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Contaminants giving rise to emerging concern like pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) have been detected in wastewaters, as reported in the literature, but little is known about their (eco)toxicological effects and consequent human health impact. The present study aimed at overcoming this lack of information through the use of in silico methods integrated with traditional toxicological risk analysis. This is part of a pilot project involving the management of wastewater treatment plants in the Ledra River basin (Italy). We obtained data to work up a global risk assessment method combining the evaluations of health risks to humans and ecological receptors from chemical contaminants found in this specific area. The (eco)toxicological risk is expressed by a single numerical value, permitting the comparison of different sampling sites and the evaluation of future environmental and technical interventions., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect and performance of the new algorithm in cervical cancer screening program in two years' experience of Latina (Italy). MATERIALS AND MTHODS: The female population was divided into two groups, the first group was referred to PAP test and the second one to hr-HPV test according to national guidelines., Results: In two years the participation mean rate increased among women aged 35-64 compared to women aged 25-34. The primary PAP test positive rate and hr-HPV test positive rate were 4.0% and 5.2%, respectively. The PAP test positive rate among hr-HPV+ women decreased from 2012 to 2013. Women with hr-HPV+/PAP+ were referred immediately to colposcopy and this rate was 1.2%. The predictive positive value for CIN2+ to colposcopy was 10.9% in 2012 and 9.1% in 2013, while the detection rate for CIN2+ was 1.6% in 2012 and 1.4% in 2013., Conclusion: The stratification of the female population leads to a decreased inappropriate therapeutic path while the combination of hr-HPV test with PAP test in woman aged 35-64 lets obtain high levels specificity and sensitivity results.

Few epidemiological data are available since the introduction of 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13) in 2010. We conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) nasopharyngeal carriage in healthy Italian infants and young children and to evaluate the impact of PCV13 on pneumococcal colonization. In the trimester September-December 2011 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from healthy children aged 3-59 months presenting for routine well careat 16 primary care pediatricians in Milan. SP carriage isolates were serotyped and tested for antimicrobial resistance using EUCAST breakpoints. Among 1250 enrolled children, 618 had received at least 1 dose of PCV13, 292 at least 1 dose of PCV7, 94 a combination of the two vaccines and 246 were not vaccinated. The prevalence of SP carriage was 27% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25-30). At multivariable analysis, age≥25 months (prevalence ratio [PR]=0.74) and use of antibiotics in the previous 3 months (PR=0.67) were associated with lower SP carriage prevalence. Having siblings (PR=1.79 for 1 sibling and PR=2.23 for ≥2 siblings), day-care attendance (PR=2.27) and respiratory tract infections in the previous 3 months (PR=1.39) were associated with higher SP carriage prevalence. The immunization status for SP was not associated with SP carriage at univariable or at multivariable analysis. The most common carriage isolates were 6C, 19A and 23A. The prevalence of the six additional PCV13 serotypes carriage in children appropriately vaccinated with PCV13 was lower than in children appropriately vaccinated with PCV7 (0 vs. 0.060); the greater reduction in prevalence of carriage was observed for serotype 19A (0 vs. 0.041). Serotype 6C was the most common drug-resistant serotype (17.2%). Further epidemiological studies are needed to assess changes in circulating SP serotypes following the large-scale introduction of PCV13., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)