologists discovered antoniniani and bronze forgeries from Postumus. Similar materials have been found in other hoards. They are believed to have been produced by a workshop called ‘atelier II’ by numismatists. The question was whether it is possible to differentiate the Châteaubleau production from the atelier II production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to homeownership for young adults is becoming more and more difficult. Italy – where homeownership rates for young adults are steadily decreasing – is a case in point. In the recent past, becoming homeowner was an obvious housing pathway for Italian young adults, even from lower-middle class families. If your parents were homeowner, you became homeowner as well, often with the help of intergenerational transfers. However, the Italian reproduction of homeownership is under severe pressure, as a result of the economic crisis and the subsequent austerity measures. Through in-depth interviews with young adults and their parents, this paper shows how deeply ingrained social expectations and aspirations surrounding homeownership – together with an objective lack of rental options – result in young adults staying longer in their parental home and becoming independent at a later age. This may have a negative impact on the social and economic dynamics within Italian society. • Homeownership reproduction is threatened for lower-middle class households in Rome. • Decreased levels of intergenerational help after crisis and austerity. • Prolonged co-residence is more common than intergenerational wealth transfers. • Owner-occupation still perceived as best tenure; lack of rental options. • Inaccessible homeownership affects class identity for lower-middle class young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following electrification of automotive transport, studies on the penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) are widespread, especially in defined contexts. As major transport hubs, airports fall within contexts worthy of interest. In this work, a forecast of the demand for electric mobility in an Italian international airport (Rome–Fiumicino) is presented. The main goal of the research is to build up a methodology that allows evaluating the penetration index of EVs that will access the airport parks in 2025 and 2030, to be able to have a preliminary assessment of the number of charging points necessary for serving them. In the paper, first, a wide review of proposed scenarios on the penetration of EVs at international and national level and available data on local automotive transport are presented, as a preliminary study for the definition of reference scenarios for the local context. Then, the proposed methodology is presented and applied to the specific case study. Finally, a preliminary sizing of the required charging infrastructure is reported. The results show that a significant impact on the airport electricity network can be foreseen, and it requires proper planning of adaptation/upgrading actions. The proposed approach can be considered as a reference for similar studies on electrical mobility in other airport areas around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the current condition and appearance of Cosmati floors in six churches in Rome. Based on the assumption that all of the floors had a similar appearance when constructed, it is possible to see how the floors now reflect the original design and materials, the church environment, management decisions, restoration and conservation approaches. This illustrates the importance of considering all the significant features and possible outcomes of both a series of small interventions and major interventions. Many findings will also be applicable to other floors and mosaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An evolving world view of theoretical and quantitative geography is presented using an analogy from the development of the ancient Roman and Byzantine Empires between Julius Caesar in the first century BC to Justinian in the sixth century AD. This is used to set the discussion platform for a series of papers presented by participants from the early days of quantitative revolution in geography and its transformation into a robust and relevant spatial science. Current theoretical and quantitative geography needs to be, first, active in developing new ideas and applications, second, to continue to transform its methodology to be more societally relevant and scientifically robust and, third, to actively engage cultural critiques of these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A deep experimental campaign on road carried out in an urban route had been allowed to acquire a huge database concerning the real operating conditions of several vehicle typologies, both conventional and innovative (hybrids). In this paper, using a different approach seen as the current one utilised in the type approval procedure, these experimental data will be the starting working base to accomplish a whole energy comparison between a PEMFC vehicle and a EURO 4 vehicle. The in-house model built in the University of Rome lab will be adapted and applied to an automotive load simulation based on measured driving acquisitions. A complete picture on the energy consumption and pollutant emission of the two vehicle typologies in their real use is provided. This encompasses also an examination of the fuel production, in order to extend the analysis to all the energy chain and perform a well-to-wheel study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Object of this study is the versatility of a remote-sensing measurement system through experimental survey of the levels of primary and secondary pollutants in urban areas. For the first time a long-range measurement of different pollutant for a long period are reported in the urban area of Rome. Over 10 years of data collection, levels of NO2, O3, SO2, benzene and toluene are measured and discussed by means of a differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) system