Promoting physical activity among university students: a systematic review of controlled trials

Objective: University study is often accompanied by a decline in physical activity (PA) levels but can offer the opportunity to promote a lifelong active lifestyle. This review aims to summarize controlled trials of interventions promoting PA among uni- versity students, describing the quality of the evidence, effective strategies, and deficiencies in the interventions employed, to provide directions for future research and for practical implementations. Data Source: PubMed, PsychINFO, Cochrane Library, Education Source, and SPORTDiscus. Study Inclusion Criteria: Randomized or nonrandomized controlled trial, describing an intervention to promote PA in uni- versity students, where PA was one of the outcomes and results were published in English. Data Extraction: Country, study design, participants\u2019 inclusion criteria, participation rate and characteristics, randomization, blinding, theoretical framework, intervention characteristics, participant retention rate and withdrawal reasons, measures employed, data analysis, PA results, and findings regarding PA correlates. Data Synthesis: Data were synthetized considering study characteristics, strategies used, and outcomes. Results: Two thousand five hundred eighty-five articles were identified. Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Sixteen studies reported an increase in PA levels. Conclusion: Physical Activity promotion interventions should address a range of behavioral determinants. Personalized approaches and PA sessions should be considered in future studies. The high risk of bias of many studies (mainly due to attrition and poor reporting) and missing information about intervention components limit the strength of conclusions about the most effective strategies and the evidence of effectiveness, highlighting the need for further high-quality studies

UBER: Innovation or déja vu? CEPS Commentary, 25 February 2015

The emergence of the controversial car service Uber has provoked a wide and heated discussion among economists specialising in the services sector in recent months. This Commentary explores the most salient questions being raised in the debate: Does Uber really offer a new service? And does it represent true innovation? The authors argue that there are some very interesting innovative elements associated with Uber, but those related to the specific industrial relations model might prove to be prejudiced against drivers

Progettazione e valutazione di un percorso educativo personalizzato per la promozione dell'attivita' fisica tra gli studenti universitari

La pratica di un adeguato livello di attivita' fisica rappresenta un comportamento molto importante per il mantenimento ed il miglioramento della salute della persone. Anche per questo motivo, l’educazione fisica e’ presente nei curricula scolastici da livello globale, con lo scopo di aiutare i giovani a valorizzare l’importanza di uno stile di vita attivo. Ciononostante, nel passaggio dalla scuola all’universita’ si registra un calo nei livelli di attivita’ fisica praticata. A questo fenomeno, si va a sommare la presenza di giovani che presentano profili di inattivita’ gia’ durante il periodo scolastico, e che sono maggiormente a rischio di sedentarieta’ anche durante gli anni universitari. Puo’ risultare quindi utile, al fine del miglioramento della salute e del benessere degli studenti universitari, implementare degli interventi di promozione dell’attivita’ fisica. La presente tesi descrive un percorso di progettazione e di valutazione di un programma educativo per promuovere tra gli studenti universitari l'adozione e il mantenimento di uno stile di vita attivo. Il fine e’ quello di poter fornire un valido progetto per la creazione di un servizio di promozione dell’attivita’ fisica offerto dall’universita’ agli studenti. La tesi si compone di tre parti principali, correlate tra loro, ma che costituiscono anche ricerche in parte indipendenti: 1) Una revisione sistematica della letteratura riguardante i trial controllati che hanno valutato degli interventi di promozione del’attivita’ fisica tra gli studenti universitari. In questa parte della tesi verra’ analizzata criticamente la letteratura del settore, alla ricerca di strategie progettuali ed operative che abbiano dimostrato di riuscire a promuovere l’attivita’ fisica tra gli studenti universitari. 2) Un sondaggio esplorativo tra gli studenti dell'Universita’ di Padova. Il sondaggio e’ stato effettuato per indagare il fenomeno dell’inattività fisica tra gli studenti dell’Universita’ di Padova, ed analizzare le principali barriere percepite dagli studenti nei confronti dell’attivita’ fisica. 3) La progettazione e la valutazione, tramite uno studio pilota, di un percorso educativo personalizzato per la promozione dell’attivita’ fisica tra gli studenti universitari. La progettazione del percorso educativo e’ preceduta da una presentazione del quadro teorico - antropologico e pedagogico - di riferimento

Evaluating the effects of environmental changes on the gross primary production of italian forests

A ten-year data-set descriptive of Italian forest gross primary production (GPP) has been recently constructed by the application of Modified C-Fix, a parametric model driven by remote sensing and ancillary data. That data-set is currently being used to develop multivariate regression models which link the inter-year GPP variations of five forest types (white fir, beech, chestnut, deciduous and evergreen oaks) to seasonal values of temperature and precipitation. The five models obtained, which explain from 52% to 88% of the interyear GPP variability, are then applied to predict the effects of expected environmental changes (+2 °C and increased CO2 concentration). The results show a variable response of forest GPP to the simulated climate change, depending on the main ecosystem features. In contrast, the effects of increasing CO2 concentration are always positive and similar to those given by a combination of the two environmental factors. These findings are analyzed with reference to previous studies on the subject, particularly concerning Mediterranean environments. The analysis confirms the plausibility of the scenarios obtained, which can cast light on the important issue of forest carbon pool variations under expected global changes

