Search

Increasingly, conservation genetics pinpoint the use of biological matrices collected without stressing wildlife. Cervid’s antlers seem to fit with this need. We verified the amplification success rate from DNA obtained from red deer antlers collected in the State Nature Reserve of Bosco della Mesola, Northern Italy and its use for conservation purposes. Here occurs the only native red deer population of peninsular Italy, recently recognized as a distinct subspecies (Cervus elaphus italicus). Four antlers stored at room temperature for four years and four samples highly degraded by environmental conditions were analyzed using a multimarker approach. We utilized a simple, inexpensive method to extract DNA from drilled antlers powder. This study confirms that weathered antlers can be a suitable source of DNA also in Mediterranean climate characterized by strong seasonal fluctuations, and not only in dry climates. Our results pointed out that only burr drilling yielded good quality amplifiable DNA. Antlers can be used in particular for molecular genetic studies on rare or threatened species of cervids as providing an efficient and cost-effective non-invasive sampling.

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.Review publications concerning the use of photocatalytic systems in hospital setting, focusing on products based on TiOSpecific keywords combinations were analitically searched in PubMed and Scopus databases.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.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.

We analysed variation in 10 polymorphic microsatellites and a variable portion of control region of mtDNA in 24 specimens from 3 populations of European Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus feldeggii living in Sicily, continental Italy and the Balkan area to assess species' genetic diversity and population structure in the poorly investigated range of this threatened subspecies. We considered also a dataset of previously published mtDNA sequences of the other Lanner Falcon subspecies and of Hierofalco subgenus members (F. cherrug, F. rusticolus and F. jugger) to outline the genetic variation in the region on a wide-ranging basis. Regard with mtDNA we identified 6 haplotypes from our 24 European Lanner Falcon specimens, 3 of which were new and unique (1 Sicilian, 2 Balkans) and the 3 others already known and shared with other Hierofalcons. The 62.5% of our sample, including 14 of Sicilians and one Apulia specimen, belonged to haplotype H_24 shared with F. c. cherrug, F. rusticolus and F. jugger. MtDNA analyses of European Lanner Falcons showed a dispersed pattern of our specimens inside the main Hierofalco clades and haplo-groups in a way congruent to what found in recent literature. These analyses confirmed that none of the Hierofalcons form a monophyletic group, nonetheless the Lanner Falcons can be subdivided in two major Palaearctic (F. b. feldeggii, F. b. erlangeri and F. b. tanypterus) and sub-Sahara African (F. b. biarmicus and F. b. abyssinicus) clades. Microsatellites analysis yielded a first outline of population genetic structure, with genetic identity between continental Italy and Sicily and a moderate degree of differentiation of the Balkan area with Sicily and continental Italy. The 3 populations did not show significant departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, with low values of the inbreeding coefficients and had allele richness and haplotype diversity consistent with literature. Microsatellites analysis (Nm, frequency of private alleles) suggests a gene flow among the three examined populations and the connection of Sicilian population to those of mainland.

Characterizing the genetic outfit of a species is fundamental to evaluate its status and devise optimal conservation plans to maintain or enhance the viability of its populations. The greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) underwent declines across Europe over the 20th century and was thus listed in the EU Habitat Directive and the species protection legislation of EU countries. To understand what is the state of the species in Italy, we described the genetic variability and population structure derived from 327 bats sampled in twenty-two Italian colonies. The analysis of the first part of the mitochondrial DNA control region (525 bp) and a panel of 12 microsatellite loci revealed high genetic variability throughout the study area and the presence of two genetically distinct groups: the Sardinian and the peninsular pools. We could also identify indications of a genetic substructure within the peninsular population, with a significant divergence concerning colonies located at the northern borders. Notably, the relevant genetic differentiation between Italian and Sardinian colonies should be carefully taken into account for conservation planning.

On March 12, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), to be a pandemic. From the beginning, Italy (in particular the Northern regions) was the first large European country to be hit and one of the most affected countries worldwide. This had a significant impact on the workload and psychological health of health workers. The aim of this web-based cross-sectional study is to assess the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on Italian doctors' well-being and psychological distress, in respect of demographic and occupational characteristics, lifestyle and habits during the lockdown period.We conducted a web-based cross-sectional survey based on Google® Forms to collect data. The participation was available during the lockdown period that started in Italy on March 9, 2020 and it was voluntary and anonymous. The questionnaire explored demographic and occupational variables, lifestyle and habits during the lockdown, perceived well-being and psychological distress. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted.Our study reported the very alarming psychological conditions of Italian doctors, especially among those who worked in the most affected regions, where a level of psychological distress of 93.8% and poor well-being of 58.9% were registered. These percentages were even higher in the case of female hospital workers with low job seniority, and those caring for COVID-19 patients.Our findings reported a significant psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Italian doctors, particularly among those working in the most affected regions of the country. Further studies are necessary to better understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on doctors' well-being and mental health over time, in order to implement effective prevention measures.

