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Athletic performance is determined by many factors, such as cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and psychological features, which all interact simultaneously. The large Italian National Olympic Committee database of Olympic athletes offers a unique healthy population to verify the strength of the interplay among a number of major elements of training, including autonomic nervous system (ANS) modulation, biochemical indicators and body composition, in a system medicine approach. This observational, retrospective study involved 583 individuals. As part of the yearly precompetitive examination, cardiac autonomic (heart rate variability), psychological, physical (cycloergometer stress test), biochemical and body composition (BOD POD) evaluations were performed. In subsequent analysis, we first considered the relationship between body composition and single individual variables in a simple correlation matrix, including a multitude of variables; then, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) restricted the information to six latent domains, each combining congruent information in relation to body composition. Finally, we employed a multiple quantile regression model to evaluate possible relationships between ANSIs (index capable of synthetizing ANS regulation) and the latent domains indicated by EFA reflecting body composition. We observed a clear relationship between ANS and body mass composition parameters, as indicated by both bivariate correlations and the quantile regression result of ANSIs versus the latent domain aggregating mainly body composition data expressed in % (p = 0.002). In conclusion, these results suggest that specific training may elicit parallel adaptation of ANS control and body composition. The analysis of Olympic athletes’ data allowed us to obtain a better understanding of the complex, multidimensional factors involved in determining sport performance. The latter appears to be determined by the simultaneous interaction not only of cardiorespirat

Objective: To investigate whether the available literature helps to identify the characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) more frequently associated with hidden hypercortisolism (HidHyCo). Methods: A meta-analysis was performed using studies that assessed both the prevalence of HidHyCo in patients with T2D and the characteristics of these patients with and without HidHyCo. The DerSimonian and Laird (DSL) and Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman (HKSJ) methods were utilized. Results: Among the 18 available studies, 6 provided the necessary data. The association between HidHyCo and advanced T2D (based on the patients’ description given in each study in the presence of microvascular/macrovascular complications or insulin treatment plus hypertension or hypertension treated with 2 or more drugs), hypertension, insulin treatment, and dyslipidemia was reported in 5 (2184 patients), 6 (2283 patients), 3 (1440 patients), and 3 (987 patients) studies, respectively. HidHyCo was associated with advanced T2D as assessed by both the DSL (odds ratio [OR], 3.4; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.12-5.67) and HKSJ (OR, 3.60; 95% CI, 2.03-6.41) methods and with the prevalence of hypertension or insulin treatment as assessed by the DSL method (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.05-3.50 and OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.07-4.91, respectively) but not as assessed by the HKSJ method. Conclusion: Patients with advanced T2D have a higher prevalence of HidHyCo. These data inform about the selection of patients with T2D for HidHyCo screening.

Background. Sepsis is the major cause of mortality from any infectious disease worldwide. Sepsis may be the result of a healthcare associated infection (HAI): the most frequent adverse events during care delivery especially in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). The main aim of the present study was to describe the epidemiology of ICU-acquired sepsis and related outcomes among patients enrolled in the framework of the Italian Nosocomial Infections Surveillance in ICUs - SPIN-UTI project. Study design. Prospective multicenter study. Methods. The SPIN-UTI network adopted the European protocols for patient-based HAI surveillance. Results. During the five editions of the SPIN-UTI project, from 2008 to 2017, 47.0% of HAIs has led to sepsis in 832 patients. Overall, 57.0% episodes were classified as sepsis, 20.5% as severe sepsis and 22.5% as septic shock. The most common isolated microorganisms from sepsis episodes were Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The case fatality rate increased with the severity of sepsis and the mean length of ICU-stay was significantly higher in patients with ICU-acquired sepsis than in patients without. Conclusions. Our study provides evidence that ICU-acquired sepsis occurs frequently in Italian ICU patients and is associated with a high case fatality rate and increased length of stay. However, in order to explain these findings further analyses are needed in this population of ICU patients.

