Discussing the future of open peer-review: a survey of journals in the JCR Public, Environmental and Occupational Health category

The journals listed in the JCR Public, Environmental and Occupational Health category are examined by the authors in order to check how many of them practice some kind of Open Peer-Review (OPR). An overview of the different OPR methods identified is given: a variety of practices considered as OPR even though the number of journals using them is very small. Furthermore, the possible future evolution of OPR is examined

The impact of COVID-19 on scientific publishing

This article proposes an analysis on the impact that COVID-19 pandemic is having on the process of scientific publishing in academic journals. It will specifically describe the response of the scholarly publishing community to meet the pressing demand from authors and researchers wishing to disseminate, as rapidly as possible, information on the virus. Its aim is to provide an overview for the community of librarians and information specialists about publishing in the COVID-19 era

Information and health literacy for school students: the e-Bug experience in Italy

Health information literacy plays a strategic role to promote both life skills and health among different target audiences. To face the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance, an emerging key problem in public health, a European funded project was developed: e-Bug. The project aims to improve young people’s understanding of responsible antibiotic use through educational games on microbes, hygiene and the spread and prevention of infections, which allows children to learn while having fun

Capacity building to boost information and communication skills inside an institute of research

To enhance its visibility, the Library of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) along with the Scientific Communication Unit of the same institution delivered a set of informal online training sessions, or webinars, on their fields of expertise: information retrieval, publication, effective communication, and research evaluation, specifically addressed to internal users. The collaboration was extremely useful in terms of improved knowledge on skills available among the personnel of these two services. It increased trust in the competencies of internal staff and at the same time it contributed to develop awareness of the value of the services rendered. Skills to use available online resources for training were improved as well as ISS staff cohesion favouring the development of new collaborations

Loxosceles gaucho spider venom and its sphingomyelinase fraction trigger the main functions of human and rabbit platelets

Loxosceles venoms can promote severe local and systemic damages. We have previously reported that Loxosceles gaucho spider venom causes a severe early thrombocytopenia in rabbits. Herein, we investigated the in vitro effects of this venom and its sphingomyelinase fraction on the main functions of platelets. Whole venom and its fraction induced aggregation of both human and rabbit platelets. Aggregation was dependent of plasma component(s) but independent of venom-induced lysophosphatidic acid generation. There was no increase in the levels of lactate dehydrogenase during platelet aggregation, ruling out the possibility of platelet lysis. The increased expression of ligand-induced binding site 1 (LIBS1) induced by L. gaucho venom and its sphingomyelinase fraction, as well as of P-selectin by the whole venom, evidenced the activation state of both human and rabbit platelets. Adhesion assays showed an irregular response when platelets were exposed to the whole venom, whereas the sphingomyelinase fraction induced a dose-dependent increase in the platelet adhesion to collagen. These findings evidence that L. gaucho venom and its sphingomyelinase fraction trigger adhesion, activation, and aggregation of both human and rabbit platelets. Thus, this work justifies the use of rabbits to investigate Loxosceles venom-induced platelet disturbances, and it also supports research on the role of platelets in the pathogenesis of loxoscelism.Fil: Tavares, Flávio L.. Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria da Saude. Instituto Butantan; BrasilFil: Peichoto, María Elisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Rangel, Danieli de Morais. Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria da Saude. Instituto Butantan; BrasilFil: Barbaro, Kátia Cristina. Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria da Saude. Instituto Butantan; BrasilFil: Cirillo, Maria Cristina. Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria da Saude. Instituto Butantan; BrasilFil: Santoro, Marcelo Larami. Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria da Saude. Instituto Butantan; BrasilFil: Sano Martins, Ida S.. Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria da Saude. Instituto Butantan; Brasi

