Background/Aims: Sleep disturbances are common in the elderly and in persons with cognitive decline. The aim of this study was to describe frequency and characteristics of insomnia, excessive daytime ...sleepiness, sleep-disordered breathing, REM behavior disorder and restless legs syndrome in a large cohort of persons with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Methods: 431 consecutive patients were enrolled in 10 Italian neurological centers: 204 had Alzheimer’s disease, 138 mild cognitive impairment, 43 vascular dementia, 25 frontotemporal dementia and 21 Lewy body dementia or Parkinson’s disease dementia. Sleep disorders were investigated with a battery of standardized questions and questionnaires. Results: Over 60% of persons had one or more sleep disturbances almost invariably associated one to another without any evident and specific pattern of co-occurrence. Persons with Alzheimer’s disease and those with mild cognitive impairment had the same frequency of any sleep disorder. Sleep-disordered breathing was more frequent in vascular dementia. REM behavior disorder was more represented in Lewy body or Parkinson’s disease dementia. Conclusion: A careful clinical evaluation of sleep disorders should be performed routinely in the clinical setting of persons with cognitive decline. Instrumental supports should be used only in selected patients.
A
bstract
We consider
massive
dual pairs of
p
-forms and (
D
−
p
− 1)-forms described by non-linear Lagrangians, where non-linear curvature terms in one theory translate into non-linear mass-like ...terms in the dual theory. In particular, for
D
= 2
p
and
p
even the two non-linear structures coincide when the non-linear massless theory is self-dual. This state of affairs finds a natural realization in the four-dimensional massive
N
= 1 supersymmetric Born-Infeld action, which describes either a massive vector multiplet or a massive linear (tensor) multiplet with a Born-Infeld mass-like term. These systems should play a role for the massive gravitino multiplet obtained from a partial super-Higgs in
N
= 2 Supergravity.
3D modelling of inscribed archaeological finds (such as tablets or small objects) has to consider issues related to the correct acquisition and reading of ancient inscriptions, whose size and degree ...of conservation may vary greatly, in order to guarantee the needed requirements for visual inspection and analysis of the signs. In this work, photogrammetry and laser scanning were tested in order to find the optimal sensors and settings, useful to the complete 3D reconstruction of such inscribed archaeological finds, paying specific attention to the final geometric accuracy and operative feasibility in terms of required sensors and necessary time. Several 3D modelling tests were thus carried out on four replicas of inscribed objects, which are characterized by different size, material and epigraphic peculiarities. Specifically, in relation to photogrammetry, different cameras and lenses were used and a robust acquisition setup, able to guarantee a correct and automatic alignment of images during the photogrammetric process, was identified. The focus stacking technique was also investigated. The Canon EOS 1200D camera equipped with prime lenses and iPad camera showed respectively the best and the worst accuracy. From an overall geometric point of view, 50 mm and 100 mm lenses achieved very similar results, but the reconstruction of the smallest details with the 50 mm lens was not appropriate. On the other hand, the acquisition time for the 50 mm lens was considerably lower than the 100 mm one. In relation to laser scanning, the ScanRider 1.2 model was used. The 3D models produced (in less time than using photogrammetry) clearly highlight how this scanner is able to reconstruct even the high frequencies with high resolution. However, the models in this case are not provided with texture. For these reasons, a robust procedure for integrating the texture of photogrammetry models with the mesh of laser scanning models was also carried out.
We focus on non‐linear realizations of local supersymmetry as obtained by using constrained superfields in supergravity. New constraints, beyond those of rigid supersymmetry, are obtained whenever ...curvature multiplets are affected as well as higher derivative interactions are introduced. In particular, a new constraint, which removes a very massive gravitino is introduced, and in the rigid limit it merely reduces to an explicit supersymmetry breaking. Higher curvature supergravities free of ghosts and instabilities are also obtained in this way. Finally, we consider direct coupling of the goldstino multiplet to the super Gauss–Bonnet multiplet and discuss the emergence of a new scalar degree of freedom.
