Comparing the spreading characteristics of monkeypox (MPX) and COVID-19: Insights from a quantitative model.

Climate change is acknowledged to directly affect not only the environment, economy, and society but also the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases, thereby impacting public health. The recent experiences with the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and Monkeypox have highlighted the complex and interconnected nature of infectious diseases, which are strongly linked to various determinants of health. Considering these challenges, adopting a new vision such as the trans-disciplinary approach appears to be imperative. This paper proposes a new theory about viruses' spread, based on a biological model, accounting for the optimisation of energy and material resources for organisms' survival and reproduction in the environment. The approach applies Kleiber's law scaling theory, originally developed in biology, to model community dynamics in cities. A simple equation can be used to model pathogen spread without accounting for each species' physiology by leveraging the superlinear scaling of variables with population size. This general theory offers several advantages, including the ability to explain the rapid and surprising spread of both SARS-CoV-2 and Monkeypox. The proposed model shows similarities in the spreading processes of both viruses, based on the resulting scaling factors, and opens new avenues for research. By fostering cooperation and integrating knowledge from different disciplines to effectively tackle the multifaceted dimensions of disease outbreaks, we can work towards preventing future health emergencies.

Phosphorus recovery from a pilot-scale grate furnace: influencing factors beyond wet chemical leaching conditions.

Phosphorus is a non-renewable resource going to be exhausted in the future. Sewage sludge ash is a promising secondary raw material due to its high phosphorus content. In this work, the distribution of 19 elements in bottom and cyclone ashes from pilot-scale grate furnace have been monitored to determine the suitability for the phosphorus acid extraction. Moreover, the influence of some parameters beyond wet chemical leaching conditions were investigated. Experimental results showed that bottom ash presented lower contamination in comparison to cyclone ash and low co-dissolution of heavy metals (especially Cr, Pb and Ni), while high phosphorus extraction efficiencies (76-86%) were achieved. High Al content in the bottom ash (9.4%) negatively affected the phosphorus extraction efficiency as well as loss on ignition, while the particle size reduction was necessary for ensuring a suitable contact surface. The typology of precipitating agents did not strongly affect the phosphorus precipitation, while pH was the key parameter. At pH 3.5-5, phosphorus precipitation efficiencies higher than 90% were achieved, with a mean phosphorus content in the recovered material equal to 16-17%, comparable to commercial fertilizers. Instead, the co-precipitation of Fe and Al had a detrimental effect on the recovered material, indicating the need for additional treatments.

Can commercial trade represent the main indicator of the COVID-19 diffusion due to human-to-human interactions? A comparative analysis between Italy, France, and Spain.

The main goal of this study is to analyze the relation between commercial trade and pandemic severity in society, in order to support new hypotheses which can explain transmission dynamics of COVID-19, as well as promote policy responses to cope with future epidemics similar to COVID-19. This study considers the role of trade in the dynamics of pandemic diffusion, within and between countries, which has not been investigated yet in this emerging field of research. We focus on three large countries in Europe: Italy, France, and Spain. The analysis is performed at regional level (involving in total 52 European regions). Results suggest that the association between trade and pandemic severity seems to be supported by empirical evidence, making it possible to introduce new hypotheses for explaining transmission dynamics of COVID-19 within and between countries. In particular, international trade data is supposed to be used as a comprehensive indicator accounting for population density, economic dynamism, and human mobility. The statistical analyses, also in a multivariate context, strongly support this hypothesis and suggest that crisis management has to focus in the very first place on infections occurring outside the national boundaries, in order to cope with pandemic threat of new waves of COVID-19 and future similar epidemics/pandemics.

International trade as critical parameter of COVID-19 spread that outclasses demographic, economic, environmental, and pollution factors.

