The definition of geochemical background values at local scale as a key procedure to set reliable guidelines for contaminated land management.

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At the intersection of cultural and natural heritage: Distribution and conservation of the type localities of Italian endemic vascular plants

We conducted a GIS spatial analysis with the aim of providing the first quantitative large-scale overview of the distribution patterns of 1536 type localities (loci classici) of 1216 Italian endemic vascular plants and their relationship with a set of descriptive variables. Whereas some variables were used to model the presence-absence distribution patterns of the type localities for the whole set of endemics as well as for the subset of narrow endemics, others (e.g., presence inside or outside protected areas and Italian Important Plant Areas) were considered with the purpose of assessing potential assets or risks for conservation. The largest number of type localities was found within the Mediterranean biogeographic region (1134), followed by the Alpine region (306) and Continental region (96). A total of 670 locations are located on islands, whereas 866 are located on the Italian mainland (139 and 124 in the case of narrow endemics, respectively). A large number of type localities are located in mountainous areas and along the coastline, which can be seen as a potential risk for conservation. On the contrary, we detected a positive correlation with the distance from roads, which might be considered to be an asset. Importantly, 1030 type localities fall inside protected areas, whereas 506 localities fall outside protected areas, with 259 of these unprotected localities on islands. We propose considering the results of the analysis of the distribution of type localities of Italian endemics to be a strategic tool for conservation planning and resource management. Application of plant micro-reserves and integration of diverse legislation tools are suggested to strengthen efforts and increase conservation success

La ceramica dal casale in località Céscole a Itri (LT): nuove fonti archeologiche per lo studio della società bassomedievale tra la contea di Fondi ed il porto di Gaeta /The Pottery from the Casale at le Céscole in Itri (LT): New Archaeological Sources for the Study of the Late Middle Age Society between the Countship of Fondi and the Harbour of Gaeta

L'area del golfo di Gaeta sino ad ora non è stata interessata da sistematiche ricerche di archeologia medievale. In particolare, ben poco si conosce della cultura materiale bassomedievale, soprattutto della ceramica di uso quotidiano. In questo contributo si vuole fornire una descrizione dei materiali rinvenuti all’interno e nell’area circostante il casale in località Céscole in Itri (Lazio, Italia), consistenti principalmente in anfore di varia dimensione di riutilizzo e in altre forme di ceramica acroma e dipinta. Nella prima parte sono raccolte informazioni sul contesto storico regionale del XIV secolo ed alcune brevi note sulla topografia dell’area del casale. La seconda parte fornisce uno studio dettagliato dei materiali condotto col fine di interpretare al meglio quelle che sembrerebbero essere attestazioni di particolare interesse per le produzioni tardo medievali dell’area costiera campano-laziale, nonché i primi di questo tipo documentati nell’area di Itri. Il casale con torre in località Céscole costituisce con i suoi materiali un nuovo contesto che, a seguito di ulteriori e più approfondite indagini, potrà in futuro fornire dati di natura archeologica utili alla ricostruzione del paesaggio rurale orbitante intorno al Castrum Ytri tra XIV e XV secolo.  To date, the area of the gulf of Gaeta has never been involved in systematic Medieval Archaeology research. Very little is known, for instance, about the late Medieval material culture of this region, especially concerning pottery for everyday use. The aim of this paper is to provide a first description of the pottery found in and around the casale located at le Céscole in Itri (Lazio, Italy). This material consists mostly of amphorae and other painted wares. In the first part of the paper we provide information about the regional historical context for the XIV century. The second part includes a detailed study of the pottery found in the casale and aims to give a first interpretation of it. The pottery could be an important attestation of the late Medieval production of the coast between Lazio and Campania and the first of this kind ever to be reported from Itri. The casale at le Céscole, together with its pottery, represents a new context from which, through further investigations, we can hope to extrapolate more archaeological data in the near future. These data will surely aid us in reconstructing the rural landscape orbiting around the Castrum Ytri between the XIV and the XV century

Multitemporal, Multispectral UAS Surveys for Archaeological Research: The Case Study of San Vincenzo Al Volturno (Molise, Italy)

Unmanned aerial vehicles are currently the most used solution for cultural heritage in the field of close range and low altitude acquisitions. This work shows data acquired by multitemporal and multispectral aerial surveys in the archaeological site of San Vincenzo al Volturno (Molise, Italy). The site is one of the most important medieval archaeological sites in the world. It is a monastic settlement that was particularly rich during the early Middle Ages, and is famous for its two full-frescoed crypts which represent a milestone in the history of medieval art. Thanks to the use of multispectral aerial photography at different times of the year, an area not accessible to archaeological excavation has been investigated. To avoid redundancy of information and reduce the number of data to be analysed, a method based on spectral and radiometric enhancement techniques combined with a selective principal component analysis was used for the identification of useful information. The combination of already published archaeological data and new remote sensing discoveries, has allowed to better define the situation of the abbey during the building phases of the 8th/9th century and 11th century, confirming and adding new data to the assumptions made by archaeologists

Reliability Estimation of Commercial Na-NiCl2 Batteries Using Theoretical and Simulative Approaches

