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Introduction. Doping is an important public health problem widespread not only among elite athletes, but also among amateur and recreational athletes and the general population. In Italy the introduction of doping prevention within the Essential Levels of Care (LEA) with the DPCM 12/1/2017 represents a crucial step towards the implementation of education and health promotion interventions. In this context, the Departments of Prevention (DP) of the Local Health Authorities (LHA) have to play a fundamental role, becoming the cultural and operational reference on this issue. As part of the "Doping prevention: development of a permanent educational tool coordinated by the National Health Service Prevention Departments" project, funded by the Italian Ministry of Health, a survey was conducted on the activities carried out by the DP regarding doping prevention and improper use and abuse of drugs and food supplements in sports and physical activities, as a basis for the harmonization of organizational structures and prevention programs and the creation of a collaboration network at a regional and national level. Methods. A semi-structured questionnaire consisting of 11 questions, prepared on an electronic platform, was sent to the DP of all the Italian LHA. Results. A total of 38 DP out of 131 (29%) completed the questionnaire, with representation from all regions. 42.1% of DP carried out or are still running programs for the prevention of doping, a percentage that decreases to 27% considering the programs for the prevention of misuse and abuse of drugs and food supplements in sports and in physical activities; in less than half of the DP, 37.5% and 41.7%, respectively, dedicated funds have been allocated. The professionals most involved in prevention of doping are the Specialists in Sport Medicine (81.3%) followed by Specialists in Hygiene (43.8%) and Psychologists (37.5%), while Health Care Assistants (50%) are the professionals most involved in the prevention of the improper use of drugs and food supplements, followed by Specialists in Hygiene and Specialists in Sport Medicine (40%). Most of the DP (71.9%) believe that the introduction of programs to prevent and counteract doping in the LEA will have repercussions on their approach against doping. Conclusions. The survey, although conducted on a limited sample, has provided an important framework relating to programs for the prevention of doping and the misuse and abuse of drugs and food supplements in sports and in the physical activities carried out by DP. A remarkable heterogeneity has been highlighted, both at national and regional level. It is urgent to provide DP with homogeneous and effective organizational models and adequate operational tools, paying particular attention to the training of all the professionals involved. It is also essential to implement permanent monitoring tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Recently, several advanced technologies have been considered to reduce the microbial load in hospital environments and control Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) incidence. New strategies for preventing HAIs have continuously evolved, including enforcement of hygiene procedures by novel liquid biocides or no-touch technologies, self-disinfecting surfaces coated by heavy metals or light-activated photosensitizers such as Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. Study design. Review publications concerning the use of photocatalytic systems in hospital setting, focusing on products based on TiO2. Methods. Specific keywords combinations were analitically searched in PubMed and Scopus databases. Results. Starting 80s-90s, over 2000 papers report "in vitro" studies on antimicrobial activity of TiO2 photocatalysis on several microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeasts, and antibiotic resistant strains. Besides, at least 4 selected papers addressed the potentials of this approach by "in field" studies, showing a widespread pool of applications in hospital and healthcare settings. However, the low number of available experiences and their heterogeneity represent major limitations to achieve a comprehensive final overview on effectiveness and feasibility of these technologies. Conclusions. Photocatalytic systems based on TiO2 represent a promising strategy for hospital hygiene and HAI prevention. Additional "in field" studies are desirable in a next future to further evaluate and exploit this novel and interesting health technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: Oral candidiasis is the most common fungal infection in dental practice, and is caused by yeasts that are normally present in the endogenous flora. Methods: To evaluate a rapid diagnostic method for identification of Candida oral isolates, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out on colonies and on oral rinse solutions from 95 subjects with suspected oral candidiasis and results were compared with those from seven commonly used phenotypic identification systems. Results: Between four and nine species were characterized in the samples by the phenotypic methods. PCR identified the same species in 60 (74%) samples from both colony and oral rinse solutions. Statistical analysis, carried out only for the three most frequently isolated species ( Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Candida tropicalis), showed good concordance in the comparison of multiplex PCR with API 20C AUX and with the Rapid Yeast Identification Panel; conversely, significant differences were registered in the comparison between the molecular method and other phenotypic systems, including four chromogenic media and the automated system Vitek2. Discussion: Multiplex PCR was rapid and effective in the identification of Candida species and allowed the detection of more than one species in the same sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]