Home-based teleworking and preventive occupational safety and health measures in European workplaces: evidence from ESENER-3

This report identifies the main characteristics of home-based teleworkers and companies with teleworking in place, and looks at some of the most common prevention measures being implemented to counteract the associated physical and psychosocial risks to worker health and well-being. The report is based on data from EU-OSHA’s ESENER survey, the European Union Labour Force Survey and the Eurofound’s European Working Conditions Survey 2015. The latest, pre-pandemic survey data are analysed to provide facts and figures valuable to those responsible for planning and implementing teleworking agreements post pandemic, with a particular focus on preventing musculoskeletal disorders

JOB SATISFACTION AND TELEWORKING: A STUDY ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION WORKERS IN ITALY

This paper presents the results of one of the first surveys carried out in Italy on the living and working conditions of public administration employees who were engaged in compulsory telework during the first stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (March–May 2020). Although this study examines a small sample of public workers in Campania region, interesting results emerge in a modelling implementation. In fact, by means of a heteroskedastic Ordered Probit model, some findings are presented with job satisfaction being the response variable. Considering the workers’ need to adjust to a completely novel situation, our results reveal a significant role played by a potential lack of concentration and by the satisfaction of using their own home as a workplace as well as by the differences experienced in work efforts. The presence of children in the household turns out to be slightly significant, whereas childcare duties do seem to exert some impacts on job satisfaction, implying relevant effects on work-life balance. Workers’ concern regarding a possible lack of recognition of their job by supervisors or managers is also highlighted

Economic outcomes and immigrants’ self-identification

The issue of ethnic identity is attracting a growing number of researchers from different disciplines, due to its high explanatory potential. Most of the empirical literature on the topic focuses on economic features of immigrants’ living conditions, highlighting the prominent role of the identity in affecting income, home ownership, and employment. However, such research studies have yielded heterogeneous and mixed results. Therefore, more analyses should be addressed producing more conclusive evidence on such a relevant issue. The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of ethnic identity on the immigrants’ probability of being employed, exploiting data stemming from the multipurpose survey on “Social Condition and Integration of Foreign citizens” carried out by ISTAT in 2011-2012

ASMOD 2018: Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Statistical Modelling of Ordinal Data

[English]:This volume collects the peer-reviewed contributions presented at the 2nd International Conference on “Advances in Statistical Modelling of Ordinal Data” - ASMOD 2018 - held at the Department of Political Sciences of the University of Naples Federico II (24-26 October 2018). The Conference brought together theoretical and applied statisticians to share the latest studies and developments in the field. In addition to the fundamental topic of latent structure analysis and modelling, the contributions in this volume cover a broad range of topics including measuring dissimilarity, clustering, robustness, CUB models, multivariate models, and permutation tests. The Conference featured six distinguished keynote speakers: Alan Agresti (University of Florida, USA), Brian Francis (Lancaster University, UK), Bettina Gruen (Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria), Maria Kateri (RWTH Aachen, Germany), Elvezio Ronchetti (University of Geneva, Switzerland), Gerhard Tutz (Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Germany). The volume includes 22 contributions from scholars that were accepted as full papers for inclusion in this edited volume after a blind review process of two anonymous referees./ [Italiano]: Il volume raccoglie i contributi presentati alla seconda Conferenza Internazionale “Advances in Statistical Modelling of Ordinal Data” - ASMOD 2018 – che si è svolta presso il Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, nei giorni 24-26 ottobre 2018. La Conferenza ha visto la presentazione di studi sia teorici che applicati al fine di condividere i più recenti sviluppi scientifici nel campo. Oltre al tema fondamentale dell'analisi delle strutture latenti e dei modelli, i contributi richiamano una vasta gamma di argomenti, tra cui misure di dissimilarità, metodi di clustering, analisi di robustezza, modelli CUB, modelli multivariati e test di permutazione. In particolare, questa pubblicazione contiene le relazioni invitate di studiosi riconosciuti a livello internazionale: Alan Agresti (Università della Florida, USA), Brian Francis (Università Lancaster, Regno Unito), Bettina Gruen (Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria), Maria Kateri (RWTH Aachen, Germania), Elvezio Ronchetti (Università di Ginevra, Svizzera), Gerhard Tutz (Università Ludwig-Maximilians di Monaco, Germania). Il volume include, inoltre, 22 contributi di studiosi che sono stati accettati dopo un processo di revisione anonima

