Exposure assessment to fine and ultrafine particulate matter during welding activity in the maintenance shop of a steelmaking factory.

Unlabelled: Welding fumes are a main source of occupational exposure to particulate matter (PM), besides gases and ultraviolet radiations, that involves millions of operators worldwide and is related to several health effects, including lung cancer. Our study aims to evaluate the exposure to fine and ultrafine airborne particulate in welding operators working in a steel making factory.In October 2019, air monitoring was performed for four days in five different welding scenarios and in the external area of a steelmaking factory to assess the exposure to airborne particles, ultrafine (UFP) particulate and inhalable fraction, during welding activities.

Factor Structure, Psychometric Properties, and Measurement Invariance of the Pandemic Experiences and Perceptions Scale Among Italian Hospital Workers.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic represented substantial risks to hospital workers' physical and mental health. The availability of validated measures on the impact of the pandemic on workplaces is crucial for developing data-driven interventions. The primary purpose of our study was to translate it into Italian and assess factor structure, psychometric properties, and measurement invariance of the Pandemic Experiences and Perceptions Scale (PEPS).

Humoral responses to wild type and ancient BA.1 SARS-CoV-2 variant after heterologous priming vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2 booster dose.

Several countries have recommended a booster dose of Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine for subjects under the age of 60, who have already received the first dose of ChAdOx1. This is due to several ChAdOx1 vaccine-associated adverse vascular events and thrombocytopenia. Neutralization assay and quantitative IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike antibody (anti-S-IgG) were conducted to investigate the long-term responses to vaccine treatment in a cohort of Sardinian participants, who have received heterologous Prime-Boost Vaccination via ChAdOx1 vector vaccine and a booster dose via BNT162b2.

Impact of Exposure to Vaccination and Infection on Cellular and Antibody Response to SARS-CoV-2 in CVID Patients Through COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the kinetics of response against SARS-CoV-2 elicited by vaccination and/or breakthrough infection (occurred after 3 doses of BNT162b2) in a cohort CVID patients.

Methods: We measured humoral and cellular immunity using quantitative anti-spike antibody (anti-S-IgG) and neutralization assay and specific interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) before and after the third or fourth dose of BNT162b2 and/or after COVID-19.

Results: In CVID, 58.

A review of the main genetic factors influencing the course of COVID-19 in Sardinia: the role of human leukocyte antigen-G.

Introduction: A large number of risk and protective factors have been identified during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic which may influence the outcome of COVID-19. Among these, recent studies have explored the role of HLA-G molecules and their immunomodulatory effects in COVID-19, but there are very few reports exploring the genetic basis of these manifestations. The present study aims to investigate how host genetic factors, including gene polymorphisms and sHLA-G, can affect SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A pilot study of occupational exposure to ultrafine particles during 3D printing in research laboratories.

Introduction: 3D printing is increasingly present in research environments, and could pose health risks to users due to air pollution and particulate emissions. We evaluated the nanoparticulate emissions of two different 3D printers, utilizing either fused filament fabrication with polylactic acid, or stereolithography (SLA) with light curing resin.

Methods: Nanoparticulate emissions were evaluated in two different research environments, both by environmental measurements in the laboratory and by personal sampling.

Characterization of upper limb use in health care workers during regular shifts: A quantitative approach based on wrist-worn accelerometers.

Despite the high prevalence of upper limb (UL) work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) among health care workers (HCWs), little is known about their relationship with exposure to biomechanical risk factors. This study aimed to assess UL activity features under actual working conditions using two wrist-worn accelerometers. Accelerometric data were processed to obtain duration, intensity, and asymmetry of UL use in 32 HCWs during the execution of commonly performed tasks (e.

Musculoskeletal disorders and incongruous postures in workers on ropes: A pilot study.

Background: Occupational hazards believed to cause musculoskeletal disorders in rope workers are traditionally associated with maintaining incongruous postures for prolonged periods of time.

Design And Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 132 technical operators in the wind energy and acrobatic construction sectors, who work on ropes, analysing the ergonomic characteristics of the environments, the way in which tasks are carried out, the strain perceived by individual workers, and assessing the presence of any musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) by means of an objective examination focused on the anatomical districts that were the object of our study.

