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Typically, the solid state is not well suited to sustaining fast molecular motion - however, in recent years a variety of molecular machines, switches and rotors have been successfully engineered within porous crystals and on surfaces. Here, we report on a combined 1H-NMR [1] and SR [2] study of fast-rotating molecular rotors within the bicyclopentane-dicarboxylate struts of a zinc-based metal-organic framework. Here, the carboxylate groups anchored to the metal clusters act as an axle while the bicyclic units are free to rotate. The three-fold bipyramidal symmetry of the rotator conflicts with the four-fold symmetry of the struts, frustrating the formation of stable conformations and favouring the continuous, unidirectional, ultrafast rotation of the bicyclic units down to cryogenic temperatures. As a remarkable consequence, the fast-motions regime for the 1H-NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate is maintained down to at least 2 K, as confirmed by its dependence on temperature and magnetic field. These results are confirmed by zero-field and longitudinal-field SR experiments and, in particular, by the dependence of the longitudinal relaxation rate on temperature. At the same time, the experimental evidences suggest several implantation sites for the muons, among which one directly onto the rotating moiety. Muons thermalized in this latter site generate clear oscillations in the depolarization (shown in the picture) resulting from the dipolar interaction with the 1H nuclear moments on the rotors. We evidence a highly unusual dependence of these oscillations on temperature, suggesting a complex influence of the rotations on the muon implantation and diffusion. [1] J. Perego et al., Nature Chemistry 12 845 (2020). [2] G. Prando et al., Nano Letters 20 7613 (2020).

SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for a highly contagious infection, known as COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 was discovered in late December 2019 and, since then, has become a global pandemic. Timely and accurate COVID-19 laboratory testing is an essential step in the management of the COVID-19 outbreak. To date, assays based on the reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in respiratory samples are the gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis. Unfortunately, RT-PCR has several practical limitations. Consequently, alternative diagnostic methods are urgently required, both for alleviating the pressure on laboratories and healthcare facilities and for expanding testing capacity to enable large-scale screening and ensure a timely therapeutic intervention. To date, few studies have been conducted concerning the potential utilization of rapid testing for COVID-19, with some conflicting results. Therefore, the present systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken to explore the feasibility of rapid diagnostic tests in the management of the COVID-19 outbreak. Based on ten studies, we computed a pooled sensitivity of 64.8% (95%CI 54.5–74.0), and specificity of 98.0% (95%CI 95.8–99.0), with high heterogeneity and risk of reporting bias. We can conclude that: (1) rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 are necessary, but should be adequately sensitive and specific; (2) few studies have been carried out to date; (3) the studies included are characterized by low numbers and low sample power, and (4) in light of these results, the use of available tests is currently questionable for clinical purposes and cannot substitute other more reliable molecular tests, such as assays based on RT-PCR.

Having single atoms or small clusters docked onto a single layer graphene represents a charming feature for energy-storage and catalysis. Unfortunately, the large cohesion energy of transition metals often prevents the isolation of nanoscopic clusters, which invariably tend to aggregate. The decoration of defective graphene layers with single Pt atoms and sub-nanometric clusters is herein achieved by exploiting metal carbonyl clusters, as precursor, and investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Unexpectedly, the process of aggregation of Pt into larger clusters is inhibited onto the surface of defective graphene, where the Pt-clusters are found to fragment even into single metal atoms.

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between environmental temperatures and occupational injuries (OIs) in construction workers (CWs) from a subalpine region of North-Eastern Italy. Data about OIs from 2000 to 2013, and daily weather for the specific site of the events were retrieved. Risk for daily OIs was calculate through a Poisson regression model. Estimated daily incidence for OIs was 5.7 (95%CI 5.5-5.8), or 2.8 OIs/10,000 workers/d (95%CI 2.7-2.9), with higher rates for time periods characterized by high temperatures (daily maximum ≥35°C), both in first 2 d (3.57, 95%CI 3.05-4.11) and from the third day onwards (i.e. during Heat Waves: 3.43, 95%CI 3.08-3.77). Higher risk for OIs was reported in days characterized temperatures ≥95th percentile (OR 1.145, 95%CI 1.062-1.235), summer days (daily maximum ≥25°C , OR 1.093, 95%CI 1.042-1.146). On the contrary, no significant increased risk was found for OIs having a more severe prognosis (≥40 d or more; death). In conclusion, presented findings recommend policymakers to develop appropriate procedures and guidelines, in particular aimed to improve the compliance of younger CWs towards severe-hot daily temperatures.