Improving working conditions in occupations with multiple disadvantages

Chapter 1 presents the findings of an analysis of data from the European Working Conditions Survey 2010 and the European Labour Force Survey 2013. It contains a comparative analysis of occupations with multiple disadvantages and all other occupations in relation to specific working conditions. Chapter 2 complements these findings with national-level information obtained from contributions from Eurofound’s network of correspondents from the 28 Member States and Norway. The occupations identified by the statistical analysis in Chapter 1 as having multiple disadvantages are associated with poor working conditions in many EU countries. In addition, a small number of other occupations have been identified by the national contributions as having various disadvantages in specific countries. Chapter 3 presents examples of policies and initiatives carried out mainly by social partners and governments at EU and national level with the aim of improving the working conditions of workers in occupations with multiple disadvantages. Because of the sectoral approach of most initiatives, the chapter is structured by groups of occupations normally belonging to the same economic sector. Even though the collection of initiatives does not represent an exhaustive list of all those present in European countries, where possible a ‘policy gap analysis’ has been developed to identify areas of job quality with less coverage by policies for specific occupations or groups of occupations. Finally, Chapter 4 derives conclusions about the situation and future of occupations with disadvantages, offering possible explanatory arguments. A reflection on the contribution of present policies and implications for workers and society in Europe is included. Annex I explains the methodology used in this report. Annex II contains a graph showing the distribution of disadvantaged occupations across sectors. Annex III, which is available on request from Eurofound, contains a table summarising the various policies identified in the contributions from the network of correspondents

Transient hypogonadism is associated with heart rate-corrected QT prolongation and torsades de pointes risk during active systemic inflammation in men

Background Systemic inflammation and male hypogonadism are 2 increasingly recognized "nonconventional" risk factors for long-QT syndrome and torsades de pointes (TdP). Specifically, inflammatory cytokines prolong, while testosterone shortens the heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) via direct electrophysiological effects on cardiomyocytes. Moreover, several studies demonstrated important interplays between inflammation and reduced gonad function in men. We hypothesized that, during inflammatory activation in men, testosterone levels decrease and that this enhances TdP risk by contributing to the overall prolonging effect of inflammation on QTc. Methods and Results We investigated (1) the levels of sex hormones and their relationship with inflammatory markers and QTc in male patients with different types of inflammatory diseases, during active phase and recovery; and (2) the association between inflammatory markers and sex hormones in a cohort of male patients who developed extreme QTc prolongation and TdP, consecutively collected over 10 years. In men with active inflammatory diseases, testosterone levels were significantly reduced, but promptly normalized in association with the decrease in C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels. Reduction of testosterone levels, which also inversely correlated with 17-beta estradiol over time, significantly contributed to inflammation-induced QTc prolongation. In men with TdP, both active systemic inflammation and hypogonadism were frequently present, with significant correlations between C-reactive protein, testosterone, and 17-beta estradiol levels; in these patients, increased C-reactive protein and reduced testosterone were associated with a worse short-term outcome of the arrhythmia. Conclusions During systemic inflammatory activation, interleukin-6 elevation is associated with reduced testosterone levels in males, possibly deriving from an enhanced androgen-to-estrogen conversion. While transient, inflammatory hypotestosteronemia is significantly associated with an increased long-QT syndrome/TdP risk in men

Interleukin-6 elevation Is a key pathogenic factor underlying COVID-19-associated heart rate-corrected QT interval prolongation

BackgroundHeart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation is prevalent in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is associated with poor outcomes. Recent evidence suggests that the exaggerated host immune-inflammatory response characterizing the disease, specifically interleukin-6 (IL-6) increase, may have an important role, possibly via direct effects on cardiac electrophysiology. The aim of this study was to dissect the short-term discrete impact of IL-6 elevation on QTc in patients with severe COVID-19 infection and explore the underlying mechanisms. MethodsWe investigated the following mechanisms: (1) the QTc duration in patients with COVID-19 during the active phase and recovery, and its association with C-reactive protein (CRP) and IL-6 levels; (2) the acute impact of IL-6 administration on QTc in an in vivo guinea pig model; and (3) the electrophysiological effects of IL-6 on ventricular myocytes in vitro. ResultsIn patients with active severe COVID-19 and elevated IL-6 levels, regardless of acute myocardial injury/strain and concomitant QT-prolonging risk factors, QTc was significantly prolonged and rapidly normalized in correlation with IL-6 decrease. The direct administration of IL-6 in an in vivo guinea pig model acutely prolongs QTc duration. Moreover, ventricular myocytes incubated in vitro with IL-6 show evident prolongation in the action potential, along with significant inhibition in the rapid delayed rectifier potassium current (I-Kr). ConclusionFor the first time, we demonstrated that in severe COVID-19, systemic inflammatory activation can per se promote QTc prolongation via IL-6 elevation, leading to ventricular electric remodeling. Despite being transitory, such modifications may significantly contribute to arrhythmic events and associated poor outcomes in COVID-19. These findings provide a further rationale for current anti-inflammatory treatments for COVID-19, including IL-6-targeted therapies

