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Abstract Background Water coolers are popular in office buildings and commercial stores and the quality of this source of drinking water has the potential to cause waterborne outbreaks, especially in sensitive and immunocompromised subjects. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of water plumbed in coolers from commercial stores in comparison with tap water in Italy. Methods For each sample, microbial parameters and chemical indicators of contamination were evaluated and information about the date of installation, time since last ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of water coolers was collected. Results In all samples the chemical parameters (nitrite, ammonium, free active chlorine residual) did not exceed the reference values of the drinking water regulation; the pH value in 86.8% samples of the carbonated waters was lower than the reference limit. The microbiological results indicated that the bacteria count at 22°C and 37°C was higher than the required values in 71% and 81% for the non-carbonated water and in 86% and 88% for the carbonated one, respectively. Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli were not detected in any of the water samples. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found in only one sample of the tap water and in 28.9% and 23.7% of the non-carbonated and carbonated water samples, respectively. No statistically significant differences in bacterial counts at 22°C and 37°C have been found between the non-carbonated and carbonated water from the sampled coolers in relation with the time since the last filter was substituted. The bacteriological quality of tap water was superior to that of non-carbonated and carbonated water from coolers. Conclusion The results emphasize the importance of adopting appropriate routinely monitoring system in order to prevent or to diminish the chances of contamination of this water source.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to investigate whether paediatricians have appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding vaccinations for infants in Italy. Methods A random sample of 500 paediatricians received a self-administered anonymous questionnaire covering demographic and professional characteristics; knowledge about the mandatory, recommended, and not indicated vaccinations for infants; attitudes about vaccinations for infants; behaviour regarding current administration or willingness to administer mandatory or recommended vaccinations for infants and immunization education programs of the parents. Results Only 42.3% paediatricians knew all recommended vaccinations for infants and this knowledge was significantly higher in females, in those who worked a higher number of hours for week, and in those who use guidelines for immunization practice. Only 10.3% had a very favourable attitude towards the utility of the recommended vaccinations for infants and this was significantly higher in those who administered recommended vaccinations for infants. A large proportion (82.7%) of paediatricians routinely informed the parents about the recommended vaccinations for infants and this appropriate behaviour was significantly higher among younger, in those with a higher number of years in practice, and in those who administered the recommended vaccinations for infants. Conclusion Training and educational interventions are needed in order to improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding vaccinations for infants among paediatricians.

Reduced walking endurance is common in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), leading to reduced social participation and increased fall risk. This highlights the importance of identifying which gait aspects should be mostly targeted by rehabilitation to maintain/increase walking endurance in this population. A total of 56 PwMS and 24 healthy subjects (HSs) executed the 6 min walk test (6 MWT), a clinical measure of walking endurance, wearing three inertial sensors (IMUs) on their shanks and lower back. Five IMU-based digital metrics descriptive of different gait domains, i.e., double support duration, trunk sway, gait regularity, symmetry, and local dynamic instability, were computed. All metrics demonstrated moderate-high ability to discriminate between HSs and PwMS (AUC: 0.79-0.91) and were able to detect differences between PwMS at minimal (PwMS mFR ) and moderate-high fall risk (PwMS FR ). Compared to PwMS mFR , PwMS FR walked with a prolonged double support phase (+100%), larger trunk sway (+23%), lower stride regularity (-32%) and gait symmetry (-18%), and higher local dynamic instability (+24%). Normative cut-off values were provided for all metrics to help clinicians in detecting abnormal scores at an individual level. The five metrics, entered into a multiple linear regression model with 6 MWT distance as the dependent variable, showed that gait regularity and the three metrics most related to dynamic balance (i.e., double support duration, trunk sway, and local dynamic instability) were significant independent contributors to 6 MWT distance, while gait symmetry was not. While double support duration and local dynamic instability were independently associated with walking endurance in both PwMS mFR and PwMS FR , gait regularity and trunk sway significantly contributed to 6 MWT distance only in PwMS mFR and PwMS FR , respectively. Taken together, the present results allowed us to provide hints for tailored rehabilitation exercises aimed at specifically improving walking endurance in PwMS.