installed at ground level. The period is interesting because it represents one of the most important life-changes in Europe and in Italy: in fact, during the 1990s some significant decrees introduced the catalytic pots and limited the amount of benzene and sulfur dioxide in the fuel. The paper will describe how the main primary and secondary pollutants are changed during all the period: particularly, benzene and SO2 are not over a big social problem for the human health whereas the secondary pollutants, ozone and nitrogen dioxide, have the same trends during the period, meaning a no contribution to their evolution from the atmospheric processes. The DOAS technique is resulted very useful and versatile: comparisons with other traditional analyzers (i.e., GC-PID for benzene and toluene investigations) demonstrate how it allows to have information over all the territory saving the qualitative trends and giving a similar quantitative result. In this respect the authors show that the difference is due to the different sampling ways (the traditional analyzers are punctual whereas the DOAS is a remote-sensing technique covering a wide area) and does not influence the atmospheric process interpretation. Finally, it should be considered that the pollutant trends have been interpreted using the concentration measurements of natural radioactivity as tracer of the dynamic properties of the atmospheric boundary layer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Three of the major error sources in interferometric synthetic aperture radar measurements of terrain elevation and displacement are baseline errors, atmospheric path length errors, and phase unwrapping errors. In many processing schemes, these errors are calibrated out by using ground control points (GCPs) (or an external digital elevation model). In this paper, a simple framework for the prediction of error standard deviation is outlined and investigated. Inputs are GCP position, a priori GCP accuracy, baseline calibration method along with a closed-form model for the covariance of atmospheric path length disturbances, and a model for phase unwrapping errors. The procedure can be implemented as a stand-alone add-on to standard interferometric processors. It is validated by using a set of single-frame interferograms acquired over Rome, Italy, and a double difference data set over Flevoland, The Netherlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species pool hypothesis claims that the large-scale regional species pool is the chief parameter in determining small-scale species richness through filtering of species that can persist within a community on the basis of their tolerance of the abiotic environment. Accordingly, different environmental conditions give rise to different species assemblages. From a taxonomic perspective, under the assumption of trait conservatism, co-occurring species that experience similar environmental conditions are likely to be more taxonomically similar than ecologically distant species. The next step consists in understanding how commonness and rarity of individual species produce the observed taxonomic diversity. In this paper, the importance of environmental filtering in regulating the taxonomic structure of rare and common plant species in the urban floras of Brussels (Belgium) and Rome (Italy) is tested. First, we computed the taxonomic diversity of the rare and common species of Brussels and Rome based on the branching topology of the Linnaean taxonomic trees. Next, using a randomization procedure, we determined whether the taxonomic diversity of the rare species was significantly higher than the diversity of the common species. Results show that, for both urban floras, common species that shape the community matrix and experience similar environmental conditions have a taxonomic diversity that is significantly lower than that of the rare species that represent a relatively incidental set of species of more ‘disperse’ origin. Finally, from a conservation/management perspective our results imply that, given their high taxonomic heterogeneity, the protection of rare species is a central issue for preserving high levels of diversity in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the meaning and function of the titles "patroness" and "mother" of collegia in Italy and the Latin-speaking provinces of the Roman Empire in the first three centuries CE. It is investigated why some collegia co-opted female patrons or appointed "mothers." What was expected from these women and was there any difference between a "mother" and a patroness of a collegium? On the basis of epigraphic evidence it is argued that patrona collegii and mater collegii were no empty titles but denoted distinct functions exercised by different classes of women. Whereas patronesses were, as a rule, outsiders to the collegium they patronized, "mothers" were mostly social climbers from within the ranks of the collegia. Though both types of women acted on behalf of the collegia, they did so in a different way. Moreover, they were honored differently. Collegia, therefore, had good reasons to distinguish between the titles they gave them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers an economic interpretation of Christianity''s transformation from sect to universal religion in the Roman empire. It first points out paganism''s apparent inability to provide individual security in times of distress, such as the third century C.E., as a reason for the increasing demand for monotheism. It then reviews Christianity''s monotheistic competitors and points out the reasons why they lost out. Next, it addresses the Christian church''s choice between exclusive membership and open access to all applicants on the day of its triumph and shows, by means of a cooperative model, that open access and universal membership were a superior policy if coupled with doctrinal radicalization. Finally, it analyzes the theological controversies of the fourth and fifth centuries by means of a Hotelling-type linear spatial model of doctrinal