Type III interferons disrupt the lung epithelial barrier upon viral recognition

Viral infections of the lower respiratory tract are a leading cause of mortality. Mounting evidence indicates that most severe cases are characterized by aberrant immune responses and do not depend on viral burden. In this study, we assessed how type III interferons (IFN-λ) contribute to the pathogenesis induced by RNA viruses. We report that IFN-λ is present in the lower, but not upper, airways of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In mice, we demonstrate that IFN-λ produced by lung dendritic cells in response to a synthetic viral RNA induces barrier damage, causing susceptibility to lethal bacterial superinfections. These findings provide a strong rationale for rethinking the pathophysiological role of IFN-λ and its possible use in clinical practice against endemic viruses, such as influenza virus as well as the emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection

Health Surveillance and Response to SARS-CoV-2 Mass Testing in Health Workers of a Large Italian Hospital in Verona, Veneto

Italy presented the first largest COVID-19 outbreak outside of China. Veneto currently ranks fourth among the Italian regions for COVID-19 confirmed cases (~19,000). This study presents health surveillance data for SARS-CoV-2 in 6100 health workers (HW) employed in a large public hospital. Workers underwent oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swabs, with a total of 5942 participants (97.5% of the population). A total of 11,890 specimens were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection using PCR, identifying the viral genes E, RdRP, and N. Positive tests were returned for 238 workers (cumulative incidence of 4.0%, similar in both COVID and nonCOVID units). SARS-CoV-2 risk was not affected by gender, age, or job type, whereas work setting and occupation were both predictors of infection. The risk was higher in medical wards (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.9\u20133.9) and health services (OR 4.3, 95% CI 2.4\u20137.6), and lower in surgical wards and administration areas. To our knowledge, this study represents the largest available HW case list swab-tested for SARS-CoV-2, covering almost the total workforce. Mass screening enabled the isolation of HW, improved risk assessment, allowed for close contacts of and infected HW to return to work, provided evidence of SARS-CoV-2 diffusion, and presented solid ground to prevent nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infections. The ongoing concurrent sero-epidemiological study aims to enable the improvement of health surveillance to maintain the safety of HWs and the communities they serve

Well-being among Italian medical oncologists: An exploratory study

Background: Recently, attention has been focused on physicians' stress and quality-of-life improvement. Due to their relationship with patients, oncologists in particular are overloaded physically, emotionally and psychologically. Previous studies showed that training of communication skills improves the satisfaction and well-being of physicians and patients. Aims: Our research investigates the relationship between work stress and engagement and personal well-being in physicians working in Italian hospitals. Materials and Methods: 176 physicians were included. Doctors filled out self-report questionnaires to evaluate work stress and coping strategies, personal well-being, work engagement and two purpose-built scales to measure the degree of perceived organizational support and the level of specific training of social and relational skills. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data, as well as correlation analysis (Pearson's r), hierarchical regression analysis (enter step) and analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA). Result: Positive and significant correlations were found between variables. Moreover, physicians who obtained higher levels of specific training on social and relational skills reported lower levels of stress. Oncologists experienced greater stress than other physicians in terms of maladaptive coping and lack of additional training. Conclusions: The study suggests that physicians' well-being is mediated by professional aspects, such as social skills in relationships with patients.M