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that caused the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), generating high numbers of COVID-19 related infected individuals and deaths, is still circulating in 2021 with new variants of the coronavirus, such that the state of emergency remains in manifold countries. Currently, there is still a lack of a full understanding of the factors determining the COVID-19 diffusion that clarify the causes of the variability of infections across different provinces and regions within countries. The main goal of this study is to explain new and main determinants underlying the diffusion of COVID-19 in society. This study focuses on international trade because this factor, in a globalized world, can synthetize different drivers of virus spread, such as mobility patterns, economic potentialities, and social interactions of an investigated areas. A case study research is performed on 107 provinces of Italy, one of the first countries to experience a rapid increase in confirmed cases and deaths. Statistical analyses from March 2020 to February 2021 suggest that total import and export of provinces has a high association with confirmed cases over time (average r > 0.78, p-value <.001). Overall, then, this study suggests total import and export as complex indicator of COVID-19 transmission dynamics that outclasses other common parameters used to justify the COVID-19 spread, given by economic, demographic, environmental, and climate factors. In addition, this study proposes, for the first time, a time-dependent correlation analysis between trade data and COVID-19 infection cases to explain the relation between confirmed cases and social interactions that are a main source of the diffusion of SARS-CoV-2 and subsequent negative impact in society. These novel findings have main theoretical and practical implications directed to include a new parameter in modelling of the diffusion of COVID-19 pandemic to support effective policy responses of crisis management directed to constrain the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and similar infectious diseases in society.

Incineration of sewage sludge and recovery of residue ash as building material: A valuable option as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Circular economy principles were adopted by European Commission, to support a sustainable growth. They contain general rules that should be considered in all situations. At present, during pandemic, some waste disposal practices are under evaluation to guarantee safety conditions. For example, in view of the recent results reporting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in sewage sludge, the possibility that it diffuses in the environment is alarming. The situation may result critical in densely populated cities, which are the largest sources of sewage sludge. In this frame the diffused practice of reuse of this waste in agriculture is under revision. In this context, incineration may represent a valuable alternative strategy to manage sewage sludge during pandemic. Indeed, due to thermal treatment, the destruction of organic micropollutants and pathogens, eventually present in the waste, is guarantee. Moreover, it is fundamental to highlight that also if the management of sewage sludge changes, the ash resulting from its combustion may have suitable reuse opportunities, and their landfilling should be avoided. This work presents the available possibilities of sewage sludge ash recovery in building applications and shows the results obtained by the analysis of their sustainability. The approach is based on the use of embodied energy and carbon footprint values, to make a simple and fast new method able to be a suitable tool to support and promote sustainability also in critical situations (such as pandemic) and when all the information about a technology are not available, making not possible to perform a full-LCA approach. This work aims to be not only a reference paper for promotion of strategies able to increase waste management safety, but also an example showing that circular economy principles should be pursued also if boundary conditions can change.

The europe second wave of COVID-19 infection and the Italy "strange" situation.

At the end of February 2020 COVID-19 infection appeared in Italy, with consequent diffusion, in few weeks, in almost all the Europe. Despite that human-to-human is the recognized main virus transmission way, several authors supposed pollution-to-human mechanisms to justify the appearance of contagious in Italy. However, these works often suffered of a lack of analysis of possible overlapping of different variables, other than only environmental ones. After a decreasing of detected cases in summer, Europe faced with the appearance of a COVID-19 second wave. In this context the Italy situation appeared to be "strange". Indeed, compared with the other selected Countries (France, Germany, UK, and Spain), the Italian infection cases resulted to be lower, in the same analysed period. This work is devoted to find a possible justification of the unexpected situation found in Italy. A comparison of the imposed restrictions in the considered Countries allows to highlight that some policies result more effective to limit the virus spread. This clearly shows that the imposed constraints and the people capacities to receipt them are fundamental parameters that must be always accounted in the determination of the virus expansion. The lesson provided by Italy should be achieved by other member states where the COVID-19 sanitary crisis results to be worse. It is evident that the re-opening of ordinary activities involving people interactions, in Autumn, may contribute to promote a larger SARS-CoV-2 diffusion also in Italy. Author strongly highlights that pollution-to-human transmission mechanisms cannot be proposed whiteout considering the complexity of human-to-human interactions, that can be modified by imposed restrictions. It is fundamental to understand that a more precise acknowledge of the variables that should be considered in model predictions, instead of a need of more precise point prediction, will contribute to increase the reliability and the comprehension of the virus diffusion mechanisms, that is fundamental to face this pandemic period.

First data analysis about possible COVID-19 virus airborne diffusion due to air particulate matter (PM): The case of Lombardy (Italy).