Assistência pré-natal à adolescente e os atributos da Atenção Primária à Saúde

OBJECTIVE: evaluate prenatal care for adolescents in health units, in accordance with the attributes of Primary Health Care (PHC) guidelines. METHOD: quantitative study conducted with health professionals, using the Primary Care Assessment Tool-Brazil to assess the presence and extent of PHC attributes. RESULTS: for all the participating units, the attribute Access scored =6.6; the attributes Longitudinality, Coordination (integration of care), Coordination (information systems) and Integrality scored =6.6, and the Essential Score =6.6. Comparing basic units with family health units, the attribute scores were equally distributed; Accessibility scored =6.6, the others attributes scored =6.6; however, in the basic units, the Essential Score was =6.6 and, in the family health units, =6.6. CONCLUSION: expanding the coverage of family health units and the training of professionals can be considered strategies to qualify health care.OBJETIVO: evaluar la atención prenatal a las adolescentes en unidades de salud, según los atributos de la Atención Primaria a la Salud. MÉTODO: estudio de abordaje cuantitativo, realizado con profesionales de la salud, utilizando el instrumento Primary Care Assessment Tool-Brasil para analizar la presencia y extensión de los atributos vinculados a la APS en las unidades de salud. RESULTADOS: para todas las unidades participantes, el atributo Acceso obtuvo un puntaje =6,6; los atributos Longitudinalidad, Coordinación (integración de cuidados), Coordinación (sistemas de información) e Integralidad obtuvieron puntajes =6,6 y el Puntaje Esencial fue =6,6. Comparando las unidades básicas de salud y las unidades de salud de la familia, los puntajes están igualmente distribuidos: Accesibilidad =6,6 y los demás atributos con puntajes =6,6; sin embargo, el puntaje Esencial en las unidades básicas fue =6,6 y el de las unidades de salud de la familia fue =6,6. CONCLUSIÓN: la ampliación de la cobertura de las unidades de salud de la familia y la capacitación profesional pueden ser estrategias para calificar la atención a la salud.OBJETIVO: avaliar a atenção pré-natal às adolescentes em unidades de saúde, segundo os atributos da Atenção Primária à Saúde. MÉTODO: estudo de abordagem quantitativa, realizado com profissionais de saúde, utilizando-se o instrumento Primary Care Assessment Tool-Brasil, para analisar a presença e extensão dos atributos. RESULTADOS: para todas as unidades participantes, o atributo acesso obteve escore =6,6; os atributos longitudinalidade, coordenação (integração de cuidados), coordenação (sistemas de informação) e integralidade obtiveram escores =6,6 e escore essencial =6,6. Comparando-se as unidades básicas e as unidades de saúde da família, os escores estão igualmente distribuídos: acessibilidade: =6,6 e os demais atributos com escores =6,6, no entanto, o escore essencial nas unidades básicas foi =6,6 e nas unidades de saúde da família foi =6,6. CONCLUSÃO: a ampliação da cobertura das unidades de saúde da família e a capacitação profissional podem ser estratégias para qualificar a atenção à saúde

Covid-19 and the role of smoking: the protocol of the multicentric prospective study COSMO-IT (COvid19 and SMOking in ITaly).

The emergency caused by Covid-19 pandemic raised interest in studying lifestyles and comorbidities as important determinants of poor Covid-19 prognosis. Data on tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity are still limited, while no data are available on the role of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTP). To clarify the role of tobacco smoking and other lifestyle habits on COVID-19 severity and progression, we designed a longitudinal observational study titled COvid19 and SMOking in ITaly (COSMO-IT). About 30 Italian hospitals in North, Centre and South of Italy joined the study. Its main aims are: 1) to quantify the role of tobacco smoking and smoking cessation on the severity and progression of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients; 2) to compare smoking prevalence and severity of the disease in relation to smoking in hospitalized COVID-19 patients versus patients treated at home; 3) to quantify the association between other lifestyle factors, such as e-cigarette and HTP use, alcohol and obesity and the risk of unfavourable COVID-19 outcomes. Socio-demographic, lifestyle and medical history information will be gathered for around 3000 hospitalized and 700-1000 home-isolated, laboratory-confirmed, COVID-19 patients. Given the current absence of a vaccine against SARS-COV-2 and the lack of a specific treatment for -COVID-19, prevention strategies are of extreme importance. This project, designed to highly contribute to the international scientific debate on the role of avoidable lifestyle habits on COVID-19 severity, will provide valuable epidemiological data in order to support important recommendations to prevent COVID-19 incidence, progression and mortality

Constraints on the χ_(c1) versus χ_(c2) polarizations in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV

The polarizations of promptly produced χ_(c1) and χ_(c2) mesons are studied using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, in proton-proton collisions at √s=8  TeV. The χ_c states are reconstructed via their radiative decays χ_c → J/ψγ, with the photons being measured through conversions to e⁺e⁻, which allows the two states to be well resolved. The polarizations are measured in the helicity frame, through the analysis of the χ_(c2) to χ_(c1) yield ratio as a function of the polar or azimuthal angle of the positive muon emitted in the J/ψ → μ⁺μ⁻ decay, in three bins of J/ψ transverse momentum. While no differences are seen between the two states in terms of azimuthal decay angle distributions, they are observed to have significantly different polar anisotropies. The measurement favors a scenario where at least one of the two states is strongly polarized along the helicity quantization axis, in agreement with nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics predictions. This is the first measurement of significantly polarized quarkonia produced at high transverse momentum