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Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is clinically less severe in children, even if the large variety and degree of severity of symptoms reported in children pose a still unresolved challenge to clinicians. We performed an in-depth analysis of immunological profiles in 18 hospitalized SARS-CoV-2-infected children; results were compared to those obtained in 13 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Patients were categorized as paucisymptomatic/moderate (55.6%) or severe/critical (44.5%), according to established diagnostic criteria, and further stratified into infants (1–12 months, 39%), children (1–12 years, 44%), and adolescents (> 12 years, 17%). We assessed SARS-CoV-2-specific RBD antibodies (Ab), neutralizing antibodies (nAb) and circulating cytokines/chemokines in plasma; SARS-CoV-2-specific immune response was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by gene expression and secretome analyses. Our results disclose peculiar circulating cytokine/chemokine profiles in patients sharing a similar clinical phenotype. A cluster of patients consisted of infants with severe symptoms who presented a hyperinflammatory profile, and extremely polarized antibody profiles, ranging from patients who were negative for Abs and nAbs to those who displayed very high levels of both. In a second cluster consisting of paucisymptomatic patients, a less pronounced increase of inflammatory cytokines along with an association between selected cytokines and humoral responses emerged. A third cluster still consisting of paucisymptomatic patients showed a circulating cytokine/chemokine profile which substantially overlapped with that of HC. SARS-CoV-2-stimulated production of pro-inflammatory proteins (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-17, MIP-1β, and TNF-α), as well as T lymphocytes activation and migration-specific proteins were significantly increased in SARS-CoV-2 infected children compared to HC. Our findings suggest that immune response activation is directly correlated to clinical severity and to a lesser extent to age.

During the COVID-19 public health emergency, an increasing number of studies reported the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewaters worldwide, but little is known about the presence of the virus in surface freshwaters. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate an appropriate and scalable methodological approach for the concentration and detection of SARS-CoV-2 from surface freshwater samples, collected within the Milan rural network subjected to flood spillways activity. Overall, both surface water and distilled water samples spiked with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 were used to validate the concentration method for pathogens determination. Two pre-filtration systems, filter paper and Sartolab

As a reference laboratory for measles and rubella surveillance in Lombardy, we evaluated the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and measles-like syndromes, providing preliminary evidence for undetected early circulation of SARS-CoV-2. Overall, 435 samples from 156 cases were investigated. RNA from oropharyngeal swabs (N = 148) and urine (N = 141) was screened with four hemi-nested PCRs and molecular evidence for SARS-CoV-2 infection was found in 13 subjects. Two of the positive patients were from the pandemic period (2/12, 16.7%, March 2020-March 2021) and 11 were from the pre-pandemic period (11/44, 25%, August 2019-February 2020). Sera (N = 146) were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies. Five of the RNA-positive individuals also had detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. No strong evidence of infection was found in samples collected between August 2018 and July 2019 from 100 patients. The earliest sample with evidence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was from September 12, 2019, and the positive patient was also positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgG and IgM). Mutations typical of B.1 strains previously reported to have emerged in January 2020 (C3037T, C14408T, and A23403G), were identified in samples collected as early as October 2019 in Lombardy. One of these mutations (C14408T) was also identified among sequences downloaded from public databases that were obtained by others from samples collected in Brazil in November 2019. We conclude that a SARS-CoV-2 progenitor capable of producing a measles-like syndrome may have emerged in late June-late July 2019 and that viruses with mutations characterizing B.1 strain may have been spreading globally before the first Wuhan outbreak. Our findings should be complemented by high-throughput sequencing to obtain additional sequence information. We highlight the importance of retrospective surveillance studies in understanding the early dynamics of COVID-19 spread and we encourage other groups to perform retrospective investigations to seek confirmatory proofs of early SARS-CoV-2 circulation.

