Referees' physical performance over a soccer season

Background: An important role of soccer referees is to apply the rules of the game by observing the match closely. Thus, referees have to undertake training to keep up with play and attain an optimal position when making critical decisions. We analyzed the variation of the soccer referee physical performance during official championship. Methods: The referees were classified into three groups according to ages (16–20 years; 21–29 years; 30–45 years) and physical fitness variations were studied at the start (T0), at the middle (T1) and at the end of the competitive season (T2). In each period, Yo–Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (YYIRT1) and 40 m sprint test were performed and VO2max assessed. Finally, the referees’s rating (i.e. the mean of numerically quantification of the performances received during the season) was also evaluated. Results: The mean distance covered by the referees during the YYIRT1 test increased significantly from T0 to T1 and T2, and from T1 to T2, in all age groups, with a higher effect observed for group 16–20 years in all testing periods. This group significantly improved YYIR1 performance and VO2max at T1and T2. Referee ages correlated with differences (Δ) in running speed test (40 m sprint test), of YYIRT1 and VO2max. Finally, the referees’ rating, based upon training, experience, performance and fitness assigned by qualified officials, ranged from 8.20 to 8.65. A positive correlation was found between the excellent rating and younger age (p = 0.015 by Chi-square test χ = 8.6). Conclusions: The young referees performed better physical performances than adult referees and obtained better assessments by qualified officials

Sweet Syndrome Following SARS-CoV2 Vaccination

Vaccines are today considered one of the most effective means against the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic. The BNT162b2 vaccine by Pfizer/BioNTech has been massively administered throughout the globe; since its approval, a wide spectrum of cutaneous reactions has been reported. Here we report the case of a 52-year-old Caucasian male who presented with an acute febrile eruption that arose 72 h after the first dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine. The clinicopathological findings were consistent with Sweet’s syndrome. The short latency time suggested a possible role of the vaccine in triggering Sweet’s syndrome in this case

Collection of Hematopoietic Stem Cells after Previous Radioimmunotherapy is Feasible and Does Not Impair Engraftment after Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Follicular Lymphoma.

Major concerns about radioimmunotherapy (RIT) administration early in the course of follicular lymphoma (FL) are long-term toxicity and the theoretical impairment of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) harvest, but few data are available about mobilization rates after RIT. This study evaluates the impact of prior therapy with RIT (yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan) and different chemotherapy regimens in all FL patients (N = 103) attempting HSC mobilization at our institution over the last 7 years. Sixty-nine patients received R-CHOP (rituximab-cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin-vincristine-prednisone) or CHOP-like regimens, 21 patients received R-FM (rituximab-fludarabine-mitoxantrone), and 13 patients received RIT before HSC mobilization. Median CD34+ cell yield at first mobilization was 7.2 × 10(6)/kg in the R-CHOP group versus 4.3 in the R-FM group versus 1.7 in the RIT group (P = .02 R-CHOP versus R-FM; P < .0001 R-CHOP versus RIT; P < .02 R-FM versus RIT). Although 8 of 13 patients initially failed to collect enough HSC after RIT, a second and/or salvage harvest was successfully performed in 7 patients, with 10 of 13 patients (77%) finally undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). No differences in engraftment kinetics were observed between the three groups (R-CHOP versus R-FM versus RIT). Although mobilization was significantly impaired in patients previously treated with RIT, a salvage HSC harvest and ASCT after RIT were safe and feasible in most patients