The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection during gestation remains unclear. Here, we analyse the viral genome on maternal and newborns nasopharyngeal swabs, vaginal swabs, maternal and umbilical cord ...plasma, placenta and umbilical cord biopsies, amniotic fluids and milk from 31 mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, we also test specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and expression of genes involved in inflammatory responses in placentas, and in maternal and umbilical cord plasma. We detect SARS-CoV-2 genome in one umbilical cord blood and in two at-term placentas, in one vaginal mucosa and in one milk specimen. Furthermore, we report the presence of specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies in one umbilical cord blood and in one milk specimen. Finally, in the three documented cases of vertical transmission, SARS-CoV-2 infection was accompanied by a strong inflammatory response. Together, these data support the hypothesis that in utero SARS-CoV-2 vertical transmission, while low, is possible. These results might help defining proper obstetric management of COVID-19 pregnant women, or putative indications for mode and timing of delivery.
The political choices made by the European institutions in the last twenty years show how the conviction is increasingly rooted that the management of environmental problems and, more specifically, ...the fight against climate change can find a valid solution in technology and eco-innovations. This is evident starting from the last two growth strategies adopted (Europe 2020 and the European Green Deal), from the long series of measures implemented to put them into practice and from the main R&I funding programs, such as Horizon Europe. In this context, the problem of justice and inclusiveness of the various initiatives implemented is attracting growing attention. In fact, if the institutional documents assume that green and smart participated projects are also fair and inclusive, a growing body of literature based on empirical studies seems to refute this assumption. Within this framework, the present work analyses first the critical literature and then the three main preparatory documents for the Horizon Europe Mission Climate-neutral and Smart Cities, which selected 100 European cities to become climate-neutral by 2030. These have been studied through the lens of environmental justice, in order to assess the European Commission’s understanding of the existing and arising equity issues in the path toward climate neutrality. The research shows that, while the first two documents seemed informed by the idea that participation automatically translates into equality, the last guidelines show a deeper acknowledgement of the multidimensional nature of environmental justice. One that, beyond participation, also considers issues of distribution, rights, responsibilities and recognition. The present work should nevertheless be understood as a preparatory, analytical tool that will require the further definition and implementation of Climate City Contracts by the selected cities, in order to assess how the issue of environmental justice is effectively being considered in each specific context.
The European Union promotes the paradigm of ecological modernization and the effectiveness of eco-innovations (European Environment Agency, 2014). This is evident, in particular, from the political ...and financial support that the Institution is devoting to smart cities. Thus far, most of the ‘smart’ projects developed in European cities focus on the theme of the environment and its efficient management (European Union, 2014).
However, what has not yet been adequately investigated is the issue of the social impact of these smart environmental projects (Beretta, 2014a, b, c). In particular, what seems important is the question of whether the projects with environmental objectives also yield beneficial results from the social point of view, with special reference to the issue of social inclusion. Who are the real beneficiaries of the projects of eco-innovation? Do the benefits extend to all citizens or are they likely to go to only some sectors of the population, often the wealthier ones, risking - among other things - promotion of the phenomenon of eco-gentrification? In more general terms, can we say that smart cities represent the ‘ideal’ settings for the achievement of simultaneous environmental, economic and social development?
This paper reports results from research conducted on smart environmental projects implemented in Italy and posted on the national web platform italiansmartcity.it. The project consisted in a qualitative analysis of the environmental projects presented, in order to analyze their social impacts, especially referring to the question of social inclusiveness and the risk of eco-gentrification. More generally, the analysis helps clarify whether the eco -innovations represent an effective tool for achieving sustainable development in the Italian context.
Having said that, it cannot be assumed that readers are familiar with the European and Italian contexts. Par. 1 opens with a table that gives definitions of terms which are potentially not clear. It then shows ways that the European Union is institutionalizing eco-innovation and smart cities, remaining on the latest debate on them. Par. 2 highlights the risk of the technological rut the European Union is falling into; par. 3 illustrates the main results of research carried out on the smart cities in the Lombardy Region regarding the social effects of eco-innovations; par. 4 attempts to draw a provisional conclusion.
•The paper studies the social effects of the eco-innovative interventions in the context of Italian smart cities.•Empirical evidence does not always show that the benefits are distributed in an uniform manner.•Fifty-one projects are analyzed.•Regarding environmental and mobility projects, very often the beneficial effects of projects are directed to all social groups, without exclusions.•With energy projects, we have to be careful about their effective economic and technological accessibility.
PTX3 is an important mediator of inflammation and innate immunity. We aimed at assessing its prognostic value in a large cohort of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
Levels of PTX3 were measured in ...152 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at San Gerardo Hospital (Monza, Italy) since March 2020. Cox regression was used to identify predictors of time from admission to in-hospital death or mechanical ventilation. Crude incidences of death were compared between patients with PTX3 levels higher or lower than the best cut-off estimated with the Maximally Selected Rank Statistics Method.