Background: To date, there has been no medication that has prevented the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Many benefits of intensive and multidisciplinary rehabilitation program for PD are supported by clinical, epidemiological, and experimental data. The main question is whether high-intensity motor and cognitive exercises have an effect on the disease's biological mechanisms., Objective: This study protocol is a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) designed to determine the efficacy of an experimental, intensive, and multidisciplinary treatment in comparison to a home-based self-treatment in improving biomolecular and functional parameters in PD., Methods: A total of 72 participants will be randomly allocated to two different groups, experimental (n = 36) and control group (n = 36). The rehabilitation program will last 6 consecutive weeks and will involve the execution of a total of 30 sessions, one for each day of the week from Monday to Friday. Participants allocated to the control group will carry out a home-based self-treatment program that includes muscle-stretching and active mobilization exercises for 40'/day for 6 consecutive weeks. The primary outcome measure is the effects of both treatments on a new set of molecular biomarkers such as oligomeric alpha-synuclein and neurotrophic factors measured in peripheral neural derived extracellular vesicles (NDEVs). Secondary outcomes will include changes of motor and non-motor symptoms, balance and gait performance and cognitive functioning. This RCT has been registered as "Intensive Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation and Biomarkers in Parkinson's Disease" on 30 May, 2022 to ClinicalTrials.gov with the Study ID number: NCT05452655., Discussion: This rehabilitation program is believed to be crucial in modifying biomolecular and functional parameters in people with PD. We expect that this study will provide additional evidence to understand the impact of an aerobic and intensive rehabilitation program on brain plasticity in patients with PD., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Saibene et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Subjects with Parkinson's Disease (PD) display different motor and non-motor symptoms. Different therapies have been shown to be effective, such as plantar foot stimulation, which has proved to be effective for motor symptoms. Different stimulation methods were proposed and tested through specific devices, or insoles. Our aim was to assess the effect of a newly designed custom-made insole called PRO-STEP compared with a flat sham insole on subjects with PD. Subjects were randomized 1:1 into two arms and were asked to wear PRO-STEP or sham insoles for at least 6 h per day for 10 weeks. Participants were evaluated at four timepoints. Forty-two subjects were randomly assigned to the PRO-STEP (EG) or sham group (SG). The comparison of the EG and SG without and with insoles (T0-T1) did not show significant differences in the TUG time and in the 10MWT gait parameters. At T1, T2, and T3 TUG time, BBS, SF12-MC, and SF12-PC did not show significant differences. The satisfaction level with the PRO-STEP or sham insoles was high in both groups. PD patients were satisfied with PRO-STEP insoles; however, plantar foot stimulation is not effective from a functional perspective. Future studies should consider possible modifications to the proposed stimulation to improve its effectiveness in patients with PD.

Limited longitudinal studies have been conducted on gait impairment progression overtime in non-disabled people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Therefore, a deeper understanding of gait changes with the progression of the disease is essential. The objective of the present study was to describe changes in gait quality in PwMS with a disease duration ≤ 5 years, and to verify whether a change in gait quality is associated with a change in disability and perception of gait deterioration. We conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study. Fifty-six subjects were assessed at baseline (age: 38.2 ± 10.7 years, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS): 1.5 ± 0.7 points) and after 2 years, participants performed the six-minute walk test (6MWT) wearing inertial sensors. Quality of gait (regularity, symmetry, and instability), disability (EDSS), and walking perception (multiple sclerosis walking scale-12, MSWS-12) were collected. We found no differences on EDSS, 6MWT, and MSWS-12 between baseline and follow-up. A statistically significant correlation between increased EDSS scores and increased gait instability was found in the antero-posterior (AP) direction (r = 0.34, p = 0.01). Seventeen subjects (30%) deteriorated (increase of at least 0.5 point at EDSS) over 2 years. A multivariate analysis on deteriorated PwMS showed that changes in gait instability medio-lateral (ML) and stride regularity, and changes in ML gait symmetry were significantly associated with changes in EDSS (F = 7.80 (3,13), p = 0.003, R 2 = 0.56). Moreover, gait changes were associated with a decrease in PwMS perception on stability ( p < 0.05). Instrumented assessment can detect subtle changes in gait stability, regularity, and symmetry not revealed during EDSS neurological assessment. Moreover, instrumented changes in gait quality impact on subjects' perception of gait during activities of daily living.