strictness ranging from paganism to Judaism, and traces the theological choices that were made back to the church''s need to distance itself from its potential competitors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study addresses the question, “What is the impact of an international field experience on preservice teachers?” and corroborates many of the findings of a similar study by Willard-Holt [(2001). The impact of a short-term international experience for preservice teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17, 505–517]. In May 2005, 15 teacher education students from the US completed a 4-week international practicum, working in the classroom with teachers and students at a private international primary through secondary (K12) school in Rome, Italy. Data include preservice teachers’ reflections and comments collected from their personal journals, focus groups with supervisors, observation notes, a final reflection paper, course evaluations, and a questionnaire completed 1 year after the experience to assess any lasting impact the trip may have had on them as individuals and future teachers. While there were a few negative experiences, the results indicate that overall the benefits included both professional and personal changes, such as increased confidence, a better appreciation and respect for differences of others and other cultures, and an awareness of the importance that feedback and reflection play in professional and personal growth. The article concludes with recommendations on how to improve such experiences to enhance the personal growth and cross-cultural competency of preservice teachers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper we will consider some of the most significant interpretations concerning the relationship between the cristological debates in the fifth an sixth centuries and the transformations undergone by the State and Society within the Late Roman Empire. Moreover, based on these observations, we will try to offer some prospects for analysis for possible future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on some of the issues that arise when one treats notions such as depersonalization, delegitimization and dehumanization as social practices. It emphasizes the importance of: (a) understanding depersonalizing, delegitimizing and dehumanizing constructions as embedded in descriptions of located spatial activities and moral standings in the world and (b) invoking and building a socio-moral order linked to notions of lesser humanity or non-humanity, (spatial) transgression and abjection. These concerns are illustrated by taking talk on Romanies as a case in point from interviews with Romanian middle-class professionals. It is argued that a focus on description rather than explanation might be more effective in understanding the dynamics of ideologies of moral exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the concept of identity as an increasingly central research theme in Anglo-American Roman archaeology. The first part provides an overview and critique of the issue in recent academic discourse, highlighting some potential theoretical and methodological problems. I argue that, if pursued uncritically, there is a danger that approaches to identity are reducible to the search for diversity for diversity's sake, and even worse, that identity is simply read off from archaeological remains in a culture-historical fashion. In the second part, I use two case studies to outline a new approach to the construction of narratives of identity that emphasizes the constitution of identity through dynamic social practices instead of a direct one-to-one relationship between identity and static material culture. I contend that identity is best investigated through methodologies specifically designed to elucidate aspects of social practice through archaeological evidence rather than simply identify variability in material culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarises the common modalities that are available for researching ancient medicine and disease as well as explaining how some of these sources have survived to modern day. These are explained under the three broad headings of palceopathology, artefacts, and texts. The descriptions use a variety of examples from ancient societies including in the Bronze Age, Babylonia and Assyria, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and ancient Rome to help explain these modalities. In addition, a review of the advantages and disadvantages of using these tools is included to help current and future historians in stimulating future research in this fascinating area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Null models are an essential tool for investigating structure in natural communities of animals, including reptiles. In this paper, we studied the assembly structure of a lizard community constituted by four species (Lacerta bilineata, Podarcis muralis, P. sicula, Chalcides chalcides) along 25 different transects, each 300 m long and representing a specific habitat type, in five independent urban green areas in Rome, central Italy. Lacerta bilineata was observed in 92% of the total transects (n = 25), P. muralis in 100%, P. sicula in 72%, and C. chalcides in 52%. Based on the number of lizards observed along the various transects, it seemed that each species was linked especially to particular habitat types within each study area, but that the habitat types frequented by each species were not necessarily exactly the same across the study areas. Null model analyses revealed that the lizard community was not randomly organized in four of five study areas by RA2 (thus denoting that the generalist-specialist nature of the species reduced ecological similarity) but not by RA3 algorithms (thus denoting that the types of resources used did not reduce ecological similarity). Thus, the community structure was due mainly to the different specialist-generalist nature of the various co-occurring species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]