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Introduction: Healthcare workers are particularly vulnerable to third-party workplace violence. The experience of work-related stress, by threatening the psychological balance of healthcare workers, making them less effective in man-aging the relationship with patients and their family members, may significantly contribute to third-party violence. Objective: To investigate whether stress-related psychosocial situations at work as defined by the widely known Demand-Control model, and the level of work-related social support, act as risk factors for third-party violence among healthcare workers. Specifically, we explored whether the risk of violence is higher in situations associated with higher levels of work-related stress (i.e., active or passive situations, and especially the high strain situation) when compared to a work situation related to lower levels of stress (i.e., low strain situation). We also explored whether the risk of violence is lower at higher levels of social support. Method: Cross-sectional study on 633 healthcare workers. Psychosocial work situations and third-party workplace violence have been operationalized by using well validated scales. Results: Logistic regressions including a number of relevant covariates (e.g., gender, job role, night shift work) revealed that, compared to a low strain situation, an active or passive situation had an increased risk for workplace violence. However, the highest risk was observed for a high strain situation (i.e., the situation associated with the highest level of work-related stress). High social support acted as a protective factor. Conclusion: Healthcare work-ers’ experience of stress at work may make them more vulnerable to third-party violence. Ensuring better psychosocial working conditions may contribute to the prevention of workplace violence and its consequences.

The possible relationships between the intensity of humoral response to full length Tat protein, the amount of proviral DNA reservoir in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and RNA viral load were analyzed in plasma samples obtained from a group of HIV-1 seropositive subjects, who never received any antiretroviral therapy. All HIV-1 patients showed detectable levels of serum IgG to full-length Tat by immunoenzymatic assay. We found a higher percentage of HIV-1 seropositive subjects with low levels of antibody in the presence of barely detectable proviral DNA copies (or =10 copies/1.5x10(5) PBMCs) and a high anti-Tat antibody response accompanied by variable (from10(1) toor =10(3) copies/1.5x10(5) PBMCs) levels of DNA load (p=0.011). Moreover, an inverse relationship between anti-Tat antibody titers and HIV-1 RNA viral load was demonstrated HIV-1 seropositive patients. In HIV-1-infected patients, a strong humoral immune response against HIV-1 transactivating Tat protein, able to down-modulate viral replication in peripheral blood, does not seem to inhibit the number of proviral DNA molecules in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Even though our data strongly confirm the "positive" role of anti-Tat antibody on viral replication, the persistence of significant amount of DNA viral load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, despite high level of anti Tat antibody, suggests a more cautious approach to HIV-1 Tat-containing vaccines, able to stimulate an immune specific response to transactivating Tat protein sufficient in inhibiting circulating virus, but not completely efficient in decreasing proviral DNA integration.

A branched DNA method for the quantification of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA levels (Quantiplex HIV RNA 2.0) was compared with a reverse transcriptase-coupled polymerase chain reaction method (Amplicor HIV-1 Monitor) and a nucleic acid sequence-based assay (Nuclisens HIV-1 QT) in plasma samples from a group of HIV-1 seropositive patients. We found a high correlation between Nuclisens and Quantiplex (r = 0.89; p0.001) and between Amplicor and Quantiplex (r = 0.94; p0.001), a shift of RNA viral load to higher Nuclisens and Amplicor values compared with the Quantiplex results and a significant positive correlation (rS = 0.60; p0.001) between the p24 antigen level and the RNA viral load determined with the Quantiplex assay. We also found higher sensitivities of the Nuclisens and the Amplicor procedures compared with the Quantiplex assay. The total sensivity of the Quantiplex assay in our study was 70% whereas that of the p24 antigen was only 29%.

The production of granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were evaluated in the supernatants of short-term cultures of purified CD4+ T-lymphocytes and enriched monocytes obtained from peripheral blood (PB) of 35 HIV-1 seropositive (+) asymptomatic individuals, stages I-II of the Walter Reed (WR) classification, 15 HIV (+) symptomatic patients (WR V-VI) and 40 HIV-1 seronegative normal blood donors. IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha production by either enriched monocytes or isolated CD4+ T-cells, was similar in HIV-1 (+) asymptomatic, symptomatic subjects and normal controls. GM-CSF level in enriched monocyte culture supernatants did not show any significant difference in the three groups of subjects under investigation. On the other hand, GM-CSF production by isolated CD4+ T-lymphocytes was two-fold decreased in HIV-1 (+) asymptomatic subjects and five-fold decreased in HIV-1 (+) symptomatic patients with respect to normal blood donors. The decline in GM-CSF production was clearly correlated with viral isolation from patient's PB light density mononuclear cells (r = -0.920, p less than 0.01). The selective and progressive decline in GM-CSF production by CD4+ T-lymphocytes, starting from early stages of HIV-1 infection, suggest a preferential lesion of a specific subset of CD4+ T-lymphocytes characterized by an intense production of GM-CSF and may contribute to explain the deranged inflammatory and immune responses which characterize the course of HIV-1 infection.

