Contrasting hair mercury in fishermen and workers of fish industry of Marano Lagunare (Upper Adriatic Sea), a coastal lagoon area contaminated by mining and industrial activities, against residents from the Dolomites Alps.

This survey aimed at estimating the concentration of hair mercury (Hg) in fishermen and workers of fish industry of Marano Lagunare (North-eastern Italy, Upper Adriatic Sea). A field investigation was conducted from 2nd of December 2023 through 18th April 2024, on 73 local fishermen, 83 workers of fish industry and 93 controls among residents (mainly farmers/herdsmen) of the Dolomites Alps. An amount of approximately 100 mg of hair was collected from all respondents, who were also asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire collecting socio-demographic and lifestyles information.

Prevalence and Determinants of Sensitisation to Neomycin in North-Eastern Italy, 1997-2021.

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) induced by topical application of neomycin is frequently reported.

Objectives: This multi-center study investigated prevalence and determinants of neomycin sensitisations in 30 629 outpatients from North-eastern Italy during 1997-2021.

Patients And Methods: European baseline and extended Triveneto series were applied on the upper back of patients patch testing for suspected ACD and removed after 48 h.

Sensitization to Lanolin in North-Eastern Italy, 1997-2021: Prevalence, Risk Factors and the Impact of Occupation.

: Direct skin contact with items containing lanolin can induce sensitization and development of contact dermatitis (CD). This multi-centric study investigated prevalence of lanolin sensitization among 30,269 outpatients from North-Eastern Italy patch tested during 1997-2021. : European baseline and extended Triveneto series were applied on the upper part of patients' back and removed after 48 h.

Heart Rate Variability Modulation Through Slow-Paced Breathing in Health Care Workers with Long COVID: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Long COVID is a syndrome persisting 12+ weeks after COVID-19 infection, impacting life and work ability. Autonomic nervous system imbalance has been hypothesized as the cause. This study aims to investigate cardiovascular autonomic function in health care workers (HCWs) with Long COVID and the effectiveness of slow-paced breathing (SPB) on autonomic modulation.

Estimating thoracic kyphosis without information on upper thoracic kyphosis: an observational study on 455 patients examined by EOS imaging.

Background: Physiological thoracic kyphosis (TK) allows sagittal balance of human body. Unlike lumbar lordosis (LL), TK has been relatively neglected in the literature. EOS is an imaging technique employing high-sensitivity xenon particles, featured by low-dose exposure combined with high accuracy compared to conventional radiography.

COVID-19 in City Council Civil Servants, 1 March 2020-31 January 2023: Risk of Infection, Reinfection, Vaccine Effectiveness and the Impact of Heterologous Triple Vaccination.

: The risk of COVID-19 increases in any occupation entailing intense social interactions. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 among civil servants of Trieste city council (northeastern Italy) over the entire pandemic. : The crude incidence rate of COVID-19 was estimated from 1 March 2020 to 31 January 2023 by explanatory factors, expressing the estimate as COVID-19 events x 10,000 person-days (P-d) at risk.

A Multi-Center Study Investigating Long COVID-19 in Healthcare Workers from North-Eastern Italy: Prevalence, Risk Factors and the Impact of Pre-Existing Humoral Immunity-ORCHESTRA Project.

The impact of long-COVID-19 syndrome is rather variable, since it is influenced by several residual confounders. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of long COVID-19 in healthcare workers (HCWs) from four university hospitals in north-eastern Italy: Trieste, Padua, Verona, and Modena-Reggio Emilia. During the period June 2022-August 2022, HCWs were surveyed for past COVID-19 infections, medical history, and any acute as well as post-COVID-19 symptoms.

Nano and microparticle drug delivery systems for the treatment of Brucella infections.

Nano-based drug delivery systems are increasingly used for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of several diseases, thanks to several beneficial properties, including the ability to target specific cells or organs, allowing to reduce treatment costs and side effects frequently associated with chemotherapeutic medications, thereby improving treatment compliance of patients. In the field of communicable diseases, especially those caused by intracellular bacteria, the delivery of antibiotics targeting specific cells is of critical importance to maximize their treatment efficacy. Brucella melitensis, an intracellular obligate bacterium surviving and replicating inside macrophages is hard to be eradicated, mainly because of the low ability of antibiotics to enter these phagocityc cells .

Determinants of Anti-S Immune Response at 12 Months after SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in a Multicentric European Cohort of Healthcare Workers-ORCHESTRA Project.

Background: The effectiveness of the immunity provided by SARS-CoV-2 vaccines is an important public health issue. We analyzed the determinants of 12-month serology in a multicenter European cohort of vaccinated healthcare workers (HCW).

Methods: We analyzed the sociodemographic characteristics and levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies (IgG) in a cohort of 16,101 vaccinated HCW from eleven centers in Germany, Italy, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

SARS-CoV-2 Reinfections in Health-Care Workers, 1 March 2020-31 January 2023.

