Reactive Agility and Pitching Performance Improvement in Visually Impaired Competitive Italian Baseball Players: An Innovative Training and Evaluation Proposal.

Visual input significantly affects kinesthesis skills and, hence, visually impaired individuals show less developed sensorimotor control, especially in an unfamiliar outdoor environment. Regular blind baseball practice can counteract such a deficit but, given the complex kinetic chain model required, a targeted workout proposal is needed to improve the main athletic gesture performance. On these premises, we investigated, for the first time, the running and pitching performance of a competitive Italian blind baseball team through quantitative tools and parameters such as Libra Easytech sensorized proprioceptive board, goniometric active range of motion, chronometric speed, and pitching linear length. Moreover, the perceived physical exertion was assessed by the Borg CR10 scale. Consequently, an adapted athletic training protocol was designed and tested on the field during the competitive season, with the aim to strengthen sport specific-gesture coordination and efficacy as well as to prevent injuries. Quantitative assessments showed an improvement in ankle stability index, bilateral upper limb and hip mobility, reactive agility, running braking phase control during second base approaching, and auditory target-related pitching accuracy along with a decrease in perceived physical exertion. This protocol might therefore represent an effective and easily reproducible training and evaluation approach to tailor management of visually impaired baseball players, and safely improve their athletic performance under the supervision of an adapted exercise specialist.

Heavy metals in organs of stray dogs and cats from the city of Naples and its surroundings (Southern Italy).

The aim of the present study was to assess the concentrations of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in the liver and kidney from stray dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and cats (Felis catus) found dead between 2014 and 2017 in the city of Naples and its surrounding areas. These organs from 290 dogs and 88 cats were collected after ordinary necropsy of stray animals. Heavy metal concentrations were determined by using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Concentrations of Pb (up to 5.93 mg/kg) and Cd (ranging from 0.005 to 6.13 mg/kg) were detected in both livers and kidneys analyzed. Differences in concentration were found based on age class, gender, and kind of tissue for both elements, with a trend similar to those already reported in the literature for comparable studies from different countries. Cadmium levels in the kidney were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in females than those in males for both species. As regards to Pb, the highest concentrations were detected in the liver (3.45 mg/kg in dog and 5.93 in cat, respectively) followed by the renal tissue, with no significant difference depending on the animal gender. This study can be considered the first one in Italy regarding stray dogs and cats as bio-indicators of environmental contamination due to lead and cadmium, suggesting that pets could be sentinel animals to evaluate human exposure to these heavy metals.

Long-term oncologic and functional outcomes after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the long-term oncologic and functional outcomes in elderly patients having undergone robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) for renal cancer (RC). METHODS: Sixty-one patients out of 323 who underwent RAPN for localized RC between July 2009 and March 2016 in our high-volume robotic surgery center (>800 procedures/year), had 70 years or more. Inclusion criteria of the study were age ≥70 years; pathological confirmed RCC and ASA Score ≤3. All patients were stratified according to PADUA classification system in three groups: <7 points, 8-9 points, >10 points. Trifecta was defined as a warm ischemia time (WIT) less then 25 min, negative surgical margins and no perioperative complications. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients were included; median follow-up was 47 months. Median age was 74 yrs. (IQR 72-76.5). Complication rate was 15.4%. Trifecta failure was associated to PADUA Score (P=0.02), and tumor diameter (P=0.04). Renal function was altered in 10 (19.2%) patients before surgery and at last follow-up in 11 (21.1%) patients (CKD stage>2) The DFS, OS and CSS were 89.33%, 90.06% and 94.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In a high-volume center, robot-assisted approach is feasible and safe in surgical fit elderly patients with good long-term oncologic outcomes.

Antitumor activity of ZD6474, a vascular endothelial growth factor-2 and epidermal growth factor receptor small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in combination with SC-236, a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor.

PURPOSE: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) autocrine pathway plays an important role in cancer cell growth. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of tumor-induced endothelial cell proliferation and vascular permeability. Enhanced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression has been linked to cancer cell proliferation, EGFR activation, VEGF secretion, and tumor-induced angiogenesis. ZD6474 is an orally available, small molecule, dual VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. We investigated the activity of ZD6474 in combination with SC-236, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, to determine the antitumor activity of the simultaneous blockade of EGFR, COX-2, and VEGF functions. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo of ZD6474 and/or SC-236 was tested in human cancer cell lines with a functional EGFR autocrine pathway. RESULTS: The combination of ZD6474 and SC-236 determined supra-additive growth inhibition in all cancer cell lines tested. In nude mice bearing established human colon (GEO) or lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cancer xenografts and treated with ZD6474 and/or SC-236 for 3 weeks, a reversible tumor growth inhibition was seen with each agent, whereas a more prolonged growth inhibition that lasted for 3 to 5 weeks following the end of treatment resulted from the combination of the two agents. A long-term, 10-week treatment with ZD6474 plus SC-236 resulted in sustained tumor growth inhibition in all mice with tumor eradication in 3 of 10 GEO tumor-bearing mice and in 4 of 10 A549 tumor-bearing mice. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a rationale for evaluating the simultaneous blockade of EGFR, COX-2, and VEGF signaling as cancer therapy in a clinical setting.

A novel method to determine valnemulin in feedingstuffs for several animal species by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.

A new method specific for the determination and unambiguous confirmation of the antibiotic valnemulin in feed for all animal species is described. Simple clean-up based on solvent extraction and liquid partition is carried out prior to determination by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry on a hybrid QTRAP 4000 system, in multiple reaction monitoring mode. Valnemulin is licensed in the European Union as a veterinary drug for use in feed for pigs and rabbits, but unavoidable carryover in feed for non-target species should be monitored. The method is rapid and reliable, and was validated in-house at 10, 100 and 750 ng g-1, evaluating the analytical performances according to Commission Regulation (EC) No. 882/2004. Good mean recoveries from 79.7% to 92.6%, and within-laboratory reproducibility RSDs, ranging from 6.2% to 12.1%, were measured; the limit of quantification at 10.0 ng g-1 also allows for sensitive evaluation of undesirable carryover in feed for non-target species. The results of monitoring 24 compound feeds for several animal species are also reported.