Health Promotion in Children and Adolescents through Sport and Physical Activities

This Special Issue entitled ”Health Promotion in Children and Adolescents through Sport and Physical Activities” was developed after I received an interesting phone call from Giuseppe Musumeci, a friend and colleague who, in my opinion, is brilliantly driving JFMK to success. Giuseppe motivated me to manage a Special Issue ( SI), and after a short interaction with him and some personal study, I decided to address the topic of this SI to the area mentioned above. Although the title of this SI may seem a bit broad, since the beginning, my intention has been clear: to try to collect more information about the impact that human movement has on the physical and psychological conditions of subjects during all stages of development, also known as the pediatric age. I admit I was surprised when submissions started rolling in. There were many exciting works (unfortunately, we had to reject a few of them for a variety of reasons), and in the end we collected 13 contributions in a short period. In brief, I will present here the core message that this SI book aims to share with the readers. The first part of the book contains three interesting editorials that fit perfectly with the SI’s purposes. Sarah West et al. point out the importance of “research that longitudinally assesses how lifelong physical activity () contributes to life expectancy and mortality”, while Ambra Gentile presents an interesting project supported by the European Commission addressing sports and human movement as valid methods of preventing violence and social exclusion. The third editorial by Marianna Alesi et al. also reports on a European initiative concerning cognitive and motivational monitoring during enriched sports activities. Interestingly, these three articles have many common points, and the central role of human movement is the driving factor. Among the subsequent contributions, readers will find an interesting review by Riggs Klika et al., in which the terms cancer, pediatric age, and exercise have been properly investigated and presented. Laura Kabiri et al. presents data that support the importance of being active at a young age, while Ryan D. Burn and You Fu investigated the interrelationships among motor competence and health-related variables during the pediatric age. The matter of motor competence is addressed by Charlotte JH Hall et al., who suggest that good motor competence is an important correlate of children meeting physical activity guidelines for health. In an original investigation, Yolanda Demetriu et al. provide first insights into how a sports-oriented school can promote students’ physical literacy and optimal cognitive performance. Cain CT Clark et al. investigated motor skills in children and highlighted the importance of gender differences, while the work of Michael PR Sheldrick et al. reports that sufficient MVPA and excessive screen time were associated with healthy and unhealthy factors, respectively, with relationships sometimes differing by sex. Ewan Thomas and Antonio Palma report that it is possible to consider age-related performance measures to develop exercise interventions that follow the growth characteristics of schoolchildren, while Francisco Tavares et al., in their original investigation, encourage the development of power capacities in the late youth phase when preparing athletes for the senior competition level. Now, at the end of this journey through all the scientific contributions that I had the honor of managing, I want to say thank you to all the lovely people at the MDPI Editorial Office. I felt supported and encouraged to be creative and productive, and I will definitely request a second edition of this successful and interesting Special Issue

METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LIFESTYLE SURVEILLANCE TOOLKIT IN THE ASSO PROJECT

Following the presentation of the ASSO Project, as discussed in the previous issue of JSSL (Tabacchi G. 2011; 1-3: 267-269 ), one of the first objectives of the study is to develop helpful and efficient tools to create a webbased software for the collection of data on adolescent lifestyles. Different methods have been developed and used throughout Europe to collect information on adolescent lifestyles. In order to select the best methods to be used in the ASSO project, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on the most valid dietary and physical activity/fitness assessment methods used in the target population has been perfomed. After the SLR and a meta-analysis of the retrieved studies, different tools have been developed within ASSO, in order to create a userfriendly and cost-effective toolkit for the creation of a web-based software for the data collection. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for data collection has been prepared and addressed to all the people involved in the preparation, administration and management of the questionnaires. The SOP has the purpose of standardizing methods and procedures to prevent systematic errors in the collection and reporting of data. Moreover, it is useful to provide reminders and guidelines of the correct way to deal with the information material related to the study, to perform the interviews, to manage the compilation of the questionnaire and to store the collected information. An informative letter on the project and the informed consent to be signed by the parents have been developed. After obtaining the parents’ consent, a list of all the students participating in the study will be prepared and an identification code and a password will be attributed to each student in order to respect the privacy

Pain perception and stabilometric parameters in people with chronic low back pain after a pilates exercise program: A randomized controlled trial