To study SARS-CoV-2 reinfections in health-care workers (HCWs) of the University Health Agency Giuliano-Isontina (ASUGI), covering the provinces of Trieste and Gorizia (northeastern Italy) routinely screened for SARS-CoV-2 via nasopharyngeal swab. Cohort study of HCWs (N = 8205) followed since the start of the pandemic (1 March 2020) through 31 January 2023. The risk of reinfection during the Omicron transmission period (after 30 November 2021) among HCWs previously infected by SARS-CoV-2 was estimated based on days since last dose of COVID-19 vaccine received, adjusting for age, sex, job task, workplace, number of doses of COVID-19 vaccines and number of swab tests performed.

Maintaining Cross-Border Cargo Movements Between Jordan and Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

One of Jordan's essential border crossings, the Al-Omari border crossing, is 1 of 3 land crossings between Jordan and Saudi Arabia and is located 160 km west of the capital city of Amman. Given its economic importance and essential role in the functioning of food supply networks across the region, Jordan undertook evidence-driven actions to keep the border crossing safely open during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-border coordination and collaboration, specifically with international contact tracing and case management, have been critical elements of Jordan's response.

Efficacy of ozone therapy on visual evoked potentials in diabetic patients.

Background: The involvement of the central nervous system is a frequent yet underestimated complication of diabetes mellitus. Visual evoked potentials (VEP) are a simple, sensitive, and noninvasive method for detecting early alterations in central optic pathways. The objective of this paralleled randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the impact of ozone therapy on visual pathways in diabetic patients.

Molnupiravir, Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir, or Sotrovimab for High-Risk COVID-19 Patients Infected by the Omicron Variant: Hospitalization, Mortality, and Time until Negative Swab Test in Real Life.

. Several drugs which are easy to administer in outpatient settings have been authorized and endorsed for high-risk COVID-19 patients with mild-moderate disease to prevent hospital admission and death, complementing COVID-19 vaccines. However, the evidence on the efficacy of COVID-19 antivirals during the Omicron wave is scanty or conflicting.

COVID-19 Incidence and Vaccine Effectiveness in University Staff, 1 March 2020-2 April 2022.

: University workers undergo intense social interactions due to frequent contact with students and colleagues and lectures in crowdy conditions. The aim of our study was to assess the incidence of COVID-19 infection and vaccine effectiveness in a cohort of workers of the University of Trieste from 1 March 2020 (start of the pandemic) through 2 April 2022. The University of Trieste implemented a number of public health policies to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 on the campus, including prompt contact tracing, enhanced ventilation of all premises, fomites disinfection and mandatory use of face masks indoors.

Supporting the Aspecific Physiological Defenses of Upper Airways against Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

The rapid rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021 sparked general optimism toward controlling the severe form of the disease, preventing hospitalizations and COVID-19-associated mortality, and the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 infection [...

Persistence of Symptoms 15 Months since COVID-19 Diagnosis: Prevalence, Risk Factors and Residual Work Ability.

A proportion of patients' ailments may last after recovering from acute COVID-19, with episodic and systemic symptoms of unclear etiology potentially involving different organs. The aim of this study was to investigate the persistence of symptoms 15 months since COVID-19 diagnosis in patients referring to the post-COVID-19 clinic in Trieste (north-eastern Italy). Two-hundred-forty-seven patients were medically examined between 8 December 2020-6 April 2021, after a median time of 49 days since first positive swab test for SARS-CoV-2.

Primary SARS-CoV-2 Infections, Re-infections and Vaccine Effectiveness during the Omicron Transmission Period in Healthcare Workers of Trieste and Gorizia (Northeast Italy), 1 December 2021-31 May 2022.

: To evaluate the incidence of primary and recurrent COVID-19 infections in healthcare workers (HCWs) routinely screened for SARS-CoV-2 by nasopharyngeal swabs during the Omicron wave. : Dynamic Cohort study of HCWs ( = 7723) of the University Health Agency Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), covering health services of the provinces of Trieste and Gorizia (Northeast Italy). Cox proportional hazard model was employed to estimate the risk of primary as well as recurrent SARS-CoV-2 infection from 1 December 2021 through 31 May 2022, adjusting for a number of confounding factors.

Determinants of Anti-S Immune Response at 9 Months after COVID-19 Vaccination in a Multicentric European Cohort of Healthcare Workers-ORCHESTRA Project.

The persistence of antibody levels after COVID-19 vaccination has public health relevance. We analyzed the determinants of quantitative serology at 9 months after vaccination in a multicenter cohort. We analyzed data on anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody levels at 9 months from the first dose of vaccinated HCW from eight centers in Italy, Germany, Spain, Romania and Slovakia.

Early Negativization of SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Nasal Spray of Seawater plus Additives: The RENAISSANCE Open-Label Controlled Clinical Trial.

: COVID-19 is an asymptomatic condition in 40% of cases, and most symptomatic patients present with mild/moderate disease not requiring hospitalization or intensive care, especially during the Omicron wave, when the hospitalization rate was estimated to be 0.3%. The main port of entry for SARS-CoV-2 in the human body is the nasal cavity and the upper respiratory tract is affected since the early stages of the infection.