Lower probability and shorter duration of infections after COVID-19 vaccine correlate with anti-SARS-CoV-2 circulating IgGs.

The correlation between immune responses and protection from SARS-CoV-2 infections and its duration remains unclear. We performed a sanitary surveillance at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) in Milan over a 17 months period. Pre-vaccination, in 1,493 participants, we scored 266 infections (17.

COVID-19 and radiotherapy: impact on work and personal life of Lombardy residents during first lockdown, survey endorsed by AIRO Young.

Aim: Since 20 February 2020, Lombardy has been one of the most affected areas worldwide by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of this study is to evaluate work and psychological impact of COVID-19 on Lombardy radiation therapy (RT) residents in the first 3 months of the outbreak (first lockdown).

Methods: An online questionnaire (22 multiple choice questions) via Microsoft Forms was administered on 30 May 2020 to RT residents.

[How to evaluate the application of Clinical Governance tools in the management of hospitalized hyperglycemic patients: results of a multicentric study].

Risk management is a key tool in Clinical Governance. Our project aimed to define, share, apply and measure the impact of tools and methodologies for the continuous improvement of quality of care, especially in relation to the multi-disciplinary and integrated management of the hyperglycemic patient in hospital settings. A training project, coordinated by a scientific board of experts in diabetes and health management and an Expert Meeting with representatives of all the participating centers was launched in 2014.

Literature review of gender differences in respiratory conditions: a focus on asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Background: Gender differences are evident in many common health conditions, especially respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this review was to identify published studies describing gender differences in asthma and COPD, in particular regarding pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment, with a focus on Italian data.

Methods: a literature review was performed from April to November 2015, using the PubMed scientific database and the following ??eywords: "gender differences" and "asthma" for the asthma review and "gender differences" and "COPD" for the COPD review.

[Burden of medical errors in Italy: an analysis of the literature].

Introduction: Medical malpractice and litigation have a significant impact on the Italian National Health Service. The aim of this study was to analyze the state of the art of medical errors in Italy, in particular, assessing which specialties are most affected.

Methods: We performed a literature search in PubMed, Google Scholar; institutional websites (Ministry of Health, Higher Institute of Health, National Agency for Regional Health Services, National Institute of Statistics, National Research Council, Court of Auditors), gray literature and specialized magazines.

[Survey to assess educational needs of personnel working at Departments of Prevention, Health Districts and Hospital Directions in Italy: questionnaire validation and preliminary results].

Aim: The aim was of this pilot study was to validate a questionnaire to collect information on the number of health professionals, doctors and veterinarians working in the Departments of Prevention, Health Districts and Hospital Directions, their sociodemographic characteristics and cultural-background, define their educational needs, and subsequently extending the study to the maximum number of professionals in the classified services under study.

Methods: The survey was conducted through the use of a questionnaire, designed and prepared by the working group and subsequently reported on-line. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was measured by Cronbach's alpha.

Knowledge, opinions and attitudes of Italian mothers towards HPV vaccination and Pap test.

Aim: This study evaluated the knowledge and attitudes of Italian mothers - whose daughters had been vaccinated in 2012 - towards primary (anti-HPV vaccination) and secondary (Pap test screening) cervical cancer prevention, as well as sources of information and mother-daughter communication on health issues.

Methods: The survey - part of a multicenter study carried out in 4 Italian cities (Ferrara, Rome, Cassino and Palermo) - was conducted through self-administered questionnaires. The first univariate analysis evaluated differences between mothers of under-18s and over-18s relative to knowledge and attitudes on HPV vaccination and Pap test.

Does clinical governance influence the appropriateness of hospital stay?

Background: Clinical Governance provides a framework for assessing and improving clinical quality through a single coherent program. Organizational appropriateness is aimed at achieving the best health outcomes and the most appropriate use of resources. The goal of the present study is to verify the likely relationship between Clinical Governance and appropriateness of hospital stay.

Health technology assessment of belimumab: a new monoclonal antibody for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is treated with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs and off-label biologics. Belimumab is the first biologic approved after 50 years as an add-on therapy for active disease. This paper summarizes a health technology assessment performed in Italy.

The prevention of postmenopausal osteoporotic fractures: results of the Health Technology Assessment of a new antiosteoporotic drug.

Objective: The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) approach was applied to denosumab in the prevention of osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women.

Method: Epidemiological, clinical, technical, economic, organizational, and ethical aspects were considered. Medical electronic databases were accessed to evaluate osteoporosis epidemiology and therapeutical approaches.

Building successful collaborations between Public Health and Primary Health Care.

Public Health (PH) and Primary Health Care (PHC) need to be better integrated, at different levels of the healthcare system, in order to improve health and social outcomes. The aim of this study was to review international models and approaches supporting the integration of PH and PHC and to classify these according to their main focus. A literature search was performed using the main scientific databases, to identify national and international journal publications regarding models to support integration between PH and PHC.

Are age and gender associated to tobacco use and knowledge among general practitioners? Results of a survey in Italy.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess knowledge and opinions of Italian general practitioners about the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions and physicians' attitudes in addressing tobacco-related issues.

