Efficacy of the Measures Adopted to Prevent COVID-19 Outbreaks in an Italian Correctional Facility for Inmates Affected by Chronic Diseases.

COVID-19 outbreaks in prisons and jails may affect both inmates and correctional workers. An observational study has been performed to investigate the efficacy of specific procedures and of a serial testing approach adopted for the COVID-19 prevention in an Italian correctional facility (Bari, Apulia) for inmates affected by chronic diseases. Two SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing campaigns were carried out for all the prisoners and correctional workers, including correctional officers (CO), administrative staff (AS), correctional health care workers (HCW), and operators working with people completing their sentence outside the prison (OOP).

Immunotherapeutic Potential of Mollusk Hemocyanins in Combination with Human Vaccine Adjuvants in Murine Models of Oral Cancer.

Mollusk hemocyanins have been used for decades in immunological and clinical applications as natural, nontoxic, nonpathogenic, and nonspecific immunostimulants for the treatment of superficial bladder cancer, as carriers/adjuvants of tumor-associated antigens in cancer vaccine development and as adjuvants to dendritic cell-based immunotherapy, because these glycoproteins induce a bias towards Th1 immunity. Here, we analyzed the preclinical therapeutic potential of the traditional keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and two new hemocyanins from (CCH) and (FLH) in mouse models of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Due to the aggressiveness and deadly malignant potential of this cancer, the hemocyanins were applied in combination with adjuvants, such as alum, AddaVax, and QS-21, which have been shown to be safe and effective in human vaccines, to potentiate their antitumor activity.

A plant protein signal sequence improved humoral immune response to HPV prophylactic and therapeutic DNA vaccines.

Signal sequences (ss) play a critical role in the sorting of nascent secretory and membrane proteins. This function has been conserved from bacteria through eukaryotes, although ss appear diverse in length and amino acid composition. Sorting of proteins is also critical to instruct antigens for a proper immunological response.

HPV 16 E5 oncoprotein is expressed in early stage carcinogenesis and can be a target of immunotherapy.

HPV16 persistent infection is a well-known condition that precedes human cancer development. High risk HPV E5 proteins cooperate with E6/E7 oncogenes to promote hyper-proliferation of infected cells leading to possible cancer progression. Thus, presence of E5 viral transcripts could be a key marker of active infection and, in turn, a target of immunotherapy.

Targeting immune response with therapeutic vaccines in premalignant lesions and cervical cancer: hope or reality from clinical studies.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is widely known as a cause of cervical cancer (CC) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). HPVs related to cancer express two main oncogenes, i.e.

Human papillomavirus 16 E2 interacts with neuregulin receptor degradation protein 1 affecting ErbB-3 expression in vitro and in clinical samples of cervical lesions.

The ErbB tyrosine kinase receptors play a key role in regulating many cellular functions and human papillomaviruses (HPVs) may interact with transductional pathway of different growth factor receptors. Here, these interactions were analysed in W12 cell line carrying HPV 16 genome and in clinical samples. W12 cells, in which HPV16 becomes integrated during passages, were utilised to detect viral and ErbB family expression at early (W12E) and late passages (W12G).

Mucosal Alpha-Papillomavirus (HPV89) in a rare skin lesion.

Background: Apocrine acrosyringeal keratosis is a rare skin lesion showing a unique benign keratotic lesion associated with syringocystoadenoma papilliferum. It is characterized by an exophytic proliferation of the epidermis with two distinct keratinocytic structures: a) columns of hyperkeratotic mass surrounded by acanthotic epidermis and b) papillated and/or cystic invaginations typical of syringocystoadenoma papilliferum. No causative agents were reported.

Immunotherapy of HPV-associated cancer: DNA/plant-derived vaccines and new orthotopic mouse models.

Under the optimistic assumption of high-prophylactic HPV vaccine coverage, a significant reduction of cancer incidence can only be expected after decades. Thus, immune therapeutic strategies are needed for persistently infected individuals who do not benefit from the prophylactic vaccines. However, the therapeutic strategies inducing immunity to the E6 and/or E7 oncoprotein of HPV16 are more effective for curing HPV-expressing tumours in animal models than for treating human cancers.

Anti-tumor effects of genetic vaccines against HPV major oncogenes.

Expression of HPV E5, E6 and E7 oncogenes are likely to overcome the regulation of cell proliferation and to escape immunological control, allowing uncontrolled growth and providing the potential for malignant transformation. Thus, their three oncogenic products may represent ideal target antigens for immunotherapeutic strategies. In previous attempts, we demonstrated that genetic vaccines against recombinant HPV16 E7 antigen were able to affect the tumor growth in a pre-clinical mouse model.

Correlation between insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 serum level and melanoma progression.

Background: Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein (IGFBP)-3 is the main carrier of circulating IGFs and the main modulator of their activity. IGFBP-3 controls cellular availability of IGFs, which cannot exert their pro-proliferative activity while bound to IGFBP-3. Proteolysis of IGFBP-3 is one mechanism to control IGF release.

Application of workplace correction factors to dosemeter results for the assessment of personal doses at nuclear facilities.

Ratios of H(p)(10) and H*(10) were determined with reference instruments in a number of workplace fields within the nuclear industry and used to derive workplace-specific correction factors. When commercial survey meter results together with these factors were applied to the results of the locally used personal dosemeters their results improved and became within 0.7 and 1.

Characterisation of mixed neutron photon workplace fields at nuclear facilities by spectrometry (energy and direction) within the EVIDOS project.

