Publications by authors named "Luca Poli"

Background: Work-related stress among healthcare employees can lead to burnout, worsened mood, and job dissatisfaction. Although physical activity is known to enhance mood and mental health, its impact on job satisfaction and emotional well-being in healthcare workers is under-researched. This study aimed to explore the associations between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), job satisfaction, and emotional state and to investigate the mediating role of job satisfaction in the effect of LTPA on the emotional state of healthcare workers.

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Despite the benefits of physical activity (PA), Italy ranks low in leisure-time PA among European countries. Integrating virtual (VR)/enhanced (ER) reality with exercise equipment could boost PA engagement. Limited studies have explored how VR/ER-integrated cycling activity, compared to outdoor settings, influences PA among university students.

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Objective: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain a leading cause of mortality globally, emphasizing the need for effective preventive measures. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a multicomponent compared to an aerobic training program on the hemodynamic parameters, physical fitness, psychophysical health status and quality of life (QoL) of adults and elderly with stabilized CVDs.

Methods: Thirty-three subjects (19M and 14F; age 69.

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Occupational health is a major problem in modern work environments. Physical activity breaks (PABs), short exercise periods delivered during working hours, incorporating exergames or outdoor activities, have emerged as a novel approach that could be used to improve work efficiency and workplace wellbeing. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of PABs on attention levels and executive functions in healthcare workers.

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Outdoor exercise is beneficial for psychophysical well-being. Limited studies have compared outdoor and virtual reality (VR) indoor physical activities, especially in coastal settings. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of outdoor coastal walking and indoor walking in a VR simulation with a similar environment on physiological and psychological variables in healthy adults.

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Background: Few studies have investigated the effects of adopting a specific and prolonged posture on cyclists. This study aimed to evaluate the upright spine in a sample of recreational cyclists and compare it with a sample of non-cyclists, though still athletes, through a 3D scanning method.

Methods: Forty-eight participants were enrolled in this observational study.

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Physical activity (PA), which includes exercise, can reduce the risk of developing various non-communicable diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), and mitigate their adverse effects. However, the mechanisms underlying this ability are not yet fully understood. Among several possible mechanisms proposed, such as the stimulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and nerve growth factor (NGF), the possible involvement of particular vesicular structures enclosed in lipid membranes known as extracellular vesicles (EVs) has recently been investigated.

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Plyometric exercise is a major tool for improving explosive actions. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of a vertical and horizontal plyometric training program on stretch-shortening performance variables in adolescent soccer players. Thirty-two male soccer players (aged 12.

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Powerlifting competitions require consistent and symmetric lifting of heavy loads and maximal effort, in which, asymmetric lifting results in trial invalidation. Symmetry during this very high intensity movement is determinant to athletes' performance and success in competitions. This study aimed to compare the asymmetry between Conventional Powerlifting athletes (CP) and Paralympic (PP) athletes at intensities of 45 and 80% 1RM before and after a training session.

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Research has shown that higher levels of physical activity are associated with better cognitive performance in children. However, the benefits of physical activity on academic achievement and specifically on mathematics performance need to be further explored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of a complex physical activity (CPA) intervention program, including cognitive involvement, on children’s mathematics performance.

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The purpose of this study was (i) to compare two groups (players with more vs. less match play time) regarding body composition, vertical and horizontal jumping performance, and aerobic capacity; and (ii) to test the relationships between physical fitness and play time. This study followed a case-control design in which the outcome was playtime, and the causal attribute was physical fitness.

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The aim of this work was to assess the level of microbial contamination and resistance of bacteria isolated from a highthroughput heavy pig slaughterhouse (approx. 4600 pigs/day) towards antimicrobials considered as critical for human, veterinary or both chemotherapies. Samples, pre-operative and operative, were obtained in 4 different surveys.

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Increasing evidence supports the importance of the gut microbiota (GM) in regulating multiple functions related to host physical health and, more recently, through the gut-brain axis (GBA), mental health. Similarly, the literature on the impact of physical activity (PA), including exercise, on GM and GBA is growing. Therefore, this narrative review summarizes and critically appraises the existing literature that delves into the benefits or adverse effects produced by PA on physical and mental health status through modifications of the GM, highlighting differences and similarities between preclinical and human studies.

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The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an expressive writing (EW) intervention on psychological and physiological variables after kidney transplant. The final sample of 26 were randomly assigned to an expressive writing group (EWG) and control group (CG). Outcomes were focused on depression, anxiety, alexithymia, empathy, resilience, locus of control, creatinine, CDK-EPI, and azotemia.

