Infection most likely represents a distinct prognostic stage of cirrhosis, which affects survival irrespective of disease severity, even after recovery from the infective episode.

This study examines the efficacy of critical swimming velocity (CV) for training prescription and monitoring the changes induced on aerobic endurance after a period of increased training volume in young swimmers. An experimental group (E: n = 7; age: 13.3 ± 1.3 years), which participated in competitive training was tested at the beginning (W0), the sixth week (W6), and 14th week (W14) to compare the changes of aerobic endurance indexes (CV; lactate threshold [LT]; velocity corresponding to blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol · L: V4). A control group (C: n = 7; age: 14.1 ± 1.6 years), which refrained from competitive training, was used to observe maturation effects and was tested for CV changes between W0 and W14. The average weekly training volume was increased after the sixth week in the E group and was unchanged for the C group. The CV was not different between or within groups at W0 and W14 (p > 0.05). The LT of the E group was no different compared to V4 and CV at W0 and W6 (p > 0.05) but was higher than CV at W14 (p < 0.05). The LT increased (6.5 ± 5.3%, p < 0.05), but V4 and CV were unchanged after W6 (3.6 ± 1.9%; 2.1 ± 1.2%, p > 0.05). LT, V4, and CV were unchanged despite the increased training volume from W6 to W14 (LT: 1.2 ± 4.3%, V4: 0.8 ± 1.5%, CV: 0.3 ± 0.8%; p > 0.05). These findings suggest that CV pace may be effectively used for the improvement of aerobic endurance in young swimmers. The aerobic endurance indexes used for the assessment of swimmers' progression showed different rates of change as a response to the same training stimulus and cannot be used interchangeably for training planning.

The effects of buprenorphine and methadone tested on the immune system were overlapping in our patients. The elevated cytokine levels observed may suggest that the two drugs stimulate immunologic hyperactivation of an immune system that was formerly inhibited by heroin. Furthermore, our data suggest that buprenorphine can be a valid alternative to methadone in maintenance treatment of chronic heroin abuse and referred a marked decline in depression.

To assess whether pathogenic endothelial dysfunction is involved in acute idiopathic tinnitus we enrolled 44 patients and 25 healthy volunteers. In blood from the internal jugular vein and brachial vein we determined malonaldehyde, 4-hydroxynonenal, myeloperoxidase, glutathione peroxidase, nitric oxide, L-arginine and L-ornitine, thrombomodulin (TM) and von Willebrand factor (vWF) activity during tinnitus and asymptomatic period. Higher plasma concentrations of oxidative markers and L-arginine, and lower nitric oxide and L-ornitine levels were observed in jugular blood of patients with tinnitus, there being a significant difference between brachial and jugular veins. TM and vWF activity were significantly higher in patients' jugular blood than in brachial blood. Our results suggest oxidant, TM, vWF activity production are increased and nitric oxide production reduced in brain circulation reflux blood of patients with acute tinnitus. These conditions are able to cause a general cerebro-vascular endothelial dysfunction, which in turn induce a dysfunction of microcirculation in the inner ear.