Within the EC project EVIDOS, 17 different mixed neutron-photon workplace fields at nuclear facilities (boiling water reactor, pressurised water reactor, research reactor, fuel processing, storage of spent fuel) were characterised using conventional Bonner sphere spectrometry and newly developed direction spectrometers. The results of the analysis, using Bayesian parameter estimation methods and different unfolding codes, some of them especially adapted to simultaneously unfold energy and direction distributions of the neutron fluence, showed that neutron spectra differed strongly at the different places, both in energy and direction distribution. The implication of the results for the determination of reference values for radiation protection quantities (ambient dose equivalent, personal dose equivalent and effective dose) and the related uncertainties are discussed.

Neutron area survey instrument measurements in the EVIDOS project.

Neutron survey instruments have been exposed at all the measurement locations used in the EVIDOS project. These results have an important impact in the interpretation of the results from the project, since operationally the survey instrument will be used for an initial assessment of and routine monitoring of the ambient dose equivalent dose rate. Additionally, since the response of these instruments is in some cases very well characterised, their systematic deviations from the reference quantities provide an important verification of the determination of those quantities.

Achievements in workplace neutron dosimetry in the last decade: lessons learned from the EVIDOS project.

The availability of active neutron personal dosemeters has made real time monitoring of neutron doses possible. This has obvious benefits, but is only of any real assistance if the dose assessments made are of sufficient accuracy and reliability. Preliminary assessments of the performance of active neutron dosemeters can be made in calibration facilities, but these can never replicate the conditions under which the dosemeter is used in the workplace.

Evaluation of individual dosimetry in mixed neutron and photon radiation fields (EVIDOS). Part I: Scope and methods of the project.

Supported by the European Commission, the EVIDOS project started in November 2001 with the broad goal of evaluating state of the art dosimetry techniques in representative workplaces of the nuclear industry. Seven European institutes joined efforts with end users at nuclear power plants, at fuel processing and reprocessing plants, and at transport and storage facilities. A comprehensive programme was devised to evaluate capabilities and limitations of standard and innovative personal dosemeters in relation to the mixed neutron-photon fields of concern to the nuclear industry.

Summary of personal neutron dosemeter results obtained within the EVIDOS project.

Within the EC project EVIDOS ('Evaluation of Individual Dosimetry in Mixed Neutron and Photon Radiation Fields'), different types of active neutron personal dosemeters (and some passive ones) were tested in workplace fields at nuclear installations in Europe. The results of the measurements which have been performed up to now are summarised and compared to our currently best estimates of the personal dose equivalent Hp(10). Under- and over-readings by more than a factor of two for the same dosemeter in different workplace fields indicate that in most cases the use of field-specific correction factors is required.

Direction distributions of neutrons and reference values of the personal dose equivalent in workplace fields.

Within the EC project EVIDOS, double-differential (energy and direction) fluence spectra were determined by means of novel direction spectrometers. By folding the spectra with fluence-to-dose equivalent conversion coefficients, contributions to H*(10) for 14 directions, and values of the personal dose equivalent Hp(10) and the effective dose E for 6 directions of a person's orientation in the field were determined. The results of the measurements and calculations obtained within the EVIDOS project in workplace fields in nuclear installations in Europe, i.

Evaluation of individual dosimetry in mixed neutron and photon radiation fields (EVIDOS). Part II: Conclusions and recommendations.

The paper presents the main conclusions and recommendations derived from the EVIDOS project, which is supported by the European Commission within the 5th Framework Programme. EVIDOS aims at evaluating state of the art neutron dosimetry techniques in representative workplaces of the nuclear industry with complex mixed neutron-photon radiation fields. This analysis complements a series of individual papers which present detailed results and it summarises the main findings from a practical point of view.

Evaluation of individual monitoring in mixed neutron/photon fields: mid-term results from the EVIDOS project.

EVIDOS is an EC sponsored project that aims at an evaluation and improvement of radiation protection dosimetry in mixed neutron/photon fields. This is performed through spectrometric and dosimetric investigations during different measurement campaigns in representative workplaces of the nuclear industry. The performance of routine and, in particular, novel personal dosemeters and survey instruments is tested in selected workplace fields.

Electronic neutron personal dosemeters: their performance in mixed radiation fields in nuclear power plants.

This work describes spectral distributions of neutrons obtained as function of energy and direction at four workplace fields at the Krümmel reactor in Germany. Values of personal dose equivalent H(p)(10) and effective dose E are determined for different directions of a person's orientation in these fields and readings of personal neutron dosemeters--especially electronic dosemeters--are discussed with respect to H(p)(10) and E.

Individual neutron monitoring in workplaces with mixed neutron/photon radiation.

EVIDOS ('evaluation of individual dosimetry in mixed neutron and photon radiation fields') is an European Commission (EC)-sponsored project that aims at a significant improvement of radiation protection dosimetry in mixed neutron/photon fields via spectrometric and dosimetric investigations in representative workplaces of the nuclear industry. In particular, new spectrometry methods are developed that provide the energy and direction distribution of the neutron fluence from which the reference dosimetric quantities are derived and compared to the readings of dosemeters. The final results of the project will be a comprehensive set of spectrometric and dosimetric data for the workplaces and an analysis of the performance of dosemeters, including novel electronic dosemeters.

Characterisation of the TAPIRO BNCT epithermal facility.

A collimated epithermal beam for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) research has been designed and built at the TAPIRO fast research reactor. A complete experimental characterisation of the radiation field in the irradiation chamber has been performed, to verify agreement with IAEA requirements. Slow neutron fluxes have been measured by means of an activation technique and with thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs).

A neutron dosemeter for nuclear criticality accidents.

A neutron dosemeter which offers instant read-out has been developed for nuclear criticality accidents. The system is based on gels containing emulsions of superheated dichlorodifluoromethane droplets, which vaporise into bubbles upon neutron irradiation. The expansion of these bubbles displaces an equivalent volume of gel into a graduated pipette, providing an immediate measure of the dose.