Gait analysis is often used to study locomotor alterations in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), but the large number of extracted variables challenges the interpretability. In this paper, we analysed gait alterations by combining the Gait Profile Score (GPS), which summarizes kinematic locomotor deviations, and Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM), which compares kinematics and kinetics over the whole gait cycle. Eleven PwMS and 11 speed-matched Healthy Controls (HC) underwent overground gait analysis. GPS were compared through independent-samples t-tests; sagittal-plane kinematics and power at hip, knee, and ankle were compared through SPM Hotelling's-T2 and SPM t-tests. Spearman's correlation coefficients (r) between GPS and clinical outcomes were also calculated. PwMS had higher GPS than HC (PwMS = 8.74 ± 2.13°; HC = 5.01 ± 1.41°;p < 0.001). Multivariate SPM found statistically significant differences at 0-49%, 70-80%, and 93-99% of stride (p < 0.05) and univariate analysis showed reduced ankle dorsiflexion, and lower knee flexion during pre-swing and swing. GPS correlated with Expanded Disability Status Scale (r = 0.65; 95%C.I.[0.04,0.91]; p = 0.04) and 2-Minute Walking Test (r = -0.65; 95%C.I.[-0.91,-0.04]; p = 0.04). GPS in conjunction with SPM revealed multi-joint kinematic alterations on sagittal plane involving distal joint angles, ankle and knee, during the stance phase with no changes at the proximal level. Gait deviations were more pronounced in PwMS with higher disability and walking limitations., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Poor dynamic balance and impaired gait adaptation to different contexts are hallmarks of people with neurological disorders (PwND), leading to difficulties in daily life and increased fall risk. Frequent assessment of dynamic balance and gait adaptability is therefore essential for monitoring the evolution of these impairments and/or the long-term effects of rehabilitation. The modified dynamic gait index (mDGI) is a validated clinical test specifically devoted to evaluating gait facets in clinical settings under a physiotherapist's supervision. The need of a clinical environment, consequently, limits the number of assessments. Wearable sensors are increasingly used to measure balance and locomotion in real-world contexts and may permit an increase in monitoring frequency. This study aims to provide a preliminary test of this opportunity by using nested cross-validated machine learning regressors to predict the mDGI scores of 95 PwND via inertial signals collected from short steady-state walking bouts derived from the 6-minute walk test. Four different models were compared, one for each pathology (multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and stroke) and one for the pooled multipathological cohort. Model explanations were computed on the best-performing solution; the model trained on the multipathological cohort yielded a median (interquartile range) absolute test error of 3.58 (5.38) points. In total, 76% of the predictions were within the mDGI's minimal detectable change of 5 points. These results confirm that steady-state walking measurements provide information about dynamic balance and gait adaptability and can help clinicians identify important features to improve upon during rehabilitation. Future developments will include training of the method using short steady-state walking bouts in real-world settings, analysing the feasibility of this solution to intensify performance monitoring, providing prompt detection of worsening/improvements, and complementing clinical assessments., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The balance of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) is commonly assessed during neurological examinations through clinical Romberg and tandem gait tests that are often not sensitive enough to unravel subtle deficits in early-stage PwMS. Inertial sensors (IMUs) could