Why Do People Exercise in Natural Environments? Norwegian Adults' Motives for Nature-, Gym-, and Sports-Based Exercise

This is the final version of the article. Available from MDPI via the DOI in this record.Exercise in natural environments ("green exercise") confers numerous health benefits, but little is known about why people engage in green exercise. This study examined the importance of nature experiences as a motive for physical activity and the motivational profile of people who engage in green exercise compared to gym- and sports-based exercise. Physical activity motives and typical times spent in different domains of physical activity were reported by 2168 Norwegian adults in a survey. Experiencing nature was generally rated as the second-most important physical activity motive, exceeded only by convenience motives, and it was especially important for older adults and those who engage in greater amounts of instrumental physical activity. Green exercisers reported stronger motives concerning convenience and experiencing nature, whereas gym- or sports-based exercisers reported stronger motives for physical health and sociability. The motives associated with different leisure-time exercise domains may assist in understanding optimal promotion of green exercise.Giovanna Calogiuri’s participation in this research was entirely funded by Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, and Calogiuri did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Lewis R. Elliott declares that his participation in this research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors

A Cloud Telemedicine Platform Based on Workflow Management System: A Review of an Italian Case Study

The paper aims to describe a new technological and organizational approach in order to manage teleconsultation and telemonitoring processes involving a Physician, who remotely interacts with one or more Specialists, in order to evaluate and discuss the specific clinical conditions of a patient, based primarily on the sharing of digital clinical data, reports and diagnostic images. In the HINT project (Healthcare INtegration in Telemedicine), a teleconsultation and telemonitoring cloud platform has been developed using a Hub and Spoke architecture, based on a Business Process Management System (BPMS). The specialized clinical centres (Hubs) operate in connection with the territorial hospital centres (Spokes), which receive specific diagnostic consultations and telemonitoring data from the appropriate Specialist, supported by advanced AI systems. The developed platform overcomes the concepts of a traditional and fragmented teleconsultation and consequently the static organization of Hubs and Spokes, evolving towards an integrated clinical workflow management. The project platform adopts international healthcare standards, such as HL7 FHIR, IHE (XDS and XDW) and DICOM for the acquisition and management of healthcare data and diagnostic images. A Workflow Management System implemented in the platform allows to manage multiple and contemporaneous processes through a single platform, correctly associating the tasks to the Physicians responsible for their execution, monitoring the status of the health activities and managing possible clinical issues

Once daily levocetirizine for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and chronic idiopathic urticaria

Levocetirizine is the pharmacologically active enantiomer of cetirizine. It is a potent histamine H-1 receptor antagonist with anti-inflammatory and antiallergic properties. The review analyses the levocetirizine’s properties in terms of safety and efficacy both in allergic rhinitis and urticarioid syndromes

Morning or evening training : effect on heart rate circadian rhythm

Twenty male endurance athletes (aged 20\u201325 years) carried out 2-hour daily training sessions, every day from Monday to Friday, for an overall period of 4 weeks. Four different weekly training time table (09.00-11.00; 11.00-13.00; 16.00-18.00; 18.00-20.00 hours) were followed, changing the time slot each week. Each athlete trained, in turn, in each period. The fifth day of each week, heart rate was monitored for 24-28 hours. Statistical analysis employed the single and mean cosinor methods. The heart rate (HR) circadian rhythm was statistically significant (p<0.05) in all 4 training session time. The HR acrophase is progressively postponed during the afternoon: the heart rate acrophase for training done between 18.00 and 20.00 is delayed by approximately 3 hours compared to that of the training done between 09.00 and 11.00. Training done at different daily times synchronizes the HR circadian rhythm. Temporal programming of physical activity is a tool capable of modifying the temporal structure of physiological variables. This approach can be of great interest for coaches who plan training programs and it may benefit athletes when time zone adjustment is an issue, such as transferring to a different continent for a competitive event

Impairment of platelet function in both mild and severe COVID-19 patients

Abnormalities of platelet function were reported in patients with severe COVID-19 (severe-C), but few data are available in patients with mild COVID-19 (mild-C) and after COVID-19 recovery. The aim of this study was to investigate platelet parameters in mild-C patients (n = 51), with no evidence of pneumonia, and severe-C patients (n = 49), during the acute phase and after recovery, compared to 43 healthy controls. Both mild-C and severe-C patients displayed increased circulating activated platelets, low d-granule content (ADP, serotonin), impaired platelet activation by collagen (light transmission aggregometry) and impaired platelet thrombus formation on collagen-coated surfaces under controlled flow conditions (300/s shear rate). The observed abnormalities were more marked in severe-C patients than in mild-C patients. Overall, 61% (30/49) of mild-C and 73% (33/45) of severe-C patients displayed at least one abnormal platelet parameter. In a subgroup of just 13 patients who showed no persisting signs/symptoms of COVID-19 and were re-evaluated at least 1 month after recovery, 11 of the 13 subjects exhibited normalization of platelet parameters. In conclusion, mild abnormalities of platelet parameters were present not only in severe-C but also, albeit to a lesser extent, in mild-C patients during the acute phase of COVID-19 and normalized in most tested patients after clinical recovery

