Photocatalytic Degradation of Paracetamol under Simulated Sunlight by Four TiO2 Commercial Powders: An Insight into the Performance of Two Sub-Micrometric Anatase and Rutile Powders and a Nanometric Brookite Powder

The photocatalytic degradation of the emerging contaminant paracetamol in aqueous solution has been studied under 1 SUN (~1000 W m−2) in the presence of four commercial TiO2 powders, namely sub-micrometric anatase and rutile, and nanometric brookite and P25 (the popular anatase/rutile mixture used as a benchmark in most papers). The rutile powder showed low activity, whereas, interestingly, the anatase and the brookite powders outperformed P25 in terms of total paracetamol conversion to carboxylic acids, which, according to the literature, are the final products of its degradation. To explain such results, the physicochemical properties of the powders were studied by applying a multi-technique approach. Among the physicochemical properties usually affecting the photocatalytic performance of TiO2, the presence of some surface impurities likely deriving from K3PO4 (used as crystallization agent) was found to significantly affect the percentage of paracetamol degradation obtained with the sub-micrometric anatase powder. To confirm the role of phosphate, a sample of anatase, obtained by a lab synthesis procedure and having a "clean” surface, was used as a control, though characterized by nanometric particles and higher surface area. The sample was less active than the commercial anatase, but it was more active after impregnation with K3PO4. Conversely, the presence of Cl at the surface of the rutile did not sizably affect the (overall poor) photocatalytic activity of the powder. The remarkable photocatalytic activity of the brookite nanometric powder was ascribed to a combination of several physicochemical properties, including its band structure and nanoparticles size.

Health information use by patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pre and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted an international survey of patients with SLE to assess their access, preference and trust in various health information sources pre-COVID-19 and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Patients with SLE were recruited from 18 observational cohorts, and patients self-reporting SLE were recruited through five advocacy organisations. Respondents completed an online survey from June 2020 to December 2021 regarding the sources of health information they accessed in the 12 months preceding (pre-11 March 2020) and during (post-11 March 2020) the pandemic. Multivariable logistic regressions assessed factors associated with accessing news and social media post-11 March 2020, and self-reporting negative impacts from health information accessed through these sources. RESULTS: Surveys were completed by 2111 respondents; 92.8% were female, 76.6% had postsecondary education, mean (SD) age was 48.8 (14.0) years. Lupus specialists and family physicians were the most preferred sources pre-11 March 2020 and post-11 March 2020, yet were accessed less frequently (specialists: 78.5% pre vs 70.2% post, difference -8.3%, 95% CI -10.2% to -6.5%; family physicians: 57.1% pre vs 50.0% post, difference -7.1%, 95% CI -9.2% to -5.0%), while news (53.2% pre vs 62.1% post, difference 8.9%, 95% CI 6.7% to 11.0%) and social media (38.2% pre vs 40.6% post, difference 2.4%, 95% CI 0.7% to 4.2%) were accessed more frequently post-11 March 2020 vs pre-11 March 2020. 17.2% of respondents reported negative impacts from information accessed through news/social media. Those outside Canada, older respondents or with postsecondary education were more likely to access news media. Those in Asia, Latin America or younger respondents were more likely to access social media. Those in Asia, older respondents, males or with postsecondary education in Canada, Asia or the USA were less likely to be negatively impacted. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians, the most preferred and trusted sources, were accessed less frequently, while news and social media, less trusted sources, were accessed more frequently post-11 March 2020 vs pre-11 March 2020. Increasing accessibility to physicians, in person and virtually, may help reduce the consequences of accessing misinformation/disinformation.

Role of the Hospital Pharmacist in the Evaluation of the Anti- COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Profile in the Post-Marketing Phase

Introduction: The European Medicines Agency, following positive evaluation regarding the safety, quality, and efficacy of anti-COVID- 19 vaccines, granted conditional marketing authorization (CMA) for these drugs on the condition that the developers would continuously provide additional data on their safety and efficacy even after marketing authorization in order to confirm the risk-benefit ratio. Following the start of the vaccination campaign in December 2020, special attention was paid to the occurrence of possible adverse reactions (ADRs). The pharmacist staff of Pugliese-Ciaccio Hospital, in order to monitor the safety of the new vaccine and to promptly report suspected vaccine ADRs, prepared a short questionnaire to be administered to the employees of the hospital at the time of administration of the second dose of vaccine. Objective(s): Monitoring vaccine safety & promptly reporting side effects. Method(s): The survey was conducted between January and April 2021. All employees were administered mRNA vaccine and, at the time of the administration of the second dose, were asked to answer the above questionnaire specifying the following information: biographical data, gender, date of administration of the two doses of vaccine, occurrence of any ADRs resulting from the first dose of vaccine, type of resolution, presence of concomitant diseases and related medication intake in the days before/following the vaccination. Result(s): The questionnaire was administered to 1,656 health care workers and all of them answered the questions comprehensively. Among them, 51.6 percent experienced adverse reactions after administration of the first dose of vaccine, and the predominantly noted symptoms included systemic diseases and conditions related to the site of administration, musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders, nervous system disorders and gastrointestinal disorders. The frequency of reporting was higher among the young than the elderly population (58% vs. 38.67%). ADRs occurred approximately 1,7 times more frequently among women than men. Conclusion(s): The intense pharmacovigilance activity carried out by the Hospital Pharmacist was a pivotal moment during the pandemic emergency, as it allowed the safety profile of anti-COVID-19 vaccines to be readily confirmed with real-life data. Infact, it was found that the main symptoms detected were in line with what was reported in the safety data from the pre-registration studies [1], from which it was also found that the frequency of ADRs was higher among the young than the elderly, a finding that was also confirmed by our study. So, the questionnaire survey was able to substantiate the safety of vaccines, confirming that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks.

Role of the Hospital Pharmacist in the Evaluation of the Anti- COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Profile in the Post-Marketing Phase: An International Journal of Medical Toxicology and Drug Experience

Introduction: The European Medicines Agency, following positive evaluation regarding the safety, quality, and efficacy of anti-COVID19 vaccines, granted conditional marketing authorization (CMA) for these drugs on the condition that the developers would continuously provide additional data on their safety and efficacy even after marketing authorization in order to confirm the risk-benefit ratio. Following the start of the vaccination campaign in December 2020, special attention was paid to the occurrence of possible adverse reactions (ADRs). The pharmacist staff of Pugliese-Ciaccio Hospital, in order to monitor the safety of the new vaccine and to promptly report suspected vaccine ADRs, prepared a short questionnaire to be administered to the employees of the hospital at the time of administration of the second dose of vaccine. Objective: Monitoring vaccine safety & promptly reporting side effects. Methods: The survey was conducted between January and April 2021. All employees were administered mRNA vaccine and, at the time of the administration of the second dose, were asked to answer the above questionnaire specifying the following information: biographical data, gender, date of administration of the two doses of vaccine, occurrence of any ADRs resulting from the first dose of vaccine, type of resolution, presence of concomitant diseases and related medication intake in the days before/following the vaccination. Results: The questionnaire was administered to 1,656 health care workers and all of them answered the questions comprehensively. Among them, 51.6 percent experienced adverse reactions after administration of the first dose of vaccine, and the predominantly noted symptoms included systemic diseases and conditions related to the site of administration, musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders, nervous system disorders and gastrointestinal disorders. The frequency of reporting was higher among the young than the elderly population (58% vs. 38.67%). ADRs occurred approximately 1,7 times more frequently among women than men. Conclusion: The intense pharmacovigilance activity carried out by the Hospital Pharmacist was a pivotal moment during the pandemic emergency, as it allowed the safety profile of anti-COVID-19 vaccines to be readily confirmed with real-life data. Infact, it was found that the main symptoms detected were in line with what was reported in the safety data from the pre-registration studies [1], from which it was also found that the frequency of ADRs was higher among the young than the elderly, a finding that was also confirmed by our study. So, the questionnaire survey was able to substantiate the safety of vaccines, confirming that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks.

Cytokine autoantibodies in SARS-CoV-2 prepandemic and intrapandemic samples from an SLE cohort.

Cytokine autoantibodies, particularly those directed to type I interferon (T1IFN), have been reported to portend an increased risk of severe COVID-19. Since SLE is one of the conditions historically associated with T1IFN autoantibodies, we sought to determine the prevalence of cytokine autoantibodies in our local cohort of 173 patients with SLE prepandemic and intrapandemic, of which nine had confirmed exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Autoantibodies to 16 different cytokines, including T1IFN, were measured by an addressable laser bead immunoassay. None of the 9 patients with confirmed exposure to SARS-CoV-2 had autoantibodies to T1IFN and none had severe COVID-19 symptoms, necessitating hospitalisation. Hence, we could not confirm that TIIFN autoantibodies increase the risk for severe COVID-19. In addition, the cytokine autoantibody pattern did not differ between those with and without evidence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure.

Towards an antifragile urban form: a research agenda for advancing resilience in the built environment

This paper aims to initiate reflections on what an antifragile (Taleb, Anti-fragile. Things that gain from disorder. Penguin Books, London 2012) built environment might look like by furthering the debate on dynamic non-equilibrium resilience, specifically in terms of scale, urban morphology and social life in urban areas. It will do so by presenting a critical review of relevant literature on resilience in the built environment and linking it to what we know so far about the physical (i.e. geographical, morphological and so on) and socio-cultural conditions that have likely limited the spread of COVID-19 while maintaining quality in urban space in early 2020. As the current pandemic is sharpening our understanding of both the link between local and global action and the power encompassed in the exercise of professional and technical knowledge and practice, the paper concludes with (i) speculations on how the current crisis and its management (i.e. lockdown and social distancing measures in public space’ use) might lead to radical changes to the way we think of, and design the conditions for, urban public life and sociability;and with (ii) an agenda for further research on what role urban forms and uses play in speeding or slowing viral spread in different contexts.