Various exercise interventions, such as Pilates exercises and traditional physical therapy methods, are employed to decrease low back pain (LBP). Nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) is distinct from LBP, however, as the distribution of pain is restricted to the region between the costal margin and the inferior gluteal. The aim of our randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of a program of Pilates exercises on pain perception and stabilometric parameters in patients with NSLBP.Thirty-eight participants were randomly allocated, using a 1:1 scheme, to either the experimental group (EG) or control group (CG). The EG completed a 14-week program of Pilates exercises, performed thrice per week under the supervision of an exercise specialist, while the CG was managed with a social program only. Measures of posturography and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for pain perception were obtained at baseline (T0) and after the 14 weeks of intervention (T)1.Posturography measures improved for patients in the EG, with both eyes open and eyes closed (P\u200a<\u200a0.05). There were no statistical differences in posturography in the CG. ODI decreased significantly in both groups over the 14 weeks of the study protocol: EG, T0, 13.7\u200a\ub1\u200a5.0 compared with T1, 6.5\u200a\ub1\u200a4.0 (P\u200a<\u200a0.001); and CG, T0, 10.7\u200a\ub1\u200a7.8 compared with T1, 8.4\u200a\ub1\u200a7.8 (P\u200a<\u200a0.01). A greater extent of reduction in pain was achieved in the EG.The Pilates exercise program yielded improvements in pain and posturography outcomes. Our study also confirms the applicability of posturography in evaluating postural instability in patients with NSLBP. Due to our relatively small study group, future studies would be necessary to confirm our findings

Determination of a strength index for upper body local endurance strength in sedentary individuals: a cross sectional analysis

A range of balance between flexor and extensor muscles is fundamental in order to prevent pathologies caused by bad postures or to ensure health of the joint as a measure of prevention of overtraining in specific muscle groups. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the ratio between "pulling" and "pushing" strength in sedentary individuals. 212 healthy participants, of both genders (139 male and 73 female; age 32 \ub1 13.3 years, weight 70.2 \ub1 14.1 kg, height 173 \ub1 9 cm) were retained for investigation. Strength was assessed through a new methodology: Pulling through a lat-pulldown test while pushing strength through a chest-press test. Both tests were performed to exhaustion with an overload of 30 % of each participants bodyweight. Such method aims to prevent excessive overloads in sedentary individuals. Pearson's correlations and a t test to assess differences were analyzed. Subsequently, the ratio for both genders of pulling and pushing local endurance strength was assessed by means. A mean number of 57 repetitions was shown with the lat-pulldown while 34 repetition with the chest press. A correlation of 0.42 has been found between the number of repetitions of the two tests. A significant difference (p < 0.001) was found between such performances. No correlation was found between the strength measures and the anthropometric parameters of the participants. The lat machine to chest press ratio was 1.36:1 for male while 2.69:1 for female. The results indicate that sedentary participants have higher pulling rather than pushing local endurance strength. Such ratio should be considered as a normative value when starting to perform exercise protocols. Resistance training should be performed in order to improve strength measures of the weaker muscles and reduce such ratio

ANABOLIC-ANDROGENIC STEROIDS SIGNALING

Androgens exert their effects on various parts of the body, including muscles, bones, hair follicles in the skin, liver and kidney, reproductive, hematic, immune and nervous systems. The effects are modulated by specific cellular "steroid-converting" enzymes, located inside target tissues. All the anabolic steroids currently used are derivates of testosterone or changes of its structure. The most important esterified forms of testosterone include the propionate, cipionate, enhantate and undecanoate ones. The mechanism of action of AAS has not been fully elucidated and it is currently subject of many studies. Several mechanism of action have been proposed to identify the path activated by AAS. Some, like oximetholone, does not bind the androgen receptors: it is assumed that these steroids act after a biological transformation into more active compounds. The 5 alpha-reductase, for example, plays a central role in their mechanism of action; on the other hand, aromatase is responsible for the conversion of AAS in female sex hormones such as estradiol and estrone, which bind to the estrogen receptor, forming estrogen-receptor complex. Steroid hormone receptors (SHRs) are members of the superfamily of nuclear and steroid receptors. In particolar, the functions of the androgen receptors (hAR) involving transciption factors are generally regulated by specific steroid ligands, that is androgens and selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs)

Fabrication of bio-mimetic multi-voided polystyrene particles acting as broad-band light scatterers