La Scienza e l'immaginario

L’attività di divulgazione della cultura scientifica ha un ruolo fondamentale sulla società, sia in termini di applicazioni innovative che di pianificazione dell’ambiente. I ricercatori dell’IAS-CNR di Capo Granitola operano da anni nell’ambito della diffusione della cultura scientifica, attraverso processi complessi e percorsi di divulgazione in partnership con istituti scolastici del territorio, realizzando attività seminariali, convegni direttamente nelle scuole, nonché visite didattiche guidate degli alunni nei laboratori dell’Istituto ed esperimenti interdisciplinari sull’ambiente marino. Tali processi divulgativi si sono sviluppati creando numerosi percorsi, in maniera per certi aspetti analoga a quella per cui dalla mescolanza dei tre colori fondamentali si è in grado di ottenere un numero pressoché illimitato di tinte diverse. Lo scopo di questa “mescolanza” è stato quello di ottenere un ventaglio di competenze e strumentazioni che consentissero di indagare i differenti aspetti dell’ecosistema marino da diversi punti di vista ed in maniera sinergica, tale da restituire un quadro il più ricco possibile di “tinte” e particolari. (Scienza e arte di Salvatore Mazzola) La Scienza e l'immaginario di Angela Cuttitta. Il progetto “La Scienza e l’Immaginario” nasce dalla collaborazione tra l’IAS - CNR di Capo Granitola e l’Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo, che attraverso un approccio multidisciplinare ha voluto sperimentare l’unione tra il mondo scientifico e quello artistico, mettendo i giovani artisti, attraverso proiezioni e seminari scientifici, nelle condizioni di scoprire il mondo dell’ambiente marino e degli ecosistemi in esso presenti. Il progetto è nato dalla consapevolezza di come sia necessario operare sul piano della diffusione e divulgazione della cultura scientifica nei più vasti contesti sociali, a partire dall’ambito scolastico. Le azioni divulgative mirano, infatti, a diffondere la conoscenza dei processi geologici, chimico-fisici, climatici e biologici in modo pervasivo, non limitato a singole categorie/settori. La funzione strategica di tali azioni è quella di stimolare idee ed iniziative nonché di sviluppare una maggiore sensibilità nei confronti dei fenomeni che ci circondano, quale presupposto essenziale per una corretta programmazione politico-gestionale. Lo spirito che ha mosso tutte gli attori del progetto è stato quello di sensibilizzare gli studenti nei confronti della tutela delle risorse marine proprie del loro territorio e di sviluppare e promuovere la cultura come volano dello sviluppo sostenibile, della pace e dell’integrazione sociale, in armonia con quanto indicato dal Consiglio Europeo di Lisbona 2000. Grazie al lavoro di docenti e di ricercatori, l’arte come forma espressiva si è rivelata uno strumento valido e innovativo di divulgazione della cultura scientifica e ha portato alla creazione di suggestioni sui ragazzi che hanno percepito e realizzato forme e armonie espresse in questa mostra. L’impegno per questa manifestazione rappresenta, quindi, un appuntamento importante con le forze vive siciliane nel campo delle scienze del mare segnatamente ad esperti di biologia, chimica, fisica ed al mondo fantastico dell’arte, al fine di esprimere con le varie tecniche pittoriche un momento di riflessione culturale

COVID-19 and labour migration: investigating vulnerability in Italy and in the UK

This article provides preliminary analyses on how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the labour market positions of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Italy and in Great Britain. Our research interest stems from the findings of the EU funded SIRIUS project (Skills and integration of migrants, refugees and asylum applicants in European labour markets) as well as from literature which highlight that migrants’ roles in the European labour markets are characterised by a high level of vulnerability. Such a vulnerable situation depends, on the one hand, from the juridical-legal status that migrants receive when entering the new country of settlement, a status which may limit their rights and their access to regular employment and to services conducive to decent employment such as vocational training or language learning. On the other hand, migrants’ vulnerability depends also on they being over-represented in those jobs which have been qualified as ‘front-line’, and therefore more exposed to risks of contagion during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as workers in the care, or parcel distribution sectors. Hence, this paper discusses the effect of the intertwinement of the pandemic with a status of double-vulnerability on migrants’ life

Dipendenza da sostanze ed esperienze sfavorevoli infantili: uno studio empirico condotto con la Childhood Experiences of Care and Abuse Interview (CECA)

Backgroud: Numerose ricerche rilevano l’impatto che esperienze sfavorevoli infantili possono avere sulla dipendenza da sostanze. Metodo: 32 tossicodipendenti maschi in trattamento presso comunità e 32 soggetti appartenenti a un gruppo non clinico sono stai intervistati attraverso la Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse. Risultati: La maggior parte dei soggetti del gruppo clinico ha esperito maggiori esperienze (p<0,05) di negligenza, abuso fisico, abuso psicologico e ha ricevuto forme più inadeguate di supervisione e disciplina. Inoltre, i soggetti del gruppo clinico sono stati esposti a un numero più elevato (p=0,01) di esperienze sfavorevoli. Conclusioni: I risultati suggeriscono la presenza di specifiche forme di abuso e maltrattamento legate allo sviluppo di dipendenza da sostanze.Background: Many studies showed that adverse childhood experiences may increase the risk of substance abuse. Method: Thirty-two male participants in treatment for substance abuse and thirty-two non clinical subjects were interviewed with Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA). Results: Subjects with substance addiction had experienced more neglect, physical abuse, psychological abuse, inconsistent supervision and variable discipline compared with their non clinical control (p<0,05). Furthermore, they were exposed during childhood to a greater number of adverse experiences (p=0,01) than their control. Conclusion: The study suggests that specific types of adverse childhood experiences can play a key role in the onset of addictive disorders