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Background: Few studies explored the role of hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) in the sub-group of non-standard renal grafts with a biopsy-proven advanced histological impairment. This study aimed to investigate the role of HMP in grafts with a Karpinski Score >3 in terms of the need for dialysis, creatinine reduction ratio at day-7 (CRR7), and 3-year graft survival.

Methods: Twenty-three perfused grafts with Karpinski Score >3 evaluated between November 2017 and December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed and compared with a control group of 32 non-perfused grafts transplanted between January 2014 and October 2017.

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The bench press is performed in parapowerlifting with the back, shoulders, buttocks, legs and heels extended over the bench, and the use of straps to secure the athlete to the bench is optional. Thus, the study evaluated muscle activation, surface electromyography (sEMG), maximum velocity (MaxV) and mean propulsive velocity (MPV), and power in paralympic powerlifting athletes under conditions tied or untied to the bench. Fifteen experienced Paralympic powerlifting male athletes (22.

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Several studies have been conducted to find at least an association between physical activity (PA)/ physical exercise (PE) and the possibility to modulate the gut microbiome (GM). However, the specific effects produced on the human GM by different types of PA/PE, different training modalities, and their age-related effects are not yet fully understood. Therefore, this systematic review aims to evaluate and summarize the current scientific evidence investigating the bi-directional relationship between PA/PE and the human GM, with a specific focus on the different types/variables of PA/PE and age-related effects, in healthy and unhealthy people.

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Article Synopsis
  • In 2020, 64 wild boar carcasses were studied for Enterobacteriaceae count (EBC), with samples taken at two different times: shortly after hunting and prior to processing in a game-handling establishment (GHE) or a slaughterhouse.
  • Results showed a significant increase in EBC from the game collection point to the GHE (2.51 to 2.79 log CFU/cm), while the increase at the slaughterhouse was not significant (3.1 to 3.32 log CFU/cm).
  • A total of 7.8% of the sampled lymph nodes from the carcasses tested positive for various serovars, indicating that long chilling periods before processing should be avoided
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Solid organ transplant patients are at a higher risk for poor CoronaVirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19)-related outcomes and have been included as a priority group in the vaccination strategy worldwide. We assessed the safety and efficacy of a two-dose vaccination cycle with mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2) among 82 kidney transplant outpatients followed in our center in Rome, Italy. After a median of 43 post-vaccine days, a SARS-CoV-2 anti-Spike seroprevalence of 52.

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The decline of allograft kidney function in the long term remains a significant issue in renal transplantation, with drug nephrotoxicity and cardiovascular complications as important risk factors. Our study aimed to evaluate the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) trend and metabolic cardiovascular risk factors over 10 years in a cohort of kidney transplant (KT) recipients converted from twice-daily (TD) tacrolimus (Tac) to once-daily (OD)-Tac. We enrolled 55 consecutive KT recipients who had been at the outpatient clinic between 2009 and 2011.

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Background: BK virus (BKV) infection represents a potentially dreadful complication after kidney transplantation (KT). When BK viremia is detected, the best therapeutic approach remains not entirely clarified. Critical elements of BK viremia treatment are immunosuppression minimization and introduction of drugs like leflunomide, everolimus, and fluoroquinolones.

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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a very common condition and its prevalence is increasing worldwide. The CARHES study in Italy showed a prevalence of 6.5% in women and 7.

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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a highly prevalent condition in the world. Neurological, psychological, and cognitive disorders, related to CKD, could contribute to the morbidity, mortality, and poor quality of life of these patients. The aim of this study was to assess the neurological, psychological, and cognitive imbalance in patients with CKD on conservative and replacement therapy.

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This study examined the relations between appraisal of transplant-related stressors, coping, and adjustment dimensions following kidney transplantation (KT). Two models were tested: (1) the main effects model proposing that stress appraisal and coping strategies are directly associated with adjustment dimensions; and (2) the moderating model of stress proposing that each coping strategy interacts with stress appraisal. Importantly, there is a lack of research examining the two models simultaneously among recipients of solid organ transplantation.

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Tumor thrombus in the inferior vena cava (IVC) occurs in 4-10% of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and poses a challenge for the surgical team. Because there is no systemic therapy available to significantly reduce tumor burden, surgical intervention is the only treatment. However, the surgical approach is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

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