Origin and age group of the fastest amateur triathletes competing in 'Ironman Hawaii' between 2003 and 2019.

Little is known about the prevalent nationalities among the best-placed athletes participating in "Ironman Hawaii." Moreover, the age at which athletes achieve their best performances remains unclear. The present study aimed to compare the prevalent nationalities among the athletes, their respective placement among the top five, and the performance difference between the different age groups in 'Ironman Hawaii' from 2003 to 2019.

Comparison of the levels of depression and anxiety during the first and fourth waves of coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic in Brazil.

Objective: To compare the levels of depression, anxiety, physical activity, and mobility restrictions between the first wave in June 2020 and the fourth wave in January 2022 of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Brazil.

Patients And Methods: Brazilian citizens answered a self-administered questionnaire that included questions related to personal information, mobility restriction levels, physical activity levels, and the status of mood disorders in June 2020 (n=1853) and January 2022 (n=728).

Results: The levels of mobility restrictions (p<0.

The Performance, Physiology and Morphology of Female and Male Olympic-Distance Triathletes.

Sex differences in triathlon performance have been decreasing in recent decades and little information is available to explain it. Thirty-nine male and eighteen female amateur triathletes were evaluated for fat mass, lean mass, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), ventilatory threshold (VT), respiratory compensation point (RCP), and performance in a national Olympic triathlon race. Female athletes presented higher fat mass (p = 0.

Factors Associated with Reduction in Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic in São Paulo, Brazil: An Internet-Based Survey Conducted in June 2020.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected physical activity levels. This study investigated the factors associated with the change in physical activity level in Brazilians residing in the city of São Paulo.

Methods: A self-administered questionnaire, addressing personal data, restriction level, education level, family income, daily working hours, and physical activity level, was answered by 2140 volunteers, of which 1179 were excluded because the answers were either incomplete or the respondents were not from São Paulo.

Return to classes impact on mental health of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the necessary social isolation and distancing measures - that were adopted to prevent spreading the virus, including the suspension of university classes - negatively impacted the mental health of young adults. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether returning to online classes, even not presential, during the social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, affected the mental health of university students.

Methods: Forty students (10 men and 30 women) (age, 22.

Distribution of body fat is associated with physical performance of male amateur triathlon athletes.

Background: Endurance sports are strongly associated with maximum oxygen uptake, anaerobic threshold, running economy and body fat percentage. Despite the importance for performance of the low-fat mass being a consensus in the literature, there are no data about the importance of the pattern of fat distribution. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between fat mass distribution with triathlon performance and physiological determinants of performance: maximal oxygen consumption (V̇O2max), ventilatory threshold (AT) and running economy (RE), and to verify the predictive value for performance of gynoid or android fat mass distribution.

Reduced level of physical activity during COVID-19 pandemic is associated with depression and anxiety levels: an internet-based survey.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a strong negative impact on economic and social life worldwide. It has also negatively influenced people's general health and quality of life. The aim of the present study was to study the impact of social distancing on physical activity level, and the association between mood state (depression and anxiety level) or sex with actual physical activity levels, the change in physical activity caused by social distancing period, the adhesion level to social distancing, the adoption time of social distancing, family income and age.

Impact of training volume and experience on amateur Ironman triathlon performance.

Purpose: To investigate the association between training volume, sleep time, signs and symptoms of excessive training (overtraining), and  previous triathlon experience with overall and split race times in the Ironman distance triathlon.

Methods: Ninety-nine triathletes (19 women and 80 men) answered an online survey containing questions about anthropometric characteristics (body mass and height), weekly training volume (hours per day and days per week), previous experience in Ironman distance triathlon race, and signs and symptoms of excessive training. Data of race times of all participants were collected by a single race (the Ironman Brazil 2019 - Florianópolis).

Physical Activity Levels and Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Preliminary Results of a Comparative Study between Convenience Samples from Brazil and Switzerland.

It has been suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic impaired people's moods and general levels of physical activity, but the way in which each country is coping with the situation may result in different outcomes. The aim of the present study was to compare the mental health and physical activity levels between residents of Brazil and Switzerland during the social distancing period associated with COVID-19 pandemic. A self-administered questionnaire aiming to assess personal, quarantine, physical activity, and mood state disorders data was answered by 114 participants (57 from each country) of both sexes.

Sleep During "Lockdown" in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The aim of this study was to determine if the lockdown measures applied due to the pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) affected the sleep of the general population and health professionals in six different countries (Greece, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, and Brazil). We used a web-based survey with a short questionnaire of 13 questions, translated into four languages (Greek, German, French, and Portuguese). The questionnaire included information about demographic and professional data, quantitative and qualitative characteristics of sleep, degree of abidance in lockdown measures, and data about illness or close contact with active confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Pacing strategy of a wheelchair athlete in a 5x and 10x Ironman ultra triathlon: a case study.

Objective: For disabled athletes such as wheelchair athletes, there is no knowledge about competing and pacing during a long-distance triathlon such as an Ironman triathlon. This study aimed to investigate the pacing strategy of a paraplegic wheelchair athlete competing and finishing a Quintuple Iron ultra-triathlon (i.e.

