1,721,038 research outputs found
Chance and Causality in Ageing and Longevity
No full textLongevity is not a matter of genes. This is the message that appeared last year in all the newspapers of the world, according to a study due to a joint venture between the statisticians of Ancestry and Calico Life Sciences that has dissected the genealogical trees of 400 million individuals, tracing back generations, and including dates of birth, death, places, and family ties. The genes would have little to do with longevity: in a percentage perhaps even less than 10% [1]. However, this extensive study has analysed the influence of genetics in terms of lifespan, but not in terms of longevity. Longevity may be defined in relative and absolute terms [2]. Longevity, indeed, may be considered a concept country/population specific, since different populations/countries show great variability of their life expectancy, represented by the age reached by 50% of a given population, owing to historical, anthropological, and socio-economic differences. In “absolute” terms, instead, longevity is defined according to the maximum lifespan attained and scientifically validated by human beings on the Earth (Chap. 4). The threshold of exceptional longevity is regarded the canonical age of 100........(abstract is not foresee, so we have uploaded the first part of introduction)
Effect of platelet-rich plasma in treating musculoskeletal disorders in athletes
Full text linkPlatelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a product of significant interest in the field of regenerative medicine due to its healing, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Although its role remains debated, PRP has undeniably shown considerable
potential in aiding the healing of various injuries and pathologies across multiple fields, from dermatology (e.g., hair loss,
skin scars) to reproductive medicine and inflammatory diseases (e.g., osteoarthritis). The aim of this review is to summarise
and describe the role of PRP in treating common musculoskeletal injuries and pathologies in athletes. This population is
at higher risk for such conditions due to the physical activities they perform. However, the application of PRP in this context
has not been sufficiently explored in the literature. After providing a brief overview of precision and regenerative medicine –
distinct yet interconnected fields – we will examine the key characteristics of PRP and its role in treating various musculoskeletal injuries in athletes. This review highlights the current applications of PRP, its potential for future use and its limitations
Challenges and Future Perspectives of Sustainable Supplements, Functional Foods and Nutrigenomics in Athletic Performance
Full text linkNutrition plays a key role in the lives of athletes in sustaining and enhancing sports performance by significantly influencing their performance and general well-being. Functional foods, rich in bioactive compounds and essential nutrients, offer significant advantages for both general health and athletic performance. This review will attempt to address the benefits of sustainable functional foods for health and sportive needs and the strategies to improve sustainability in the food sector. It will explore the connection between sustainable nutrition, nutrigenomics, and sportive needs. In fact, sustainable food offers several advantages over traditional supplements. Thus, it is essential to educate consumers about the environmental impact of traditional supplement production and the benefits of sustainable options. The necessary approach must be integrated into food production, distribution, and consumption, aimed at meeting current nutritional needs. How incorporating sustainability into supplement production and using functional foods to formulate supplements will be explored to point out the advantages of sustainable food over traditional supplements. This review underscores the importance of public awareness and education in adopting sustainable eating habits, utilizing what nature offers more consciously, and implementing these principles in daily life. The importance of food sustainability is underscored by its impact on climate change and global health, as the food system contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing this involves improving diet quality while reducing the environmental footprint of food production. Through these efforts, functional foods can serve as a key component in achieving sustainable sports supplementation, benefiting both individuals and the planet
The Impact of Diet and Physical Activity on Bone Health in Children and Adolescents
