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Background The decline of health among university students represents an important and growing public health concern. Health problems and unhealthy lifestyle habits are common among many students, but factors influencing students’ health are not fully understood. Methods Italian university students from different study programs and curriculum years were asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire, collecting data about age, gender, curriculum year, study program and health-related quality of life (QOL). Two latent factors were extracted: physical component summary score and mental component summary score. T-test, one-way ANOVA, multivariate and age and sex-stratified analyses were performed. Results Students scored relatively poor on health-related QOL, with an overall mental component summary score of 41,3% (± 10,0) and physical component summary score of 52,9% (±6,0), with significantly higher mental component summary score for male students (P = < 0,005). Studying economics, law (b = −2,513, P = 0,007) or engineering (b = −2,762; P = 0,001) was associated to negatively influence students’ health. Conclusions Factors such as study program are associated with health-related QOL. Further longitudinal studies assessing additional socio-demographic factors are needed to fully assess what influences students’ health. Students’ health should be at the top of the agenda of public health researchers, academic supervisors and policy-makers.

Background Inmates have a poorer health status than the general population. The physical activity is well know that improve the wellness of the people. This multicentric cross-sectional study aimed to assess the relationship between Quality of Life (QoL) and physical activity levels among Italian prisoners. Methods Inmates from eight prisons compiled a questionnaire. The Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) was used to measure inmates' weekly physical activity levels (MATwk). Their QoL was measured using two components of Short Form with 12 items (SF12): MCS (mental score) and PCS (physical score). Results A total of 636 questionnaires were compiled. High level of MET was significantly (P

Habitual physical activity has beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk reduction by improving vascular function but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. To address this issue, we performed a cross-sectional study comparing 50 physically active (PA) adults with 50 sedentary controls matched for age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors. PA subjects had significantly higher flow-mediated dilation (FMD) than controls and higher serum levels of nitrite/nitrate, a marker of nitric oxide generation. In addition, PA subjects showed lower levels of urinary isoprostanes, a marker of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and lower serum levels of sNox2-dp, a validated assay to measure Nox2 activity, one of the most important enzymes producing ROS in the blood cells. FMD was independently correlated with sNox2-dp, after adjusting for possible confounding factors. Our observation leads to the hypothesis that, in adults, regular exercise preserves artery dilation through Nox2 decreased activity. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 28, 1576-1581.

Study Type – Therapy (cohort) Level of Evidence 2b What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? We show that (i) docetaxel re-treatment, after a treatment-free interval, preserves activity; (ii) the treatment is especially well tolerated in patients who were effectively pretreated with docetaxel; and (iii) it could be speculated that combining docetaxel with other agents in this setting might be safe and result in greater activity. OBJECTIVE To determine the activity and tolerability of docetaxel re-treatment after first-line therapy with docetaxel in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). PATIENTS AND METHODS Between November 2005 and January 2009, 45 patients initially responding to docetaxel and then experiencing disease progression after a period of biochemical remission of at least 5 months were enrolled in a prospective multicenter study and re-treated with docetaxel. The primary endpoint was the biochemical response (biochemical partial response defined as >50% prostate-specific antigen [PSA] decline); secondary endpoints were objective response, toxicity, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS Partial PSA responses were observed in 11 patients (24.5%), 4 (25%) of whom also had an objective response. The treatment was well tolerated, with grade 1–2 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, vomiting and peripheral neuropathy noted in 18 (40%), 11 (24.5%), 8 (17.8%), and 6 (13.3%) patients, respectively. The most common grade 3 toxicity was neutropenia, which was observed in 8 patients (17.8%). Median PFS was 5 months and median OS was 13 months. CONCLUSIONS Docetaxel re-treatment preserves anti-tumour activity and is well tolerated in a selected population of pretreated patients with CRPC. Further randomized trials are needed to confirm our preliminary results.

The objective of this study was to evaluate intravesical gemcitabine in high-risk nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) refractory to bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). This was a prospective multicentre single-arm trial. Eligible patients were those with high-risk NMIBC refractory to BCG therapy, for which radical cystectomy was indicated but not conducted because of patient refusal or ineligibility. Patients received intravesical gemcitabine twice weekly at a dose of 2000 mg/50 ml for 6 weeks, and then weekly for 3 weeks at 3, 6, and 12 months. Outcome measures were recurrence rate, time to first recurrence, progression rate and complications. Twenty patients were enrolled and included in the analysis. Median follow-up was 15.2 months. Fifty-five percent (11 patients) developed disease recurrence. Mean time to the first recurrence was 3.5 months and 45% (five patients) of recurring patients had disease progression. Overall, treatment was well tolerated. Urinary symptoms represented the primary adverse events. The role of gemcitabine used as second-line treatment in high-risk BCG-refractory NMIBC patients who refused or were unsuitable for radical cystectomy remains to be defined. Further clinical research in this area is needed.

Background the seat of the kayaker represent the principal contact point to express mechanical Energy. Methods therefore we investigated the reliability of the Wii Balance Board measures in the kayak vs. on the ground. Results Bland-Altman test showed a low systematic bias on the ground (2.85%) and in kayak (-2.13%) respectively; while 0.996 for Intra-class correlation coefficient. Conclusion the Wii Balance Board is useful to assess postural sway in kayak.