With the aim of investigating the possible moderating effect of job control and dispositional mindfulness between different sources of organizational stress and job satisfaction, a correlational study was designed involving health care workers (HCWs). The following questionnaires were administered and completed by 237 HCWs: (1) Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI), to measure the sources of stress at work (managerial role, climate power, climate structure, internal relationships), and job satisfaction, (2) Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) to assess the individual&rsquo, s level of attention to what is taking place in the present, (3) Job Control Scale (JCS) to assess the perceived control at work. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the hypothesized relationships between variables, the results showed that, between the different sources of stress, the organizational climate dimension was negatively associated with job satisfaction, moreover, mindfulness attention moderated the relationship between climate stress and job satisfaction, unexpectedly, the interaction between job control and the organizational climate dimension was not significant in affecting job satisfaction. This study can provide useful information for Human Resources Management (HRM) practices regarding job and mental control interventions and empowerment, and possibly offer a new interpretation of the role of attention to what is happening in the present moment and autonomy between climate stressors and occupational satisfaction.

Work-related stress (WRS) is widespread among medical doctors. WRS not only affects the physician's mental and physical well-being, but also patient care quality and the overall efficiency of the healthcare system. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the current preventive measures against mental disorders, work-related stress, and burnout among physicians.The presentation of this systematic review is in accordance with the PRISMA statement. The methodological quality of the selected studies was assessed with specific rating tools: INSA, Newcastle Ottawa Scale, JADAD scale, and AMSTAR. English publications only were selected. No restrictions applied for publication type. Reviewers excluded articles not concerning the following topics: WRS prevention, WRS risk factors and mental disorders among physicians. Reviewers also excluded findings of less academic significance, editorial articles, individual contributions, purely descriptive studies published in scientific conferences.Online search returned 4748 references on the following databases: PubMed (1638), Scopus (3108) and Cochrane Library (2). 36 studies were included in this review (thereof, 13 reviews and 23 original articles). Narrative reviews were rated on the INSA scale. The mean, median, and modal rating was 6. This indicates an intermediate-high quality of these studies. Systematic reviews were rated on the AMSTAR scale. The mean and median rating was 9, and the modal rating was 8. This indicates a high quality of these studies. The scores assigned to the original articles have a mean, median, and modal rating of 7. This also indicates an intermediate-high quality of these studies.Work-related stress and mental disorders seem to be widespread among medical practitioners. It is already a priority to adopt preventive measures against these phenomena. However, there is still no consensus on what the most effective measures are. Additional research is needed to formulate evidence-based recommendations.

Nicola Mucci,1 Gabriele Giorgi,2 Mattia Roncaioli,3 Javier Fiz Perez,2 Giulio Arcangeli11Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, 2Department of Psychology, European University of Rome, Rome, 3Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, ItalyAbstract: In 2008 a deep economic crisis started in the US and rapidly spread around the world. Thecrisis severely affected the labor market and employees’ well-being. Hence, the aim of this work is to implement a systematic review of the principal studies that analyze the impact of the economic crisis on the health of workers. We conducted our search on the PubMed database, and a total of 19 articles were selected for review. All studies showed that the economic crisis was an important stressor that had a negative impact on workers’ mental health. Most of the studies documented that a rise in unemployment, increased workload, staff reduction, and wages reduction were linked to an increased rate of mood disorders, anxiety, depression, dysthymia, and suicide. Some studies showed that problems related to the crisis may have also affected the general health of workers by increasing the risk of such health problems as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Finally, some studies looked at the impact of the crisis on health care services. These studies demonstrated that the reduction in public expenditure on health care services, and the reduction of public hospital budgets due to the recession, led to organizational problems (eg, medical supply shortages).Keywords: economic crisis, recession, work-related stress, mental health, risks assessment, occupational medicine