Full text linkThere is growing recognition of the role of diet and physical activity in modulating bone mineral density, bone mineral content, and remodeling, which in turn can impact bone health later in life. Adequate nutrient composition could influence bone health and help to maximize peak bone mass. Therefore, children’s nutrition may have lifelong consequences. Also, physical activity, adequate in volume or intensity, may have positive consequences on bone mineral content and density and may preserve bone loss in adulthood. Most of the literature that exists for children, about diet and physical activity on bone health, has been translated from studies conducted in adults. Thus, there are still many unanswered questions about what type of diet and physical activity may positively influence skeletal development. This review focuses on bone requirements in terms of nutrients and physical activity in childhood and adolescence to promote bone health. It explores the contemporary scientific literature that analyzes the impact of diet together with the typology and timing of physical activity that could be more appropriate depending on whether they are children and adolescents to assure an optimal skeleton formation. A description of the role of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and gut hormones (gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1, and GLP-2) as potential candidates in this interaction to promote bone health is also presented
Due diverse esperienze di lezioni sperimentali condotte secondo il metodo di co-teaching
No full textNell’ambito del progetto “Mentori per la didattica”, nato nel 2013 da un ristretto gruppo di docenti dell’Università di Palermo e che comprende oggi 120 docenti, oltre alle attività di mentoring fra pari, sono state promosse diverse attività formative. Fra queste, tre workshop in tre anni consecutivi sono stati dedicati alla formazione sull’active learning e su metodi e tecniche di didattica innovativa ed in particolare nell’ultimo anno è stata importante la partecipazione di alcuni componenti del progetto al congresso “Faculty development“ e al pre-workshop del convegno di Genova di maggio 2019. A partire da tutte queste esperienze, diversi docenti hanno iniziato a sperimentare nuove modalità didattiche, soprattutto per raggiungere efficacemente un’acquisizione stabile dei contenuti attraverso una partecipazione attiva dello studente o anche attraverso una innovativa forma di insegnamento, particolarmente incisiva dal punto di vista comunicazionale. Le esperienze che qui si riportano sono state applicate in via sperimentale a un’unica lezione di “Genetica umana” nel corso di laurea magistrale in Biologia Molecolare e della Salute (Classe LM6) e a un’unica lezione di “Fisiologia generale” nel corso di laurea a ciclo unico in Chimica e Tecnologia Farmaceutiche, entrambi corsi tenuti presso l’Università di Palermo. Le due esperienze sono state progettate e portate avanti secondo modalità differenti, di conseguenza è stato possibile ottenere, a conclusione, due risultati diversi ma comparabili.
In particolare, la lezione di Genetica umana è stata condotta con due docenti in aula, esperti della stessa disciplina, che hanno scelto di alternare i propri interventi all’interno di uno stesso micro argomento con il risultato che un unico concetto è stato presentato dalla voce alternata dei due docenti con l’aiuto di tecniche sia di activelearning che di team-based learning. L’alternanza delle voci, entrambe esplicative di una stessa diapositiva o di uno stesso concetto, è stato scelto come stile principale della lezione (denominato “stile orizzontale”). A conclusione, il riepilogo dei concetti principali con l’assegnazione dei concetti "homeworks” è stato condotto da entrambi i docenti presenti in aula, ciascuno per alcuni specifici argomenti.
La lezione di Fisiologia generale si è tenuta con uno stile di co-teaching diverso dal precedente che è stato denominato “verticale”. In aula è stata prevista la presenza di due docenti di due materie diverse: il docente titolare, quello di Fisiologia della nutrizione, ed anche il docente di “Patologia (con Terminologia medica)”. È importante evidenziare che Fisiologia generale e Patologia (con Terminologia medica) rappresentano i due moduli dello stesso corso integrato. L’efficacia di questo specifico co-teaching è stata incentrata sulla trasversalità di alcuni concetti affrontati sia in condizioni fisiologiche (a cura del primo docente) che patologiche (a cura del secondo docente). È stato dato ampio spazio alle numerose curiosità interdisciplinari da parte degli studenti presenti in aula ed i loro interventi hanno fornito un primo indice di positività formativa di questa sperimentazione didattica. In questo modo, l’argomento (nel caso specifico “il Diabete”), è stato porto agli studenti nella sua interezza, alternando gli aspetti Fisiologici con quelli Patologici.
Secondo le modalità e le procedure decise all’interno del progetto “Mentori per la didattica” per queste lezioni sperimentali è stato, dai proponenti, richiesta l’attività di “mentoring on demand” secondo la quale due docenti esterni al corso ed appartenenti ad aree CUN diverse hanno assistito, separatamente, ad ognuna delle due lezioni come osservatori (o meglio come “mentori”) per offrire un parere esterno valido sul punto di vista dell’efficacia formativa e della qualità della didattica. Sia gli studenti, intervistati con un questionario, che i docenti coinvolti in questa esperienza di didattica sperimentale, hanno ritenuto soddisfacente l’esperienza
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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