Sodium-Metal Halide Batteries are a promising and cheap alternative to lithium-ion ones for stationary applications such as smart grids. However, the reliability of their elementary cell is low, and a battery composed of hundreds of cells could likely have several faulty cells after a few working years. Luckily, the cell failure mechanisms are not destructive and convert the faulty cell in an almost ideal short-circuit. A simulation platform to quantify the effects of the faulty cells on the battery performance was developed in this work, and used to estimate the reliability of four different Sodium-Nickel Halide (Na-NiCl2) commercial batteries manufactured by FZSoNick. A theoretical approach is first discussed to support the results obtained from the simulations. The study highlights the necessity to improve the power control system of the battery to maximize its usable energy and mitigate the performance degradation caused by the faulty cells

Cloud-Based Optimization of a Battery Model Parameter Identification Algorithm for Battery State-of-Health Estimation in Electric Vehicles

<p>Connectivity and cloud computing are key elements in the future of electric mobility. They allow manufacturers to provide advanced fleet management and predictive diagnostic services. In particular, cloud computing dramatically enhances data availability and enables the use of more complex and accurate state estimation algorithms for electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries. A tuning procedure for a moving window least squares algorithm to estimate the parameters of a 2-RC equivalent circuit battery model is presented in this paper. The tuning procedure uses real data collected from a test vehicle and uploaded to the Stellantis-CRF cloud. The tuned algorithm was applied to eight months of road tests and showed very small estimation errors. The errors are comparable to other literature data, even when the literature results were obtained in laboratory tests. The estimated model parameters are tracked through time and seem accurate enough to show the first signs of battery aging.</p&gt

Development of a municipality index of environmental pressure in Campania, Italy

The Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy (Istitituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, IZSM) is a public health institution operating within the Italian National Health Service. Over the past 5 years [IZSM] has promoted several research studies and interventions in an effort to tackle the 'Land of Fires' phenomenon, caused by the continued trafficking and uncontrolled incineration of waste that has affected some areas of Campania for decades. In this article, a mathematical model that generates a municipality index of environmental pressure is presented. The model was developed by a multidisciplinary team led by an environmental engineer and included researchers in the fields of veterinary and human medicine, biology and computer science. This model may serve as a geostratification tool useful for the design of human biomonitoring studies, although it may also be employed for strategic planning of remediation programs and public health interventions

A comparison of methods for assessing groundwater vulnerability in karst aquifers: the case study of Terminio Mt. aquifer (Southern Italy)

Abstract The assessment of groundwater vulnerability to pollution is becoming even more important all over the world due to the increase of impacts of human activities on groundwater resources and the related risks to the human health, economics, and the environment. Owing to the variability of methods known for estimating groundwater vulnerability, basically depending on hydrogeological parameters considered and the scale of analysis, the comparison of results of different methods appears straightforward for identifying the best approach in a given hydrogeological condition and reference scale. In such a view, this work attempts to assess the groundwater vulnerability of the Terminio Mt. karst aquifer, by applying four different groundwater vulnerability methods, index-based, and comparing results in order to identify the best performing one in karst environments. The study aquifer, located in the Picentini Mts Regional Park (Campania region, southern Italy) represents a strategic drinking water resource since Roman times and hosts massive groundwater resources which outflow mainly from tapped basal and subordinately perched springs. The peculiar characters of the study karst aquifer, which favour direct infiltration and groundwater recharge processes, as well as the occurrence of industrial, agricultural and grazing activities, make it very vulnerable to groundwater pollution, thus requiring a proper and careful territorial management. Beside the most frequently and generally used methods for assessing groundwater vulnerability, such as the DRASTIC and SINTACS, also DAC and COP methods specifically designed for karst aquifers were applied and mutually compared. Results of SINTACS, DRASTIC and DAC methods show groundwater vulnerability maps of the Terminio Mt. karst aquifer as chiefly characterized by two classes of intrinsic groundwater vulnerability, varying between the medium and high degrees. Furthermore, high and extremely high values of groundwater vulnerability were found in areas controlled by the shallow depth of the water-table. Instead, the COP method resulted as the most effective in identifying the endorheic areas and the related karst morphologies as very high groundwater vulnerability zones, therefore the most suitable in capturing specific hydrogeological features of karst areas that control groundwater pollution and vulnerability. Results obtained will support decision tools aimed at the land use planning and protection of karst aquifers from pollution in karst areas

Heavy Metals in Groundwater of Southern Italy: Occurrence and Potential Adverse Effects on the Environment and Human Health

This study reports the data on the contamination caused by heavy metals in the groundwater of the Campania Plain (CP) in Southern Italy. A total of 1093 groundwater samples were obtained from the following aquifers: coastal plains (GAR, VCP, VES, SAR, and SEL), volcanic districts (PHLE and VES), and carbonate massifs (MAS and LAT). In this study, the investigation depth ranged from 5 m (GAR) to 200 m (PHLE). The sequence of heavy metal content in groundwater samples was B > Fe > Al > Mn > Zn > Ba > Ni > As > Cu > V > Se > Pb > Cd. The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and heavy metal evaluation (HEI) demonstrated that the study areas in which groundwater samples were sampled are not risk zones. Moreover, health risk assessment shows that hazard index (HI) values for heavy metals were found to be significantly low in groundwater samples. In non-carcinogenic risk evaluation for the adult group, the risk was low, whereas for children and infants, the risk was >1 for arsenic alone. Carcinogenic risk assessment (CR) was found lower for adults, children, and infants. The Jenks optimization method was used to evaluate the distribution of heavy metals in the groundwater of CP, and the principal component analysis technique (PCA) was employed to determine the source of heavy metals, and it was found that mixed sources (natural and anthropogenic) may be responsible for heavy metals presence