HPV vaccination is expected to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer. The greatest and the earliest health gains will be ensured by high vaccine coverage among all susceptible people. The high costs and the risk of a reduced cost/effectiveness ratio in sexually active girls still represent the main obstacles for a more widespread use of HPV vaccination in many countries. Data on the rate, risk factors, and HPV types in sexually active women could provide information for the evaluation of vaccination policies extended to broader age cohorts. Sexually active women aged 13-26 years enrolled in an Italian cohort study were screened for cervical HPV infections; HPV-DNA positive samples were genotyped by InnoLipa HPV Genotyping Extra or by RFLP genotype analysis. Among the 796 women meeting the inclusion criteria, 10.80% (95% CI 8.65-12.96) were HPV-DNA infected. Age >18 years, lifetime sexual partners >1, and history of STIs were associated to higher risk of HPV infection in the multivariable models adjusted for age, lifetime sexual partners, and time of sexual exposure. The global prevalence of the four HPV vaccine-types was 3.02% (95% CI 1.83-4.20) and the cumulative probability of infection from at least one vaccine-type was 12.82% in 26-years-old women and 0.78% in 18-years-old women. Our data confirm most of the previously reported findings on the risk factors for HPV infections. The low prevalence of the HPV vaccine-types found may be useful for the evaluation of the cost/efficacy and the cost/effectiveness of broader immunization programs beyond the 12-years-old cohort. © 2014 Landes Bioscience.

Aim/Purpose: The aim of this paper is to identify some of the issues in writing a trans-disciplinary doctoral thesis and to develop strategies for addressing them, particularly focusing on the presentation of data and data analysis. The paper, based on the authors’ own experience, offers guidance to, and invites further comment from, transdisciplinary doctoral candidates, their supervisors and their examiners, as well as the broader field of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary researchers. Background: The paper uses the authors’ experience of writing four very different transdisciplinary doctoral theses to examine the diverse responses received from examiners and what this means for the thesis writing process. The theses and examiners’ reports span an array of disciplinary and transdisciplinary epistemologies, ontologies, and world views. Methodology: A preliminary review of the examiners’ reports revealed a common concern with the definition of ‘data’ and with ‘data analysis’. The examiners’ reports were then more formally coded and thematized. These themes were then used to reflect critically on the four theses, within a broad interpretive framework based on the idea of writing ‘convincingly’, and in light of current literature on the meaning of ‘data’ and the idea and aims of transdisciplinarity. Contribution: The paper offers specific strategies for doctoral candidates, their supervisors, and examiners in working with the burgeoning number of doctoral research projects that are now taking place in the transdisciplinary space. Findings: Doctoral candidates engaged in transdisciplinary research need to define what they mean by data and make data visible in their research, be creative in their conceptions of data and in how they communicate this to examiners, specify the quality criteria against which they wish their work to be assessed and hold discussions with their supervisors about examiner appointments and briefing, and communicate to examiners the special value of transdisciplinary research and the journey on which it takes the researcher. Our conclusion connects these findings to the development of an emerging concept of transdisciplinary research writing. Recommendations for Practitioners: See below under ‘Recommendations for Researchers’ (For the purpose of this paper, practitioners are the researchers). Recommendation for Researchers: The paper makes the following recommendations for transdisciplinary doctoral researchers: • Make the data visible and argue for the unique or special way in which the data will be used • Make clear the quality criteria against which you expect the work to be judged • Be creative and explore the possibilities enabled by a broad interpretation of ‘data’ • Transdisciplinary research is transformative. Communicate this to your examiner. Impact on Society: As more complex and ‘wicked’ problems in the world are increasingly addressed through transdisciplinary research, it is important that doctoral research in this area be encouraged, which continues to develop transdisciplinary theoretical frameworks, methodologies and applications. The strategies proposed in this paper will help to ensure the development of high quality transdisciplinary researchers and a greater understanding of the value of transdisciplinary research in the wider research community. It also draws attention to the potential benefits of similar strategies in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research. Future Research: Further exploration is needed of how researchers across disciplines can ‘talk’ to one another to resolve complex problems, and how the solitary transdisciplinary scholar, such as the doctoral student, can effectively communicate their research contribution to others. These issues could also be explored for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research teams.