Toxoplasmosis and knowledge. What do the Italian women know about?

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonotic infectious disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii. This infection is estimated to affect about a third of the world’s population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of Italian women about toxoplasmosis and its forms of transmission, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and prevention through two different modalities (e-research and traditional research). In a cross-sectional study 808 Italian women were interviewed, using a self-administered questionnaire, through two different modalities: an e-research or web survey and a traditional paper research. By the 84% of women interviewed, it was reported to have hear about toxoplasmosis, but from the most of the sample, it resulted that the knowledge of protozoan disease was superficial and incomplete. The assessment of the dimensionality related to the toxoplasmosis knowledge’s instrument showed that the scale is composed by two stable and reliable factors which explain 58.6% of the variance: a) the basic knowledge (α=0.83), which explains the 45.2% of the variance, and b) the specialist knowledge (α=0.71), which explains the 13.4% of the variance. The variance and the multiple linear regression data analysis showed significant predictors of correct basic knowledge of toxoplasmosis: the highest age, the highest degree of study, to have previously contracted illness or to know someone who had contracted, to be working or to be housewives. In conclusion, this study showed limited awareness of toxoplasmosis and suggested the implementation of the effective education and learning programs. The results also showed that online data collection, in academic research, might be a valid alternative to more traditional (paper-and-pencil) surveys

Workers’ exposure assessment during the production of graphene nanoplatelets in r&d laboratory

Widespread production and use of engineered nanomaterials in industrial and research settings raise concerns about their health impact in the workplace. In the last years, graphene-based nanomaterials have gained particular interest in many application fields. Among them, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) showed superior electrical, optical and thermal properties, low-cost and availability. Few and conflicting results have been reported about toxicity and potential effects on workers’ health, during the production and handling of these nanostructures. Due to this lack of knowledge, systematic approaches are needed to assess risks and quantify workers’ exposure to GNPs. This work applies a multi-metric approach to assess workers’ exposure during the production of GNPs, based on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) methodology by integrating real-time measurements and personal sampling. In particular, we analyzed the particle number concentration, the average diameter and the lung deposited surface area of airborne nanoparticles during the production process conducted by thermal exfoliation in two different ways, compared to the background. These results have been integrated by electron microscopic and spectroscopic analysis on the filters sampled by personal impactors. The study identifies the process phases potentially at risk for workers and reports quantitative information about the parameters that may influence the exposure in order to propose recommendations for a safer design of GNPs production process

Occupational Exposure to Metal Engineered Nanoparticles: A Human Biomonitoring Pilot Study Involving Italian Nanomaterial Workers

Advances in nanotechnology have led to an increased use of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) and the likelihood for occupational exposures. However, how to assess such exposure remains a challenge. In this study, a methodology for human biomonitoring, based on Single Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS), was developed as a tool to assess the ENPs exposure of workers involved in nanomaterial activities in two Italian Companies. The method was validated for size and number concentration determination of Ag, Au, In2O3, Ir, Pd, Pt, and TiO2 NPs in urine and blood samples. The results showed the presence of In2O3 NPs in blood of exposed workers (mean, 38 nm and 10,371 particles/mL), but not in blood of controls. Silver, Au, and TiO2 NPs were found in urine (mean, Ag 29 nm and 16,568 particles/mL) or blood (mean, Au 15 nm and 126,635 particles/mL; TiO2 84 nm and 27,705 particles/mL) of workers, though these NPs were found also in controls. The presence of ENPs in both workers and controls suggested that the extra-professional exposure is a source of ENPs that cannot be disregarded. Iridium, Pd, and Pt NPs were not detected neither in blood nor in urine. Overall, the findings provided a rational basis to evaluate the exposure assessment to ENPs in cohorts of workers as part of risk assessment and risk management processes in workplaces

Young workers’ access to and awareness of occupational safety and health services: age-differences and possible drivers in a large survey of employees in Italy