A CD34+ human hematopoietic progenitor cell lines, KG-1, became susceptible to HIV-1 infection in the presence of a concurrent infection by human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6). We have now analyzed the possible mechanism(s) underlying this phenomenon, in the light of the recent demonstration that at least two members of the chemokine receptor family, CXCR4 (LESTR/fusin) and CCR5 molecules, are the HIV-1-specific co-receptors, necessary, together with the high affinity receptor CD4, for the entry into target cells of HIV-1. Cytofluorimetric analysis demonstrated that in KG-1 cells, after HHV-6 infection, more than 40% of cell population became CD4 positive and only in KG-1 cells expressing the CD4+ phenotype, the exposure to r-gp120 masks a significant amount, not only of CD4, but also of both CXCR4 and CCR5 chemokine receptors. In fact, only when pre-infected by HHV-6, KG-1 cells, after exposure to r-gp120, exhibit a significant reduction in the percentage of CXCR4 or CCR5-positive cells.

In human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infected individuals, CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells are profoundly impaired in their proliferation/differentiation capacities. The bulk of the available experimental evidence seems to indicate that hematopoietic progenitors are not susceptible to HIV-1 infection and their defects seem rather the consequence of direct or indirect negative influences of HIV-1-specific soluble proteins released by productively infected accessory cells. We have now shown that in the presence of a concurrent human herpesvirus-6 infection, two hematopoietic (TF-1 [erythromyeloid] and KG-1 [lymphomyeloid]) progenitor cell lines and human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors isolated from the bone marrow of normal donors, became susceptible to HIV-1 infection and permissive to HIV-1 replication, although with a limited virus yield. These results suggest a further possible mechanism leading to hematopoietic derangement in HIV-1-infected subjects and may help to clarify the controversial issue of the susceptibility of human hematopoietic progenitors to HIV-1 infection.

Although substantially unsusceptible to HIV-1 infection, human hematopoietic progenitors (CD34+ cells) express significant amounts of gp120-binding CD4 molecules. As some experimental evidence suggests the need for one or more putative cellular accessory factor(s) for efficient CD4-mediate HIV-1 infection, we analyzed the presence and distribution of various adhesion molecules on the surface of two HIV-1-susceptible cell lines (H9 and A3.01) and one HIV-1-unsusceptible, CD4-positive, human hematopoietic progenitor cell line (TF-1). The only difference observed concerned the LFA-1 CD11a protein that has already been shown to be necessary for cell fusion in HIV-1-infected T4 lymphocytes. CD11a was present in a high percentage of HIV-1-susceptible cells and absent in HIV-1-unsusceptible TF-1 cells. A significant increase in HIV-1 replication was obtained in CD11a-enriched H9 cells in comparison with an almost completely CD11a-deprived H9 cell population. The lack of susceptibility to HIV-1 infection in human CD34+ cells may depend on various factors. Nevertheless, the lack of CD11a in a CD34+, CD4+ human hematopoietic progenitor cell line suggests that this molecule may be implicated in the susceptibility to HIV-1 infection.

The true extent of human T-lymphotropic virus type I and II (HTLV-I/II) infection in European countries and its pathogenetic potential are still unknown. To find out more about HTLV-I/II incidence in our area we studied a group of 160 outpatients attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic over a six-month period. All patients were screened for the presence of specific antibody by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting (IB) analysis, using commercially available reagents. A surprisingly high percentage of patients showed an antibody reactivity to HTLV-I/II antigens by ELISA (9.3%) and IB (6.8%), although none of the samples satisfied the internationally accepted criteria of serological positivity. All subjects, irrespective of doubtful and inconclusive serological results, were further analyzed for the presence of proviral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by polymerase chain reaction using different pairs of primers and probes. A clear cut positive result for the presence of HTLV-I provirus-related DNA sequences was obtained in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of only one patient, a 26 years old female presenting genital condylomatosis, with no history of blood transfusion and/or intravenous drug abuse. Her serum showed a borderline result at ELISA and an IB reactivity only against p21. These data are open to various possible interpretations and, among others, may represent a hint for the presence of divergent antigenic variants of HTLV-I in the geographical area investigated.