overcome this drawback. Nevertheless, IMUs are not yet fully integrated into clinical practice due to issues including the difficulty to understand/interpret the big number of parameters provided and the lack of cut-off values to identify possible abnormalities. In an attempt to overcome these limitations, an instrumented modified Romberg test (ImRomberg: standing on foam with eyes closed while wearing an IMU on the trunk) was administered to 81 early-stage PwMS and 38 healthy subjects (HS). To facilitate clinical interpretation, 21 IMU-based parameters were computed and reduced through principal component analysis into two components, sway complexity and sway intensity, descriptive of independent aspects of balance, presenting a clear clinical meaning and significant correlations with at least one clinical scale. Compared to HS, early-stage PwMS showed a 228% reduction in sway complexity and a 63% increase in sway intensity, indicating, respectively, a less automatic (more conscious) balance control and larger and faster trunk movements during upright posture. Cut-off values were derived to identify the presence of balance abnormalities and if these abnormalities are clinically meaningful. By applying these thresholds and integrating the ImRomberg test with the clinical tandem gait test, balance impairments were identified in 58% of PwMS versus the 17% detected by traditional Romberg and tandem gait tests. The higher sensitivity of the proposed approach would allow for the direct identification of early-stage PwMS who could benefit from preventive rehabilitation interventions aimed at slowing MS-related functional decline during neurological examinations and with minimal modifications to the tests commonly performed.

Background: Heat sensitivity occurs in a high percentage of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), in response to environmental or exercise-induced increase in body temperature. However, the kinetic and magnitude of adaptation of the internal load and of the core body temperature (CBT) to a submaximal continuous exercise has been poorly addressed in PwMS; this may be relevant for the brief exercise bouts usually occurring in normal daily life. The aim of this work was to evaluate whether multiple sclerosis influences the acute adaptation of the internal load, the CBT and the perceptual load in response to a constant submaximal work step., Methods: CBT has been continuously monitored (0.5 Hz) by a validated wearable heat-flux sensor and electrocardiography was recorded (250 Hz) by a wearable device during a standard 6-minute walk test (6MWT) in 14 PwMS (EDSS, 4.7 ± 1.2; disease duration: 13.0 ± 10.2 years; m ± SD) and 14 age, sex and BMI-matched healthy subjects (HS). The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of the lower limbs was assessed during the 6MWT by the Borg scale (6-20)., Results: As expected, PwMS walked a significantly shorter distance (361 ± 98 m) than the HS group (613 ± 62 m, p<0.001 vs PwMS). However, the kinetics of adaptation of CBT and the magnitude of CBT change from baseline did not differ between groups. Similarly, heart rate (HR) kinetics and HR change from baseline were comparable between groups during the 6MWT. Finally, lower limbs RPE gradually increased during the exercise test, but without significant differences between groups., Conclusion: The internal load, the metabolic heat production, and the perceptive load due to a standard submaximal walking exercise seems to be preserved in PwMS, suggesting a comparable acute heat production and dissipation during exercise. Therefore, it is unlikely that the different distance achieved during the 6MWT may be caused by altered thermoregulatory responses to exercise. Rather, this appears to be a consequence of the known increased energy cost of locomotion in PwMS., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Gervasoni, Bertoni, Anastasi, Solaro, Di Giovanni, Grange, Gunga, Rovaris, Cattaneo, Maggioni and Merati.)