Methods: The survey was carried out through a questionnaire administered to general practitioners (GPs) attending a medical refresher course. 133 Italian GPs participated in the study with a mean age of 51.

Peer pressure and public reporting within healthcare setting: improving accountability and health care quality in hospitals.

In the last few years, the need of public reporting of health outcomes has acquired a great importance. The public release of performance results could be a tool for improving health care quality and many attempts have been made in order to introduce public reporting programs within the health care context at different levels. It would be necessary to promote the introduction of a standardized set of outcome and performance measures in order to improve quality of health care services and to make health care providers aware of the importance of transparency and accountability.

[Pay for performance in primary care].

Pay for Performance is a tool that links payment of healthcare professionals to the quality of health outcomes and processes. In this article the authors discuss the results of a literature review on the subject, highlighting the importance of introducing a Pay for Performance system in primary care, and the advantages and critical issues associated with the system. The experience of the British National Health Service and possible uses of the described payment system in Italy are also briefly discussed.

Economic value of influenza vaccination.

Influenza epidemics are responsible for high mortality and morbidity rates in particular among elderly and high risk groups. This review is aimed at assessing the economic value of vaccination in these groups. A search of full economic evaluations of influenza vaccination in comparison with no interventions was performed on PubMed from January 1990 to May 2011.

Economic impact of childhood obesity on health systems: a systematic review.

The primary purpose of this study is to analyse the costs related to childhood obesity (CO) with reference to different models of healthcare systems. A systematic review of the economic impact of CO on healthcare systems was conducted by searching the main electronic scientific databases. Cost-of-illness (COI) analyses of children aged under 18 years who had been diagnosed as overweight or obese published up to July 2010 were considered.

OPTIGOV - A new methodology for evaluating Clinical Governance implementation by health providers.

Background: The aim of Clinical Governance (CG) is to the pursuit of quality in health care through the integration of all the activities impacting on the patient into a single strategy.OPTIGOV (Optimizing Health Care Governance) is a methodology for the assessment of the level of implementation of CG within healthcare organizations. The aim of this paper is to explain the process underlying the development of OPTIGOV, and describe its characteristics and steps.

Tobacco use prevalence, knowledge and attitudes among Italian hospital healthcare professionals.

Background: Healthcare professionals play a key role in tobacco use prevention because they are considered as model by patients. This multicenter study was aimed to evaluate smoking prevalence, knowledge and attitudes towards tobacco among Italian hospital professionals.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire administered to healthcare professionals in seven Italian hospitals, to investigate personal and occupational data, knowledge, attitudes, job setting, clinical activities, smoking habits and pattern for current smokers.

2,8-dihydroxyadenine nephrolithiasis induces developmental stage-specific alterations in gene expression in mouse kidney.

Objectives: To identify factors that may be crucial for the initiation and progression of stone-induced injury in the developing mouse kidney by a prospective observational study using microarray analysis. Kidney stone diseases are common in premature infants, but the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms are not fully defined.

Methods: Mice with adenine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency develop 2,8-dihydroxyadenine (DHA) nephrolithiasis.

Does quality of observational studies affect the results of a meta-analysis?: the case of cigarette smoking and pancreatic cancer.

Objectives: A meta-analysis of observational studies on association between cigarette smoking and pancreatic cancer was performed to focus, particularly, on the role of the studies' quality in affecting meta-analysis results.

Methods: A bibliographic search was carried out on PubMed and EMBASE databases until February 15, 2008. Key words were "pancreatic neoplasms," "pancreatic cancer," "smoking," "smoke," "cigarette," "case-control studies," and "cohort studies.

Scaffold-forming and Adhesive Contributions of Synthetic Laminin-binding Proteins to Basement Membrane Assembly.

Laminins that possess three short arms contribute to basement membrane assembly by anchoring to cell surfaces, polymerizing, and binding to nidogen and collagen IV. Although laminins containing the alpha4 and alpha5 subunits are expressed in alpha2-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy, they may be ineffective substitutes because they bind weakly to cell surfaces and/or because they lack the third arm needed for polymerization. We asked whether linker proteins engineered to bind to deficient laminins that provide such missing activities would promote basement membrane assembly in a Schwann cell model.

Role of laminin terminal globular domains in basement membrane assembly.

Laminins contribute to basement membrane assembly through interactions of their N- and C-terminal globular domains. To further analyze this process, recombinant laminin-111 heterotrimers with deletions and point mutations were generated by recombinant expression and evaluated for their ability to self-assemble, interact with nidogen-1 and type IV collagen, and form extracellular matrices on cultured Schwann cells by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Wild-type laminin and laminin without LG domains polymerized in contrast to laminins with deleted alpha1-, beta1-, or gamma1-LN domains or with duplicated beta1- or alpha1-LN domains.

Desquamative interstitial pneumonia and respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease.

Background: Desquamative interstitial pneumonia (DIP) and respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD) are uncommon forms of interstitial lung disease and have been incompletely characterized.

Study Objectives: To further characterize the clinical features and course of subjects with DIP and RB-ILD.

Design: Retrospective study.