Adapted Physical Activity for the Promotion of Health and the Prevention of Multifactorial Chronic Diseases: the Erice Charter

The Erice Charter was unanimously approved at the conclusion of the 47th Residential Course "Adapted Physical Activity in Sport, Wellness and Fitness: New Challenges for Prevention and Health Promotion", held on 20-24 April 2015 in Erice, Italy, at the "Ettore Majorana" Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, and promoted by the International School of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine "G. D'Alessandro" and the Study Group on Movement Sciences for Health of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health. After an intense discussion the participants identified the main points associated with the relevance of physical activity for Public Health, claiming the pivotal role of the Department of Prevention in coordinating and managing preventive actions. The participants underlined the importance of the physicians specialized in Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health. The contribution of other operators such as physicians specialized in Sport Medicine was stressed. Further, the holders of the new degree in Human Movement and Sport Sciences were considered fundamental contributors for the performance of physical activity and their presence was seen as a promising opportunity for the Departments of Prevention. Primary prevention based on recreational physical activities should become easily accessible for the population, avoiding obstacles such as certification steps or complex bureaucracy. The Sport Doctor is recognized as the principal referent for preliminary physical evaluation and clinical monitoring in secondary and tertiary prevention actions based on adapted physical activities. Developing research in the field is essential as well as implementing higher education on physical activity management in Schools of Public Health

Fluorous Molecules for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Synthesis and Photoelectrochemistry of Unsymmetrical Zinc Phthalocyanine Sensitizers with Bulky Fluorophilic Donor Groups

Two sterically hindered zinc phthalocyanines bearing fluorous alkoxy substituents and carboxylic acid groups acting respectively as electron donor and electron acceptor/anchoring units, were synthesized and their ability to photosensitize nanocrystalline TiO2 films was investigated. The electronic properties of these new dyes were characterized by combining UV-vis spectroscopy, electrochemical techniques and DFT computation. Nanocrystalline TiO2 electrodes treated with the fluorous dyes were assembled in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) and further characterized by photocurrent action spectroscopy, photocurrent-photovoltage measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The maximum photon-to-current conversion efficiencies (IPCE) in the near IR region compared favorably with those achieved with some of the best phthalocyanine dyes investigated so far, thus highlighting the potential of fluorous molecules as DSC components. A maximum power conversion efficiency (?) of 1.3% was attained in the absence of any additive such as antiaggregating chenodeoxycholic acid or conduction band edge modifier tert-butylpyridine. The basic information gathered in this study will serve as guidelines for the design of new fluorous dyes for highly efficient DSCs. © 2011 American Chemical Society