Maria Rosa di Cicco

This study presents SenseMat, a modular sensing infrastructure based on recycled end-of-life tire (ELT)-derived rubber flooring that integrates continuous body-weight (BW) estimation, environmental monitoring and Internet-of-Things (IoT) connectivity into a single structural livestock infrastructure. Designed as a modular engineering platform, SenseMat provides a structural framework that can be extended with additional sensing modules and adapted to different monitoring applications requiring resilient flooring and distributed sensing. The technical feasibility of the weighing module was evaluated through a 51-day proof-of-concept study conducted under commercial buffalo farming conditions, involving two buffalo calves and generating 4872 BW measurements acquired at 30 min intervals. Following a dedicated preprocessing workflow, continuous BW estimates showed good consistency with weekly reference measurements obtained using a professional livestock scale (R² = 0.975 and 0.948), with mean relative errors of 0.88% and 1.03% and root mean square errors of 2.15 and 3.09 kg for the two animals, respectively. Simultaneously, the integrated environmental module continuously monitored air temperature and relative humidity, suggesting the capability of the platform to provide synchronized environmental information alongside continuous BW acquisition within a unified monitoring framework. These findings demonstrate the technical feasibility of integrating sensing, environmental monitoring and IoT connectivity into recycled ELT-derived livestock flooring, supporting its development as a modular smart platform for continuous monitoring in precision livestock farming. Future validation under larger-scale commercial conditions will further assess its scalability and broader applicability.

‘The Castles’ project was completed in late 2025 ( https://castles.unisi.it ) and its innovative, multidisciplinary approach is revealing a revised chronological and typological sequence for the phenomenon of incastellamento in Italy. The results show an earlier appearance of large stone structures and a much later appearance of fortified stone-built villages around seigneurial centres than previously thought.

The PRIN 2020 CASTLES Project focuses on studying mediaeval castles in Italy, particularly their chronology and dating through archaeometric analysis of castles walls mortars. The project is based on a multidisciplinary approach and aims at establishing a new chronology for the construction sites of incastellamento (11th-12th centuries).A multidisciplinary team integrated their expertise into exploring the subject from multiple perspectives. The team consists of archaeologists and historians (respectively the Universities of Siena and Turin), geologists and conservation scientists (University of Florence), and physicists and archaeologists (University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"). The group selected several sites across three regions of Italy (Piedmont, Liguria and Tuscany). The criteria for selecting the castles were: chronology, state of conservation, historical context, available historical and archaeological data, significant historical relevance. Before starting the sampling of the walls structures mortars, and proceeding to the characterization and dating, it was of fundamental importance to geolocate the castles. This is basilar to understand the geology of the areas where the castles were located and be able to identify the supply sources of the raw materials used by workers to build them. The study was carried out by researching geological maps, aerial photographs, drone images, and scientific publications concerning each castle’s area of the Piedmont, Liguria, and Tuscany regions, as well as sampling rocks of outcropping and constituting the walls. Minero-petrographic and chemical characterization of rock and mortar samples were performed, using X-Ray Diffraction Powder (XRPD), Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) and Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS). The mineralogical and petrographical analyses of the rocks from each castle area were then compared with the components constituting the mortars (aggregate and binder) from the same castles, to identify correlations. It is essential to establish whether the materials used by the workers were sourced locally or from elsewhere. The results of this first step of the research showed that the raw material used in the realization of Ligurian and Tuscany castles was local. The origin of the rocks used to produce lime in Piedmont's castles is uncertain. In fact, limestone outcrops are very rare in the north of the region. Beyond dating, the analysis of raw materials provides important insights into medieval building organization, showing that most of studied castles relied on local geological resources, while changes in supply areas may reflect settlement expansion and/or a different and more complete organization of the sites of incastellamento.

Wastewater treatment has long been described as a matter of engineering infrastructure, ensuring that what leaves our cities, industries, or households does not harm the receiving environment

Isotopic analyses are useful tools with a wide range of applications, including environmental studies, archaeology and biomedicine. Founded in 2019 at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, the iCONa laboratory specialises in stable isotope mass spectrometry, with a particular focus on cultural heritage. The laboratory performs carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotopic analyses, including the most recent advances in compound-specific stable isotope analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AAs). In addition to these analytical services, iCONa provides chemical and physical sample preparation for a variety of sample types. This paper focuses on our applications in the field of cultural heritage, exploring how the analysis of stable isotopes performed on archaeological remains can be used to reconstruct past subsistence strategies and human behaviours. We also discuss the challenges inherent in isotopic analysis and recent methodological advances in the field.

