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The presented study showed the relationship between dopamine receptor gene polymorphism and personality traits in athletes training in martial arts. Behavioral modulation resulting from a balance of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine to inactivation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and dysregulation of various pathways involved in attention and impulse control processes; Methods: The study was conducted among martial arts athletes. The study group included 258 volunteers and 284 controls. The genetic test was performed using the real-time PCR method; psychological tests were performed using standardized TCI questionnaires. All analyses were performed using STATISTICA 13. Results: Interaction between martial arts and DRD2 rs1799732 (manual) G/-(VIC/FAM)-ins/del and RD- Harm avoidance and Reward Dependence scale were demonstrated. In athletes, a lower Reward Dependence scale score was associated with the DRD2 rs1799732 (manual)-/-polymorphism compared to the control group. Conclusions: It seems justified to study not only genetic aspects related to brain transmission dopamine in martial arts athletes. In the studied athletes, the features related to reward addiction and harm avoidance are particularly important in connection with the dopaminergic reward system in the brain

Assistiamo ad una crescente richiesta di soluzioni integrate web-based a supporto della conoscenza, gestione e valorizzazione del patrimonio culturale. Il presente articolo fornisce una panoramica sulle più recenti attività e iniziative orientate al web nel campo dei beni culturali. Vengono quindi proposti alcuni esempi di strumenti, servizi e applicazioni realizzate dal CNR. Si conclude infine con le sfide lanciate dalle nuove priorità europee in merito alle infrastrutture delle Heritage Science, la Digital Library per il Patrimonio Culturale e il Cloud della Ricerca

Introduction. Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are a cause of high morbidity, disability and reduced quality of life, as well as mortality and rising costs for health systems. Preventing the HAI risk by planning and implementing effective preventive strategies is important to safeguard patient health. Methods. The study aimed to evaluate the presence of procedures and protocols for infection control, to assess the adhesion to the different aspects of hand hygiene (HH) and hand washing technique by healthcare workers in six ICUs. An observational study was conducted in six ICUs. In each ICU, the adherence by health care workers to both hand hygiene practices and standard precautions was assessed, as well as the presence of procedures and written protocols. Results. The findings showed that in all the involved ICUs, 73 of 142 required protocols and procedures were available. Specifically, 59 of 79 were available for general measure of risk control, 12 of 15 for hand hygiene, and 24 of 48 for standard precautions and isolation measures. Also, the results showed highly variable levels of adherence to the best hygiene practices in all the ICUs involved in the study, with compliance rates ranging from 3% to 100%, and 73 of 142 required protocols were available at the study time. Conclusions. Overall, the involved ICUs showed low levels of adherence to best hygiene practices. This suggests the need to implement immediate strategies for infection control in the ICUs. A multidisciplinary intervention could be effective in preventing and control the HAI risk., Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene, Vol 58, No 3 (2017): 2017583

Hand grip strength is a widely used proxy of muscular fitness, a marker of frailty, and predictor of a range of morbidities and all-cause mortality. To investigate the genetic determinants of variation in grip strength, we perform a large-scale genetic discovery analysis in a combined sample of 195,180 individuals and identify 16 loci associated with grip strength (P, Hand grip strength as a proxy of muscular fitness is a clinical predictor of mortality and morbidity. In a large-scale GWA study, the authors find 16 robustly associated genetic loci that highlight roles in muscle fibre structure and function, neuronal maintenance and nervous system signal transduction.

