Cardiac indexes, cardiac damage biomarkers and energy expenditure in professional cyclists during the Giro d'Italia 3-weeks stage race

Introduction

The study of cardiac response to strenuous and continuous exercise is crucial to understanding the physiology of endurance. N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a potential marker for monitoring myocardial wall stress, and troponins (TnT and TnI) are widely used in the diagnosis of cardiac ischemia and infarction. Strenuous exercise may generate transitory ischemia, myocardial stress, and diastolic left ventricular dysfunction, inducing the increased production of both these biomarkers. We measured changes in NT-proBNP and TnT in elite cyclists during a 3-week stage race, a model of strenuous exercise.

Materials and methods:

The study population was 9 professional cyclists participating in the 2011 Giro d’Italia. Pre-analytical and analytical phases scrupulously followed official recommendations. Anthropometric data, net energy expenditure and cardiac indexes (rate, diastolic and systolic blood pressure) were recorded. Blood samples were drawn pre-race (day −1) and at days 12 and 22; NT-proBNP and highly sensitive-troponin (Hs-TnT) concentrations were assayed and corrected for plasma volume changes.

Results:

Body-mass index decreased and energy expenditure increased by 52% during the race. NT-proBNP concentrations increased [day −1: 23.52 ng/L (9.67–34.33); day 12: 63.46 ng/L (22.15–93.31); P = 0.039; day 22: 89.26 ng/L (34.66–129.78) vs. day −1; P < 0.001] and correlated with heart rate (r = −0.51; P = 0.006), systolic pressure (r = 0.39; P = 0.046) and energy expenditure (r = 0.70; P < 0.001). TnT concentrations did not vary, but a widened TnT amplitude distribution was observed.

Conclusions:

Increases in NT-proBNP correlated with higher energy expenditure over a 3-week cycling stage race, possibly indicating myocardial stress.     

Research collaboration and productivity: is there correlation?

The incidence of extramural collaboration in academic research activities is increasing as a result of various factors. These factors include policy measures aimed at fostering partnership and networking among the various components of the research system, policies which are in turn justified by the idea that knowledge sharing could increase the effectiveness of the system. Over the last two decades, the scientific community has also stepped up activities to assess the actual impact of collaboration intensity on the performance of research systems. This study draws on a number of empirical analyses, with the intention of measuring the effects of extramural collaboration on research performance and, indirectly, verifying the legitimacy of policies that support this type of collaboration. The analysis focuses on the Italian academic research system. The aim of the work is to assess the level of correlation, at institutional level, between scientific productivity and collaboration intensity as a whole, both internationally and with private organizations. This will be carried out using a bibliometric type of approach, which equates collaboration with the co-authorship of scientific publications.

Characterizing in-text citations in scientific articles: A large-scale analysis

We report characteristics of in-text citations in over five million full text articles from two large databases – the PubMed Central Open Access subset and Elsevier journals – as functions of time, textual progression, and scientific field. The purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics of in-text citations in a detailed way prior to pursuing other studies focused on answering more substantive research questions. As such, we have analyzed in-text citations in several ways and report many findings here. Perhaps most significantly, we find that there are large field-level differences that are reflected in position within the text, citation interval (or reference age), and citation counts of references. In general, the fields of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Life and Earth Sciences, and Physical Sciences and Engineering have similar reference distributions, although they vary in their specifics. The two remaining fields, Mathematics and Computer Science and Social Science and Humanities, have different reference distributions from the other three fields and between themselves. We also show that in all fields the numbers of sentences, references, and in-text mentions per article have increased over time, and that there are field-level and temporal differences in the numbers of in-text mentions per reference. A final finding is that references mentioned only once tend to be much more highly cited than those mentioned multiple times.     

Tackling the Phenomenon of Elder Abuse in Italy: A Review of Existing Legislation and Policies as a Learning Resource

In Italy, data and information on prevalence and characteristics of elder abuse are very limited, and a specific legal and policy framework is lacking. Some articles of the Penal Code refer to the larger context of violence against disadvantaged groups, and some general support services not specifically dedicated to this issue are managed by local municipalities. In this context, empirical research is useful for disseminating information and implementation of good practices. Such research indicates future directions for the education of the public and training of professionals on the prevention, detection, and treatment of abusive practices.     

Design procedure for thin three-layer plates made of a depleted material

The efficiency of a long-span structure relies on how material is locally distributed within a fixed structural shape. In this paper a design procedure for thin plates made of three layers of a depleted material subject to a distributed vertical load is proposed. The investigation is driven by the idea of the optimal material organization and has the objective of maximizing the overall stiffness/weight ratio of the structure. Two microstructural architectures of the media are considered: a porous solid structure and a truss arrangement. For each type of microstructure the flexural stiffness has been correlated to the level of depletion by the use of a power law function by setting very few parameters. Finally, invoking the principles of structural homogenization theory, the global flexural response of the plate has also been calculated. The validity of the method is demonstrated by comparing the analytical results with those obtained by a numerical finite element simulation of the structure based on a detailed model of the media.     