K-NN FOREST: a software for the non-parametric prediction and mapping of environmental variables by the k-Nearest Neighbors algorithm

In the last decades researchers investigated the possibility of extending the information collected in sampling units during a field survey to wider geographical areas through the use of remotely sensed images. One of the most widely adopted approaches is based on the non-parametric k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN) algorithm. This contribution describes the software K-NN FOREST we developed to provide a complete tool for the implementation of the k-NN technique to generate spatially explicit estimations (maps) of a response variable acquired in the field by sampling units through the use of remotely sensed data or other ancillary variables. K-NN FOREST is designed to guide the user through a graphic user interface in the different phases of the process. K-NN FOREST is freely available for download and it is designed to run under Windows environment in conjunction with the GIS software IDRISI

K-NN FOREST: a software for the non-parametric prediction and mapping of environmental variables by the k-Nearest Neighbors algorithm

In the last decades researchers investigated the possibility of extending the information collected in sampling units during a field survey to wider geographical areas through the use of remotely sensed images. One of the most widely adopted approaches is based on the non-parametric k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN) algorithm. This contribution describes the software K-NN FOREST we developed to provide a complete tool for the implementation of the k-NN technique to generate spatially explicit estimations (maps) of a response variable acquired in the field by sampling units through the use of remotely sensed data or other ancillary variables. K-NN FOREST is designed to guide the user through a graphic user interface in the different phases of the process. K-NN FOREST is freely available for download and it is designed to run under Windows environment in conjunction with the GIS software IDRISI

Southern Italian wild boar population, hotspot of genetic diversity

The wild boar, Sus scrofa, is an important game species widely distributed in Eurasia. Whereas the genetic variability of most European wild boar populations is well known, the status of wild boar living in Southern Italy is not as clear. We evaluated the present and past genetic diversity (D-loop, mtDNA) of the South Italian population, comparing it with that observed in other Mediterranean glacial refugia. Italian population showed highest genetic variability, if compared to other two European refugia (Iberian and Balkan). Most of samples from Italy carried sequences belonging to the European E1 haplogroup (80.9%) with a small proportion of the private Italian E2 (10.2%) and of the Asian (8.9%) ones. Italian samples carrying an Asian haplotype were genotyped by MC1R nuclear gene, failing to disclose a recent introgression from domestic pigs. Mismatch distribution analysis of the Italian population was affected by secondary contacts between these different lin- eages. This genetic melting pot was detected since the Mesolithic and the Neolithic age, during which we found samples belonging to the indigenous Italian and European haplogroups. Further, a Near-Eastern haplotype was found in 1,800 AD samples from Southern and Central Italy. Our res- ults can be in agreement with post-glacial recolonization theories, as well as with the long history of human-mediated translocations of Sus scrofa in the Mediterranean basi

Validation of the European Multicenter Study on Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (E-CABG) Bleeding Severity Definition

Background This study evaluated the prognostic significance of a novel bleeding severity classification in adult patients undergoing cardiac operations. Methods The European multicenter study on Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (E-CABG) bleeding severity classification proposes 4 grades of postoperative bleeding: grade 0, no need of blood products with the exception of 1 unit of red blood cells (RBCs); grade 1, transfusion of platelets, plasma, or 2 to 4 units of RBCs, or both; grade 2, transfusion of 5 to 10 units of RBCs or reoperation for bleeding, or both; grade 3, transfusion of more than 10 units of RBCs. This classification was tested in a cohort of 7,491 patients undergoing CABG or valve operations, or combined procedures. Results The E-CABG bleeding severity grading method was an independent predictor of in-hospital death, stroke, acute kidney injury, renal replacement therapy, deep sternal wound infection, atrial fibrillation, intensive care unit stay of 5 days or more, and composite adverse events of death, stroke, renal replacement therapy, and intensive care unit stay of 5 days or more. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the E-CABG bleeding severity grading method for predicting in-hospital death was 0.858 (95% confidence interval, 0.827 to 0.889). E-CABG bleeding severity grades 0 to 3 were associated with in-hospital mortality rates of 0.2%, 1.1%, 7.9%, and 29.0%, respectively (p <0.001), and with composite adverse events of 2.7%, 9.6%, 29.7%, and 75.8%, respectively (p <0.001). Conclusions The E-CABG bleeding severity classification seems to be a valuable tool in the assessment of the severity and prognostic effect of perioperative bleeding in cardiac operations