Cyclic cocycles on twisted convolution algebras

We give a construction of cyclic cocycles on convolution algebras twisted by gerbes over discrete translation groupoids. For proper \'etale groupoids, Tu and Xu provide a map between the periodic cyclic cohomology of a gerbe-twisted convolution algebra and twisted cohomology groups which is similar to a construction of Mathai and Stevenson. When the groupoid is not proper, we cannot construct an invariant connection on the gerbe; therefore to study this algebra, we instead develop simplicial techniques to construct a simplicial curvature 3-form representing the class of the gerbe. Then by using a JLO formula we define a morphism from a simplicial complex twisted by this simplicial curvature 3-form to the mixed bicomplex computing the periodic cyclic cohomology of the twisted convolution algebras. The results in this article were originally published in the author's Ph.D. thesis.Comment: 39 page

A Dynamic Objective Evaluation of Peripheral Arterial Disease by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

AbstractObjectivesNear-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), suitable for dynamic measurements, is not routinely used for peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We propose a dynamic NIRS-based measurement to quantify variations in muscle metabolism in PAD.MethodSixty-seven consecutive PAD patients (males=56, age 71.6±8.7 years) and 28 healthy subjects (males=12, age 30.4±11.9 years) were studied. An echo-colour Doppler (ECD) was performed and the ankle–brachial index (ABI) was calculated. Participants performed an incremental treadmill test with NIRS probes on the gastrocnemius. Variations in oxygenated (HbO2), deoxygenated (HHb), total (tHb=HbO2+HHb), and differential (dHb=HbO2−HHb) haemoglobin were recorded and quantified as area-under-curve (AUC) within the range 1.7–3.0kmh−1. Heart rate was recorded, and the number of beats in the same interval was calculated (dHr).ResultsO2HbAUC, HHbAUC and dHbAUC differed between diseased and non-diseased legs (P<0.0001) and exhibited different patterns related to PAD severity according to the ABI value. A compensatory heart rate increase was observed in PAD patients. Compared with the ECD positivity for occlusions/stenoses or multiple plaques, only the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of dHbAUC (area=0.932, P<0.0001) showed a sensitivity/specificity of 87.6/93.4 for values ≤−197 (LR+LR−: 13.36/0.13).ConclusionThe dynamic NIRS-based test, quantifying muscle metabolic response according to presence and degree of PAD, allows the evaluation of patients with walking disabilities

Asthma is not a common cause of severe chronic respiratory failure in non-smokers: ALOT study.

Background. Little is known about the long-term natural history of asthma and the long-term clinical and functional consequences in non-smoking patients. From a functional point of view, non-smoking asthmatic patients may have a significantly greater decline in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) compared with nonasthmatic subjects and may develop chronic irreversible (fixed) airflow limitation. This has been related to the physiological consequences of chronic airway inflammation causing airway remodeling. However these lesions are all potentially reversible and there is little radiological evidence indicating lung destruction (pulmonary emphysema), which is potentially irreversible, in non-smoking asthmatics. Severe chronic respiratory failure is the major cause of mortality in patients with severe chronic lung diseases. Domiciliary long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) is an accepted treatment for patients with severe chronic respiratory failure. Our reasoning, therefore, was that if asthma is a cause of severe chronic respiratory failure in nonsmokers we should be able to find non-smoking asthmatics within a large population of patients on LTOT. The aim of our study (Asthma and Long-term Oxygen Therapy, "ALOT") was to investigate the prevalence of non-smoking asthmatics in patients on LTOT in a multicentre, cross-sectional study. Methods. Between June and September 2003 we screened all subjects on long-term domiciliary oxygen therapy in three different hospitals in the North-East area of Italy (within the provinces of Ferrara and Bologna). Taken collectively, we have found one-hundred and eighty-four patients on LTOT. We have reviewed their clinical data (age, sex, smoking, history and physical examination, arterial blood gas analysis, pulmonary function). Results. 114 patients (all smokers) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for COPD. Seventy patients (all smokers) had other diseases. We were unable to find any non-smokers in our screened population of subjects on long-term domiciliary oxygen therapy. Furthermore, there was no past history of asthma and/or acute wheezing episodes in either of the patient groups. Conclusions. This data suggests that asthma is an uncommon cause of severe chronic respiratory failure necessitating long-term domiciliary oxygen therapy in nonsmokers and supports the current consensus that asthma and COPD are different diseases with differing stages of severity and the concept that long-term avoidance of active smoking is fundamental for the prevention of severe chronic respiratory failure