The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a chronic and progressive neuro-degenerative pathology that starts in adult age and usually leads patients to death for respiratory distress after 3 years from the onset of symptoms In some studies, vigorous and continuous physical activity due to heavy working activity and sport is associated with ALS. On the other hand other studies are against this association. A study carried out in Europe found overall physical activity is associated with reduced odds of having ALS (OR=0.65, 95% CI=0.48-0.89), and the same protective factor is seen for work-related physical activity (OR=0.56, 95% CI=0.36-0.87) and organized sports (OR=0.49, 95% CI=0.32-0.75. A recent literature review found that football/soccer may be considered as a possible risk factor for ALS (level C) and there is a strong need for further research that must take into account the numerous confounding factors that could be present in this field. However only well conducted observational studies, such as cohort and case-control studies, carried out with the same design in different countries could give a final answer to this suspected but still unconfirmed association

Background The ACTN3 gene may influence performance in team sports, in which sprint action and high-speed movements, regulated by the anaerobic energy system, are crucial to the ultimate success of a match. The aim of this study was to determine the association between the ACTN3 R577X (rs1815739) polymorphism and elite team sport athletic status in Italian male athletes. Methods We compared the genotype and allele frequency of the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism between team sport athletes (n = 75), endurance athletes (n = 40), sprint/power athletes (n = 64), and non-athletic healthy controls (n = 192) from Italy. Genomic DNA was collected using a buccal swab. Extraction was performed according to the manufacturer’s directions provided with a commercially available kit (Qiagen S.r.l., Milan, Italy). Results Team sport athletes showed a lower frequency of the 577RR genotype compared to the 577XX genotype than sprint/power athletes (p = 0.044). However, the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism was not associated with team sport athletic status compared to endurance athletes and non-athletic controls. Conclusions Our results agree with a recent large-scale study involving athletes from Spain, Poland, and Russia. The ACTN3 R577X polymorphism was not associated with team sport athletic status compared to endurance athletes and non-athletic controls.

Background: the aim of this pilot study was to evaluate whether proprioceptive-motor training using the Wii Balance Board (WBB) might improve postural sway in healthy subjects.Methods: twenty-five healthy subjects were trained for six weeks (two sessions per week) with 5 “video games”: Wii Fit Plus (WFP) program. Before and after training: Basic Balance, Single-leg Balance, Agility, Stability and Motion (lower limb: right-left and both leg) were measured using the Wii Balance Board.Results: the Wilcoxon Test showed improvements at the end of the training program compared to the baseline conditions. Basic Balance increased during the WFP (33.33%) and was associated with a 19.92% decrease in center of pressure (COP) lenght. The Single-leg Balance results incremented after the WFP (left 29.09% vs. right 47.92%) and accompanied by a decrement in COP (left 28.71% vs. right 30.45%). The values for the Agility test increased both in WFP and COP (28.57% and 58.57%, respectively). The Stability test scores increased in the WFP (66.67%) along with a consequent decrease in COP (10.53%). Finally, the Motion test values increased in the WFP (73.17%), whilst COP for this test decreased (12.02%). These results indicate that 6 weeks of virtual training produced a good adaptability. Younger participants (20 years.Conclusions: significant improvements in all participants were observed, indicating that virtual training can influence posture and balance in healthy people. Because of its characteristics of low cost and easy availability, a portable system for balance training for everyone offers the possibility to more readily measure motor skill and to gauge improvement.

The aim of the study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) and the physical activity of liver transplant recipients compared with the general population. The case-controlled pilot study was accomplished through the administration of 2 questionnaires: 36-item Medical Outcomes Study, Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-36) for quality of life (10 scores) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to estimate the physical activity (metabolic equivalent score). Fifty-four patients who underwent liver transplantation using the piggyback technique and 108 controls from the general population at the orthopedic ambulatories were enrolled between 2002 and 2009. Participants had a mean age of 55 years (range, 41–73). The multivariate analysis showed significant differences for some scales of the SF-36: liver transplant recipients displayed lower values for “Mental Composite Score” (P = .043), “physical activity” (P = .001), “role limitations due to physical health” (P = .006), “role limitations due to the emotional state” (P = .006), and “mental health” (P = .010). The metabolic equivalent positively associated with all examined SF-36 scales. The present study focused on the QOL and physical activity of liver transplant recipients, demonstrating that transplant recipients scored lower than the general population. Liver transplantation may allow full recovery of health status, but the physical and social problems persist in some patients. Interventions aimed at improving rehabilitation programs, regular psychosocial support, and follow-up in all phases of treatment may give patients a more satisfying lifestyle after transplantation.

Background: the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a Visual Feedback Training (VFT) of the centre of pressure (COP) on postural sway in young karate athletes. Methods: 38 young male karate athletes were recruited and randomly in 2 groups: experimental group (SG; n=19, age =16.54 ± 2.00 yrs) and the control group (CG; n= 19, age 16.45 ± 1.53 yrs). The SG performed a battery test of VFT on stabilometric platform screening in a monitor of COP in a real time. During 10-min of the test, athlete tries to bring his own body to the centre of COP. CG followed the same procedure of SG without receiving any feedback of their COP. Results: ANOVA revealed an interaction training for type × F(1,360)=78.892 at p