Smoothness (i.e. non-intermittency) of movement is a clinically important property of the voluntary movement with accuracy and proper speed. Resting head position and head voluntary movements are impaired in cervical dystonia. The current work aims to evaluate if the smoothness of voluntary head rotations is reduced in this disease. Twenty-six cervical dystonia patients and 26 controls completed rightward and leftward head rotations. Patients' movements were differentiated into "towards-dystonia" (rotation accentuated the torticollis) and "away-dystonia". Smoothness was quantified by the angular jerk and arc length of the spectrum of angular speed (i.e. SPARC, arbitrary units). Movement amplitude (mean, 95% CI) on the horizontal plane was larger in controls (63.8°, 58.3°-69.2°) than patients when moving towards-dystonia (52.8°, 46.3°-59.4°; P = 0.006). Controls' movements (49.4°/s, 41.9-56.9°/s) were faster than movements towards-dystonia (31.6°/s, 25.2-37.9°/s; P < 0.001) and away-dystonia (29.2°/s, 22.9-35.5°/s; P < 0.001). After taking into account the different amplitude and speed, SPARC-derived (but not jerk-derived) indices showed reduced smoothness in patients rotating away-dystonia (1.48, 1.35-1.61) compared to controls (1.88, 1.72-2.03; P < 0.001). Poor smoothness is a motor disturbance independent of movement amplitude and speed in cervical dystonia. Therefore, it should be assessed when evaluating this disease, its progression, and treatments., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Turning the head while walking (an action often required during daily living) is particularly challenging to maintain balance. It can therefore potentially reveal subtle impairments in early-stage people with multiple sclerosis who still show normal locomotion (NW-PwMS). This would help in identifying those subjects who can benefit from early preventive exercise aimed at slowing the MS-related functional decline., Objectives: To analyze if the assessment of walking with horizontal head turns (WHHT) through inertial sensors can discriminate between healthy subjects (HS) and NW-PwMS and between NW-PwMS subgroups. To assess if the discriminant ability of the instrumented WHHT is higher compared to clinical scores. To assess the concurrent validity of the sensor-based metrics., Methods: In this multicenter study, 40 HS and 59 NW-PwMS [Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ≤ 2.5, disease duration ≤ 5 years] were tested. Participants executed Item-6 of the Fullerton Advanced Balance scale-short (FAB-s) wearing three inertial sensors on the trunk and ankles. The item required to horizontally turn the head at a beat of the metronome (100 bpm) while walking. Signals of the sensors were processed to compute spatiotemporal, regularity, symmetry, dynamic stability, and trunk sway metrics descriptive of WHHT., Results: Mediolateral regularity, anteroposterior symmetry, and mediolateral stability were reduced in NW-PwMS vs. HS ( p ≤ 0.001), and showed moderate discriminant ability (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve [AUC]: 0.71-0.73). AP symmetry and ML stability were reduced ( p ≤ 0.026) in EDSS: 2-2.5 vs. EDSS: 0-1.5 subgroup (AUC: 0.69-0.70). The number of NW-PwMS showing at least one abnormal instrumented metric (68%) was larger ( p ≤ 0.002) than the number of participants showing abnormal FAB-s-Item6 (32%) and FAB-s clinical scores (39%). EDSS: 2-2.5 subgroup included more individuals showing abnormal instrumented metrics (86%) compared to EDSS: 0-1.5 subgroup (57%). The instrumented metrics significantly correlated with FAB-s-Item6 and FAB-s scores (|Spearman's r s | ≥ 0.37, p < 0.001), thus demonstrating their concurrent validity., Conclusion: The instrumented assessment of WHHT provided valid objective metrics that discriminated, with higher sensitivity than clinical scores, between HS and NW-PwMS and between EDSS subgroups. The method is a promising tool to complement clinical evaluation, and reveal subclinical impairments in persons who can benefit from early preventive rehabilitative interventions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Carpinella, Gervasoni, Anastasi, Di Giovanni, Tacchino, Brichetto, Confalonieri, Solaro, Rovaris, Ferrarin and Cattaneo.)