Background Cytotoxic antineoplastic drugs (ADs), widely used in treating cancer, are considered hazardous in the workplace and thus require safe handling practices. An analytical protocol for environmental and biological AD monitoring in the healthcare environment has been developed, since Europe lacks clear guidelines and regulations for cytostatic preparation and handling. Material and methods Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for measuring contemporaneously 20 multi-class cytostatic compounds and urinary α-fluoro-β-alanine, whereas platinum was detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Sampling procedures and analytical conditions were optimized and the assays were validated. Environmental AD monitoring data, collected in 2009-2017, for a total of 3749 wipe tests and 57 720 determinations, was evaluated. Results The proportion of positive samples gradually decreased from 11.7% in 2010 to 1% in 2017, however, 2266 determinations were positive. No urine sample had detectable concentrations of any of the 4 drugs considered (0/398 samples). Conclusions These improvements are so large that the key role played by the new, more stringent rules for preparing and administering ADs is evident. Hence, the analytical method involving multi-element determinations allows for a more thorough and complete investigation into the AD contamination of work environments. Med Pr 2018;69(6):589-604.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in libraries is influenced by the presence of specific factors which can impact on both paper storage as well as people health. Microclimatic conditions induce and support a biodiversity pattern involving environmental and anthropic microorganisms. We used a multidisciplinary monitoring model to characterize microflora biodiversity by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). Biodiversity indexes were adapted to evaluate anthropic vs environmental pollution by combining microbial load (H), species representativeness (EH), human/environmental pollution ratio (SA) to better characterize the NGS output and acquire synthetic information on Indoor Air Microbial Biodiversity (IAMB). Results indicate a frequently low microbial load (IGCM/m3, Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene, Vol 58, No 3 (2017): 2017583

The conditions for in vitro oocyte maturation impact on cytoplasmic and nuclear processes in the oocyte. These events are differentially influenced by the nature of the maturation inducer as well as by the presence of intact cumulus in COCs. EGF is the main growth factor promoting oocyte maturation. Also, hyaluronic acid (HA) produced by cumulus cells is known to be responsible for the correct structural and functional organization of the cumulus during oocyte maturation. Therefore, we evaluated the developmental competence of bovine oocytes matured in vitro in a maturation medium supplemented with both EGF and HA, compared to FSH and FBS. In addition, the impact of IVM conditions on the proteomic profile of metaphase II bovine oocytes was analyzed by 2D electrophoresis. Cumulus oocyte complexes were matured in two media: 1) 10 ng/mL EGF, 15 μg/mL HA, 100 μM cysteamine and 2) 0.01 UI/ mL rh-FSH, 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). The percentages of first polar body and embryo production and the kinetics of embryo development and oocyte proteomic profiles were analyzed. Oocytes matured in the presence of EGF-HA showed an increase (6%, p

The current study aims at measuring mental health in a sample of Italian workers as to evaluate the usability of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), both at individual and organizational levels. Indeed, working in unhealthy organizations appears to be particularly risky for workers. A database was built from data collected through a survey of workers in Italian industrial and public firms. The final sample comprised 2,707 employees from 55 Italian organizations. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted in which different competing models were tested. In addition, we measured the degrees of mental health both at individual and organizational levels by using a two-step cluster analysis. The findings of this study indicate that the GHQ has potential not only for measuring mental health at individual level but also at organizational level. In addition, demographic data was associated with mental health and appeared useful for epidemiological purposes. Finally, the use of a two-step cluster analysis illustrates the conceptualization of different degrees of mental health problems. These findings have some important theoretical implications for mental health promotion and also offer several opportunities for more in-depth research. Furthermore, these findings have the potential to help organizations prevent mental health problems at individual and organizational levels concurrently.

Objective: to develop a multiple-endpoint monitoring system in order to assess and minimize long term risks in hospital nurses exposed to antiblastic drugs. Design: molecular epidemiology study. Setting: S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital in Bologna, Italy nurses exposed to antiblastic drugs. Participants: 50 exposed subjects (8 males and 42 females) and 50 unexposed individuals (8 males and 42 females) matched for age and smoking habits. Main outcome measures: urinary markers of exposure; Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) 27, 70, 90, 110; immunological biomarkers in peripheral blood lymphocytes; apoptosis, cell-cycle analysis G1-S-G, typization of Natural Killer cells (NK) and receptors for IL-2 in peripheral blood lymphocytes; micronuclei: frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes and in exfoliated buccal mucosa cells; activation of specific oncogenes (bax, bcl2, b-actin). Results: 19/50 subjects showed urinary antiblastic drugs levels (3 subjects MTX, 11 subjects CP, 5 subjects MTX and CP). No statistically significant differences were observed in all the considered biomarkers between the exposed and control groups. Conclusion: this biomonitoring study doesn’t evidence any early significant effect associated to the exposure to antiblastic drugs.