Effect of an 18-Month Meditation Training on Regional Brain Volume and Perfusion in Older Adults: The Age-Well Randomized Clinical Trial.

peer reviewedImportance: No lifestyle-based randomized clinical trial directly targets psychoaffective risk factors of dementia. Meditation practices recently emerged as a promising mental training exercise to foster brain health and reduce dementia risk. Objective: To investigate the effects of meditation training on brain integrity in older adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: Age-Well was a randomized, controlled superiority trial with blinded end point assessment. Community-dwelling cognitively unimpaired adults 65 years and older were enrolled between November 24, 2016, and March 5, 2018, in France. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to (1) an 18-month meditation-based training, (2) a structurally matched non-native language (English) training, or (3) no intervention arm. Analysis took place between December 2020 and October 2021. Interventions: Meditation and non-native language training included 2-hour weekly group sessions, practice of 20 minutes or longer daily at home, and 1-day intensive practices. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes included volume and perfusion of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula. Main secondary outcomes included a global composite score capturing metacognitive, prosocial, and self-regulatory capacities and constituent subscores. Results: Among 137 participants (mean [SD] age, 69.4 [3.8] years; 83 [60.6%] female; 54 [39.4%] male) assigned to the meditation (n = 45), non-native language training (n = 46), or no intervention (n = 46) groups, all but 1 completed the trial. There were no differences in volume changes of ACC (0.01 [98.75% CI, -0.02 to 0.05]; P = .36) or insula (0.01 [98.75% CI, -0.02 to 0.03]; P = .58) between meditation and no intervention or non-native language training groups, respectively. Differences in perfusion changes did not reach statistical significance for meditation compared with no intervention in ACC (0.02 [98.75% CI, -0.01 to 0.05]; P = .06) or compared with non-native language training in insula (0.02 [98.75% CI, -0.01 to 0.05]; P = .09). Meditation was superior to non-native language training on 18-month changes in a global composite score capturing attention regulation, socioemotional, and self-knowledge capacities (Cohen d, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.19-0.85]; P = .002). Conclusions and Relevance: The study findings confirm the feasibility of meditation and non-native language training in elderly individuals, with high adherence and very low attrition. Findings also show positive behavioral effects of meditation that were not reflected on volume, and not significantly on perfusion, of target brain areas. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02977819

Effect of a home based, low intensity, physical exercise program in older adults dialysis patients: A secondary analysis of the EXCITE trial

Background: Older adults dialysis patients represent the frailest subgroup of the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) population and physical exercise program may mitigate the age-related decline in muscle mass and function. Methods: Dialysis patients of the EXCITE trial aged > 65 years (n = 115, active arm, n = 53; control arm, n = 62) were submitted in random order to a home based, low intensity physical exercise program. At baseline and 6 months after exercise training 6-min walking distance (6MWD) and 5-time sit-to-stand test (5STS) were performed, and quality of life (QoL) was tested. Results: The training program improved both the 6MWD (6-months: 327 \ub1 86 m versus baseline: 294 \ub1 74 m; P < 0.001) and the 5STS time (6-months: 19.8 \ub1 5.6 s versus baseline: 22.5 \ub1 5.1 s; P < 0.001) in the exercise group whereas they did not change in the control group (P = 0.98 and 0.25, respectively). The between-arms differences (6 months-baseline) in the 6MWD (+ 34.0 m, 95% CI: 14.4 to 53.5 m) and in the 5STS time changes (- 1.9 s, 95% CI: -3.6 to - 0.3 s) were both statistically significant (P = 0.001 and P = 0.024, respectively). The cognitive function dimension of QoL significantly reduced in the control arm (P = 0.04) while it remained unchanged in the active arm (P = 0.78) (between groups difference P = 0.05). No patient died during the trial and the training program was well tolerated. Conclusions: This secondary analysis of the EXCITE trial shows that a home-based, exercise program improves physical performance and is well tolerated in elderly ESRD patients. Trial registration: The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01255969) on December 8, 2010