Epidermal Langerhans' cells (LC) from human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)-infected patients harbour HIV-1 proviral DNA and RNA. In the present study, we investigated whether LC from epidermis of normal, HIV-seronegative subjects could be infected in vitro with HIV-1. Epidermal cells (EC) spontaneously detached from epidermal sheet cultures were enriched for LC (10-25% of CD1a+/CD4+ cells), deprived of contaminating T cells and then incubated with HIV-1IIIB. After 24 hr, purified LC and LC-depleted EC fractions were obtained by immunomagnetic separation. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed the presence of HIV-1 proviral DNA (gag) only in purified LC. In addition, LC-enriched EC, purified LC, LC-depleted EC or the non-permissive cell line, TF-1, the latter having being previously challenged with HIV-1IIIB for the same length of time as the EC, were co-cultivated with C8166 cells, and the co-cultures assessed for the presence of HIV DNA by PCR. Co-cultures of C8166 cells with purified LC or LC-enriched EC previously exposed to HIV-1IIIB exhibited a time-dependent increase in HIV proviral DNA. In contrast, PCR analysis of C8166 cells co-cultured with either LC-depleted EC or TF-1 cells gave negative results. Finally, C8166 cells co-cultured with HIV-infected LC formed syncytia, showed membrane budding and released numerous retroviral particles. The results indicate that LC from normal subjects can be infected in vitro with HIV and can transmit infection to myeloid cells. This in vitro model may help in understanding the regulation of HIV infection of LC.

The pathogenetic potential and the true extent of human T leukemia/lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) and type II (HTLV-II) infection are unknown. To find out more about HTLV-I/II seroepidemiology and the risks of iatrogenic transmission, we performed a serological study, screening 4086 healthy blood donors. A surprisingly high percentage of serum reactivity to HTLV-I/II antigens was observed by commercial ELISA (2.08%) and immunoblotting (IB) (0.85%) analysis, although none of the samples satisfied the (IB) criteria for positivity based on detection of gag protein p24 and at least one env gene product, either gp46 or gp61/68. To clarify these inconclusive results, we performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis for HTLV-I and HTLV-II provirus detection in peripheral blood lymphocytes, obtained from individuals with an apparent pattern of seropositivity. The data obtained by PCR failed to reveal evidence of HTLV-I/II provirus integration in peripheral blood cells, ruling out the possibility of a viral infection in these cases, and pinpointing the limitations of both serological methods used. Our observations suggest that serological assays alone are not a reliable tool for blood donor screening of HTLV-I/II infection and raise the important question of interpreting inconclusive results.

Workaholism and overcommitment are often used as interchangeable constructs describing an individual&rsquo, s over-involvement toward their own job. Employees with high levels in both constructs are characterized by an excessive effort and attachment to their job, with the incapability to detach from it and negative consequences in terms of poor health and job burnout. However, few studies have simultaneously measured both constructs, and their relationships are still not clear. In this study, we try to disentangle workaholism and overcommitment by comparing them with theoretically related contextual and personal antecedents, as well as their health consequences. We conducted a nonprobability mixed mode research design on 133 employees from different organizations in Italy using both self- and other-reported measures. To test our hypothesis that workaholism and overcommitment are related yet different constructs, we used partial correlations and regression analyses. The results confirm that these two constructs are related to each other, but also outline that overcommitment (and not workaholism) is uniquely related to job burnout, so that overcommitment rather than workaholism could represent the true negative aspect of work drive. Additionally, workaholism is more related to conscientiousness than overcommitment, while overcommitment shows a stronger relationship with neuroticism than workaholism. The theoretical implications are discussed.

This research is aimed at developing a questionnaire for the self-assessment of non-technical skills (NTS) leading to safety in the chemical sector and at analysing the properties of its scales in terms of construct validity. The research involved 269 Italian employees from three chemical plants of an international company, who occupied low&ndash, medium levels in the organizational hierarchy. Results showed a good level of validity and reliability of the instrument and suggested that communication, situational awareness, decision-making, and fatigue/stress management are the four most important NTS for safety in the chemical sector.