Background: Motor and cognitive disorders appear early in the course of multiple sclerosis (MS) and develop gradually over time., Objective: To study the frequency and pattern of subtle functional disorders in people with MS (PwMS) with no overt signs of disability in an early phase of the disease and their association with walking impairments in daily activities., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited PwMS with an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score≤2.5 and disease duration≤5years. Participants were assessed with functional scales rating walking endurance (6-Min Walk Test), perceived walking ability (Twelve-item Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale), balance (Fullerton Advanced Balance scale&#95;short), manual dexterity (Nine Hole Peg Test), fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale), and cognitive impairments (Brief International Cognitive Assessment)., Results: About 90% of the 82 PwMS (mean [SD] EDSS score 1.5 [0.7] and disease duration 2.2 [1.7] years) showed endurance values below the expected score; almost 30% showed impairment, and for 57%, perceived walking ability score was abnormal. Balance was impaired in 48% of participants, as was manual dexterity (29%) and fatigue (24%), but only a few showed cognitive impairments. Only 11% of PwMS had no abnormal score on the scales used in the assessment. As compared with EDSS score 0 to 1.5, with EDSS score 2 to 2.5, performance was worse for endurance (difference±61.0m, P=0.016), perceived walking ability (-11 points, P=0.002), balance (+1.9 points, P=0.005), manual dexterity (-2.8 s, P=0.004), and fatigue (-1.3 points, P=0.013). Factors that predicted perceived walking ability were balance (B=-1.37, P<0.001) and fatigue (B=5.11, P<0.001) rather than endurance (B=-0.01, P=048)., Conclusion: Even PwMS with no clinical disability and classified as having "no problem walking" present walking and other functional deficits when assessed with specific functional tests. The addition of specific tools could better identify subtle motor and cognitive deficits. Finally, the assessment of balance disorders and fatigue is important to understand individuals' perceived walking impairments in daily activities., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: Studies on adolescent secondhand smoke exposure within the family often dichotomously operationalize migration background without paying attention to social and cultural diversity within migrant populations. As a result, little is known about variation within migrant groups in smoke-free family environments (SFFEs). This study analyses the association between SFFEs and parental migration from different world regions., Methods: Data from 14- to 16-year-old adolescents (N = 17 144) on SFFEs and parental migration were obtained from cross-sectional repeated SILNE-R surveys. A multivariable multinomial regression was applied, presenting relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for maternal or paternal tobacco smoking and home smoking bans. Variation in migration background was measured according to parental sex and place of birth., Results: Approximately 18% of adolescents are exposed to maternal smoking, and 25% are exposed to paternal smoking. Almost half of the respondents do not live in SFFEs but are subject to permissive (5%) or partial (39%) smoking bans at home. We found that adolescents of Eastern European descent are at a higher risk of being exposed to both paternal and maternal smoking. A sex difference in parental smoking was found among Arabic/Islamic migrants, where mothers are less likely to be smokers. Maternal and paternal African origins are associated with prohibitive smoking bans at home. Eastern European mothers show higher odds of permissiveness and freely allowing smoking at home., Conclusion: Notable within-differences according to parental sex and place of birth were found for SFFEs and should be taken into account when implementing equity-sensitive tobacco prevention programs., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.)

The Coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of people all over the world. The perception of risk and people's consequent behaviour during a pandemic are very complex and are affected by multiple cultural and psychological factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the change in risk perception, perceived self-efficacy and the perceived trust in the behaviour of others, the decisions of health authorities and government provisions, as well as the variation of self-restraint behaviours during the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy. We used a convenience sample of 707 university students (M age = 22.99; SD = 4.01) from a central area of Italy. Participants freely joined the research by answering an online questionnaire between February and March 2020. Three time intervals defined by the progressive containment measures implemented by the Italian Government were considered. Main outcome measures were the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, the Risk Perception Index, the Index of Self-restraint Behaviours, and Institutional and Interpersonal Trust Measures. Results confirmed that significant changes in the time progression have occurred in the perception of risk, in the perception of individual self-efficacy, in the value attributed to social responsibility, in interpersonal trust and in trust in health authorities. The study also identified the participants' personality traits and locus of control as predictors (positive and negative) of perceived self-efficacy and tested a mediation model of trust on the effect of risk perception on self-restraint intentions.

