Functional Characteristics and Coping Strategies among Rugby Athletes: A Cluster Analysis Approach

The developing domain of mental health in sports has gained much interest, acknowledging its pivotal role in athlete performance and well-being. The aim of this research is to provide a quantitative description concerning the levels of mental health, physical activity, cognitive fusion, cognitive flexibility, and coping strategies that characterize rugby athletes by using a data-driven approach. A total of 92 rugby athletes took part in this study and filled out a set of self-administered questionnaires. A correlational analysis showed that general well-being was positively associated with years spent playing rugby (r = 0.23) and coping mechanisms (r = 0.29). Athletes’ well-being was also negatively correlated with cognitive inflexibility (r = −0.41) and cognitive fusion (r = −0.39). A k-means cluster analysis identified two unique groups: group 1, characterized by higher levels of psychological well-being, lower levels of physical activity, greater cognitive flexibility, improved coping techniques, and reduced cognitive fusion, and group 2, which exhibits opposite characteristics. The discrepancies observed in psychological characteristics such as coping strategies, cognitive fusion, and cognitive inflexibility highlight their potential impact on the general health of rugby players. To comprehend the complex interplay between psychological and physical elements in rugby athletes, long-term studies with larger samples are crucial

Effectiveness of antipsychotics in reducing suicidal ideation: Possible physiologic mechanisms

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether any specific antipsychotic regi-men or dosage is effective in managing suicidal ideation in schizophrenia. Four comparisons were conducted between: (1) clozapine and other antipsychotics; (2) long-acting injectable and oral antipsy-chotics; (3) atypical and typical antipsychotics; (4) antipsychotics augmented with antidepressants and antipsychotic treatment without antidepressant augmentation. Methods: We recruited 103 participants diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Participants were followed for at least six months. The Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSS) was used to assess the severity of suicidal ideation at each visit. We performed a multiple linear regression model controlling for BSS score at study entry and other confounding variables to predict the change in the BSS scores between two visits. Results: Overall, there were 28 subjects treated with clozapine (27.2%), and 21 subjects with depot antipsychotics (20.4%). In our sample, 30 subjects experienced some suicidal ideation at study entry. When considering the entire sample, there was a statistically significant decrease in suicidal ideation severity in the follow-up visit compared to the study entry visit (p = 0.043). Conclusions: To conclude, our preliminary analysis implies that antipsychotics are effective in controlling suicidal ideation in schizophrenia patients, but no difference was found among alternative antipsychotics’ classes or dosages

The first case of acinic cell carcinoma of the breast within a fibroadenoma: Case report

AbstractA case of acinic cell carcinoma of the breast is reported in a 26-year-old woman. She presented a lump in her right breast, that seemed to be a fibroadenoma. The open biopsy revealed a well-bordered fibroadenoma, together with a proliferation of cells characterized by serous acinar differentiation and eosinophilic cytoplasmic granules. Tumor cells stained for amylase, lysozyme, α-1-antichymotripsin, epithelial membrane antigen, S-100 protein, pan-cytokeratin, cytokeratin 7 and E-cadherin. Estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression, CD10, P63, smooth muscle actin, cytokeratin 5/6 were negative. The sentinel node was negative. 8 months after surgery she is in good clinical conditions without recurrence or metastases

Short-term physiological effects of a very low-calorie ketogenic diet: Effects on adiponectin levels and inflammatory states

Adipose tissue is a multifunctional organ involved in many physiological and metabolic processes through the production of adipokines and, in particular, adiponectin. Caloric restriction is one of the most important strategies against obesity today. The very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) represents a type of caloric restriction with very or extremely low daily food energy consumption. This study aimed to investigate the physiological effects of a VLCKD on anthropometric and biochemical parameters such as adiponectin levels, as well as analyzing oligomeric profiles and cytokine serum levels in obese subjects before and after a VLCKD. Twenty obese subjects were enrolled. At baseline and after eight weeks of intervention, anthropometric and biochemical parameters, such as adiponectin levels, were recorded. Our findings showed a significant change in the anthropometric and biochemical parameters of these obese subjects before and after a VLCKD. We found a negative correlation between adiponectin and lipid profile, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which confirmed the important involvement of adiponectin in metabolic and inflammatory diseases. We demonstrated the beneficial short-term effects of a VLCKD not only in the treatment of obesity but also in the establishment of obesity-correlated diseases

Association of kidney disease measures with risk of renal function worsening in patients with type 1 diabetes

Background: Albuminuria has been classically considered a marker of kidney damage progression in diabetic patients and it is routinely assessed to monitor kidney function. However, the role of a mild GFR reduction on the development of stage 653 CKD has been less explored in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of kidney disease measures, namely albuminuria and reduced GFR, on the development of stage 653 CKD in a large cohort of patients affected by T1DM. Methods: A total of 4284 patients affected by T1DM followed-up at 76 diabetes centers participating to the Italian Association of Clinical Diabetologists (Associazione Medici Diabetologi, AMD) initiative constitutes the study population. Urinary albumin excretion (ACR) and estimated GFR (eGFR) were retrieved and analyzed. The incidence of stage 653 CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or eGFR reduction > 30% from baseline was evaluated. Results: The mean estimated GFR was 98 \ub1 17 mL/min/1.73m2 and the proportion of patients with albuminuria was 15.3% (n = 654) at baseline. About 8% (n = 337) of patients developed one of the two renal endpoints during the 4-year follow-up period. Age, albuminuria (micro or macro) and baseline eGFR < 90 ml/min/m2 were independent risk factors for stage 653 CKD and renal function worsening. When compared to patients with eGFR > 90 ml/min/1.73m2 and normoalbuminuria, those with albuminuria at baseline had a 1.69 greater risk of reaching stage 3 CKD, while patients with mild eGFR reduction (i.e. eGFR between 90 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) show a 3.81 greater risk that rose to 8.24 for those patients with albuminuria and mild eGFR reduction at baseline. Conclusions: Albuminuria and eGFR reduction represent independent risk factors for incident stage 653 CKD in T1DM patients. The simultaneous occurrence of reduced eGFR and albuminuria have a synergistic effect on renal function worsening

Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies six novel loci associated with habitual coffee consumption.