Despite numerous attempts to discover genetic variants associated with elite athletic performance, injury predisposition, and elite/world-class athletic status, there has been limited progress to date. Past reliance on candidate gene studies predominantly focusing on genotyping a limited number of single nucleotide polymorphisms or the insertion/deletion variants in small, often heterogeneous cohorts (i.e., made up of athletes of quite different sport specialties) have not generated the kind of results that could offer solid opportunities to bridge the gap between basic research in exercise sciences and deliverables in biomedicine. A retrospective view of genetic association studies with complex disease traits indicates that transition to hypothesis-free genome-wide approaches will be more fruitful. In studies of complex disease, it is well recognized that the magnitude of genetic association is often smaller than initially anticipated, and, as such, large sample sizes are required to identify the gene effects robustly. A symposium was held in Athens and on the Greek island of Santorini from 14 -17 May 2015 to review the main findings in exercise genetics and genomics and to explore promising trends and possibilities. The symposium also offered a forum for the development of a position stand (the Santorini Declaration). Among the participants, many were involved in ongoing collaborative studies (e.g., ELITE, GAMES, Gene SMART, GENESIS, and POWERGENE). A consensus emerged among participants that it would be advantageous to bring together all current studies and those recently launched into one new large collaborative initiative, which was subsequently named the Athlome Project Consortium. © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Despite numerous attempts to discover genetic variants associated with elite athletic performance, injury predisposition and elite/world-class athletic status, there has been limited progress to date. Past reliance on candidate gene studies predominantly focusing on genotyping a limited number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or the insertion/deletion variants in small, often heterogeneous cohorts have not generated the kind of results that could offer solid opportunities to bridge the gap between basic research in exercise sciences and deliverables in biomedicine. A retrospective view of genetic association studies with complex disease traits indicates that transition to hypothesis-free genome-wide approaches will be more fruitful. In studies of complex disease, it is well recognized that the magnitude of genetic associations is often smaller than initially anticipated and, as such, large sample sizes are required to identify them robustly. Thus, alternative approaches involving large-scale, collaborative efforts, within which high-resolution genome-wide data is generated and interrogated using advanced bioinformatics approaches, are likely necessary for meaningful progress to be made. Accordingly, a symposium was held on the Greek island of Santorini from 14-17th May 2015 to review the main findings in exercise genetics and genomics and to explore promising trends and possibilities. The symposium offered a forum for the development of a position stand. Among the participants, many were involved in ongoing collaborative studies. A consensus emerged among participants that it would be advantageous to bring together all current studies and those recently launched into one new large collaborative initiative, which was subsequently named the Athlome Project Consortium. Sin financiación 3.044 JCR (2016) Q2, 26/84 Physiology, 68/167 Genetics and Heredity; Q3, 104/190 Cell Biology 1.448 SJR (2016) Q2, 106/351 Genetics, 47/191 Physiology No data IDR 2016 UEM

Introduction ACE I/D and ACTN3 R577X polymorphisms have been associated with elite athletic status, and recently with differences in muscle strength and power, body fat and bone mineral density in human (Puthucheary et al. 2011; Yang et al. 2011). Purpose The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of ACE I/D and ACTN3 R577X polymorphisms on body composition and somatotype of elite Italian gymnasts. Methods Nineteen athletes of the Artistic Gymnastic Italian National Team (n=10 males, n=9 females) who were competitive at Olympic levels were genotyped for ACE I/D and ACTN3 R577X. The athletes had been gymnasts for an average of 14.3 years, and they trained for 31.2±2.5 h/week. The analysis was computed for each gender separately. Correlations were computed by mean of Pearson’s r test. Differences between genotypes and phenotypes were determined using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results None of the tested athletes was deficient for the α-actinin-3 protein (XX genotype). In females, we found a significant negative correlation between ACTN-3 and triceps skinfold (r=-.92), and endomorphy (r=-0.83). Gymnasts carrying RR genotype showed higher values of body fat parameters than those with RX genotype (P=0.41). ACE polymorphism was significantly correlated with tight (r=.91) and triceps (r=.84) skinfolds. Athletes carrying DD genotype showed higher values of skinfolds thickness than those with ID and II genotypes (P=0.17). In males, only the R577X polymorphism displayed a significant correlation with arm (r=.74) and tight (r=.80) muscle area (TMA and AMA, respectively), mesomorphy (r=.83) and femur diameter (r=.81). Particularly, gymnasts with RR genotype showed significant higher values of AMA (RR=85.7±8.7 vs RX=72.6±9.1 cm2; P=0.04) and TMA (RR=200.2±8.7 vs RX=178.4±10.8 cm2; P=0.008), mesomorphy (RR=7.0±0.5 vs RX=5.6±0.5; P=0.002) and femur diameter (RR=9.5±0.2 vs RX=8.9 mm; P=0.02) with respect to those with RX genotype. Discussion Our results suggested a possible effect of ACTN3 on muscle mass in males, while in female gymnasts both genes seem to have a small influence on body fat. In line with other previous researches (Massidda et al. 2009), it can be confirmed that the presence of a functional ACTN3 in fast-twitch muscle fibers might improve the potential to achieve better performance level in male and possibly female gymnasts, while ACE does not seem beneficial for gymnastic performance in both sex.