The severe cases of COVID-19 infections in Italy, and notably in Lombardy (mainly in Brescia and Bergamo areas), registered at the beginning of March 2020, occurred after a period of PM10 pollution, that exceeded the concentration of 50 µg/m3 (the attention limit) for several days. The two events were supposed to be correlated, also based on the limited information available about the new virus. Despite that clear indications about the role of particulate matter (PM) in the virus mechanism dispersion cannot be found in literature, some researchers supposed that PM can act as virus carrier, promoting its diffusion through the air. This paper, for the first time, analyses the PM10 situation in Lombardy (from 10th February to March 27, 2020), several days before the sanitary emergency explosion. The data of the detected infection cases are reported and discussed parallelly. As a comparison, the situation of Piedmont, located near to the Lombardy is also presented. Data are reported for Brescia, Bergamo, Cremona, Lodi, Milano, Monza-Brianza, Pavia (Lombardy), Alessandria, Vercelli, Novara, Biella, Asti, and Torino (Piedmont). The results show that it is not possible to conclude that COVID-19 diffusion mechanism also occurs through the air, by using PM10 as a carrier. In particular, it is shown that Piedmont cities, presenting lower detected infections cases in comparison to Brescia and Bergamo in the investigated period, had most sever PM10 pollution events in comparison to Lombardy cities. This first study may serve as a reference to better understand and predict the factors affecting the COVID-19 diffusion and transmission routes, focusing on the role of air particulate matter in the atmosphere.

Sewage sludge ash recovery as valuable raw material for chemical stabilization of leachable heavy metals.

This paper proposes, for the first time, the use of sewage sludge ash (SSA), obtained by sludge combustion for the stabilization of fly ashes containing heavy metals as Pb and Zn. In particular, the proposed method aims to take advantage of valuable raw materials present in SSA, such as phosphate, silica, and alumina. The stabilization has been explained by the synergic phosphate, carbonation, and pozzolanic reactions together with the Friedel's salt formation. This method to sewage sludge management allows the complete recovery of valuable raw materials otherwise destinated for lanfill. This is virtuous example of the use of waste materials for de-pollution processes.

The first sustainable material designed for air particulate matter capture: An introduction to Azure Chemistry.

This work presents a new porous material (SUNSPACE) designed for air particulate matter (PM) capture. It was developed in answer to the European Commission request of an innovative, affordable, and sustainable solution, based on design-driven material, to reduce the concentration of air particulate matter in urban areas. SUNSPACE material was developed from by-products and low-cost materials, such as silica fume and sodium alginate. Its capability to catch ultrafine PM was evaluated by different ad-hoc tests, considering diesel exhaust fumes and incense smoke PM. Despite the fact that procedures and materials can be designed for remediation, the high impact on the environment, for example in terms of natural resources consumption and emissions, are not usually considered. Instead, we believe that the technologies must be always evaluated in terms of material embodied energy (EE) and carbon footprint (CF). We define our approach to solve environment problems by a sustainable methodology "Azure Chemistry". For the SUNSPACE synthesis, the multi-criteria decision analysis was performed to select the best sustainable solution. The emissions and the energies involved in the synthesis of SUNSPACE material were evaluated with the Azure Chemistry approach, showing that this could be the best available technology to face the problem of capturing the PM in urban area.

Beyond waste: new sustainable fillers from fly ashes stabilization, obtained by low cost raw materials.

A sustainable economy can be achieved only by assessing processes finalized to optimize the use of resources. Waste can be a relevant source of energy thanks to energy-from-waste processes. Concerns regarding the toxic fly ashes can be solved by transforming them into resource as recycled materials. The commitment to recycle is driven by the need to conserve natural resources, reduce imports of raw materials, save landfill space and reduce pollution. A new method to stabilize fly ash from Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator (MSWI) at room temperature has been developed thanks to COSMOS-RICE LIFE+ project (www.cosmos-rice.csmt.eu). This process is based on a chemical reaction that occurs properly mixing three waste fly ashes with rice husk ash, an agricultural by-product. COSMOS inert can replace critical raw materials (i.e. silica, fluorspar, clays, bentonite, antimony and alumina) as filler. Moreover the materials employed in the stabilization procedure may be not available in all areas. This paper investigates the possibility of substituting silica fume with corresponding condensed silica fume and to substitute flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) residues with low-cost calcium hydroxide powder. The removal of coal fly ash was also considered. The results will be presented and a possible substitution of the materials to stabilize fly ash will be discussed.

Comparison between rice husk ash grown in different regions for stabilizing fly ash from a solid waste incinerator.

The Stabilization of heavy metals from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash by rice husk ash (RHA) is under intense study as an effective strategy to recover and reuse industrial and agricultural waste together. We compare the metal entrapment performances of RHA from different Asian rice sources ­ namely from Japonica rice grown in Italy and Indica rice grown in India ­ Physicochemical and morphological characterization of the final stabilized material show that the same thermal treatment may result in marked structural differences in the silica contained in the two RHA. Remarkably, one of them displays a crystalline silica content, although obtained by a thermal treatment below 800 °C. We also find that the presence of an alkali metal ion (potassium) in the rice husk plays a crucial role in the attainment of the final silica phase. These physicochemical differences are mirrored by different stabilization yields by the two RHA.