Elevated Interleukin-6 Levels Are Associated With an Increased Risk of QTc Interval Prolongation in a Large Cohort of US Veterans

Background: Although accumulating data indicate that IL-6 (interleukin-6) can promote heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) prolongation via direct and indirect effects on cardiac electrophysiology, current evidence comes from basic investigations and small clinical studies only. Therefore, IL-6 is still largely ignored in the clinical management of long-QT syndrome and related arrhythmias. The aim of this study was to estimate the risk of QTc prolongation associated with elevated IL-6 levels in a large population of unselected subjects. Methods and results: An observational study using the Veterans Affairs Informatics and Computing Infrastructure was performed. Participants were US veterans who had an ECG and were tested for IL-6. Descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to study the relationship between IL-6 and QTc prolongation risk. Study population comprised 1085 individuals, 306 showing normal (<5 pg/mL), 376 moderately high (5-25 pg/mL), and 403 high (>25 pg/mL) IL-6 levels. Subjects with elevated IL-6 showed a concentration-dependent increase in the prevalence of QTc prolongation, and those presenting with QTc prolongation exhibited higher circulating IL-6 levels. Stepwise multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that increased IL-6 level was significantly associated with a risk of QTc prolongation up to 2 times the odds of the reference category of QTc (e.g. QTc >470 ms men/480 ms women ms: odds ratio, 2.28 [95% CI, 1.12-4.50] for IL-6 >25 pg/mL) regardless of the underlying cause. Specifically, the mean QTc increase observed in the presence of elevated IL-6 was quantitatively comparable (IL-6 >25 pg/mL:+6.7 ms) to that of major recognized QT-prolonging risk factors, such as hypokalemia and history of myocardial infarction. Conclusions: Our data provide evidence that a high circulating IL-6 level is a robust risk factor for QTc prolongation in a large cohort of US veterans, supporting a potentially important arrhythmogenic role for this cytokine in the general population

P1 receptors and cytokine secretion

Evidence has accumulated in the last three decades to suggest tissue protection and regeneration by adenosine in multiple different cell types. Adenosine produced in hypoxic or inflamed environments reduces tissue injury and promotes repair by receptor-mediated mechanisms. Among other actions, regulation of cytokine production and secretion by immune cells, astrocytes and microglia (the brain immunocytes) has emerged as a main mechanism at the basis of adenosine effects in diseases characterized by a marked inflammatory component. Many recent studies have highlighted that signalling through A1 and A2A adenosine receptors can powerfully prevent the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, thus inhibiting inflammation and reperfusion injury. However, the activation of adenosine receptors is not invariably protective of tissues, as signalling through the A2B adenosine receptor has been linked to pro-inflammatory actions which are, at least in part, mediated by increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from epithelial cells, astrocytes and fibroblasts. Here, we discuss the multiple actions of P1 receptors on cytokine secretion, by analyzing, in particular, the role of the various adenosine receptor subtypes, the complex reciprocal interplay between the adenosine and the cytokine systems, their pathophysiological significance and the potential of adenosine receptor ligands as new anti-inflammatory agents

Prescription appropriateness of anti-diabetes drugs in elderly patients hospitalized in a clinical setting: evidence from the REPOSI Register

Diabetes is an increasing global health burden with the highest prevalence (24.0%) observed in elderly people. Older diabetic adults have a greater risk of hospitalization and several geriatric syndromes than older nondiabetic adults. For these conditions, special care is required in prescribing therapies including anti- diabetes drugs. Aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness and the adherence to safety recommendations in the prescriptions of glucose-lowering drugs in hospitalized elderly patients with diabetes. Data for this cross-sectional study were obtained from the REgistro POliterapie-Società Italiana Medicina Interna (REPOSI) that collected clinical information on patients aged ≥ 65 years acutely admitted to Italian internal medicine and geriatric non-intensive care units (ICU) from 2010 up to 2019. Prescription appropriateness was assessed according to the 2019 AGS Beers Criteria and anti-diabetes drug data sheets.Among 5349 patients, 1624 (30.3%) had diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. At admission, 37.7% of diabetic patients received treatment with metformin, 37.3% insulin therapy, 16.4% sulfonylureas, and 11.4% glinides. Surprisingly, only 3.1% of diabetic patients were treated with new classes of anti- diabetes drugs. According to prescription criteria, at admission 15.4% of patients treated with metformin and 2.6% with sulfonylureas received inappropriately these treatments. At discharge, the inappropriateness of metformin therapy decreased (10.2%, P < 0.0001). According to Beers criteria, the inappropriate prescriptions of sulfonylureas raised to 29% both at admission and at discharge. This study shows a poor adherence to current guidelines on diabetes management in hospitalized elderly people with a high prevalence of inappropriate use of sulfonylureas according to the Beers criteria