Young workers are in particular need of occupational safety and health (OSH) services, but it is unclear whether they have the necessary access to such services. We compared young with older workers in terms of the access to and awareness of OSH services, and examined if differences in employment conditions accounted for age-differences. We used survey data from Italy (INSuLA 1, 2014), with a sample of 8000 employed men and women aged 19 to 65 years, including 732 young workers aged under 30 years. Six questions measured access to services, and five questions assessed awareness of different OSH issues. Several employment conditions were included. Analyses revealed that young workers had less access and a lower awareness of OSH issues compared with older workers. For instance, odds ratios (OR) suggest that young workers had a 1.44 times higher likelihood [95%—confidence interval 1.21–1.70] of having no access to an occupational physician, and were more likely (2.22 [1.39–3.38]) to be unaware of legal OSH frameworks. Adjustment for selected employment conditions (company size, temporary contract) substantially reduced OR’s, indicating that these conditions contribute to differences between older and younger workers. We conclude that OSH management should pay particular attention to young workers in general and, to young workers in precarious employment, and working in small companies in particular

Assessment of DNA Damage and Telomerase Activity in Exfoliated Urinary Cells as Sensitive and Noninvasive Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer in Ex-Workers of a Rubber Tyres Industry

The aim of the present study was to identify sensitive and noninvasive biomarkers of early carcinogenic effect at target organ to use in biomonitoring studies of workers at risk for previous occupational exposure to potential carcinogens. Standard urine cytology (Papanicolaou staining test), comet assay, and quantitative telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay were performed in 159 ex-rubber workers employed in tyres production and 97 unexposed subjects. In TRAP positive cases, a second level analysis using FISH (Urovysion) was done. Cystoscopy results were available for 11 individuals whose 6 FISH/TRAP/comet positive showed in 3 cases a dysplastic condition confirmed by biopsy, 1 comet positive resulted in infiltrating UBC to the biopsy and with hyperplasia and slight dysplasia to the urinary cytology, 1 comet positive resulted in papillary superficial UBC to the biopsy, 1 FISH/TRAP positive showed a normal condition, and 2 TRAP positive showed in one case a phlogosis condition. The results evidenced good concordance of TRAP, comet, and FISH assays as early biomarkers of procarcinogenic effect confirmed by the dysplastic condition and UBC found by cystoscopy-biopsy analysis. The analysis of these markers in urine cells could be potentially more accurate than conventional cytology in monitoring workers exposed to mixture of bladder potential carcinogens

The sensor-based biomechanical risk assessment at the base of the need for revising of standards for human ergonomics

Due to the epochal changes introduced by “Industry 4.0”, it is getting harder to apply the varying approaches for biomechanical risk assessment of manual handling tasks used to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMDs) considered within the International Standards for ergonomics. In fact, the innovative human–robot collaboration (HRC) systems are widening the number of work motor tasks that cannot be assessed. On the other hand, new sensor-based tools for biomechanical risk assessment could be used for both quantitative “direct instrumental evaluations” and “rating of standard methods”, allowing certain improvements over traditional methods. In this light, this Letter aims at detecting the need for revising the standards for human ergonomics and biomechanical risk assessment by analyzing the WMDs prevalence and incidence; additionally, the strengths and weaknesses of traditional methods listed within the International Standards for manual handling activities and the next challenges needed for their revision are considered. As a representative example, the discussion is referred to the lifting of heavy loads where the revision should include the use of sensor-based tools for biomechanical risk assessment during lifting performed with the use of exoskeletons, by more than one person (team lifting) and when the traditional methods cannot be applied. The wearability of sensing and feedback sensors in addition to human augmentation technologies allows for increasing workers’ awareness about possible risks and enhance the effectiveness and safety during the execution of in many manual handling activities

Nanoparticle formation and dynamics in a complex (dusty) plasma: from the plasma ignition to the afterglow.