Objective: Vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphism is reported to be associated with muscle mass and strength [ref:1], but the evidences for this is limited and conflicting. The present study examined the association between the polymorphisms of VDR gene BsmI, ApaI and FokI and muscular mass[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 7th EFSMA – European Congress of Sports Medicine, 3rd Central European Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Hand grip strength is a widely used proxy of muscular fitness, a marker of frailty, and predictor of a range of morbidities and all-cause mortality. To investigate the genetic determinants of variation in grip strength, we perform a large-scale genetic discovery analysis in a combined sample of 195,180 individuals and identify 16 loci associated with grip strength (P

Background: Physical activity in the elderly is recommended by international guidelines to protect against cognitive decline and functional impairment. Objective: This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was set up to verify whether medium-intensity physical activity in elderly people living in the community is effective in improving cognitive performance. Design: RCT with parallel and balanced large groups. Setting: Academic university hospital and Olympic gyms. Subjects: People aged 65 years old and older of both genders living at home holding a medical certificate for suitability in non-competitive physical activity. Methods: Participants were randomized to a 12-week, 3 sessions per week moderate physical activity program or to a control condition focused on cultural and recreational activities in groups of the same size and timing as the active intervention group. The active phase integrated a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic exercises, including drills of “life movements”, strength and balance. The primary outcome was: any change in Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination Revised (ACE-R) and its subscales. Results: At the end of the trial, 52 people completed the active intervention, and 53 people completed the control condition. People in the active intervention improved on the ACE-R (ANOVA: F(1;102)=4.32, p=0.040), and also showed better performances on the memory (F(1;102)=5.40 p=0.022) and visual-space skills subscales of the ACE-R (F(1;102)=4.09 p=0.046). Conclusion: A moderate-intensity exercise administered for a relatively short period of 12 weeks is capable of improving cognitive performance in a sample of elderly people who live independently in their homes. Clinical Trials Registration No: NCT03858114

Background Aging is marked by a progressive rise in chronic diseases with an impact on social and healthcare costs. Physical activity (PA) may soothe the inconveniences related to chronic diseases, has positive effects on the quality of life and biological rhythms, and can prevent the decline in motor functions and the consequent falls, which are associated with early death and disability in older adults. Methods We randomized 120 over-65 males and females into groups of similar size and timing and will give each either moderate physical activity or cultural and recreational activities. Being younger than 65 years, inability to participate in physical activity for any medical reason, and involvement in a massive program of physical exercise are the exclusion criteria. The primary outcome measures are: quality of life, walking speed, and postural sway. Participants are tested at baseline, post-treatment, and 6-month (24 weeks) and 12-month (48 weeks) follow-ups. Discussion This study aims at improving the quality of life, wellness, and cognitive functioning in the elderly through a low-cost affordable program of moderate physical activity. Given the growing aging of the world population and the social and economic burden of disability in the elderly, our results might have a major impact on future practices. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03858114. Registered on 28 February 2019.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the MCT1 (monocarboxylate transporter 1) A1470T polymorphism and positional roles in a large cohort of professional football players from five different countries. We compared genotype distributions of the MCT1 A1470T polymorphism between football players (n=694) and non-athlete controls (n=781) from Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine and Malta, and we analyzed the MCT1 genotype distributions with respect to the players’ positions in the field (e. g. forwards, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers). Genomic DNA was extracted from either buccal epithelium or peripheral blood using a standard protocol. In the pooled cohort of Italian, Polish, Lithuanian and Ukrainian football players, forwards (n=148) were more likely than controls (n=781) to possess the A allele (χ2=7.067, p=0.029, FDR q value 0.116), with a greater likelihood of having the AA genotype compared with the TT genotype (OR=1.97; C.I.=1.07-3.64; p=0.021, FDR q value 0.086). The MCT1 AA genotype was significantly more frequent in forwards then in controls. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings in other professional football player cohorts.