Upon admission, 22% of the patients required no oxygen, 46% low-flow oxygen, 30% high-flow nasal cannula or CPAP-helmet and 3% MV. Median level of PTX3 was 21.7 (IQR: 13.5-58.23) ng/ml. In-hospital mortality was 25% (38 deaths); 13 patients (8.6%) underwent MV. PTX3 was associated with risk of death (per 10 ng/ml, HR 1.08; 95%CI 1.04-1.11; P<0.001) and death/MV (HR 1.04; 95%CI 1.01-1.07; P=0.011), independently of other predictors of in-hospital mortality, including age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, D-dimer and C-reactive protein (CRP). Patients with PTX3 levels above the optimal cut-off of 39.32 ng/ml had significantly higher mortality than the others (55% vs 8%, P<0.001). Higher PTX3 plasma levels were found in 14 patients with subsequent thrombotic complications (median IQR: 51.4 24.6-94.4
21 13.4-55.2; P=0.049).
High PTX3 levels in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are associated with a worse outcome. The evaluation of this marker could be useful in prognostic stratification and identification of patients who could benefit from immunomodulant therapy.
Fuel poverty is a relatively new subject in European political agendas. With the exception of Great Britain, which has been aware of the problem for about thirty years (Walker, Day, 2012), it is only ...recently that other countries have started to face the matter (among others, Brunner et al., 2012; Dubois, 2012; Tirado Herrero, Ürge - Vorsatz, 2010).Indeed, while the specific subject of ‘fuel poverty’ could be connected to the more general and tricky problems of guaranteeing human rights and individual freedom – including housing (Council of Europe, 1996; European Parliament, 2001, 2014; Sen, 1997), social inequities and the distributive effects of policies (European Commission, 2010b; European Commission European Parliament et al., 2009; OECD, 2011; Sen, 1997; Stiglitz et al., 2009) when seen from a conceptual point of view, the authorities have only recently started to use the expression ‘fuel poverty’, thereby explicitly recognising that standards of energy efficiency now count as one of the factors used to define liveability of buildings (Comité économique et social européen, 2013; European Parliament, 2013). However, to date policies have been piecemeal, with no specific package addressing the problem.The dual aims of this paper are (a) to contribute to raising the awareness about the problem, currently only studied by a small circle of experts; (b) to reflect upon the role Sociology could play.
The article provides a review of the literature on environmental justice, aimed at showing the multifaceted character of the concept and how it has been used since the mid-80s, with special reference ...to its shift across the Atlantic and over time. It should help to clarify the concept of environmental justice. Several authors have pointed out that the concept has been understood in different ways and it is necessary to have a clear definition of its meaning.I discuss the origins of the term environmental justice in the United States, analyze its use in the specialized literature, and examine how its meaning has changed in Europe, in other countries and through time. I then address the “distributional problem” and draw a brief conclusion.
This paper suggests that the City of Copenhagen’s experience as a case of “restoration of the city” is in some way different and original compared to what we think could be intended with this ...expression. In fact, in the Danish Capital, the municipal administrators and citizens regained the feeling of belonging to and loving the city not because of a ‘naive’ relationship with nature, but, on the contrary, because of a wider and smarter use of the best available technologies. In this sense, modernization is not an enemy of the environment but, on the contrary, it is a supporter because it uses the advantages of progress (i.e. better efficiency, reduced use of resources, etc.) in order to improve environmental protection. As a result, it is our opinion that Copenhagen represents a very interesting case of co-evolution between socio-economic development, technological progress and environmental protection which, through smart integration of area policies, are all heading in the same direction, namely sustainability.
This paper suggests that the City of Copenhagen's experience as a case of "restoration of the city" is in some way different and original compared to what we think could be intended with this ...expression. In fact, in the Danish Capital, the municipal administrators and citizens regained the feeling of belonging to and loving the city not because of a 'naive' relationship with nature, but, on the contrary, because of a wider and smarter use of the best available technologies. In this sense, modernization is not an enemy of the environment but, on the contrary, it is a supporter because it uses the advantages of progress (i.e. better efficiency, reduced use of resources, etc.) in order to improve environmental protection. As a result, it is our opinion that Copenhagen represents a very interesting case of co-evolution between socio-economic development, technological progress and environmental protection which, through smart integration of area policies, are all heading in the same direction, namely sustainability. Keywords: Copenhagen; best practice; ecological modernization; pro-environmental development; coevolution. Il presente contributo propone l'esperienza della citta di Copenaghen quale caso di "ricostruzione della citta" per molti aspetti diverso e 'innovativo' rispetto a quanto ci sembra ci si potrebbe aspettare dall'utilizzo di tale espressione. Nella citta danese, infatti, il recupero del sentimento di appartenenza alla, e amore per, la propria citta da parte degli amministratori e dei cittadini e avvenuto non attraverso una ripresa quasi 'naif' del rapporto con la natura, ma, al contrario, grazie--fra l'altro--all'utilizzo esteso ed intelligente delle migliori tecnologie disponibili. La modernizzazione, in questo senso, non e 'nemica' dell'ambiente ma ne e alleata, in quanto impiega i vantaggi derivanti dal progresso (ad es. maggiore efficienza, minore impiego di risorse, etc.) per garantire una migliore salvaguardia dell'ambiente. A nostro parere, quindi, a Copenaghen assistiamo a un interessantissimo caso di co-evoluzione tra sviluppo socioeconomico, progresso tecnologico e protezione dell'ambiente che, grazie a un'intelligente integrazione tra le politiche settoriali, risultano diretti lungo lo stesso percorso di crescita e sostenibilita. Parole-chiave: Copenaghen; best practice; modernizzazione ecologica; sviluppo pro-ambientale; coevoluzione.
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