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Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for COVID-19 infected patients are exposed to stressful and traumatic events with potential for severe and sustained adverse mental and physical health consequences. Our aim was to assess the magnitude of physical and mental health outcomes of HCWs due to the prolonged use of personal protective equipment (PPE) treating COVID-19 patients., Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the symptoms of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and psychological resilience using the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics (SAVE) scale, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Resilience Scale (RS), respectively, in Italy between 1st February and 31st March 2022. The physical outcomes reported included vertigo, dyspnea, nausea, micturition desire, retroauricular pain, thirst, discomfort at work, physical fatigue, and thermal stress. The relationships between prolonged PPE use and psychological outcomes and physical discomforts were analyzed using Generalized Linear Models (GLMs). We calculated the factor mean scores and a binary outcome to measure study outcomes., Findings: We found that 23% of the respondents reported stress related symptoms, 33% anxiety, 43% moderate to severe insomnia, and 67% reported moderate to very low resilience. The GLMs suggested that older people (>55 years old) are less likely to suffer from stress compared to younger people (<35 y.o); conversely, HCW aged more than 35 years are more inclined to suffer from insomnia than younger people (<35 y.o). Female HCW reported a lower probability of resilience than males. University employed HCWs were less likely to report anxiety than those who worked in a community hospital. The odds of suffering from insomnia for social workers was significantly higher than for other HCWs. Female HCW>3 years old, enrolled in training programs for nursing, social work, technical training and other healthcare professionals increased the probability of reported physical discomforts. HCW that worked on non COVID-19 wards and used PPE for low-medium exposure level, were at lower risks for lasting physical side effects as compared to the HCW who worked in high-risk PPE intense, COVID-19 environments., Interpretation: The study suggests that frontline HCWs who had extensive PPE exposure while directly engaged in the diagnosis, treatment, and care for patients with COVID-19 are at significant risks for lasting physical and psychological harm and distress., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This paper investigates the effects on the material microstructure of varying the Inter-Layer Cooling Time (ILCT) during the printing process in laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) multi-laser machines. Despite these machines allowing higher productivity rates compared to single laser machines, they are affected by lower ILCT values, which could be critical for material printability and microstructure. The ILCT values depend both on the process parameter sets and design choices for the parts and play an important role in the Design for Additive Manufacturing approach in L-PBF process. In order to identify the critical range of ILCT for this working condition, an experimental campaign is presented on the nickel-based superalloy Inconel 718, which is widely used for the printing of turbomachinery components. The effect of ILCT on the microstructure of the material is evaluated in terms of porosity and melt pool analysis on printed cylinder specimens, considering ILCT decreasing and increasing in the range of 22 to 2 s. The experimental campaign shows that an ILCT of less than 6 s introduces criticality in the material microstructure. In particular, at an ILCT value of 2 s, widespread keyhole porosity (close to 1‱) and critical and deeper melt pool (about 200 microns depth) are measured. This variation in melt pool shape indicates a change in the powder melting regime and, consequently, modifications of the printability window promoting the expansion of the keyhole region. In addition, specimens with geometry obstructing the heat flow have been studied using the critical ILCT value (2 s) to evaluate the effect of the surface-to-volume ratio. The results show an enhancement of the porosity value (about 3‱), while this effect is limited for the depth of the melt pool.

The paper reports the monitoring for pesticide residue contamination of foodstuffs carried out in the years 1988-1989 by the Italian peripheral laboratories officially commissioned for the task. The tables show the analytical data for each class of substrate versus the limits in force at the time. 2506 food samples and 555 samples from the environment were analysed and a total of 16,259 determinations made. The residues were absent in 90% of the cases; the percentage of irregularities was 1.52%. These results confirm the data obtained in previous years, which is particularly significant considering the much larger number of analytical determinations performed this time. It has been deemed convenient to survey specific types of foodstuffs (for example, cereals and animal products) by examining a larger number of samples.

Results of analytical surveys on pesticide residue levels in foods for the years 1986-1987 are presented. Analytical data obtained from regional laboratories are tabulated in terms of various commodity groups (vegetables, fruit, cereals, processed or derived foodstuffs, other commodities, legumes, environmental samples, others) and are compared with maximum legal tolerances established by the ministerial ordinance (Italian Ministry of Health) 6.6. 1985. On a total number of 4715 determinations of classes of compounds or of single compounds made on 1601 commodities samples, only N 53 (1.1%) violative results appeared. No residue was found at levels exceeding regulatory limits or found in commodities where a tolerance had not been established for a specific pesticide/commodity combination.

The levels of o,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDT, p,p'-TDE (DDD), and p,p'-DDT were determined in 19 samples of Dicofol formulations commercially available in Italy. The total of DDT-like compounds, calculated on a Dicofol content basis, was in the range 0.63-23.19%, with an average of 8.28%. Setting a requirement of minimum purity for Dicofol technical products is proposed.

Levels of organochlorinated, organophosphate, dithiocarbamic, benzimidazolic, and phthalimidic compounds, as well as some other pesticide residues obtained from Regional Laboratories in the years 1983-1985, were assembled and presented as a part of a study aimed at evaluating food contamination. Approximately 2000 samples of vegetables, fruits, cereals, and food of animal origin were analyzed by local laboratories during the years 1983, 1984, and 1985. Samples were randomly obtained from the market, at production levels, or sometimes at custom sites. Approximately 10,000 determinations of single compounds or classes of compounds were carried out. The analytical results are presented and compared with the Italian maximum residue limits. In the majority of the samples analyzed, either there were no residues or the residues were below the permitted level for the specific pesticide in each commodity. High levels of residues were present in a few cases, mainly with respect to some fungicides in fruits and vegetables and chlorinated compounds in some animal products.

Ethylenethiourea (ETU) has been recognized as a compound with adverse toxicological properties. It may occur in ethylenebis(dithiocarbamate) (EBDC) fungicides as a by-product and/or a degradation product. Restrictions have been issued by the Italian Health Authority to keep the level of ETU in EBDC formulations under 0.5% (on an EBDC technical product basis). A survey was carried out on 85 samples of commercial formulations from the Italian market to verify compliance with the above limitation. ETU was extracted by methanol and determined by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. Three of the 85 samples (3.5%) exceeded the limit of 0.5% established by the Italian legislation for ETU.