Introduction. The present study aims to characterize knowledge, attitudes and beliefs in a sample of medical professionals towards point-of-care (POC) rapid tests for SARS-CoV-2 in Italy (April 2020). Material and Methods. A total of 561 professionals (42.6% males, 26.9% ≥ 50-year-old) compiled a specifically designed web questionnaire on characteristics of POC rapid tests. They were asked whether they would change their daily practice and make clinical decisions according to POC tests. Multivariate odds ratios (aOR) for predictors of propensity towards the aforementioned behavioral outcomes were calculated through regression analysis. Results. Overall, only 51.9% knew the official recommendations of the Italian Health Authorities for POC tests, while 26.0% of respondents considered POC tests for COVID-19 highly reliable. Still, 40.3% of respondents would change their daily practice because of such tests, and 38.5% would make clinical decisions based on their results. Knowledge of POC tests’s sensitivity and specificity was not associated with the assessed behavioral outcomes: main positive effectors were: perceived reliability and usefulness of rapid tests, acknowledging the existence of official recommendations, understanding the limited clinical implications of POC tests, and working as occupational physicians were characterized as negative effectors. Conclusions. Propensity of sampled professionals towards POC tests for COVID-19 was diffusely unsatisfying. While actual understanding of accuracy of such tests was not a main effector of propensity, previous experiences with other POC tests in daily practice, particularly among occupational physicians may have impaired overall acceptance of such instruments. (www.actabiomedica.it)

The COVID-19 pandemic and response caused a worrying decline in vaccine uptake around the world. In Italy, the immunization coverage targets set in the 2017-19 National Immunization Prevention Plan (PNPV) have been met only partially. The current public health emergency is likely to have negatively impacted on immunization , with the risk of re-occurrence of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPDs) outbreaks. As flu season approaches, both National Health Institutions and the scientific community in Italy have taken action. Well in advance as compared to previous years, the Ministry of Health released the Circular to launch the 2020-2021 influenza immunization campaign which this year is longer (starting on October 2020) and extends flu vaccine recommendations to more “at risk” subgroups, offered the vaccine free of charge. In addition, some Italian Regions have recently tried to make flu vaccination compulsory for all Healthcare Workers (HCWs). Since 2017, when the law on childhood vaccination in Italy was passed, compulsory vaccination has proved to be a successful strategy towards coverage increase. (www.actabiomedica.it).

Objectives Very little is known regarding the toxicokinetics of inhaled zinc, in particular in the case of female workers and for modern, low exposure settings. Our aim is to evaluate the relationship of external zinc levels to those of serum and urine for female workers. Material and Methods Eleven female workers (age: 41.7±8 years old, body mass index (BMI): 23.5±4.2 kg/m 2 ) in a galvanizing plant were investigated. Exposure assessment consisted of personal/environmental air samples, and measurement of zinc in serum (collected at the end of first shift of the working week (T1)) and urine, collected before the first shift of the working week (T0), T1 and at the end of the last shift of the working week (T2). Results Both environmental and personal air samplings for zinc and zinc compounds were below the recommended by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – DFG) limit values of 2 mg/m 3 (7.34±2.8 μg/m 3 and 8.31±2.4 μg/ m 3 , respectively). Serum (118.6±20.9 μg /dl) and urine zinc levels were within reference values for female Italian subjects: the latter increased from 56.4±33.5 μg/dl at T0, to 59.8±37.0 μg/dl at T1, and ultimately 65.4±34.4 μg/dl at T2, but no significant trend was found. End of shift (Spearman’s correlation coefficient p value = 0.027) and differential excretion of urinary zinc (both: T0 vs. T1 and T0 vs. T2) were correlated with airborne zinc concentration (p = 0.002 and 0.006, respectively). Conclusions In general, our data suggests that urine may be a useful medium also for female in order to assess zinc exposure. Further studies are required in order to evaluate whether differential excretion may be useful for the biomonitoring of zinc exposure in the workplaces also for male workers. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(1):113–124