Titanium dioxide is the main white pigment used in the paint industry. It is the most efficient broad-band light scattering material due to the high refractive index and its ability to scatter light across the entire visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. However, the high production costs and the high carbon footprint associated with this compound constitute a motivation for investigating alternative materials. Polymeric particles have the potential to become a competitive alternative considering both their physical properties and the comparatively low production costs. The objective of this work was the identification of a simple and cost effective system for the production of bio-mimetic multi-voided polymeric particles, to be introduced in paint formulation as a partial replacement for the industrial white material titanium dioxide. Nature does not rely on titanium dioxide to produce striking examples of white and is particularly ingenious in designing structures that are capable of maximising the amount of scattering in very little material, producing a remarkable white in very thin tissues. Some of the most relevant structures displaying exceptional white are the scales of the Cyphochilus and Lepidiota stigma beetles, consisting of isotropic networks of rod-like filaments of chitin and air-filled voids, and the foam-like structures found in the feathers of the Garrulus glandarius (Eurasian jay) bird, consisting in spherical air-filled voids within a keratin matrix. Those were identified as the target structures for the synthetic work. An effective way of producing porous structures in polymer materials is based on the possibility of inducing phase separation in an initially homogeneous polymer solution. The phase separation process can be initiated by the introduction of a non-solvent (NIPS) into the system and can proceed by a mechanism of nucleation and growth, producing closed pores within a polymer matrix resembling the foam-like structures of the Garrulus glandarius, or by spinodal decomposition, producing interconnected polymer-pore domains, similar to the networks found in the Cyphochilus and Lepidiota stigma beetles’ scales. Polystyrene was the polymer selected for the synthetic work, due to a good compromise between costs, refractive index and a large selection of good solvents. The first attempt at fabricating polystyrene multi-voided particles by NIPS involved a simple ternary system with tetrahydrofuran as the solvent and deionised water as the non-solvent. The process was successful in achieving porosity, but particles size and shape were difficult to control. The fabrication process was upgraded by employing an Ink-Jet apparatus, capable of reducing and standardising the size of the polystyrene solution droplets. The Ink-Jet provided a way to control particles’ shape and size, but presented a fatal flaw in the fact that the production was limited to a very small amount of material and the process was not industrially scalable. In order to overcome these limitations, a modification of the fabrication process was necessary, whereby the ability to control shape and size of the polymer solution droplets would not rely on the mechanical capabilities of the equipment employed, but rather on the intrinsic properties of the chemical system. An emulsion system was considered, where the polystyrene in toluene solution was finely dispersed into a continuous phase of deionised water. The spherical shape of the droplets was achieved by the action of the surface tension and the droplets’ size could be controlled by the level of shear applied to the emulsion mixing. The emulsion method allowed the production of particles with the desired specifications and was a scalable process. The scale up was performed in the AkzoNobel® laboratories. The polystyrene multi-voided particles, along with titanium dioxide and the extender Ropaque, were implemented in paint formulations. The paints were spread on substrates to produce paint films of a desired thickness. The reflectance of the paint films was measured using a spectrophotometer and their density calculated. The reflectance and density data allowed the calculation of the scattering coefficient of the paints. A factorial design analysis of the scattering results was performed in order to compare the scattering power of the polystyrene multi-voided particles with those of titanium dioxide and Ropaque, and to highlight any synergistic effects between these materials. The analysis concluded that polystyrene multi-voided particles have a scattering power of 57-60% that of the Ropaque extender and of 6-8% that of titanium dioxide

Motor differentiation`s and cognitive skill in pre-scholar age

Little research has been produced about literacy readiness in Kindergarten children at risk for&nbsp; Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), despite this age being one of the most important epoch of motor and cognitive development. In this study we compared pre-literacy skills in Kindergarten children at risk for Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) with Typically Developing (TD) children. Participants were 26 Italian children, who had a mean age of 5.1 years, 13 at risk for DCD and 13 TD attending kindergarten schools. Pre-literacy abilities were measured trough tasks derived by the Italian PRCR-2 battery: Semi-circles (A and B), Letter identification and Object Naming Time. Significant differences were found between children at risk for DCD and TD children on tasks of visual memory of printed signs, visual analysis ability, visual discrimination and attention and sequentiality of eye movements. Findings suggest the need to implement pre-school cognitively challenging motor activities programs to enhance manual dexterity, aiming and catching skills as well as static and dynamic balance at early ag

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss: is there a relationship between routine haematological parameters and audiogram shapes?

Objective: To investigate the relationship between haematological routine parameters and audiogram shapes in patients affected by sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Design: A retrospective study. All patients were divided into four groups according to the audiometric curve and mean values of haematological parameters (haemoglobin, white blood cell, neutrophils and lymphocytes relative count, platelet count, haematocrit, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen and neutrophil-to-lymphocite ratio) of each group were statistically compared. The prognostic role of blood profile and coagulation test was also examined. Study sample: A cohort of 183 SSNHL patients without comorbidities. Results: With a 48.78% of complete hearing recovery, individuals affected by upsloping hearing loss presented a better prognosis instead of flat (18.36%), downsloping (19.23%) and anacusis (2.45%) groups (p = 0.0001). The multivariate analysis of complete blood count values revealed lower mean percentage of lymphocytes (p = 0.041) and higher platelet levels (p = 0.015) in case of downsloping hearing loss; with the exception of fibrinogen (p = 0.041), none of the main haematological parameters studied resulted associated with poorer prognosis. Conclusions: Our work suggested a lack of association between haematological parameters and a defined audiometric picture in SSNHL patients; furthermore, only fibrinogen seems to influence the prognosis of this disease