Ricerc@Sapienza

This paper illustrates a GIS (Geographic Information System) based approach for assessing thermal and electric energy consumptions and usable solar energy potential of residential buildings in order to increase their independence from fossil fuels. After integrating and simplifying previous researches, a methodology for estimating thermal energy needs, both for heating and hot water supply, and electric energy demand for assessing PV and solar thermal productivity is presented.

In order to improve power system operation, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESSs) have been installed in high voltage/medium voltage stations by Distribution System Operators (DSOs) around the world. Support for restoration of MV distribution networks after a blackout or HV interruption is among the possible new functionalities of BESSs. With the aim to improve quality of service, the present paper investigates whether a BESS, installed in the HV/MV substation, can improve the restoration process indicators of a distribution grid.

The research here presented originates from some of the ongoing challenges of our society: the demographic changes and the high share of population living in urban areas. The aim of the research is the definition of an index of sustainability and quality of life for elderly at suburban scale, not only able to outline aspects related to the local territorial context but also to represent the neighbourhood level. This would provide significant added value to existing indicators that represent the quality of life for much larger areas as cities, regions and nations.

Several international initiatives, including the European Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, promote the identification and mapping of ecosystems as basic tools for the conservation of biodiversity and related services. On coarse scales, the spatial representation of ecosystems is usually based on broad land cover categories that largely overlook important ecological and biogeographic features of the biotic communities they are meant to exemplify.

Identifying which species are at greatest risk, what makes them vulnerable, and where they are distributed are central goals for conservation science. While knowledge of which factors influence extinction risk is increasingly available for some taxonomic groups, a deeper understanding of extinction correlates and the geography of risk remains lacking. Here, we develop a predictive random forest model using both geospatial and mammalian species' trait data to uncover the statistical and geographic distributions of extinction correlates.

Obstacle detection is a fundamental task for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) as a part of a Sense and Avoid system. In this study, we present a method of multi-sensor obstacle detection that demonstrated good results on different kind of obstacles. This method can be implemented on low-cost platforms involving a DSP or small FPGA. In this paper, we also present a study on the typical targets that can be tough to detect because of their characteristics of reflectivity, form factor, heterogeneity and show how data fusion can often overcome the limitations of each technology.

‘European archaeology’ is an ambiguous and contested rubric. Rooted in the political histories of European archaeology, it potentially unites an academic field and provides a basis for international collaboration and inclusion, but also creates essentialized identities and exclusionary discourses. This discussion article presents a range of views on what European archaeology is, where it comes from, and what it could be.

The prevalence and spectrum of germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 have been reported in single populations, with the majority of reports focused on Caucasians in Europe and North America. The Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA) has assembled data on 18,435 families with BRCA1 mutations and 11,351 families with BRCA2 mutations ascertained from 69 centers in 49 countries on 6 continents.

We develop a hybrid cost model for the determination of unit standard costs in the Italian local public bus transport sector. Detailed economic and transport data have been collected from companies producing more than 500 million of bus-kilometers in Italy observed in 2011. We draw upon the Bottom-Up approach for the estimation of the cost of the driving personnel and the economic cost of the rolling stock which usually cover more than 50% of the total economic cost.

This work calculates and discusses the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of four scenarios composed of two types of road pavements and two types of lighting systems to be built in an Italian twin-tube road tunnel. A 20-year time horizon is adopted to assess the burdens of construction and maintenance of both flexible and rigid pavements and high-pressure sodium (HPS) and lightemitting diode (LED) lamps, traffic, and switching on of lamps.