The effect of different sports specialization on ankle joint mobility of young players

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of practicing different sports on ankle joint mobility (AJM) in young subjects. In 344 players of 5 different sports (soccer, classical ballet, gymnastics, volleyball and basketball), mean age 12.0±2.4 years, sex (male/female: 237/107), BMI 19.0±2.8 (Kg/m 2 ), AJM was evaluated by using an inclinometer while the trunk flexibility was evaluated by the Sit and Reach test. Compared to all other groups, soccer players showed a significant reduction of AJM (p<.005) that is already present in younger subjects and that tends to worsen with aging (p<.04). On the contrary, the young dancers of classic ballet showed a significant increase in the AJM (p<.002). Basketball, volleyball and gymnastics groups showed a similar AJM. The higher AJM showed by females compared to males (128.5±21.0° vs 144.6±18.5°; p<.001) was not significant when the group of soccer players and dancers were excluded from the calculation. All groups investigated did not show a different mobility between the two ankles or the dominant and non-dominant limb. The age of the subjects investigated was not correlated with AJM. The group of gymnasts showed a significant increase in trunk flexibility (p<.001) compared to all other groups. Sport practice can significantly modify AJM both by increasing and reducing it. Such process should be timely assessed in order to prevent these alterations along with the related possible negative effects in the short and long term

A case study for spacegate point-to-point transportation: Evaluation of a reference end-to-end mission operations and assessment of the associated safety aspects

The ALTEC-conducted Spacegate feasibility study addresses the opportunities offered by the sub-orbital flight with special emphasis to future generation transportation. Pursuing the same systemic methodology of the initial Spacegate definition activities, this paper focuses on some specific aspects of suborbital operations and outlines a top level end-to-end operating cycle for a reference suborbital mission spanning from pre-flight, to flight, re-entry and post landing operations and associated Ground Segment. Special focus is given to identification of suitable locations in Italy for suborbital operations, and to liftoff and re-entry phases; the results of specific simulations are also reported, showing some lift off options and the feasibility of the spiral shaped descent maneuver that improves the pilot controllability of the vehicle during the re-entry phase. Further, this paper outlines within the selected reference mission, the main safety aspects considered as driving factors in planning and implementing future generation transportation; areas such as launch/landing range and relevant risk management/mitigation policies, as well as selection of safety driving criteria in the definition of trajectories and space transition corridors, and capabilities to monitor the vehicle ascent and re-entry will be assessed. Safety regulations will also be evaluated to protect launch range, drive spaceport site selection and consequently the ability of the spaceport to accommodate large numbers of passengers and participants, as well as a number of simultaneous operations such as training, vehicle integration tasks, and passenger preparation for flight. For human flight in general, and in particular for commercial point to point activities at this early stage, it is vital to minimize risk since a fatal accident at the very beginning of flights will put the entire business in jeopardy. The regulatory challenges with regards to safety will also be outlined in this paper, related to executing Spacegate activities in Europe and collaborations with the involved Agencies in the USA and Europe (FAA, ENAC, ENAV, SESAR, EASA) will be explored; in particular, some initiatives have already been started, that include active ALTEC participation to the IAASS Space Safety Technical Committee (SSTC) that was created to contribute to the advancement of the Safety in the area of the "Commercial Suborbital Flight"

Raising Awareness on the Clinical and Social Relevance of Adequate Chronic Pain Care

Appropriate pain care should be regarded as a right and effectively guaranteed to people with chronic pain (CP). Law 38, enacted in Italy in 2010, establishes the citizen's right not to suffer. Twelve years later, such right appears still disregarded in Italy and the current access to adequate pain care reveals significant shortcomings. In addition, a mismatch between CP-associated burden and the available healthcare resources in the framework of our national health system has been observed. This article gathers the perspectives of a Board of Italian anesthesiologists on the state of the art of CP management in Italy and aims at strengthening the scientific rationale and clinical relevance of pursuing the enforceability of the right not to suffer and at promoting widespread multidisciplinary care of patients with CP

Landslides Induced by Historical and Recent Earthquakes in Central-Southern Apennines (Italy): A Tool for Intensity Assessment and Seismic Hazard

Analysis of distribution of landslides (rock falls and coherent slides), induced by 12 moderate to strong earthquakes occurred in the last three centuries in Central\u2013Southern Apennines, has permitted to investigate the relationship of their maximum distance versus magnitude and ESI epicentral intensity. For coherent slides, the correlation of magnitude or ESI intensity versus distance is fairly good and consistent with global datasets. Instead, rock falls show a less evident correlation with distance. We stress here the usefulness of such relationships to define the expected scenario of earthquake-induced landslides. However, the data base needs to be improved and enlarged to allow more robust estimates

Recurrent extreme bilateral gigantomastia caused by pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) syndrome: a case report