Results: Analysis of the data obtained showed that there were differences in the perception of the level of physical intensity and perceived exertion between the groups of workers.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Italian Healthcare Workers: Latent Profiles and Their Relationships to Predictors and Outcome.

Vaccine hesitancy and conspiracy beliefs among healthcare workers (HCWs) represent operational priorities that require urgent attention. Identifying and classifying specific subpopulation of hesitancy is crucial to customize educational and intervention strategies to enhance the acceptance and uptake rate of vaccination. Thus, the main purpose of our study was to empirically identify latent profiles of vaccine hesitancy among Italian HCWs adopting a person-centered approach and investigating their relationships with antecedents and intention to get a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Evaluation of Correlation between Sleep and Psychiatric Disorders in a Population of Night Shift Workers: A Pilot Study.

Background: Insomnia is the perception of inadequate, insufficient or non-restorative sleep. Of all sleep-related disorders, insomnia is the most common. It is important to remember that the sleep-wake cycle also plays a central role in the genesis of anxiety and depression.

Impact of occupational categories on the incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Sardinia Island, Italy.

Objective: Occupation is one of the potential risk factors for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for which previous controlled studies produced inconsistent results. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of several groups of occupational categories on ALS incidence.

Methods: ALS patients from the southern part of Sardinia who had onset during 2012-2021 and fulfilled El Escorial revised diagnostic criteria were included.

Ocular Surface Changes Associated with Face Masks in Healthcare Personnel during COVID-19 Pandemic.

The aim of this study was to investigate ocular surface changes associated with face mask (FMs) use of healthcare personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. We prospectively evaluated 200 eyes of 100 individuals during working hours and 40 eyes of 20 individuals during their rest days as a control group. Dry eye symptoms were assessed with the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and McMonnies questionnaire.

Continuous assessment of trunk posture in healthcare workers assigned to wards with different MAPO index.

Healthcare professionals generally experience an above-average incidence of low back disorders (LBDs) compared with workers of other professions, and its level of risk is commonly assessed using observational methods such as the MAPO method (Movement and Assistance of Hospital Patients). In this study, we continuously monitored the trunk posture of 30 healthcare workers using a single inertial sensor to: (1) understand whether the MAPO classification is effective in adequately discriminating the risk associated with the time spent in non-neutral trunk postures and (2) characterise the variability of biomechanical exposure among workers employed in wards with the same MAPO index. The results substantially confirm the validity of the MAPO approach in discriminating among wards characterised by different levels of biomechanical exposure associated with the risk of developing LBDs.

Evaluation of humoral and cellular response to third dose of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in patients treated with B-cell depleting therapy.

Objective: to investigate the responses to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in a cohort of immunosuppressed patients affected by immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID).

Methods: we have measured humoral and cellular immunity using quantitative IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike antibody (anti-S-IgG), neutralization assays and specific interferon-gamma (IFN-g) release assay (IGRA) before and after the third dose of BNT162b2. The response of those on anti-CD20 (n = 18) was then compared with healthy controls (HC, n = 18) and IMID naïve to anti-CD20 drugs (n = 13).

A Protective HLA Extended Haplotype Outweighs the Major COVID-19 Risk Factor Inherited From Neanderthals in the Sardinian Population.

Sardinia has one of the lowest incidences of hospitalization and related mortality in Europe and yet a very high frequency of the Neanderthal risk locus variant on chromosome 3 (rs35044562), considered to be a major risk factor for a severe SARS-CoV-2 disease course. We evaluated 358 SARS-CoV-2 patients and 314 healthy Sardinian controls. One hundred and twenty patients were asymptomatic, 90 were pauci-symptomatic, 108 presented a moderate disease course and 40 were severely ill.

Neutralizing Antibodies Responses against SARS-CoV-2 in a Sardinian Cohort Group Up to 9 Months after BNT162b2 Vaccination.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of COVID-19, has caused over 460 million cases of infection and over 6 million deaths worldwide. The pandemic has called for science, technology, and innovation to provide solutions and, due to an incredible scientific and financial global effort, several prophylactic and therapeutic apparatuses such as monoclonal antibodies and vaccines were developed in less than one year to address this emergency. After SARS-CoV-2 infection, serum neutralizing antibodies are produced by B cells and studies on virus-neutralizing antibodies' kinetics are pivotal.