Il lavoro è il risultato dell'attività di ricerca condotta da gruppi operanti in diverse sedi universitarie nell'ambito di un Programma di Ricerca Scientifica di Interesse Nazionale - PRIN 2005 - cofinanziato dal MIUR. Il tema oggetto della pubblicazione è quello dei principi contabili internazionali nel settore pubblico, riferito alle Camere di Commercio

The results of photoemission and optical studies of icosahedral single-grain ZnMgEr quasicrystals are presented. Synchrotron radiation photoemission measurements were performed on in situ cleaved samples at 10(-10) mbar pressure and low, 140-150 K temperature. The valence band photoemission spectra measured reveal a simple metal-type valence band of icosahedral ZnMgEr with a distinct Fermi edge cut-off and with a sharp pseudogap feature. The photoemission spectra of shallow Mg 2p and Zn 3d core levels indicate a coordination shift of Mg 2p spin-orbit doublet and an oscillating dependence of Zn 3d photoemission line components on the photon energy within the hv = 20-160 eV range investigated. The optical response of icosahedral ZnMgEr, a dispersion of the dielectric function, was measured by the spectroscopic ellipsometry technique in the 0.5-5.0 eV spectral range. The optical spectra of the quasicrystal indicate the Drude-type optical response superimposed with a peak of interband optical transitions. The interband optical transitions can be modelled with the pseudogap parameters which agree with those deduced in an analysis of the photoemission valence band spectra., QC 20100525 QC 20111011. 12th International Symposium on Ultrafast Phenomena in Semiconductors (12-UFPS). Vilnius, LITHUANIA. AUG 22-25, 2004

The results of photoemission study of icosahedral single-grain ZnMgEr quasicrystals are presented. Synchrotron radiation photoemission measurements were performed on in situ cleaved samples at 10(-10) mbar pressure and low, 140-150 K, temperature. The valence band photoemission spectra measured reveal a simple-metal type valence band of i-ZnMgEr with a distinct Fermi edge cutoff and a spectral feature at 0.7 eV below epsilon(F). Analysis of the PE spectra shows that the spectral feature observed corresponds to the van Hove singularities in the density of states, which are due to intersections of the Fermi surface with the 222100 and 311111 Bragg planes., QC 20100525

We present a low-temperature synchrotron-radiation photoelectron microspectroscopy study of the valence bands of single-grain icosahedral ZnMgY and ZnMgHo quasicrystals. Their valence band photoemission spectra reveal in both cases a simple metal-type behavior with a clear metallic Fermi edge and a sharp pseudogap feature: the spectral intensity exhibits a maximum at approximate to0.7 eV below the chemical potential and a subsequent decrease as the Fermi level is approached. The analysis of the pseudogap feature, based on the band-structure hypothesis, shows that it corresponds to the van Hove singularities in the density of states (DOS), which originate from the intersections of the isoenergetic surface with the 222100 and 311111 Bragg planes. The reconstructed density of states agrees in general trends with the theoretical first-principles DOS of hexagonal ZnMgY approximants, and correctly reproduces the experimental value of i-ZnMgY electronic specific-heat coefficient., QC 20100525

The surface properties of SnO2(1 1 0)-4 x 1 and sputtered SnO2(1 1 0) were studied comparatively by resonant photoemission of the valence band states in a photon energy range of 60-130 eV. Resonating energetic levels could be observed on the 4 x I reconstructed surface and the resonance behavior could be switched off by sputter treatment. Additionally, the Sn 4d core-levels were recorded at two photon energies in order to allow a statement about the surface's stoichiometry. A tentative explanation of the observed resonance and of the discrepancy between ordered and sputtered surface is given with regard to recent STM results on similar prepared surfaces., QC 20100525

The interfacial properties of ultra thin films of lead-phthalocyanine deposited in situ onto InSb and InAs(100)-4X2/c(8X2) clean surfaces have been studied by synchrotron radiation core level and valence band photoelectron spectroscopy. The interaction between the overlayers and the substrates was determined upon analyzing the changes in the photoemission spectra between room and higher annealing temperatures, leading to ordered monolayer films. While weaker than on other substrates, a reactivity is nevertheless present: the organic macrocycle preserves its integrity up to 320 degreesC but the Pb central atom first leaves the molecules most probably to be incorporated in the substrate surface, before being desorbed at higher temperatures., QC 20100525