Monitoring the quality of laboraties and the prevalence of resistance to antituberculosis drugs: Italy, 1998-2000

In 1998 a network of 20 regional tuberculosis (TB) laboratories (the Italian Multicentre Study on Resistance to Antituberculosis drugs (SMIRA) network) was established in Italy to implement proficiency testing and to monitor the prevalence of drug resistance nationwide. The network managed 30% of all TB cases reported in Italy each year. The aim of the present report is to describe: 1) the accuracy of drug-susceptibility testing in the network; 2) the prevalence of drug resistance for the period 1998-2000. Data were collected from the network laboratories. Sensitivity to streptomycin and ethambutol increased from the first survey (1998-1999) to the second survey (2000) from 87.7 to 91.9%. Specificity, predictive values for resistance and susceptibility, efficiency and reproducibility were consistent in both surveys. In previously untreated cases, the prevalence of multidrug-resistance was the same in both surveys (1.2%), while a slight decrease from the first to the second survey was observed for monoresistance to rifampicin (from 0.8 to 0.4%) and isoniazid (from 2.9 to 2%,). The significant association found between isoniazid resistance and immigration is a useful indicator for both clinicians managing individual tuberculosis cases and public health services planning control strategies

A topological proof of Bloch's conjecture

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN013467 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

The Use of Learning Contract within a University Setting in an Italian University

ABSTRACT The study elaborates how the original learning contract of Malcolm Knowles may be used in an Italian University setting. We introduced it in a master’s degree course of the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology of the University of Padua. We examined the implications of Malcolm Knowles’s theory, compared them with other applications in America and then tried to adjust the contract to the Italian system. This is the first attempt to apply the contract in academic courses in Italy. The analysis also shows the characteristics of the Italian academic system, of the master degree and of the module in which the experimentation take place. Students may not produce other evidence for passing the exam, except the standard one, that normally is the same for all of them. The study was a real attempt to improve the tool and to adapt it to an Italian course that in this case was an integrated course conducted by three professors who made a lot of effort to share the aims of their programs and to involve the students in the experimental phase. The results are very interesting and let us reflect on how to improve the contract and how to better involve the students. Last, but not least, the technology used has to be improved in order to become more user friendly, above all in blended courses like the present one

Running in kiteboarding

Kiteboarding has tremendously increased in popularity over the last two decades, and the Formula Kite format will debut for the first time at the Summer Olympic Games of Paris 2024. Kiteboarding is a situational sport and requires moderate to intense activity involving aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms, and running has a crucial role in the specific physical preparation. In training for kiteboarding, running is preferred to other aerobic activities because it involves the same kinetic chains and because of its simplicity of administration. Running is often included in kiteboarding as part of specific interval training programmes aiming to improve general resistance and increase the VO2 max, which is critical for kiteboarding competitions. Specifically, a training programme for the aerobic component dedicated to advanced and competitive athletes should include running rhythmic exercises, uphill running and fractional aerobic power. Running training should also be adapted to the specific needs of kiters in terms of speed and balance. Suitable predictive models and monitoring applicable to running training in each kiteboarding discipline should be defined through specific studies. Preventive strategies involve avoiding functional overload on the lower limbs’ joints, potentially caused by the cumulative stress from running and kiteboarding, to avoid overuse injuries