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Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Objective: Exercise may reduce morbidity, increase survival, and improve quality of life (QoL) in prostate cancer patients. However, effective ways to encourage exercise outside carefully controlled clinical trials remain uncertain. We evaluated the effectiveness of peer-led self-management for increasing exercise participation in men with localized prostate cancer. Methods: Four hundred and sixty-three prostate cancer patients from Queensland, Australia were randomized to a monthly telephone-based group peer support for 6 months supported by self-management materials and exercise equipment (INT, n = 232) or usual care (UC, n = 231). Participants were assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. Primary outcomes were compliance with exercise guidelines; secondary outcomes were psychological distress and QoL. Results: Patients in INT engaged in more resistance exercise than UC at 3 months (19.4 [95% CI 6.52 to 32.28] min/wk, P =.003) and 6 months (14.6 [95% CI 1.69 to 27.58] min/wk, P =.027); more men achieved sufficient physical activity levels at 3 months (χ2 = 8.89, P = 0.003). There was no difference between groups for aerobic-based activity at any time point nor for resistance exercise time at 12-month follow-up. INT had higher QoL Relationships scores at 3 months (.03 [95% CI.00 to.06], P =.038) compared with UC. Limitation included self-reported assessment of exercise. Conclusions: Peer-led intervention was effective in increasing patients' resistance exercise participation in the short-to-medium term and in the number of men achieving sufficient activity levels in the short-term; however, this was not accompanied by overall improvements in QoL or psychological distress. Methods to increase effectiveness and maintain long-term adherence require further investigation.

This study describes sources of support utilised by men with localised prostate cancer in the first year after diagnosis and examines characteristics associated with help-seeking for men with unmet needs. A cross-sectional survey of 331 patients from a population-based sample who were in the first year after diagnosis (M = 9.6, SD = 1.9) was conducted to assess sources of support, unmet supportive care needs, domain-specific quality of life and psychological distress. Overall, 82% of men reported unmet supportive care needs. The top five needs were sexuality (58%); prostate cancer-specific (57%); psychological (47%); physical and daily living (41%); and health system and information (31%). Professional support was most often sought from doctors (51%). Across most domains, men who were older (Ps ≤ 0.03), less well educated (Ps ≤ 0.04) and more depressed (Ps ≤ 0.05) were less likely to seek help for unmet needs. Greater sexual help-seeking was related to better sexual function (P = 0.03), higher education (P ≤ 0.03) and less depression (P = 0.05). Unmet supportive care needs are highly prevalent after localised prostate cancer diagnosis with older age, lower education and higher depression apparent barriers to help-seeking. Interventions that link across medicine, nursing and community based peer support may be an accessible approach to meeting these needs. Clinical Trial Registry: Trial Registration: ACTRN12611000392965.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a high prevalence disease, whose symptoms are reported by a large number of young adults with significant effects on quality of life and social costs. Traditionally, IBS has been treated with dietary and lifestyle modification, fiber supplementation, psychological and pharmacological therapy. Since its complex and multifactorial etiopathogenesis is only partially known, therapeutic choices may be difficult and not always effective. New research efforts focused on the role of relationship between central nervous system and gut disorders (brain-gut axis), altered composition of gut microbiota (e.g. an eight times increased risk for IBS after Salmonella infection), immune activation with an increased number of T lymphocytes and mast cells associated with mucosa as well as an increased level of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and IL-12, suggesting Th1 polarization), visceral hypersensitivity causing perception of pain even for minimal abdominal distension. Based on these findings, new possibilities of treatment are emerging with encouraging outcomes. Attention is directed to drugs that showed good tolerability profile and poor systemic absorption, which may make them suitable for repeated or long term treatments, as frequently required in patients with IBS. They have been successfully used drugs such as tachykinin receptors antagonists, tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitors, bile acid sequestrants, µ agonist and δ antagonist opioid receptors. Recent studies are discussed in this review, focusing both on new therapeutic approaches and innovative adaptation of previously available treatments.

Novel dimeric capsules are generated from the non-covalent assembly of cone calix[5]arenes and alkyldiammonium ions[H3N- (CH2)n-NH3]² featuring an appropriate length of the spacer joining the two charged end groups. ¹H NMR spectroscopy and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry provide evidence that in the capsule a single ditopic guest holds together a pair of calix[5]arene units, which are oriented rim-to-rim to form a closed cavity encapsulating the shape-complementary dication.