Coffee, a major dietary source of caffeine, is among the most widely consumed beverages in the world and has received considerable attention regarding health risks and benefits. We conducted a genome-wide (GW) meta-analysis of predominately regular-type coffee consumption (cups per day) among up to 91 462 coffee consumers of European ancestry with top single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) followed-up in ~30 062 and 7964 coffee consumers of European and African-American ancestry, respectively. Studies from both stages were combined in a trans-ethnic meta-analysis. Confirmed loci were examined for putative functional and biological relevance. Eight loci, including six novel loci, met GW significance (log10Bayes factor (BF)>5.64) with per-allele effect sizes of 0.03-0.14 cups per day. Six are located in or near genes potentially involved in pharmacokinetics (ABCG2, AHR, POR and CYP1A2) and pharmacodynamics (BDNF and SLC6A4) of caffeine. Two map to GCKR and MLXIPL genes related to metabolic traits but lacking known roles in coffee consumption. Enhancer and promoter histone marks populate the regions of many confirmed loci and several potential regulatory SNPs are highly correlated with the lead SNP of each. SNP alleles near GCKR, MLXIPL, BDNF and CYP1A2 that were associated with higher coffee consumption have previously been associated with smoking initiation, higher adiposity and fasting insulin and glucose but lower blood pressure and favorable lipid, inflammatory and liver enzyme profiles (P<5 × 10-8).Our genetic findings among European and African-American adults reinforce the role of caffeine in mediating habitual coffee consumption and may point to molecular mechanisms underlying inter-individual variability in pharmacological and health effects of coffee

Genome-wide physical activity interactions in adiposity. A meta-analysis of 200,452 adults

Physical activity (PA) may modify the genetic effects that give rise to increased risk of obesity. To identify adiposity loci whose effects are modified by PA, we performed genome-wide interaction meta-analyses of BMI and BMI-adjusted waist circumference and waist-hip ratio from up to 200,452 adults of European (n = 180,423) or other ancestry (n = 20,029). We standardized PA by categorizing it into a dichotomous variable where, on average, 23% of participants were categorized as inactive and 77% as physically active. While we replicate the interaction with PA for the strongest known obesity-risk locus in the FTO gene, of which the effect is attenuated by similar to 30% in physically active individuals compared to inactive individuals, we do not identify additional loci that are sensitive to PA. In additional genome-wide meta-analyses adjusting for PA and interaction with PA, we identify 11 novel adiposity loci, suggesting that accounting for PA or other environmental factors that contribute to variation in adiposity may facilitate gene discovery.Peer reviewe

"Delirium Day": A nationwide point prevalence study of delirium in older hospitalized patients using an easy standardized diagnostic tool

Background: To date, delirium prevalence in adult acute hospital populations has been estimated generally from pooled findings of single-center studies and/or among specific patient populations. Furthermore, the number of participants in these studies has not exceeded a few hundred. To overcome these limitations, we have determined, in a multicenter study, the prevalence of delirium over a single day among a large population of patients admitted to acute and rehabilitation hospital wards in Italy. Methods: This is a point prevalence study (called "Delirium Day") including 1867 older patients (aged 65 years or more) across 108 acute and 12 rehabilitation wards in Italian hospitals. Delirium was assessed on the same day in all patients using the 4AT, a validated and briefly administered tool which does not require training. We also collected data regarding motoric subtypes of delirium, functional and nutritional status, dementia, comorbidity, medications, feeding tubes, peripheral venous and urinary catheters, and physical restraints. Results: The mean sample age was 82.0 \ub1 7.5 years (58 % female). Overall, 429 patients (22.9 %) had delirium. Hypoactive was the commonest subtype (132/344 patients, 38.5 %), followed by mixed, hyperactive, and nonmotoric delirium. The prevalence was highest in Neurology (28.5 %) and Geriatrics (24.7 %), lowest in Rehabilitation (14.0 %), and intermediate in Orthopedic (20.6 %) and Internal Medicine wards (21.4 %). In a multivariable logistic regression, age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.05), Activities of Daily Living dependence (OR 1.19, 95 % CI 1.12-1.27), dementia (OR 3.25, 95 % CI 2.41-4.38), malnutrition (OR 2.01, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), and use of antipsychotics (OR 2.03, 95 % CI 1.45-2.82), feeding tubes (OR 2.51, 95 % CI 1.11-5.66), peripheral venous catheters (OR 1.41, 95 % CI 1.06-1.87), urinary catheters (OR 1.73, 95 % CI 1.30-2.29), and physical restraints (OR 1.84, 95 % CI 1.40-2.40) were associated with delirium. Admission to Neurology wards was also associated with delirium (OR 2.00, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), while admission to other settings was not. Conclusions: Delirium occurred in more than one out of five patients in acute and rehabilitation hospital wards. Prevalence was highest in Neurology and lowest in Rehabilitation divisions. The "Delirium Day" project might become a useful method to assess delirium across hospital settings and a benchmarking platform for future surveys

Observation of Top Quark Production in Proton-Nucleus Collisions

Peer reviewe