Pt-functionalized Fe2O3 photoanodes for solar water splitting: the role of hematite nano-organization and the platinum redox state.

Pt/α-Fe2O3 nanocomposites were synthesized on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates by a sequential plasma enhanced-chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD)/radio frequency (RF) sputtering approach, tailoring the overall Pt content as a function of sputtering time. The chemico-physical properties of the as-prepared systems were extensively investigated by means of complementary techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and optical absorption spectroscopy, and compared to those of the homologous Pt/α-Fe2O3 systems annealed in air prior and/or after sputtering. The obtained results evidenced that the material compositional, structural and morphological features, with particular regard to the Pt oxidation state and hematite nano-organization, could be finely tailored as a function of the adopted processing conditions. Pt/α-Fe2O3 systems were finally tested as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting experiments, evidencing a remarkable interplay between functional performances and the above-mentioned material properties, as also testified by transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) results.

Metal fractionation in soils and assessment of environmental contamination in Vallecamonica, Italy.

Metal contamination was investigated in soils of the Vallecamonica, an area in the northern part of the Brescia province (Italy), where ferroalloy industries were active for a century until 2001. The extent in which emissions from ferroalloy plants affected metal concentration in soils is not known in this area. In this study, the geogenic and/or anthropogenic origin of metals in soils were estimated. A modified Community Bureau of Reference sequential chemical extraction method followed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) analyses were employed to evaluate the potential bioavailability of Al, Cd, Mn, Fe, Cr, Zn, and Pb in soils. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to assess the relationships among metal sources in soil samples from different locations. This approach allowed distinguishing of different loadings and mobility of metals in soils collected in different areas. Results showed high concentrations and readily extractability of Mn in the Vallecamonica soils, which may suggest potential bioavailability for organisms and may create an environmental risk and potential health risk of human exposure.

Airborne particulate matter (PM) filter analysis and modeling by total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) and X-ray standing wave (XSW).

This work is presented as an improvement of a recently introduced method for airborne particulate matter (PM) filter analysis [1]. X-ray standing wave (XSW) and total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) were performed with a new dedicated laboratory instrumentation. The main advantage of performing both XSW and TXRF, is the possibility to distinguish the nature of the sample: if it is a small droplet dry residue, a thin film like or a bulk sample. Another advantage is related to the possibility to select the angle of total reflection to make TXRF measurements. Finally, the possibility to switch the X-ray source allows to measure with more accuracy lighter and heavier elements (with a change in X-ray anode, for example from Mo to Cu). The aim of the present study is to lay the theoretical foundation of the new proposed method for airborne PM filters quantitative analysis improving the accuracy and efficiency of quantification by means of an external standard. The theoretical model presented and discussed demonstrated that airborne PM filters can be considered as thin layers. A set of reference samples is prepared in laboratory and used to obtain a calibration curve. Our results demonstrate that the proposed method for quantitative analysis of air PM filters is affordable and reliable without the necessity to digest filters to obtain quantitative chemical analysis, and that the use of XSW improve the accuracy of TXRF analysis.

A new method for municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash inertization, based on colloidal silica.

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) is a straightforward way to manage waste, however the disposal of process byproducts, mainly bottom and fly ash, is still a problem, because of their hazardous contents. Fly ash is a byproduct of many other processes that involve combustion to produce energy. In this paper we present and discuss a new method for MSWI fly ash inertization, mainly based on the use of colloidal silica as a stabilization agent for metals. In the patented procedure, fly ash of different provenance can be used to produce an inert and non-hazardous material, that can be reused. In fact to make the recovery process more efficient, landfilling should be totally avoided. For this reason, to enhance the possibility of reuse, a washing process, for salts recovery, is proposed as a final step of the inertization procedure. The obtained inert material is called COSMOS (COlloidal Silica Medium to Obtain Safe inert), and it is composed of calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, silicon oxide and a wide quantity of non-soluble amorphous compounds. COSMOS does not contain any corrosive salts. This makes it extremely interesting for cement industry applications with several other advantages, and environmental benefits. The new proposed inertization procedure appears very promising, because it allows MSWI fly ash to be considered a valuable resource. Thanks to the obtained results, a demonstration project, in the frame of LIFE+, has been funded by the European Commission (LIFE+ 2008 project ENV/IT/000434, ).