Complex (dusty) plasmas are a subject of growing interest. They areionized gases containing charged dust particles. In capacitively-coupled RF discharges, dust growth can occur naturally and two methods can be used to grow dust particles: chemically active plasmas or sputtering. The growth of dust particles in argon discharges by RF sputtering and the effect of dust particles on theplasma have been investigated from the plasma ignition to the afterglow. It was shown that plasma and discharge parameters are greatly affected by the dust particles. Furthermore, plasma instabilities can be triggered by the presence of the dust particles. These instabilities can be due to dust particle growth or they can be instabilities of a well established dust cloud filling the interelectrode space. When the discharge is switched off, the dust particles act like a sink for the charge carrier and consequently affect the plasma losses. It was shown that the dust particles do keep residual chargeswhich values are greatly affected by the diffusion of the charge carriers and especially the transition from ambipolar to free diffusion

Psychosocial risk assessment in organizations: concurrent validity of the brief version of the Management Standards Indicator Tool

The Management Standards Indicator Tool (MSIT) is a 35-item self-report measure of the psychosocial work environment designed to assist organizations with psychosocial risk assessment. It is also used in work environment research. Edwards and Webster presented a 25-item version of the MSIT based on the deletion of items having a factor loading of < .65. Stress theory and research suggest that psychosocial hazard exposures may result in harm to the health of workers. Thus, using data collected from three UK organizations (N = 20,406) we compared the concurrent validity of the brief and full versions of the MSIT by exploring the strength of association between each version of the instrument and a measure of psychological wellbeing (GHQ-12 and Maslach Burnout Inventory). Analyses revealed that the brief instrument offered similar but not always equal validity to that of the full version. The results indicate that use of the brief instrument, which would be less disruptive for employees, would not elevate the risk of false negative or false positive findings in risk assessment

Workers\u2019 exposure to nano-objects with different dimensionalities in R&D laboratories: Measurement strategy and field studies

With the increasing interest in the potential benefits of nanotechnologies, concern is still growing that they may present emerging risks for workers. Various strategies have been developed to assess the exposure to nano-objects and their agglomerates and aggregates (NOAA) in the workplace, integrating different aerosol measurement instruments and taking into account multiple parameters that may influence NOAA toxicity. The present study proposes a multi-metric approach for measuring and sampling NOAA in the workplace, applied to three case studies in laboratories each dedicated to materials with different shapes and dimensionalities: graphene, nanowires, and nanoparticles. The study is part of a larger project with the aim of improving risk management tools in nanomaterials research laboratories. The harmonized methodology proposed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been applied, including information gathering about materials and processes, measurements with easy-to-use and hand-held real-time devices, air sampling with personal samplers, and off-line analysis using scanning electron microscopy. Significant values beyond which an emission can be attributed to the NOAA production process were identified by comparison of the particle number concentration (PNC) time series and the corresponding background levels in the three laboratories. We explored the relations between background PNC and microclimatic parameters. Morphological and elemental analysis of sampled filters was done to identify possible emission sources of NOAA during the production processes: rare particles, spherical, with average diameter similar to the produced NOAA were identified in the nanoparticles laboratory, so further investigation is recommended to confirm the potential for worker exposure. In conclusion, the information obtained should provide a valuable basis for improving risk management strategies in the laboratory at work

Changes in Cardiac Autonomic Regulation after Acute Lung Exposure to Carbon Nanotubes: Implications for Occupational Exposure

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are among the most relevant engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). Given the expected rise of exposure to ENMs, there is concern that they may adversely affect health of exposed people. Aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) pulmonary exposure acutely affect the autonomic cardiovascular regulation in conscious rats. We studied Wistar-Kyoto rats in which a telemetry transmitter for continuous arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR) recordings was surgically implanted. SWCNTs dispersed in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) or PBS alone were randomly administered intratracheally. Immediately before, and 24 hours after each instillation a 30 min AP recording was performed. The sequence analysis was performed to evaluate the baroreflex function. In the control group, PBS instillation did not induce any significant changes. At variance the SWCNT exposure induced a significant reduction of baroreflex system (BRS) (3.5 \ub1 0.6 versus 2.6 \ub1 0.40\u2009msec/mmHg) without significant changes in the occurrence of baroreflex sequences (7.5 \ub1 0.47 % versus 7.4 \ub1 0.38 %). Our results show that SWCNT pulmonary exposure might affect the cardiovascular autonomic regulation thus contributing to cardiac and arrhythmic events