Introduction: Persons with MS (PwMS) have markedly reduced push-off and toe-clearance during gait compared to healthy subjects (HS). These deficits may result from alterations in neuromotor control at the ankle. To optimize rehabilitation interventions for PwMS, a crucial step is to evaluate if and how altered neuromotor control, as represented by muscle synergies, improves with rehabilitation. In this study we investigated changes in ankle motor control and associated biomechanical parameters during gait in PwMS, occurring with increase in speed after gait rehabilitation. Methods: 3D motion and EMG data were collected while 11 PwMS (age 50.3 + 11.1; EDSS 5.2 + 1.2) walked overground at self-selected speed before (T0) and after 20 sessions (T1) of intensive treadmill training. Muscle synergies were extracted using non-negative matrix factorization. Gait parameters were computed according to the LAMB protocol. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the similarity of motor modules between PwMS and HS. To assess differences in distal module activations representing neuromotor control at the ankle [Forward Propulsion (FPM) and Ground Clearance modules (GCM)], each module's activation timing was integrated over 100% of the gait cycle and the activation percentage index (API) was computed in six phases. Ten age matched HS provided two separate speed-matched normative datasets for T0 and T1. For speed independent comparison for the PwMs Z scores were calculated for all their gait variables. Results: In PwMS velocity increased significantly from T0 to T1 (0.74-0.90 m/s, p < 0.05). The activation profiles (API) of FPM and GCM of PwMS improved in pre-swing ( p < 0.05): FPM (Mean [95% CI] [%]: T0: 12.5 [5.7-19.3] vs. T1: 9.0 [2.7-15.3]); GCM (T0: 26.7 [18.2-35.3] vs. T1: 24.5 [18.2-30.7]). This was associated with an increase in toe clearance (80.3 to 103.6 mm, p < 0.05) and a higher ankle power peak in pre-swing (1.53-1.93 W/kg, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Increased gait speed of PwMS after intensive gait training was consistent with improvements in spatio-temporal gait parameters. The most important finding of this study was the re-organization of distal leg modules related to neurophysiological changes induced by rehabilitation. This was associated with an improved ankle performance., (Copyright © 2020 Jonsdottir, Lencioni, Gervasoni, Crippa, Anastasi, Carpinella, Rovaris, Cattaneo and Ferrarin.)

Poor dynamic balance, such as poor walking stability, is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis. Instrumental measures of local dynamic stability (LDS, e.g. short-term Lyapunov's exponents, sLyEs) are genuine measures of walking stability and increasingly used as dynamic balance indicators. The current work aims to investigate if people with multiple sclerosis (PWMS) with no clinical evidence of gait impairment suffer poor LDS of gait. Eighty PWMS with minimal impairment (EDSS ≤2.5) and twenty controls completed the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) at their maximum speed, wearing inertial sensors. sLyEs were calculated from trunk vertical, mediolateral and anteroposterior (sLyE AP ) acceleration. PWMS also completed a full clinical assessment including gait, balance and fatigue. Gait speed was lower in PWMS than controls (-15%), while sLyEs were larger in PWMS (+12%), even when adjusting for the different gait speed. High sLyE AP was associated with low gait speed, high impact of disease (including high fatigue) and poor balance, the three variables returned by a principal component analysis of the dataset of clinical measures. PWMS suffer poor LDS of gait, as indicated by large sLyEs. The association between high sLyE AP and poor balance supports the validity of sLyE AP as a dynamic balance measure. The inverse relationship between sLyE AP and gait speed is in line with the view that good balance is decisive for high gait speed. Finally, these findings are in line with the vicious circle linking poor balance and fatigue in PWMS, with fatigue worsening balance and poor balance leading to fatigue.

