Groin Pain Syndrome Italian Consensus Conference on terminology, clinical evaluation and imaging assessment in groin pain in athlete.

The nomenclature and the lack of consensus of clinical evaluation and imaging assessment in groin pain generate significant confusion in this field. The Groin Pain Syndrome Italian Consensus Conference has been organised in order to prepare a consensus document regarding taxonomy, clinical evaluation and imaging assessment for groin pain. A 1-day Consensus Conference was organised on 5 February 2016, in Milan (Italy). 41 Italian experts with different backgrounds participated in the discussion. A consensus document previously drafted was discussed, eventually modified, and finally approved by all members of the Consensus Conference. Unanimous consensus was reached concerning: (1) taxonomy (2) clinical evaluation and (3) imaging assessment. The synthesis of these 3 points is included in this paper. The Groin Pain Syndrome Italian Consensus Conference reached a consensus on three main points concerning the groin pain syndrome assessment, in an attempt to clarify this challenging medical problem.

The cardiovascular response to underwater pedaling at different intensities: a comparison of 4 different water stationary bikes.

AIM: Among the fitness activities, cycling in water immersion performed with water stationary bikes (WSB) has become very popular. However, there is a lack of information concerning their physiological demand. The aim of the present study was to assess the cardiovascular responses to four WSBs. METHODS: Twenty-two healthy participants underwent a graded exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Sixteen of them, 8 males (age 31.5 + or - 8.2 years) and 8 females (age 31.9 + or - 5.8 years) with the same level of peak oxygen consumption (VO(2peak)) were chosen and submitted, in random order, to four incremental testing sessions performed with four different models of WSB, one with no resistance (WSB1), two with resistance added to the bottom bracket axle (WSB2 and WSB3), one with resistance added to the pedals (WSB4). The VO(2peak) and heart rate peak (HR(peak)) were measured in all five conditions. RESULTS: Since no significant main effect for gender was detected, the data were grouped and analyzed all together. No significant differences were found in VO(2peak) and HR(peak) within the five testing conditions, whilst time to exhaustion (P<0.01) and pedaling frequency (RPM) at volitional exhaustion (P<0.01) were both significantly different across the four WSBs. When pedaling at 70 RPM, the oxygen consumption and heart rate response (as % of VO(2peak) and HR(peak)) were approximately 45% and 60% for WSB1, 60% and 70% for WSB3, 90% and 90% for WSB2 and WSB4, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present results provide useful information for instructors and practitioners because they demonstrate that different models of WSBs could elicit very different cardiovascular responses.

The assessment of path linearity in swimming: a pilot study.

The lateral-medial displacement (LF) and the overall drift from a straight path (DT) were quantified and compared in 5 top-level (TLS) and 5 low-level (LLS) crawl swimmers. Sixteen repetitions of 25-m crawl at increasing intensity were performed and videotaped. The performances were divided into 3 intensities (< 80 %, 80 - 90 % and > 90 % of maximal speed). LF was expressed as overlength swum (OLS) and coefficient of variation (CV) of the Z-component movement. OLS revealed a significant main effect for swimmer level (p < 0.01), intensity (p < 0.01) and their interaction (0.48, 0.37, 0.31-m for TLS and 0.47, 0.43, 0.44-m for LLS, p < 0.05). CV was significantly higher in LLS at the lowest (0.69 vs. 0.22, p < 0.05) and highest intensity (0.71 vs. 0.33, p < 0.05). DT, expressed as the slope of the linear regression of position data vs. time, was significantly higher in LLS only at the highest intensity (0.025 vs. 0.013, p < 0.05). The amount of dissipated energy due to LF, quantified by means of discrete Fourier analysis, revealed a difference only when the 0 - 5 Hz and 5 - 10 Hz spectral windows were analysed separately. While LF has a practical significance since it contributes to increase drag, DT is negligible at least for short-distance events.

The use of lipid emulsions for the i.v. administration of a new water soluble polyene antibiotic, SPK-843.

Venous tolerance of a new water soluble polyene antibiotic, SPK-843, in 5% glucose solution for infusion is low in laboratory animals. The use of Intralipid 10% emulsion was therefore proposed, in which the antibiotic remained chemically stable for at least 2 h in a mildly acid or nearly neutral environment and at concentrations of 0.1-0.5 mg/mL, producing no alterations in the emulsion structure. Tolerance was assessed through repeated infusions in the ear marginal vein of rabbits and was found much more satisfactory than the tolerance observed when the vehicle used was 5% glucose solution. The study of the effect of some variables (concentration, volume infused, dose per kg) on venous toxicity offered the possibility to plan optimal administration conditions of presumed therapeutic doses.

Clonazepam microencapsulation in poly-D,L-lactide-co-glycolide microspheres.

The work is aimed at the preparation and characterization of biodegradable microspheres of poly-D,L-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA), for the controlled release of clonazepam. The solubility characteristics of this drug make it an interesting example to evaluate the performances of the two most widely used microencapsulation techniques, emulsification solvent evaporation and spray-drying. Several biodegradable PLGA copolymers have been evaluated (RG 502H, RG 503H, RG 503, Boerhinger Ingelheim). They differ in terms of molecular weight and physico-chemical characteristics. The microspheres obtained have been characterized for their morphology, physico-chemical properties (DSC) and in vitro dissolution behaviour. Between the two preparation methods, only spray-drying was suitable for the microencapsulation of clonazepam in PLGA microspheres. In vitro dissolution tests highlight that more sustained release of drug is achieved with the higher (molecular weight) polymer.