The authors focus on non‐linear realizations of local supersymmetry as obtained by using constrained superfields in supergravity. New constraints, beyond those of rigid supersymmetry, are obtained whenever curvature multiplets are affected as well as higher derivative interactions are introduced. In particular, a new constraint, which removes a very massive gravitino is introduced, and in the rigid limit it merely reduces to an explicit supersymmetry breaking. Higher curvature supergravities free of ghosts and instabilities are also obtained in this way. Finally, direct coupling of the goldstino multiplet to the super Gauss–Bonnet multiplet and the emergence of a new scalar degree of freedom is discussed.
To test a helmetless-tackling behavioral intervention for reducing head impacts in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football players.
Randomized controlled clinical trial.
Football ...field.
Fifty collegiate football players (intervention = 25, control = 25).
The intervention group participated in a 5-minute tackling drill without their helmets and shoulder pads twice per week in the preseason and once per week through the season. During this time, the control group performed noncontact football skills.
Frequency of head impacts was recorded by an impact sensor for each athlete-exposure (AE). Data were tested with a 2 × 3 (group and time) repeated-measures analysis of variance. Significant interactions and main effects (P < .05) were followed with t tests.
Head impacts/AE decreased for the intervention group compared with the control group by the end of the season (9.99 ± 6.10 versus 13.84 ± 7.27, respectively). The intervention group had 30% fewer impacts/AE than the control group by season's end (9.99 ± 6.10 versus 14.32 ± 8.45, respectively).
A helmetless-tackling training intervention reduced head impacts in collegiate football players within 1 season.
A
bstract
We consider the dimensional reduction to
D
= 3 of four maximal-rank super-gravities which preserve minimal supersymmetry in
D
= 11, 7, 5 and 4. Such “
curious
” theories were investigated ...some time ago, and the four-dimensional one corresponds to an
N
=
1
supergravity with 7 chiral multiplets spanning the seven-disk manifold. Recently, this latter theory provided cosmological models for
α
-attractors, which are based on the disk geometry with possible restrictions on the parameter
α
. A unified picture emerges in
D
= 3, where the Ehlers group of General Relativity merges with the
S
-,
T
- and
U
-dualities of the
D
= 4 parent theories.
A
bstract
The self-duality of the
N
= 1 supersymmetric Born-Infeld action implies a double self-duality of the tensor multiplet square-root action when the scalar and the antisymmetric tensor are ...interchanged via Poincaré duality. We show how this phenomenon extends to
D
space-time dimensions for non-linear actions involving pairs of forms of rank
p
and
D − p −
2. As a byproduct, we construct a new two-field generalization of the Born-Infeld action whose equations of motion are invariant under a U(1) duality. In these systems, the introduction of Green-Schwarz terms results in explicit non-linear mass-like terms for dual massive pairs.
To assess the debated diagnostic performance of ethyl glucuronide in the 3-cm proximal scalp hair fraction (HEtG) as a marker of chronic excessive drinking.
In July 2012/May 2013, after a systematic ...search through the MEDLINE, OVID/EMBASE, WEB OF SCIENCE, and SCOPUS databases, 8 studies were included in the pooled analysis that report raw single data on HEtG concentration and self-reported daily alcohol intake (SDAI). A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and a Spearman rank-order correlation test were used. A meta-analysis was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Cochrane recommendations, comprising quality and bias assessments.
The pooled analysis showed that 30 pg/mg could be a useful cutoff value for HEtG to detect an SDAI >60 g/d and demonstrated a parabolic direct correlation between HEtG and SDAI data rho 0.79; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.69-0.87; P < 0.001. The meta-analysis found an overall HEtG sensitivity of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.72-1.00) and a specificity of 0.99 (95% CI, 0.92-1.00); a nomogram to predict the posttest probability of exhibiting the targeted condition in the general population was built. Significant variability among the included studies was detected, which was mainly explained by true heterogeneity in the presence of publication bias.
With the available data, we conclude that HEtG is a promising marker for identifying chronic excessive drinking. Nonetheless, larger and well-designed population studies are required to draw any definitive conclusions on the significance and appropriateness of its application in the forensic setting.
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