Objectives Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are quite frequent in healthcare workers (HCWs), but data about MSD in home-based healthcare workers (HHWs) are lacking. In this study we describe the prevalence of MSD among Italian HHWs. Material and methods A case-control study was carried out among 300 random-selected female HCWs, the sample comprising 100 HHWs, 100 HCWs with a low exposure to patient handling (MAPO - Movimentazione e Assistenza Pazienti Ospedalizzati - Movement and Assistance of Hospital Patients index 0-5) and 100 HCWs with high exposure to patient handling (MAPO index ≥ 5.01). As a negative control group, 200 visual display unit workers were also randomly selected. Musculoskeletal disorder cases were collected using a standardized case definition. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed comparing the MSD prevalence in the 4 groups. Results The overall prevalence of MSD was 17% in the reference group and 28.3% for HCWs. HHWs and HCWs with MAPO index ≥ 5.01 had similar prevalence of neck pain (9% and 11%, respectively), whereas lumbosacral pain prevalence was higher in the HHWs group (31%), with similar results in residential HCWs groups (21% in MAPO index 0-5 group and 25% in MAPO index ≥ 5.01 group). HCWs of group MAPO index ≥ 5.01 and HHWs showed the higher prevalence of upper limb complaints, with a prevalence of 20% and 10%, respectively. In multivariate regression analysis, prevalence of MSD complaints was quite similar in HHWs (adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) = 2.335, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.318-4.138) and in HCWs of the group MAPO ≥ 5.01 (ORadj = 2.729, 95% CI: 1.552-4.797). Conclusions The prevalence of MSD in the examined HCWs was relatively high, with HHWs appearing as a particularly high-risk group for lumbosacral back pain. In higher exposed HCWs, upper-limb symptoms were particularly frequent, probably reflecting the different tasks required to manage residential and homebased patients. In conclusion, this study reaffirms the high prevalence of MSD in HHWs, seemly similar to high-risk residential groups. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(2):291-304.

Background. Past researches have shown that schoolteachers’ (STs) interventions maximize the consent for vaccination programs. European data regarding knowledge, attitudes and practices of STs towards vaccination are otherwise lacking. Objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge and attitudes of STs regarding vaccinations in a sample from North Italy. Material and methods. In this cross sectional study, 154 STs from Lombardy region (Northern Italy) responded to a specific questionnaire assessing their attitude towards vaccination and vaccine related knowledge. Results. In general, 88.3% of subjects were somehow favourable to vaccinations. The main reason for declining vaccination was the risk of side effects whereas the main reason to be vaccinated was to avoid to be infected by VPDs (67.6%). Main information sources were health professionals (75.3%), and new media (13.1%), and the latter were STs more frequently associated with a negative attitude towards vaccinations (p < 0.001). Eventually, regression analysis identified risk perception as positively associated with propensity towards vaccinations, both for Students- and STs-recommended vaccinations (B = 0.372, 95%CI 0.247 to 0.496 and B = 0.005, 95%CI 0.004 to 0.006, respectively). Conclusions. Our results are consistent with previous reports suggesting a significant knowledge gap in STs, with the risk perception of infectious diseases as the main predictor for vaccine propensity. Moreover, the better knowledge of official vaccination recommendations and policies among STs identifying Health Professionals as information source enlightens the role of the School Physicians and Occupational Physicians, whose intervention may ultimately increase the vaccination acceptance and vaccination rates., Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene, Vol 58, No 4 (2017): 2017584

Objectives: This study aims to characterize personal attitudes and knowledge of a sample of Italian occupational physicians (OPhs) towards immunization practice in the case of healthcare workers (HCWs). Material and Methods: A total of 90 OPhs (42.2% of males, 57.8% of females, mean age of 50.1±8.3 years old) compiled a structured questionnaire through a telephonic interview. They were asked about the official Italian recommendations for HCWs, their general knowledge of vaccine practice, their propensity towards vaccines (both in general and about specific immunizations), their risk perception about the vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. Eventually, a regression analysis was performed in order to identify factors predictive for vaccine propensity. Results: Only 12 out of 90 subjects correctly identified all the 7 recommended immunizations. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine was correctly identified by 95.6% of the sample, and was also associated with the more positive attitude and the more accurate risk perception. Influenza vaccine had the lowest acceptance (75.9%). Eventually, pertussis, measles, parotitis and varicella vaccines were insufficiently recognized as recommended ones (all cases < 50% of the sample). General knowledge of vaccine and knowledge of official recommendations were significantly correlated with the attitude towards immunization practice (r = 0.259, p = 0.014 and r = 0.438, p < 0.0001). In the regression analysis general knowledge (unstandardized coefficient (B) = 0.300, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.090–0.510, p = 0.006) and risk perception (B = 0.579, 95% CI: 0.155–1.003, p = 0.008) were significant predictors of the propensity to vaccinate. Conclusions: Vaccinations gaps in HCWs may found their roots in OPhs incomplete knowledge of evidence-based recommendations. Specific training programs and formations courses should then be planned. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(5):775–790

