The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501 and Lactobacillus paracasei IMC 502 on oxidative stress in athletes during a four-week period of intense physical activity. Two groups of twelve subjects each were selected for this analysis. The first group consumed a daily dose of a mixture of the two probiotic strains (1:1 L. rhamnosus IMC 501 and L. paracasei IMC 502; ~10(9) cells/day) for 4 weeks. The second group (control) did not consume any supplements during the 4 weeks. Blood samples collected immediately before and after the supplementation were analyzed, and plasma levels of reactive oxygen metabolites and biological antioxidant potential were determined. Faeces were also collected and analyzed before and at the end of the probiotic supplementation. Antioxidative activity and oxidative stress resistance of the two strains were determined in vitro. Results demonstrated that intense physical activity induced oxidative stress and that probiotic supplementation increased plasma antioxidant levels, thus neutralizing reactive oxygen species. The two strains, L. rhamnosus IMC 501(®) and L. paracasei IMC 502(®), exert strong antioxidant activity. Athletes and all those exposed to oxidative stress may benefit from the ability of these probiotics to increase antioxidant levels and neutralize the effects of reactive oxygen species.

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Diaphragmatic breathing is relaxing and therapeutic, reduces stress, and is a fundamental procedure of Pranayama Yoga, Zen, transcendental meditation and other meditation practices. Analysis of oxidative stress levels in people who meditate indicated that meditation correlates with lower oxidative stress levels, lower cortisol levels and higher melatonin levels. It is known that cortisol inhibits enzymes responsible for the antioxidant activity of cells and that melatonin is a strong antioxidant; therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of diaphragmatic breathing on exercise-induced oxidative stress and the putative role of cortisol and melatonin hormones in this stress pathway. We monitored 16 athletes during an exhaustive training session. After the exercise, athletes were divided in two equivalent groups of eight subjects. Subjects of the studied group spent 1 h relaxing performing diaphragmatic breathing and concentrating on their breath in a quiet place. The other eight subjects, representing the control group, spent the same time sitting in an equivalent quite place. Results demonstrate that relaxation induced by diaphragmatic breathing increases the antioxidant defense status in athletes after exhaustive exercise. These effects correlate with the concomitant decrease in cortisol and the increase in melatonin. The consequence is a lower level of oxidative stress, which suggests that an appropriate diaphragmatic breathing could protect athletes from long-term adverse effects of free radicals.

Among the determinants of environmental health risk perception, health literacy and social media messages have been generally neglected. This study details the environmental health risk perception and its determinants in Italian university students, including a measure of functional health literacy and an analysis of newspapers and social media. A cross sectional survey was carried out among students from 15 Italian universities and different disciplines (grouped into Scientific-Health and Humanistic-Legal-Social sectors) using a self-administered anonymous questionnaire, divided into six sections: socio-demographic characteristics, information on health and environment, environmental health risk perception, trust, attitudes and behaviors and functional health literacy. Local newspapers and tweets in the same areas and period were analyzed in relation to quantity and topics. The study population included 4778 students (65.1% female) aged 21 ± 4.3 years, and functional health literacy was low (below the cutoff value) for 44.4% of students.A new outcome of the survey is that the detected association between high functional health literacy a higher global health risk perception and trust in institutions both as sources of information and as actors for protection against environmental risks.The internet and social networks were the most frequently consulted sources of information (77.7%), which was predictive of a higher risk perception. The possible relation between environmental health risk perception and tweet communication was highlighted by a comparison between the risk perception in the city with the highest number of tweets (Modena) and another one similar for socio-demographic characteristics (Pisa). In conclusion, the results of our study may be of help to strengthen information and education ⁎ 2Science of the Total Environment xxx (xxxx) xxx-xxx programs: functional health literacy should be taken into account in school programs, to produce a basic knowledge for a better understanding of health and environment. Moreover, mass and social media should be included in planning communication intervention and in verifying their results.

Coupling the rigid spacer 4,4'-bipyrazole (H(2)BPZ), in its anionic or neutral form, to different silver(I) salts allowed isolation of the novel coordination polymers [Ag(2)(BPZ)] (1) and [Ag(H(2)BPZ)(X)] (X = NO(3), 2; ClO(4), 3; BF(4), 4; PF(6), 5; CH(3)SO(3), 6; CF(3)SO(3), 7), which were fully characterized by infrared and emission spectroscopies, thermal analysis, and X-ray powder diffraction. The crystal structure of 1 consists of 2-D layers containing 1-D chains of Ag(I) ions bridged by exo-tetradentate bipyrazolato moieties. The crystal structures of the [Ag(H(2)BPZ)(X)] species 2-7 feature 1-D chains of [Ag(H(2)BPZ)] stoichiometry, along which the metal centers are bridged by exo-bidentate bipyrazolyl spacers. Contacts among adjacent chains are mediated by the counterions through nonbonding interactions involving the Ag(I) ions and the pyrazolyl N-H groups. Thermogravimetric analyses disclosed the good thermal stability of these materials, decomposing in the range 200-300 °C. Under UV irradiation at room temperature, all the species showed a yellow-green emission centered in the range 520-522 nm. When embedded into polyethylene disks, 1, 2, and 4-7 demonstrated their activity as topical antibacterial agents against suspensions of E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus: complete reduction of the three bacterial strains was achieved in 24 h, reduction of S. aureus reaching ca. 90% in only 2 h. Biocidal action was expressed also by contact susceptibility tests.