Scopo della Ricerca. Lo scopo del presente studio è stato quello di individuare le variabili antropometriche correlate alla performance delle ginnaste italiane d’elite e di delineare un modello di regressione che includesse le variabili antropometriche in grado di predire il punteggio della performance delle ginnaste italiane d’elite. Materiali e Metodi. Disegno sperimentale: sono state utilizzate l’analisi di correlazione e la regressione multipla stepwise. Campione: I soggetti analizzati erano le componenti delle Squadre Nazionali Italiane Juniores e Seniores di Ginnastica Artistica Femminile che nel corso degli anni 2006 e 2007 avevano preso parte ai Campionati Italiani a Squadre di Serie A, Campionato Italiano Assoluto, Tornei Internazionali, Campionati Europei e Campionati del Mondo. Sono state considerate un totale 16 competizioni per ogni ginnasta. Tra le ginnaste analizzate vi erano le componenti della Squadra Campione d’Europa (Volos 2006) e la Campionessa Mondiale (Arhus, 2006) Assoluta. E’ stato analizzato tutto il campione rappresentativo della popolazione di riferimento per un totale di 19 Ginnaste studiate. Per ciascuna ginnasta sono stati rilevati sia i punteggi totali che i punteggi parziali per ogni singola specialità ottenuti nelle 16 competizioni. Misure: E’ stato attuato un protocollo di misurazione antropometrica consistente nella rilevazione di 21 dimensioni corporee per ogni soggetto. E’ stato determinato il Somatotipo. I punteggi medi ottenuti nelle 16 competizioni in ogni singola specialità (Volteggio, Parallele Asimmetriche, Trave e Corpo Libero) e nell’All around (somma dei punteggi parziali nelle 4 specialità) per ciascuna ginnasta erano le variabili dipendenti. Risultati. Le correlazioni più significative (p

The achievement of high agonistic level in sport depends on a range of factors including anthropometry, training, physiological and functional aspects. The aim of the study was to examine top-level gymnasts by an anthropometric and molecular point of view in order to analyse if there were specific characterizations. In this preliminary phase, 10 Italian International male gymnasts were examined. The analysis of anthropometric characters showed a great variability among subjects due to sample’s dimension and also to athlete’s different speciality. Our gymnasts are shorter and lighter than the general Italian population and presents percentage of fat and fat free mass respectively lower and higher than gymnasts of lower agonistic level and than general Italian population. In our sample athletes who excel at vaulting show high values of girths of limbs, while those who excel at rings and horizontal bar show a great difference between the two extremities. These aspects could be related to the different involvement of body districts in different specialities. As regards the genetic markers, the findings suggest that ACE presents a frequency of the deletion higher than the general Italian population but similar to power athletes. Moreover, lower frequencies of the FGB HindIII and GpIIIa rare alleles have been observed. These rare alleles increase blood’s viscosity and would hinder cardio-vascular efficiency in sport practice. Finally, all the athletes show the presence of -actinin-3 in type 2 fibers that was supposed to be an advantage for power sport.