Continuity,stability, and change in daily emotional experience across adolescence

This longitudinal study examined change in adolescents' daily range of emotional states between early and late adolescence. A sample of 220 youth provided reports on their daily emotions at random times during two 1-week periods. At Time 1 they were in the fifth through eighth grades; 4 years later, at Time 2, they were in the ninth through twelfth grades. Results showed that average emotional states became less positive across early adolescence, but that this downward change in average emotions ceased in grade 10. The results also showed greatest relative instability between youth in the early adolescent years--correlations over time were lower--with stability increasing in late adolescence. Lastly, the study found that adolescents' average emotions had relatively stable relations to life stress and psychological adjustment between early and late adolescence. As a whole, the findings suggest that late adolescence is associated with a slowing of the emotional changes of early adolescence.     

Partnerships for effective training to work transitions: a case study of the Skillman Alliance

Europe hosts a significant number of global organizations in the transport market, the largest industrial R&D investor in the EU. The market contains a significant number of jobs, and thus, there is a need for learning solutions in its domain. One of the pillars for its expansion is advanced manufacturing technology. The EU Commission considers the implementation and development of this as one of its trans-sectoral ‘key enabling technologies’. This article presents a non-government ‘Sector Skills Alliance’—Skillman—that addresses advanced manufacturing technology skill needs for the automotive, aerospace and train industries. Funded by the EU, Skillman connects companies and organizations in terms of scope of action, size, field of expertise and legal framework including, in particular, industry leaders, research centres, accreditation bodies and TVET providers. Jaguar Land Rover, FIAT-FCA and SAS, Scandinavian Airlines Systems are just some of the organizations that worked together to find solutions to skills mismatches and challenges the sector faces finding the right skills. This article analyses challenges associated with skills mismatch and solutions proposed by Skillman to help transitions to work after training. The article clarifies the processes behind the Alliance creation (starting from the EU Copenhagen Declaration), the aims and nature of the Alliance, the strategic tools implemented by Skillman, as well as its challenges and first results. The article also argues that the Skillman Alliance has the right characteristics to meet skills requirements and can be used as a model approach for easing the transition from training to work.     

Retrospective cytological evaluation of indeterminate thyroid nodules according to the British Thyroid Association 2014 classification and comparison of clinical evaluation and outcomes

The cytology of 130 indeterminate nodules (Thy 3) was retrospectively reviewed according to the British Thyroid Association 2014 classification. Nodules were divided into Thy 3a (atypical features) and Thy 3f (follicular lesion) categories. Histology was available as a reference for 97 nodules. Pre-surgical evaluations comprised biochemical tests, color-Doppler ultrasonography (US), semi-quantitative elastography-US (USE), contrast-enhanced US (CEUS), and mutation analysis from cytological slides. Thyroid malignancy was the final diagnosis for 19% of surgically-treated nodules. No statistically significant difference in the risk of malignancy was found between Thy 3a (26%) and Thy 3f (14%) nodules. Histology of the Thy 3a and Thy 3f nodules showed a higher incidence of Hurtle cell adenomas in Thy 3f (29%) than in Thy 3a (3%) nodules (P=0.01). The only pre-surgical difference concerned the BRAF V600E mutation, which was positive in some Thy 3a but not in any Thy 3f nodules (P=0.04). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to obtain cut-off values from US (score), USE (ELX 2/1 strain index), and CEUS (time-topeak index and peak index) data. The cut-off values were similar for Thy 3a and Thy 3f nodules. Data showed that malignancy can be suspected if the US score is >2, ELX 1/2 strain index >1, time-to-peak index >1, and peak index <1. In a sub-group of 24 revised nodules (12 Thy 3a and 12 Thy 3f) with histology as a reference, the diagnostic power of cumulative pre-surgical analysis by means of US, USE, and CEUS showed high positive and negative predictive values (83% and 100%, respectively) for the presence of malignancy in Thy 3a and Thy 3f nodules. In conclusion, in our series of revised Thy 3 nodules, malignancy was low and displayed no significant differences between Thy 3a and Thy 3f categories. The use of cut-offs based on histology as a reference could reduce surgery. Our data support the conviction that, in mutation-negative Thy 3a and Thy 3f nodules, observation should be the first choice when not all instrumental results are suspect.     

E–Learning in Hong Kong: comparing learning outcomes in online multimedia and lecture versions of an introductory computing course

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of Web–based, highly interactive, and multimedia–rich e–learning materials by comparing students' learning outcomes in the lecture and online versions of an introductory computing course. The course versions differed only in that face–to–face lectures were replaced with e–learning modules in the online course; the other course elements (laboratory sessions, use of computer–mediated communications, examinations) were the same. The e–learning trial took place at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where the first author taught the lecture course to 105 students, and the online course to 180 and 129 students in the following semesters. The lecture and online students achieved comparable factual learning outcomes and the online students outperformed the lecture students in applied–conceptual learning. Findings suggest that the use of carefully designed interactive e–learning modules fosters higher–order learning outcomes.