The authors outline the importance of the global investigation of the cerebrovascular system in order to obtain more exact information about the ethiopathology of vascular ischaemic brain disease. Each patient is always submitted to the following investigations: Duplex scanner of epiaortic vessels, Transcranial doppler and echocardiographic screening in our vascular laboratory; moreover, when haemodynamic carotid artery stenosis is present, duplex scanner of femoro-popliteal vessels and microcirculatory study of the brain with Zenon133, via inhalation, were undertaken. In the second part of the study the authors refer a relationship between the instrumental doppler signal and the real risk evidenced by techniques which can provide information on the composition, structure and stability of the plaques and correlate this information with the data from the doppler analysis. Instrumental techniques such as thermal analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy, ICP analysis and IR spectroscopy were used to carry out this study.

A mutual impact of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and central nervous system (CNS) functions has been recognized since the mid-twentieth century. It is accepted that the so-called gut-brain axis provides a two-way homeostatic communication, through immunological, hormonal and neuronal signals. A dysfunction of this axis has been associated with the pathogenesis of some diseases both within and outside the GIT, that have shown an increase in incidence over the last decades. Studies comparing germ-free animals and animals exposed to pathogenic bacterial infections, probiotics or antibiotics suggest the participation of the microbiota in this communication and a role in host defense, regulation of immunity and autoimmune disease appearance. The GIT could represent a vulnerable area through which pathogens influence all aspects of physiology and even induce CNS neuro-inflammation. All those concepts may suggest the modulation of the gut microbiota as an achievable strategy for innovative therapies in complex disorders. Moving from this background, the present review discusses the relationship between intestinal microbiota and CNS and the effects in health and disease. We particularly look at how the commensal gut microbiota influences systemic immune response in some neurological disorders, highlighting its impact on pain and cognition in multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barrè Syndrome, neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders and Alzheimer's disease. In this review we discuss recent studies showing that the potential microbiota-gut-brain dialogue is implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. Gaining a better understanding of the relationship between microbiota and CNS could provide an insight on the pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies of these disorders.

Italy has an indicator of injuries for millions of tep produced lowest than other Countries (0.26 in 2014). Nevertheless the Directorate general for safety - National mining office for hydrocarbons and georesources (DGS-UNMIG) wants to improve the already good safety measures of offshore oil&gas operations in application of D.Lgs 18th august, 2015 n.145 (transportation of Directive 2013/30/UE) and with respect to the D.Lgs 26th june, 2012 n.83. With this prospective DGS-UNMIG started agreements with University, Research Institutions and Authorities obtaining a scientific support (CNR, RSE, INGV, OGS, AMRA, CRIET Navy, Harbor Body and Universities). The interest is on five pillars: “control”, “competence”, “efficiency”, “research & innovation” and “dialog” (Fig. 1). The following tasks have been set up for guarantee-oriented actions:  identification of an measurable index for the evaluation of variation of the offshore installations safety level from the current status and criticalities;  application of a naval-air-satellite integrated system for the daily monitoring of Adriatic Sea, in coordination with MATTM;  check of Adriatic sealines conditions for oil & gas transportation;  check of steel structures conditions of offshore facilities;  offshore operations monitoring: drilling and recording systems for drilling parameters;  evaluation of seismic hazard of existing platforms;  development of feasibility studies for seismic and ground deformation monitoring;  check of the current emissions of installations and their forecast to 2020;  analysis of the environmental effects of the NaTech operations and incident;  collection of information about the activities of Italian institutions for increasing levels of offshore safety and related databases;  geology and stratigraphy analysis of marine areas open to hydrocarbons exploration and production activities;  energetic optimization of the offshore installation even by means of renewable energy sources;  risks evaluation for production and drilling plants for Major hazard Report and relevant mitigation actions;  study of operating procedures for control and evaluation of report on major hazard;  mapping of international legislation on the continental shelf, on the use of mineral resources and cross-border relations;  analysis of Best Practices for economic, financial and legal solutions at critical accidents in offshore installations, including across borders.  study on instruments adopted for the social corporate responsibility of companies;  legal and economic analysis of the possible conversion of offshore production platforms in other energy uses (renewable energy and storages for loading and reloading of LNG).  mapping of natural hydrocarbon emission  communication  hydrocarbon transport  international legislative framework on energy  best practices for financial and economic solution in the hydrocarbon sector