The current study examined the mediating effect of presenteeism and moderating effect of managerial support in the relation between workaholism and work-family conflict. A sample of 1065 white-collar employees from an Italian company filled in an online survey and hypotheses were tested using a bootstrapping procedure. Results showed that presenteeism mediated the association between workaholism and work-family conflict. Moreover, the mediating effect of presenteeism was moderated by managerial support: for employees reporting lower levels of support workaholism was stronger related to presenteeism than for those experiencing higher support. Presenteeism, in turn, was related to greater levels of work-family conflict. The present study sheds light into the protective role played by managerial support in preventing workaholic employees from forcing themselves to attend work also when feeling sick. Accordingly, early intervention aimed at buffering the negative association between workaholism and work-family conflict should focus on training managers to develop supportive leadership skills. ispartof: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY vol:54 issue:2 pages:174-179 ispartof: location:England status: published

Research recognizes the shared perceptions of the priority attributed to safety in comparison to other organizational goals (i.e., safety climate) as a potential antecedent of safety behavior among construction workers. This type of climate can dismantle barriers to the promotion of effective strategies to mitigate workplace hazards. On the other hand, the current understanding of the underlying process that links the perception of a safety climate to the implementation of safety behavior is far from being exhaustive. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore the role of risk perception and safety knowledge in explaining the positive impact of safety climate before attending a training course (Time 0) and safety behavior after the training completion (Time 1). Data were collected at two time-points on a sample of N = 278 construction workers taking part in different safety training courses promoted by a vocational training organization in Northern Italy. The hypothesized relationships were tested using a serial mediation model bootstrapping approach. The obtained results indicated that the perception of a safety climate at Time 0 (T0) among construction workers is associated with higher risk perception and safety knowledge that, in turn, resulted in a higher implementation of safety behavior at Time 1 (T1). These findings contribute to the understanding of those factors that constitute a fertile ground for preventing injuries and accidents in the construction sector.

Cell-surface CD25 expression is critical for maintaining immune function and homeostasis. As in few reported cases, CD25 deficiency manifests with severe autoimmune enteritis and viral infections. To dissect the underlying immunological mechanisms driving these symptoms, we analyzed the regulatory and effector T cell functions in a CD25 deficient patient harboring a novel IL2RA mutation. Pronounced lymphoproliferation, mainly of the CD8+ T cells, was detected together with an increase in T cell activation markers and elevated serum cytokines. However, Ag-specific responses were impaired in vivo and in vitro. Activated CD8+STAT5+ T cells with lytic potential infiltrated the skin, even though FOXP3+ Tregs were present and maintained a higher capacity to respond to IL-2 compared to other T-cell subsets. Thus, the complex pathogenesis of CD25 deficiency provides invaluable insight into the role of IL2/IL-2RA-dependent regulation in autoimmunity and inflammatory diseases., Highlights ► CD25 deficiency leads to profound immune dysregulation. ► Preferential CD8+ T cell expansion and high cytokine serum levels were present. ► Proliferating CD8+ T cells infiltrated the skin but failed to respond to pathogens. ► CD4+FOXP3+CD127lowCD25null Tregs could be detected. ► Altered IL2 signaling events and failure of IL2 consumption contribute to autoimmunity.

Background A large number of studies have investigated the motivation behind health care workers (HCWs) taking the influenza vaccine. But with the appearance of pandemic influenza, it became important to better analyse the reasons why workers get vaccinated against seasonal and/or pandemic influenza. Methods Three main categories of reasons were identified with an Exploratory Factor Analysis. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to verify the existence of differences between three categories of choices (taking of seasonal and pandemic vaccine, only the seasonal vaccine or none). In addition, a multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to analyse the association between stated intentions and update of seasonal and pandemic vaccine. Questionnaires were returned from 168 HCWs (67.3% women). Results The results showed that age and being well-informed about vaccination topics are the most important variables in determining the choice to take the vaccine. Conclusions The results highlight the importance of enhancing education programs to improve awareness among HCWs concerning the benefits of taking the influenza vaccination, with particular attention paid to younger workers.

Camptodactyly-Arthropathy-Coxa vara-Pericarditis (CACP) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in PRG4 gene that encodes for proteoglycan 4, a mucin-like glycoprotein that is the major lubricant for joints and tendon surfaces. The molecular studies reported so far have described the identification of 15 mutations associated with this syndrome and the majority of them were found in families of Arabian origin. Here we report the molecular investigation of the largest European cohort that comprises 13 patients, and allowed the identification of 5 novel mutations and of the first case of CACP syndrome resulting from uniparental disomy of chromosome 1. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved.