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Purpose: To investigate internal consistency and construct validity of the of the Activities Scale for Kids performance (ASKp) in Italian children with cerebral palsy (CP)., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 2014 up to 2019 and consisted in the single self-administration of the Italian ASKp to 206 children aged 5-15, with unilateral or bilateral CP, classified on the basis of the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS)., Results: The ASKp showed good internal consistency (Chronbach's α 0.91, 95% CI 0.89-0.93). It distinguished between children and adolescents (70.3 ± 16.6 versus 83.0 ± 18.0, respectively; p  < 0.001), unilateral and bilateral CP clinical manifestations (82.5 ± 13.6 versus 72.4 ± 19.0, respectively; p  = 0.002), children with and without intellectual disability (60.3 ± 18.3 versus 77.2 ± 17.3, respectively; p  < 0.001). It also distinguished children using assistive devices for indoor mobility from children who did not use devices or those who use devices only for outdoor mobility (66.1 ± 18.3 versus 83.6 ± 12.8 and versus 80.4 ± 17.4, respectively; both p  < 0.001)., Conclusions: The ASKp could help integrate the perspective of children with CP in their rehabilitation process. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03325842IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe ASKp is a valid and widely used measure for several ICF domains of activities and participation in pediatrics.It has never been formally validated in children with CP, although this disorder causes restrictions in everyday activities.Recently, the culturally adapted Italian version of the ASKp has been tested in typically developing Italian children, confirming its high acceptability and providing evidence of construct validity.This study confirms the internal consistency reliability and the construct validity of the Italian ASKp when applied to the population with CP.The ASKp can support rehabilitation professionals in planning therapeutic intervention targeted to relevant goals.

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a broader use of masks by both professionals and the general population. This resulted in a severe worldwide shortage of devices and the need to increase import and activate production of safe and effective surgical masks at the national level. In order to support the demand for testing surgical masks in the Italian context, Universities provided their contribution by setting up laboratories for testing mask performance before releasing products into the national market. This paper reports the effort of seven Italian university laboratories who set up facilities for testing face masks during the emergency period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Measurement set-ups were built, adapting the methods specified in the EN 14683:2019+AC. Data on differential pressure (DP) and bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of 120 masks, including different materials and designs, were collected over three months. More than 60% of the masks satisfied requirements for DP and BFE set by the standard. Masks made of nonwoven polypropylene with at least three layers (spunbonded-meltblown-spunbonded) showed the best results, ensuring both good breathability and high filtration efficiency. The majority of the masks created with alternative materials and designs did not comply with both standard requirements, resulting in suitability only as community masks. The effective partnering between universities and industries to meet a public need in an emergency context represented a fruitful example of the so-called university "third-mission".