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) for direct analysis of aerosol particle samples.

Atmospheric aerosol particles have a great impact on the environment and on human health. Routine analysis of the particles usually involves only the mass determination. However, chemical composition and phases provide fundamental information about the particles' origins and can help to prevent health risks. For example, these particles may contain heavy metals such as Pb, Ni and Cd, which can adversely affect human health. In this work, filter samples were collected in Brescia, an industrial town located in Northern Italy. In order to identify the chemical composition and the phases of the atmospheric aerosols, the samples were analysed by means of total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry with a laboratory instrument and X-ray microdiffraction at Synchrotron Daresbury Laboratories, Warrington (Cheshire, UK). The results are discussed and correlated to identify possible pollution sources. The novelty of this analytical approach is that filter samples for TXRF were analysed directly and did not require chemical pretreatment to leach elements from the aerosol particulates. The results of this study clearly show that TXRF is a powerful technique for the analysis of atmospheric aerosols on 'as-received' filters, thereby leaving samples intact and unaltered for possible subsequent analyses by other methods. In addition, the low detection limits for many elements (low ng/cm2) indicate that this method may hold promise in various application fields, such as nanotechnology.

Use of total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) for the evaluation of heavy metal poisoning due to the improper use of a traditional ayurvedic drug.

An Indian patient referred to Clinica del Lavoro 'L.Devoto' of Milano showed clinical signs of heavy metal poisoning, possibly related to a sustained 6-month use of approx. 3 g/day of a traditional preparation (a whitish powder with a 'mineral' appearance) to treat urological problems. To confirm the causal relationship between the disease and the use of such product, metal testing was performed on the patient's hair and the ayurvedic remedy samples by total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF). For TXRF analysis 1-cm cut of the patient's hair was directly deposited onto the quartz glass sample carrier, then 10 microl of nitric acid 65% were added and dried in air. TXRF showed high versatility, rapid and simultaneous element detection, and short analysis time, thus supporting a wider use in emergency medicine and in forensic analyses.

User interface of a teleradiology system for the MR assessment of multiple sclerosis.

The aim of this study was to assess the image display of a web-based teleradiology system that uses a common web browser and has no need of proprietary applets, plug-ins, or dedicated software for DICOM display. The teleradiology system (TS) is connected to the Internet by ADSL and to radiological modalities using the DICOM standard with TCP/IP. Images were displayed on a PC through Internet connection with the remote TS using a common web browser. MS lesion number and volume in T1- and T2-weighted images (T1w and T2w, respectively) of 30 brain MR studies were quantified using both the TS and a conventional software. Wilcoxon signed ranks test and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to assess the variability and concordance between intra- and inter-observer and TS and conventional DICOM viewer, setting significance at p < 0.05. No significant differences in T1w and T2w volumes between the TS and the conventional software were found by either operator. The ICC results showed a high level of inter-operator agreement in volume estimation in T1w and T2w images using the two systems. Quantitative assessment of MS lesion volumes in T1w and T2w images with a user interface of a teleradiology system that allows the consultation by means of a common web browser, without the need for proprietary plug-ins, applets, or dedicated software for DICOM display showed no significant differences from, and almost complete agreement with, conventional DICOM viewers.

Polymer-coated quartz crystal microbalance chemical sensor for heavy cations in water.

A flow type quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) (bio)chemical sensor was developed for the real time determination of heavy metal ions that is suitable for environmental monitoring. A new process has been developed which enables to obtain surface-modified gold electrodes with high heavy metal ions complexing ability. The sensing performances of the piezoelectric sensor used in a flow-through setup were investigated by monitoring the frequency variation induced by the presence of heavy metal ions, such as copper and lead, as model ions, in aqueous media. X-Ray Reflectivity (XRR) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) were carried out to characterize the unmodified and modified gold surfaces.

New model for magnetism in ultrathin fcc Fe on Cu(001).

Using soft-x-ray resonant magnetic scattering in combination with first-principles calculations for noncollinear magnetic configurations we present a new model of the magnetism in ultrathin fcc Fe films on Cu(001). We find the presence of blocks with robust magnetic structure, while the relative directions of the moments of different blocks are sensitive to the detailed atomic structure and temperature. The magnetic noncollinearity is directly demonstrated, which has not been possible so far.