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

The 1:10,000 geological map of the Arera-Vedra Valley area covers an area of about 12 km2 in the Orobic Alps (Lombardy, N Italy), and is accompanied by five underground maps corresponding to different levels of historic mining works. The area is characterized by a Triassic stratigraphic succession that hosts one of the most important Zn-Pb mining districts in Italy (Gorno district). Original surface and underground geological mappings have been integrated with the analysis of drillhole stratigraphies and historic underground geological maps. Detailed geological cross sections correlating surface map data with those of the underground mining tunnels have been done. This work proposes a new map representation that is consistent with new interpretation of the geometry of the orebodies at depth, to serve as a tool for mining purposes (targets definition, mine design) and for a better understanding of the genesis of the Gorno ‘Alpine-type’ deposits.

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

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

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

Abstract Background Although the use of the Internet for health purposes has increased steadily in the last decade, only a few studies have explored the information provided by the websites of health institutions and no studies on the on-line activities of Italian hospitals have been performed to date. The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics of the contents and the user-orientation of Italian hospital websites. Methods The cross-sectional analysis considered all the Italian hospitals with a working website between December 2008 and February 2009. The websites were coded using an ad hoc Codebook, comprising eighty-nine items divided into five sections: technical characteristics, hospital information and facilities, medical services, interactive on-line services and external activities. We calculated a website evaluation score, on the basis of the items satisfied, to compare private (PrHs) and public hospitals, the latter divided into ones with their own website (PubHs-1) and ones with a section on the website of their Local Health Authority (PubHs-2). Lastly, a descriptive analysis of each item was carried out. Results Out of the 1265 hospitals in Italy, we found that 419 of the 652 public hospitals (64.3%) and 344 of the 613 PrHs (56.1%) had a working website (p = 0.01). The mean website evaluation score was 41.9 for PubHs-1, 21.2 for PubHs-2 and 30.8 for PrHs (p < 0.001). Only 5 hospitals out of 763 (< 1%) provided specific clinical performance indicators, such as the nosocomial infection rate or the surgical mortality rates. Regarding interactive on-line services, although nearly 80% of both public and private hospitals enabled users to communicate on-line, less than 18% allowed the reservation of medical services, and only 8 websites (1%) provided a health-care forum. Conclusions A high percentage of hospitals did not provide an official website and the majority of the websites found had several limitations. Very few hospitals provided information to increase the credibility of the hospital and user confidence in the institution. This study suggests that Italian hospital websites are more a source of information on admissions and services than a means of communication between user and hospital.

In an Italian long-term-care facility (LTCF), we observed a 17.5% adherence to hand hygiene (HH), as well as 47.5% rate of glove use. Performing a procedure at high risk for cross-transmission of germs was the factor most strongly associated with noncompliance (odds ratio = 13.3; 95% confidence interval = 6.2 to 28.8; P < .0001). No significant differences in compliance related to health care worker category were found. Adherence to HH in the LTCF was similar to that found in a rehabilitation medicine unit of an acute care hospital (15.8%) but significantly lower than that reported in an infectious disease unit (53.7%; P < .0001). Our findings indicate that compliance with HH is a similar problem in LTCFs as in acute care facilities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]