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) of the breast is a rare and benign medical condition in which the breast tissue is affected by an abnormal myofibroblastic proliferation, which mimics a low-grade sarcoma angiomatous proliferation. PASH usually presents itself either as a palpable mass or as an incidental diagnosis during breast specimens' histological examination. A few cases have been reported in the literature of a diffuse form of breast PASH syndrome in which the clinical presentation is a bilateral form of gigantomastia without palpable masses. In such cases, the optimal surgical management is still debated due to a significant risk of relapse after breast reduction. Mastectomy seems to be the endpoint of this condition in relapsing cases. Recent studies report a good outcome with a Tamoxifen regimen when surgery cannot be performed, supporting a hormonal component for the etiology of the condition. This study reports on an extremely rare case of bilateral, rapid, and severe PASH in a young patient, presenting as a truly disabling gigantomastia that forced the patient to use a wheelchair due to the excessive breast weights (25 kg the right breast and 21 kg the left). We describe her complicated medical history, her diagnosis, and our course of treatment

Type 1 diabetes, sport practiced, and ankle joint mobility in young patients: What is the relationship?

n/

Quaternary capable folds and seismic hazard in Lombardia (Northern Italy): the Castenedolo structure near Brescia.

We identify evidence of late Quaternary compressive tectonics in the Northern sector of the Central Po Plain through a systematic revision of the literature, new field mapping, and a new study of seismic reflection data obtained by ENI E&P. In particular, the reinterpretation of ca. 18.000 km of seismic profiles clearly shows a belt of segmented, 10 to 20 km long, fault propagation folds, controlled by the Plio-Quaternary growth of several out-of-sequence thrusts. As an example of this active structural style, in this paper we focus on a buried fold located just south of the Castenedolo Hill, a few km SE of Brescia. Although the Castenedolo anticline has long ago been described as a young compressional structure (e.g., DESIO, 1965), no detailed structural analysis of this feature has been performed until now. We calculated the uplift rates of this fold through the analysis of its syntectonic sedimentary record as imaged by the extremely high quality ENI E&P subsurface data available in the area. The evolution of this anticline was a discontinuous process characterized by several tectonic uplift pulses (with rates of ca. 0.1 mm/yr) of different duration, separated by periods of variable extent in which no fold growth occurred. The Quaternary growth history of this anticline and the presence of faulted and folded late Pleistocene to Holocene deposits at nearby sites (Ciliverghe and Monte Netto) demonstrate that the significant seismicity of this area (e.g., the December 25, 1222, Io = IX MCS Brescia earthquake, MAGRI & MOLIN, 1986; GUIDOBONI, 1986) must be related to active compressional structures within the Brescia piedmont belt. Our regional investigations show that the structural and paleoseismic setting illustrated near Castenedolo is typical of the whole Lombardia domain of the Southern Alps. This implies that the currently accepted seismotectonic model for this region, and related seismic hazard assessment, should be thoroughly and carefully re-evaluated

Strengths and Weaknesses of Cancer Pain Management in Italy: Findings from a Nationwide SIAARTI Survey

Objectives: Despite guidelines, a large percentage of cancer patients continue to suffer from ineffectively treated pain. The authors undertook this survey to assess the strengths and weaknesses of cancer pain management in Italy. Design: This was a prospectively administered survey. Participants: The participants were anesthesiologists of the Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI). Intervention: A 58-item questionnaire covered the demographics and features of cancer pain management in the Italian context. Results: The authors received responses from 611 pain therapists of 279 centers. Only 22% of physicians are exclusively pain therapists. Seventy-five percent are specialists in anesthesiology, intensive care, and pain medicine. Most pain centers are hospital or university facilities (78%). The strengths of cancer pain management in Italy are the careful opioid prescriptions, the use of strategies for the treatment of neuropathic pain, patient/healthcare provider partnerships, and breakthrough cancer pain management. Weaknesses to be addressed include poor adherence to guidelines, inadequate attention toward the patient's quality of life, insufficient use of minimally invasive techniques, lack of teamwork approaches, inappropriate timing of pain specialist engagement, and poor telemedicine use. Conclusions: Despite several strengths, further efforts are needed to improve the care of patients suffering from cancer pain in Italy

EARTHQUAKE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS, INTENSITY AND SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT: THE EEE CATALOGUE (INQUA PROJECT #0418)

Earthquake Environmental Effects (EEE) are the effects produced by an earthquake on the natural environment, either directly linked to the earthquake source or triggered by the ground shaking. These include surface faulting, regional uplift and subsidence, tsunamis, liquefaction, ground resonance, landslides, and ground failure phenomena. The EEE catalogue is a data collection of Earthquake Environmental Effects from modern, historical and paleoseismic earthquakes compiled at global level by the INQUA TERPRO Project #0811 WG. The damages caused by recent catastrophic seismic events have been mostly linked to the vulnerability of physical environment enhancing the crucial role of EEEs, including tsunamis, for seismic hazard purposes. Therefore, these events have confirmed that the EEE Catalogue is an essential tool to complete traditional SHA based on PGA maps, since it allows to identify the natural areas most vulnerable to earthquake occurrence and to objectively compare in time and in space the earthquake intensity through the ESI scale