Evaluation of S-RBD and high specificity ACE-2-binding antibodies on SARS-CoV-2 patients after six months from infection

The antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 has not yet fully defined, but the availability of sensitive and specific serological assays is crucial to observe the presence of specific antibodies against the human receptor binding domain (S-RBD) and high specificity ACE-2-binding antibodies or neutralizing antibodies (NT) in response to vaccines. Indeed, these peculiar antibodies should prevent viral interaction between RBD and AngiotensinConverting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, located on surface of host cells. In this study, 72 samples from 37 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 35 not-hospitalized patients were analyzed longitudinally. The detection of SRBD and NT antibodies was carried out using CLIA tests. Hospitalized patients showed elevated serum levels of S-RBD (97.22%) and NT (77.78%) antibodies, differently, not-hospitalized, who were paucisymptomatic or asymptomatic patients, showed lower serum levels of SRBD (65.71%) and NT (38.14%) antibodies. The results suggest that the NT serum level is strongly related to disease severity (p < 0.001) and to the serum level of S-RBD antibodies (p < 0.0001)

Radiological Protection in Industries Involving NORM: A (Graded) Methodological Approach to Characterize the Exposure Situations

The interest in radiation protection in industrial sectors involving Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) is increasingly growing. This is due also to the recent implementation of the European Council Directive 59/2013/Euratom which in Italy and in the other European Union Member States extends the field of application to industrial sectors never involved before. This paper reports main results of a research project on radiation protection in industries involving NORM carried out in Italy aimed to provide useful tools for stakeholders to comply new legal obligations. The project activities were mainly focused on different aspects relevant to the NORM involving industries, accounting for the positive list reported in the Italian law. Firstly, the inventory of the industries currently operating in Italy in order to identify the industrial sectors with an important radiological impact on population and workers was updated. Based on this information, a general methodology was elaborated taking into account a graded approach. The first phase consists in the identification and characterization of the most critical exposure scenarios and of the radiological content of NORMs involved in the different phases of the industrial processes. In the second phase calculation methods were developed for dose estimation for workers and members of public. These tools require the use of existing and well tested calculation codes, and the development of a dedicated user-friendly software

Road traffic pollution and childhood leukemia: a nationwide case-control study in Italy

Background The association of childhood leukemia with traffic pollution was considered in a number of studies from 1989 onwards, with results not entirely consistent and little information regarding subtypes. Aim of the study We used the data of the Italian SETIL case-control on childhood leukemia to explore the risk by leukemia subtypes associated to exposure to vehicular traffic. Methods We included in the analyses 648 cases of childhood leukemia (565 Acute lymphoblastic–ALL and 80 Acute non lymphoblastic-AnLL) and 980 controls. Information on traffic exposure was collected from questionnaire interviews and from the geocoding of house addresses, for all periods of life of the children. Results We observed an increase in risk for AnLL, and at a lower extent for ALL, with indicators of exposure to traffic pollutants. In particular, the risk was associated to the report of closeness of the house to traffic lights and to the passage of trucks (OR: 1.76; 95% CI 1.03–3.01 for ALL and 6.35; 95% CI 2.59–15.6 for AnLL). The association was shown also in the analyses limited to AML and in the stratified analyses and in respect to the house in different period of life. Conclusions Results from the SETIL study provide some support to the association of traffic related exposure and risk for AnLL, but at a lesser extent for ALL. Our conclusion highlights the need for leukemia type specific analyses in future studies. Results support the need of controlling exposure from traffic pollution, even if knowledge is not complete

La radioprotezione applicata alle industrie NORM: sviluppo di un sistema di strumenti metodologici, conoscitivi e formativi a sostegno degli stakeholders. Stato dell’arte del progetto di INAIL

Con il recepimento della Direttiva Europea 59/2013 EURATOM, la normativa italiana di radioprotezione ha introdotto nuovi obblighi per gli esercenti di diversi settori industriali “NORM”. Per sostenere l’assolvimento di tali obblighi che garantiscono la protezione di lavoratori e popolazione, dal 2019 è in corso un progetto di ricerca, nell’ambito del quale sono state realizzate diverse attività. Alcune di esse hanno avuto sviluppi anche in ambito internazionale, a testimonianza di quanto questa tematica sia di grande interesse. Lo scopo del presente lavoro è presentare i nuovi risultati del progetto, dall’aggiornamento del censimento dei settori NORM attualmente attivi in Italia, all’ applicazione e declinazione dell’approccio graduale per l’individuazione di situazioni di particolare interesse dal punto di vista della radioprotezione, fino allo sviluppo di metodologie operative e di calcolo applicate ad alcuni settori

Sviluppo di protocolli di campionamento e di valutazione della dose per settori industriali con presenza di NORM

Nell’ambito delle attività del progetto INAIL - BRIC ID 30 “Protocolli operativi e metodologie di calcolo per l’attuazione della nuova normativa di radioprotezione, recepimento della Direttiva 59/2013/Euratom, in settori industriali NORM di particolare impatto radiologico”, è stato sviluppato un approccio metodologico per gli adempimenti previsti dall’art. 22 del D.lgs. 101/2020. Una proposta di protocollo per la misura della concentrazione di attività delle matrici e per la valutazione della dose efficace per lavoratori e popolazione è stata elaborata per il settore della produzione di cemento e per l’industria dello zircone e zirconio

CMS physics technical design report : Addendum on high density QCD with heavy ions

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