We report the extensive investigation of Li and H dynamics in Li6C60 and Li6C60Hy, by combining 7Li and 1H solid state NMR measurements with DC/AC conductivity, in order to evaluate the potential application of these systems for energy-storage purposes. 7Li NMR results show a local motion of Li ions above 200 K in both pristine and hydrogenated compounds, with activation energies of 90–150 meV and correlation times of about 30 ps. Evidences of Li interdiffusive dynamics are given by conductivity measurements in Li6C60 already above 120 K, with activation energies of 240 meV, suggesting that ionic conductivity is of the order of 10−5 S cm−1 at room temperature, with correlation times of about 150 ps. On the other hand, the Li6C60Hy behaves like a semiconductor with a high energy gap (ca. 2.5 eV), suggesting that diffusion of intercalated Li ions is prevented. 1H NMR measurements indicate the absence of H motions for the whole temperature range investigated (up to 360 K), neither on macroscopic or local scale. Li6C60 good properties for H2-storage are confirmed in terms of absorption capacity (5 wt% H2), moreover we found that around 35% of lithium segregates in LiH form, leaving Li4C60H40 as the final hydrogenation product.

Mixed ionic-electronic conductors (MIEC) are of growing interest for fuel cells, batteries and sensors. Here, by exploiting the unique properties of Li 4 C 60 2D fulleride and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), we demonstrate the feasibility of a MIEC where the nature of transport can be tuned from ionic, to mixed, to almost entirely electronic, simply by changing the weight ratio of the two basic components. By coupling 7 Li MAS-NMR, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and open circuit voltage (OCV) measurements of a Li/composite/LiFePO 4 cell we demonstrate that: i) a fraction of Li + ions is extracted by Li 4 C 60 and confined into PEO amorphous strands similarly to what happens in PEO-salt systems; ii) a transition between prevalently ionic and electronic conductivity takes place at 33 wt% Li 4 C 60 . This new class of MIEC is very promising for the design of both chemically and electrochemically stable semi-cells and interfaces which can be employed in batteries and supercapacitors.

Objectives Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common nerve entrapment syndrome, which since the beginning of the seventies has been linked to the keyboard and visual display unit (VDU). The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and personal factors associated with CTS in female VDU workers in Italy. Material and methods Participants in this study were female adult subjects, working ≥ 20 h/week (N = 631, mean age 38.14±7.81 years, mean working age 12.9±7.24 years). Signs and symptoms were collected during compulsory occupational medical surveillance. The binary logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios for the factors of interest. Results Diagnosis of CTS was reported in 48 cases (7.6%, 11 of them or 1.7% after a surgical correction) for the incidence of 5.94/1000 person-years. In general, signs and symptoms of CTS were associated with the following demographic factors: previous trauma of upper limb (adjusted odds ratio (ORa) = 8.093, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.347-27.904), history (> 5 years) of oral contraceptives therapy/hormone replacement therapy (ORa = 3.77, 95% CI: 1.701-8.354) and cervical spine signs/symptoms (ORa = 4.565, 95% CI: 2.281-9.136). Conclusions The prevalence of CTS was similar to the estimates for the general population of Italy. Among personal risk factors, hormone therapy, previous trauma of the upper limb and signs/symptoms of the cervical spine appeared to be associated with a higher risk of CTS syndrome. Eventually, the results reinforce interpretation of CTS in VDU workers as a work-related musculoskeletal disorder rather than a classical occupational disease. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):927-936.

Background Emilia Romagna, a northern Italian region, has a population of 4.27 million, of which 9.7% are immigrants. The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) during the period 1996-2006 in not Italy-born compared to Italy-born cases. Methods Data was obtained from the Regional TB surveillance system, from where personal data, clinical features and risk factors of all notified TB cases were extracted. Results 5377 TB cases were reported. The proportion of immigrants with TB, over the total number of TB cases had progressively increased over the years, from 19.1% to 53.3%. In the not Italy-born population, TB incidence was higher than in Italians (in 2006: 100.7 cases per 100 000 registered not Italy-born subjects and 83.9/100 000 adding 20% of estimated irregular presences to the denominators. TB incidence among Italians was 6.5/100 000 Italians). A progressive rise in the not Italy-born incident cases was observed but associated with a decline in TB incidence. Not Italy-born cases were younger compared to the Italy-born cases, and more frequently classified as "new cases" (OR 2.0 95%CI 1.61-2.49 for age group 20-39); 60.7% had pulmonary TB, 31.6% extra pulmonary and 7.6% disseminated TB. Risk factors for TB in this population group were connected to lower income status (homeless: OR 149.9 95%CI 20.7-1083.3 for age group 40-59). Conclusions In low-incidence regions, prevention and control of TB among sub-groups at risk such as the foreign-born population is a matter of public health concern. In addition, increasing immigration rates may affect TB epidemiology. TB among immigrants is characterized by particular clinical features and risk factors, which should be analyzed in order to plan effective action.