Stair ascent is a challenging daily-life activity highly related to independence. This task is usually assessed with clinical scales suffering from partial subjectivity and limited detail in evaluating different task aspects. In this paper, we instrumented the assessment of stair ascent in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke (ST), and Parkinson's disease (PD) to analyze the validity of the proposed quantitative indexes and characterize subjects' performances. Participants climbed 10 steps wearing a magneto-inertial sensor [magneto-inertial measurement unit (MIMU)] at sternum level. Gait pattern features (step frequency, symmetry, regularity, and harmonic ratios), and upper trunk sway were computed from MIMU signals. Clinical modified dynamic gait index (mDGI) and mDGI-Item 8 "Up stairs" were administered. Significant correlations with clinical scores were found for gait pattern features ( ) and trunk pitch sway ( ) demonstrating their validity. Instrumental indexes showed alterations in the three pathological groups compared to healthy subjects and significant differences, not clinically detected, among MS, ST, and PD. MS showed the worst performance, with alterations of all gait pattern aspects and larger trunk pitch sway. ST showed worsening in gait pattern features but not in trunk motion. PD showed fewer alterations consisting in reduced step frequency and trunk yaw sway. These results suggest that the use of an MIMU provided valid objective indexes revealing between-group differences in stair ascent not detected by clinical scales. Importantly, the indexes include upper trunk measures, usually not present in clinical tests, and provide relevant hints for tailored rehabilitation.

Background: Water coolers are popular in office buildings and commercial stores and the quality of this source of drinking water has the potential to cause waterborne outbreaks, especially in sensitive and immunocompromised subjects. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of water plumbed in coolers from commercial stores in comparison with tap water in Italy., Methods: For each sample, microbial parameters and chemical indicators of contamination were evaluated and information about the date of installation, time since last ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of water coolers was collected., Results: In all samples the chemical parameters (nitrite, ammonium, free active chlorine residual) did not exceed the reference values of the drinking water regulation; the pH value in 86.8% samples of the carbonated waters was lower than the reference limit. The microbiological results indicated that the bacteria count at 22 degrees C and 37 degrees C was higher than the required values in 71% and 81% for the non-carbonated water and in 86% and 88% for the carbonated one, respectively. Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli were not detected in any of the water samples. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found in only one sample of the tap water and in 28.9% and 23.7% of the non-carbonated and carbonated water samples, respectively. No statistically significant differences in bacterial counts at 22 degrees C and 37 degrees C have been found between the non-carbonated and carbonated water from the sampled coolers in relation with the time since the last filter was substituted. The bacteriological quality of tap water was superior to that of non-carbonated and carbonated water from coolers., Conclusion: The results emphasize the importance of adopting appropriate routinely monitoring system in order to prevent or to diminish the chances of contamination of this water source.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether paediatricians have appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding vaccinations for infants in Italy., Methods: A random sample of 500 paediatricians received a self-administered anonymous questionnaire covering demographic and professional characteristics; knowledge about the mandatory, recommended, and not indicated vaccinations for infants; attitudes about vaccinations for infants; behaviour regarding current administration or willingness to administer mandatory or recommended vaccinations for infants and immunization education programs of the parents., Results: Only 42.3% paediatricians knew all recommended vaccinations for infants and this knowledge was significantly higher in females, in those who worked a higher number of hours for week, and in those who use guidelines for immunization practice. Only 10.3% had a very favourable attitude towards the utility of the recommended vaccinations for infants and this was significantly higher in those who administered recommended vaccinations for infants. A large proportion (82.7%) of paediatricians routinely informed the parents about the recommended vaccinations for infants and this appropriate behaviour was significantly higher among younger, in those with a higher number of years in practice, and in those who administered the recommended vaccinations for infants., Conclusion: Training and educational interventions are needed in order to improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding vaccinations for infants among paediatricians.

Scientific evidences support the preventive role of physical activity in relation to different multifactorial pathologies. Health's promotion through the spreading of lifestyles that encourage movement, does not represent just an action in contrast with "sedentary life" risk-factor, but also a priority for "quality" of life, with relevant economical and social benefits. WHO indicates physical activity as one of the priorities for an effective prevention. Besides, the EU supports the realization and the diffusion of some prevention-programs. Main pilot experiences developed in Italy and other countries are summarized. Attention is focused on the role of the competences and structures involved in an integrated approach based on availability of medical support, social services and local structures, considering recent developments in health prevention and promotion. In Italy and Europe, new opportunities to implement health promotion through physical activity are offered by the development of higher education in movement and sport sciences.