This study showcases an attached-biomass system based on twin-layer technology for cultivating Galdieria phlegrea using municipal wastewater, equipped with a smart sensor system for the remote monitoring of operational parameters. From an industrial scale-up perspective, the system offers high scalability, with low impact and operating costs. Mathematical approximation modelling identified the optimal growth conditions across five experiments. The theoretical yield was estimated to reach 1 kg_DW/m² of biomass within two months. Integrated use of isotopic mass spectrometry and spectrophotometric methods allowed us to study the metabolic strategies implemented by the algal community during the best growth condition at different resolutions, showing an increase in the nitrogen concentration over time and a favourable affinity of the organism for nitrogen species that are commonly present in the urban effluent. SEM studies showed a clean algal biofilm (free of foreign organisms), which could guarantee usage in the high economic potential market of biorefineries.

Our study explores the potential relationship between infant feeding practices and settlement complexity in the Roman Empire through high-resolution Bayesian-modeled stable isotope measurements from incremental dentine. We compiled isotopic data from permanent first molars of individuals from various Roman sites: five from Bainesse (UK), 30 from Thessaloniki (Greece), along with new carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses from four individuals from Pompeii and six from Ostia Via del Mare (AVM). Our results reveal significant inter-site variability in breastfeeding durations, ranging from 1.5 years to approximately 5 years. Notably, individuals from the highly complex urban centers of Pompeii and Thessaloniki ceased breastfeeding around or below the 2-year weaning threshold recommended by Roman physicians. In contrast, individuals from the rural site of Ostia AVM and the site of Bainesse, near the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, generally ceased breastfeeding after 2 years of age. The link between settlement complexity and duration of breastfeeding observed in our study may have resulted from adherence to medical guidelines, support infrastructures, and/or strategies to mitigate financial constraints within households.

The Selvicciola necropolis is a large burial site dated to the Copper Age, located on the mid-Tyrrhenian side of Central Italy, in the Fiora river valley. Despite post-depositional disturbances, 32 prehistoric tombs were found, generally in a good state of preservation, with a total number of 119 individuals identified. In the present study, radiocarbon and stable isotope measurements on bone collagen are combined with skeletal data for 71 of these individuals. We aim to investigate possible changes in food practices and burial patterns throughout time. In detail, the results allowed us to define a timeframe for the use of the cemetery of at least 2000 years, with the two most ancient individuals found in tomb 17 and dated to around 3950 cal BC, assigning this a necropolis chronological investigation of the so-called Rinaldone culture. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis confirmed a predominantly agropastoral subsistence strategy for this prehistoric community. Although the plant intake consisted mainly of C3 species, we further discuss the fact that the stable isotope data suggest an increase in the consumption of C4 plants over time. The integration of radiocarbon and isotopic data with the skeletal evidence and material culture provides an interesting insight into the funerary world of this community, highlighting the importance of Selvicciola for the understanding of life in the Mediterranean at the transition between the fourth and the third millennia BC.

This study focuses on anti-trauma mats designed for buffaloes’ comfort, using as raw materials rubber powder from end-of-life tyres (ELTs) and an isocyanate-based polyurethane resin binder. The first part of the study focused on mat formulation. Whilst it was possible to select a unique combination of raw materials and design features, it was necessary to investigate the relationship between three critical parameters affecting mat consistency and therefore buffalo comfort: binder quantity, mat thickness, and desired final mat density (bulk). In order to quantitatively assess the variation in hardness, various combinations were investigated within well-defined ranges based on the relevant literature. The results obtained from nine selected combinations indicate that increases in the three critical parameters do not induce a real phase transition in the final product consistency, although the hardness suggests an increasing trend. The mats consistently exhibited a moderately soft/hard consistency, offering environmental benefits in terms of increased rubber usage and potentially reduced chemical binder, depending on the desired thickness. The selected mixture showed excellent resistance to heavy chemical loads, suggesting reliability for frequent cleaning operations. The second part of the study involved field trials of the mats with calves. This involved monitoring their weight gain and appetite levels over a 90-day period. The results showed excellent growth performance compared to uncoated grids (i.e., weight gain was approximately 20% higher at the end of the observation period); this was similar to that achieved with the use of straw bedding. However, compared to straw bedding, the mats (i) exhibit long-term durability, with no signs of wear from washing or trampling over the months of the trial, (ii) allow for quick and efficient cleaning, and (iii) enable companies to save on labour, material (straw), and waste disposal costs, while maintaining (or even improving) the same welfare levels associated with the use of straw.