A cross-sectional study examining predictors of visit frequency to local green space and the impact this has on physical activity levels

Background Lack of physical activity (PA) is a growing public health concern. There is a growing body of literature that suggests a positive relationship may exist between the amount of local green space near one?s home and PA levels. For instance, park proximity has been shown to predict PA levels amongst certain populations. However, there is little evidence for the role of relatedness towards nature and perceptions of local green space on this relationship. The aim of this study was to examine, in a National UK sample, whether subjective indices associated with local green space were better predictors of visit frequency to local green space and PA levels compared to objectively measured quantity of local green space. Methods A cross-sectional survey was designed. From a random sample, 2079 working age adults responded to an online survey in September 2011. Demographics, self-reported PA, objective measures of the local environment (including local green space, road coverage, and environmental deprivation), were assessed in conjunction with perceptions of local green space and nature relatedness. Quantity of local green space was assessed by cross-referencing respondents? home postcodes with general land use databases. Regression models were conducted to assess which of our independent variables best predicted visit frequency to local green space and/or meeting PA guidelines. In addition, an ordinal regression was run to examine the relationship between visit frequency to local green space and the likelihood of meeting national PA guidelines. Results Nature relatedness was the strongest predictor for both visit frequency to local green space and meeting PA guidelines. Results show that perceived quality is a better predictor of visit frequency to local green space than objective quantity of local green space. The odds of achieving the recommended amount of PA was over four times greater for people who visited local green space once per week compared to never going (OR 4.151; 95 % CI, 2.40 to 7.17). Conclusions These results suggest that perceptions of local green space and nature relatedness play an important role in the relationship between local green space and PA. Considering the known health benefits of PA, our results are potentially important for public health interventions, policy making and environmental planning

Stress factors and stress management interventions: the heuristic of “bottom up” an update from a systematic review

Organizations have increasingly sought to adopt innovative interventions to prevent stress-related issues. In the field of manufacturing, however, the effectiveness of these interventions remains unclear because a systematic and specific review of existing primary evidence has not been undertaken. The present systematic literature review sought to address the foregoing limitation in the literature by summarizing the main source of stress and effectiveness of stress management interventions as grounded in the context of manufacturing. Our review was limited to only randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies and concerned employees from the manufacturing sector. Twenty-two studies on primary, secondary and tertiary interventions across four continents (Asia, Europe, USA and South America) were selected and analyzed in terms of stress factors, methodological properties and outcomes. Most of these were RCT studies (68% Vs 32%) with a majority of secondary interventions (N = 11, 50%), followed by primary (N = 5, 22%), tertiary (N = 3, 13%), and two (9%) mixed interventions. The main outcomes included an improvement of psychological wellbeing, decreased stress reactivity and an increment of general health. There was a predominance of interventions utilizing skills programs and/or cognitive-behavioral techniques. The main source of stress reported related to professional identity, organizational deficiencies, interpersonal conflicts, physical complaints and poor work environment. Taken together, the findings provide important theoretical and practical implications for advancing the study of stress factors and the use of stress management interventions in the workplace. The prerequisite for a successful intervention is to address the real problems experienced by professionals and help them to cope with their difficult situations. The strategy of “bottom-up” offers a potential means of enhancing employees’ health and well-being; however, the most effective means of implementing these interventions needs to be understood better

L'effetto sincronizzante dell'esercizio fisico : un percorso di ricerca

The synchronizing effects of the physical exercise: a research path. Three studies, concerning influences of the time of training on the circadian structure in humans, are presented. Goals of the researches are: to define how the time of training modifies the circadian structure; to evaluate if is possible face diseases related with biological rhythms disorders thanks to the training; to define guide lines for athletes, trainers and specialists. The works: STUDY 1) Influences of the time of training on the HR circadian rhythm; STUDY 2) reduction of the Jet Lag symptoms pre-adjusting the circadian structure by a training plan before an eastward trans-meridian flight; STUDY 3) synchronization state and effects of the training on the sleep and the circadian structure in lack of daylight conditions above the Artic Circle in north of Norway. The studies indicate it is possible to asses that the time of training influences the circadian structure, in particular an evening training induces a delay (3 hours in average) of the Acrophases of several Marker Rhythms (like HR and Activity Levels). This phenomenon can be used to induce a pre-adjustment of the circadian structure before an east-ward flight to prevent or reduce the symptoms of the Jet Lag syndrome, thanks to a reduction of the phase shift. It also seems that a regular morning training can reduce the psycho-physical symptoms that the people who live into the Circumpolar Circle commonly experience during the winter months, increasing the activity levels and improving the sleep quality