Previous experience, aerobic capacity and body composition are the best predictors for Olympic distance triathlon performance: Predictors in amateur triathlon.

Objective: Present study examines predictors of the overall race time and disciplines in the Olympic distance triathlon.

Methods: Thirty-nine male and six female triathletes were evaluated for anthropometric, physiological, genetic, training, clinical and circadian characteristics. Body composition, maximum capacity for oxygen uptake (V˙O), maximum aerobic velocity (MAV), anaerobic threshold (AT), triathlon experience (TE) and XX genotype for α-actinin 3 affected total race time (p<0.

Parietaria Allergy: An Intriguing Challenge for the Allergist.

pollen is the most important cause of pollen allergies in the Mediterranean area, as is widespread in this region. Many issues are associated with allergy, including the duration of the pollen season (many doctors in fact believe that it lasts throughout the year), pollen load (which seems to be increasing over time), the impact of age (on IgE production and symptom severity), inflammatory changes (after pollen exposure), and the choice of allergen immunotherapy (AIT). In addition, molecular diagnostics allows for the defining of a correct diagnosis, differentiating between mere sensitization and true allergy.

The relevance of house dust mites allergy in clinical practice: the epidemiological impact on allergen immunotherapy.

House dust mite (HDM) is the most common cause of respiratory allergy worldwide. The impact of HDM allergy is influenced by a number of factors, including local climate. We investigated such issue in Italy, using a real-life setting, including outpatients visited at allergy clinics.

Allergic rhinitis: the eligible candidate to mite immunotherapy in the real world.

As standard drug treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) is not completely satisfactory, allergen immunotherapy (AIT) represents the only current treatment with the potential to modify the natural history. House dust mite (HDM) allergy is very common. The aim of the current experience was to describe the clinical profile of HDM-allergic patients with AR who received AIT in a real world model, such as allergy clinics.

Catching allergy by a simple questionnaire.

Background: Identifying allergic rhinitis requires allergy testing, but the first-line referral for rhinitis are usually primary care physicians (PCP), who are not familiar with such tests. The availability of easy and simple tests to be used by PCP to suggest allergy should be very useful.

Methods: The Respiratory Allergy Prediction (RAP) test, based on 9 questions and previously validated by a panel of experts, was evaluated in this study.

Metronomic oral vinorelbine as first-line treatment in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: results of a phase II trial (MOVE trial).

Background: Metronomic oral vinorelbine could be a safe option for elderly patients with advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Metronomic administration of chemotherapy leads to a cytostatic action shifting treatment target from cancer cell to tumor angiogenesis.

Methods: 43 chemotherapy naive elderly (≥ 70 yrs) PS 0-2 patients with stage IIIB-IV NSCLC were prospectively recruited.

Prevalence and incidence of reactions to insect stings in children: a reappraisal.

Aim: The prevalence of systemic reactions (SR) to Hymenoptera stings in children was estimated in values lower than 1% in early studies but much higher in recent surveys. We evaluated the current prevalence and the incidence of SR and large local reactions (LLR) to Hymenoptera stings in children in Italy.

Methods: The data on children were collected from the database of the population study on the city of Cotignola, analyzing the answers to the part of the questionnaire about Hymenoptera stings, that concerned if the subject was ever stung by apids or vespids, if there has been a SR or a LLR, and if subjects with reactions received a diagnostic evaluation and a medical treatment.

Evaluation of house dust mite allergy in real life: patients' characteristics and satisfaction with treatment.

Background: HDMs are a ubiquitous allergen source, with a very well defined biology, but their role in clinical settings and in everyday clinical practice is not well characterized. Aim of this cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was to assess the clinical characteristics of HDM-related respiratory allergy in a large population of Italian patients.

Methods: A structured questionnaire was sent to allergists randomly chosen among those of the Italian Federation of Immunology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology (IFIACI).

Allergen immunotherapy may exert an extra-anti-allergic activity in children.

Allergic patients frequently suffer from infections. Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) usually improves respiratory symptoms, mainly in allergic rhinitis (AR). This study was aimed at evaluating the possible impact of AIT on extra-allergic outcomes in a cohort of Italian children with respiratory allergy patients.

5-grass pollen tablets achieve disease control in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis unresponsive to drugs: a real-life study.

Background: An important subpopulation in allergic rhinitis is represented by patients with severe form of disease that is not responsive to drug treatment. It has been reported that grass pollen subcutaneous immunotherapy is effective in drug-resistant patients. In a real-life study, we evaluated the efficacy of 5-grass pollen tablets in patients with grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis not responsive to drug therapy.

Characteristics of candidates for allergen immunotherapy.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) may be cured by allergen immunotherapy (AIT). However, patient characteristics for prescribing AIT are not well defined. This study aimed at evaluating the patient's profile to be a candidate for AIT in a cohort of patients suffering from AR, evaluated in 20 Italian Allergy or Ear, Nose, and Throat Centers.