Evaluation of Antibody Response to Heterologous Prime-Boost Vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2: An Observational Study.

Unlabelled: In several countries, thrombotic events after vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 have led to heterologous messenger RNA (mRNA) boosting. We tested the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein four weeks after heterologous priming with the ChAdOx1 (ChAd) vector vaccine followed by boosting with BNT162b2(ChAd/BNT), comparing data of homologous regimen (BNT/BNT, ChAd/ChAd) subjects positive for SARS-CoV-2 after the first dose of BNT162b2 (BNT1dose/CoV2) and convalescent COVID-19.

Methods: healthy subjects naïve for SARS-CoV-2 infection were assessed for serum IgG anti-S-RBD response 21 days after priming (T1), 4 (T) and 15 (T) weeks after booster dose.

Metals and Metal-Nanoparticles in Human Pathologies: From Exposure to Therapy.

An increasing number of pathologies correlates with both toxic and essential metal ions dyshomeostasis. Next to known genetic disorders (e.g.

Evaluation of antibody response to BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in patients affected by immune-mediated inflammatory diseases up to 5 months after vaccination.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination with mRNA product BNT162b2 elicited high immunogenicity in healthy subjects in trials. This study aims to better understand the factors that influence the humoral immune response to vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). We enrolled patients and healthy healthcare workers control group (HCW) that underwent mRNA BNT162b2 vaccination and measured the serum IgG anti-S-RBD response at booster dose (T1), one month after booster dose (T2) and up to 5 months (T3).

Seroepidemiology of Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella in Italian Female School Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Determining the proportion of susceptible workers can represent a first step to the biological risk assessment related to measles, mumps, rubella and varicella exposure. This study aimed to assess the immunity against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella viruses in a cohort of female school workers.

Methods: A cross-sectional seroepidemiological study in a sample of 263 school workers undergoing routine annual workplace health surveillance program was conducted.

Metal Complex Formation and Anticancer Activity of Cu(I) and Cu(II) Complexes with Metformin.

Metformin has been used for decades in millions of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. In this time, correlations between metformin use and the occurrence of other disorders have been noted, as well as unpredictable metformin side effects. Diabetes is a significant cancer risk factor, but unexpectedly, metformin-treated diabetic patients have lower cancer incidence.

Worries, Preparedness, and Perceived Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Nurses' Mental Health.

In times of global public health emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses stand at the front line, working in close contact with infected individuals. Being actively engaged in fighting against COVID-19 exposes nurses to a high risk of being infected but can also have a serious impact on their mental health, as they are faced with excessive workload and emotional burden in many front-line operating contexts. The aim of the study is to analyze how risk factors such as perceived impact, preparedness to the pandemic, and worries were associated with mental health outcomes (crying, rumination and stress) in nurses.

The COVID-19 incidence in Italian regions correlates with low temperature, mobility and PM10 pollution but lethality only with low temperature.

Background: The aim was to verify whether the density of particulate matter (PM10), the climate, and the mobility of people can influence the pandemic in the 19 regions and in the two autonomous Italian provinces as incidence rate and lethality.

Design And Methods: The incidence rates per 100,000 inhabitants and the case fatality ratio (CFR) (dependent variables) in all Italian regions were calculated in January 2021 at John Hopkins University Coronavirus Center. The independent variables were: Minimum average temperatures in the same month (January) of 2020; average pollution of PM10 in the air in each region in the last year available reported on a 0-10 scale to 0 = total absence of PM10 to 10 maximum pollutions; number of places in hotels occupied per inhabitants in 2020.

Living with the enemy: from protein-misfolding pathologies we know, to those we want to know.

Conformational diseases are caused by the aggregation of misfolded proteins. The risk for such pathologies develops years before clinical symptoms appear, and is higher in people with alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) polymorphisms. Thousands of people with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) are underdiagnosed.