The Impact of Heterogeneity and Awareness in Modeling Epidemic Spreading on Multiplex Networks.

In the real world, dynamic processes involving human beings are not disjoint. To capture the real complexity of such dynamics, we propose a novel model of the coevolution of epidemic and awareness spreading processes on a multiplex network, also introducing a preventive isolation strategy. Our aim is to evaluate and quantify the joint impact of heterogeneity and awareness, under different socioeconomic conditions. Considering, as case study, an emerging public health threat, Zika virus, we introduce a data-driven analysis by exploiting multiple sources and different types of data, ranging from Big Five personality traits to Google Trends, related to different world countries where there is an ongoing epidemic outbreak. Our findings demonstrate how the proposed model allows delaying the epidemic outbreak and increasing the resilience of nodes, especially under critical economic conditions. Simulation results, using data-driven approach on Zika virus, which has a growing scientific research interest, are coherent with the proposed analytic model.This work was partially supported by the following Research Grant: Italian Ministry of University and Research - MIUR “Programma Operativo Nazionale Ricerca e Competitività 2007–2013” within the project “PON-03PE-00132-1” - Servify

Improving QoE in multi-layer social sensing: A cognitive architecture and game theoretic model

This paper proposes a novel cognitive architecture and game-theoretic model for resource sharing among netizens, thus improving their quality of experience (QoE) in multi-layer social sensing environments. The underlying approach is to quantify micro-rewards and inequalities derived from social multi-layer interactions. Specifically, we model our society as a social multi-layer network of individuals or groups of individuals (nodes), where the layers represent multiple channels of interactions (on various services). The weighted edges correspond to the multiple social relationships between nodes participating in diferent services, refecting the importance assigned to each of these edges and are defned based on the concepts of awareness and homophily. Heterogeneity, both interactions-wise on the multiple layers and related to homophily between individuals, on each node and layer of a weighted multiplex network produces a complex multi-scale interplay between nodes in the multi-layer structure. Applying game theory, we quantify the impact of heterogeneity on the evolutionary dynamics of social sensing through a data driven approach based on the propagation of individual-level micro-afrmations and micro-inequalities. The micro-packets of energy continuously exchanged between nodes may impact positively or negatively on their social behaviors, producing peaks of extreme dissatisfaction and in some cases a form of distress. Quantifying the evolutionary dynamics of human behaviors enables the detection of such peaks in the population and enable us design a targeted control mechanism, where social rewards and self-healing help improve the QoE of the netizens

A novel ionic exchange membrane crystallizer to recover magnesium hydroxide from seawater and industrial brines

A novel technology, the ion exchange membrane crystallizer (CrIEM), that combines reactive and membrane crystallization, was investigated in order to recover high purity magnesium hydroxide from multi-component artificial and natural solutions. In particular, in a CrIEM reactor, the presence of an anion exchange membrane (AEM), which separates two-compartment containing a saline solution and an alkaline solution, allows the passage of hydroxyl ions from the alkaline to the saline solution compartment, where crystallization of magnesium hydroxide occurs, yet avoiding a direct mixing between the solutions feeding the reactor. This enables the use of low-cost reactants (e.g., Ca(OH)2) without the risk of co-precipitation of by-products and contamination of the final crystals. An experimental campaign was carried out treating two types of feed solution, namely: (1) a waste industrial brine from the Boles\u142aw \u15amia\u142y coal mine in \u141aziska G\uf3rne (Poland) and (2) Mediterranean seawater, collected from the North Sicilian coast (Italy). The CrIEM was tested in a feed and bleed modality in order to operate in a continuous mode. The Mg2+ concentration in the feed solutions ranges from 0.7 to 3.2 g/L. Magnesium recovery efficiencies from 89 up to 100% were reached, while magnesium hydroxide purity between 94% and 98.8% was obtained

A pilot-plant for the selective recovery of magnesium and calcium from waste brines

The problem of brines disposal has raised great interest towards new strategies for their valorisation through the recovery of minerals or energy. As an example, the spent brine from ion exchange resins regeneration is often discharged into rivers or lakes, thus impacting on the process sustainability. However, such brines can be effectively reconcentrated, after removal of bivalent cations, and reused for the resins regeneration. This work focuses on developing and testing a pilot plant for selective recovery of magnesium and calcium from spent brines exploiting a novel proprietary crystallization unit. This is part of a larger treatment chain for the complete regeneration of the brine, developed within the EU-funded ZERO BRINE project. The pilot crystallizer was tested with the retentate of the nanofiltration unit processing the spent brine from the industrial water production plant of Evides Industriewater B.V. (Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Magnesium and calcium hydroxide were selectively precipitated by adding alkaline solution in two consecutive steps and controlling reaction pH. Performance was assessed in terms of recovery efficiency and purity of produced crystals, observing in most investigated cases a recovery of about 100% and 97% and a purity above 90% and 96%, for magnesium and calcium hydroxide, respectively