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The glial environment influences neurological disease progression, yet much of our knowledge still relies on preclinical animal studies, especially regarding astrocyte heterogeneity. In murine models of traumatic brain injury, beneficial functions of proliferating reactive astrocytes on disease outcome have been unraveled, but little is known regarding if and when they are present in human brain pathology. Here we examined a broad spectrum of pathologies with and without intracerebral hemorrhage and found a striking correlation between lesions involving blood–brain barrier rupture and astrocyte proliferation that was further corroborated in an assay probing for neural stem cell potential. Most importantly, proteomic analysis unraveled a crucial signaling pathway regulating this astrocyte plasticity with GALECTIN3 as a novel marker for proliferating astrocytes and the GALECTIN3-binding protein LGALS3BP as a functional hub mediating astrocyte proliferation and neurosphere formation. Taken together, this work identifies a therapeutically relevant astrocyte response and their molecular regulators in different pathologies affecting the human cerebral cortex.

AbstractObjectiveThe present paper compared vitamin D levels in adult patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and explored possible correlations with patients’ characteristics.MethodsFifty outpatients with OCD, according to DSM-5 criteria, were included and assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRDS).ResultsAll the patients except one showed lower vitamin D levels than normative values (>30 nm/L). Vitamin D values of the whole sample were negatively correlated with Y-BOCS total, compulsion subscale, and some items’ scores, specifically “interference from obsessions,” “distress associated with obsessions,” and “time spent on compulsions”. The same relationships were detected in men, while women showed negative correlations between vitamin D levels and Y-BOCS compulsion subscale and “resistance to compulsions,” “degree of control of compulsions,” “insight” item scores.ConclusionsOur findings would indicate that vitamin D might be involved in the pathophysiology of OCD, and that it is possibly related to the severity of the disorder and to typical symptoms, with some sex-related peculiarities. Further studies are necessary to support or not our findings and to ascertain the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation in patients with OCD.

Background: Neuropeptide S (NPS) is a multifunctional regulatory factor that exhibits a potent anxiolytic activity in animal models. However, there are no reports dealing with the potential molecular relationships between the anxiolytic activity of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and NPS signaling, especially in the context of novel stress-related neuropeptides action. The present work therefore focused on gene expression of novel stress neuropeptides in the rat brain after acute treatment with escitalopram and in combination with neuropeptide S receptor (NPSR) blockade. Methods: Studies were carried out on adult, male Sprague–Dawley rats that were divided into five groups: animals injected with saline (control) and experimental rats treated with escitalopram (at single dose 10 mg/kg daily), escitalopram and SHA-68, a selective NPSR antagonist (at a single dose of 40 mg/kg), SHA-68 alone and corresponding vehicle (solvent SHA-68) control. To measure anxiety-like behavior and locomotor activity the open field test was performed. All individuals were killed under anaesthesia and the whole brain was excised. Total mRNA was isolated from homogenized samples of the amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, thalamus, cerebellum, and brainstem. Real-time PCR was used for estimation of related NPS, NPSR, neuromedin U (NMU), NMU receptor 2 (NMUR2) and nesfatin-1 precursor nucleobindin-2 (NUCB2) gene expression. Results: Acute escitalopram administration affects the local expression of the examined neuropeptides mRNA in a varied manner depending on brain location. An increase in NPSR and NUCB2 mRNA expression in the hypothalamus and brainstem was abolished by SHA-68 coadministration, while NMU mRNA expression was upregulated after NPSR blockade in the hippocampus and cerebellum. Conclusions: The pharmacological effects of escitalopram may be connected with local NPSR-related alterations in NPS/NMU/NMUR2 and nesfatin-1 gene expression at the level of selected rat brain regions. A novel alternative mode of SSRI action can be therefore cautiously proposed.

Background: Phoenixin, spexin and nesfatin-1 belong to a family of newly discovered multifunctional neuropeptides that play regulatory roles in several brain structures and modulate the activity of important neural networks. However, little is known about their expression and action at the level of brainstem. The present work was, therefore, focused on gene expression of the aforementioned peptides in the brainstem of rats chronically treated with olanzapine, a second generation antipsychotic drug. Methods: Studies were carried out on adult, male Sprague–Dawley rats that were divided into 2 groups: control and experimental animals treated with olanzapine (28-day-long intraperitoneal injection, at dose 5 mg/kg daily). All individuals were killed under anesthesia and the brainstem excised. Total mRNA was isolated from homogenized samples of both structures and the RT-PCR method was used for estimation of related SMIM20/phoenixin, NPQ/spexin and NUCB2/nesfatin-1 gene expression. Results: Long-term treatment with olanzapine is reflected in qualitatively different changes in expression of examined neuropeptides mRNA in the rat brainstem. Olanzapine significantly decreased NPQ/spexin mRNA expression, but increased SMIM20/phoenixin mRNA level in the rat brainstem; while NUCB2/nesfatin-1 mRNA expression remained unchanged. Conclusions: Olanzapine can affect novel peptidergic signaling in the rat brainstem. This may cautiously suggest the presence of an alternative mode of its action.

Background: Air ions (AIs) are clusters of ionized particles present in the atmosphere, carrying an electrical charge of negative or positive polarity. Past speculations suggested that exposure to positive air ions may be harmful, while exposure to negative air ions (NAIs) may be associated with beneficial health effects. Increasing attention has been directed towards investigating the potential effect of NAIs on human brain activities since initial observations of their beneficial effects on some cognitive processes and mood. Aims: Given the paucity and scattered literature, our paper aims to review the available studies on potential positive effects of NAIs exposure on cognitive performances and depression. Discussion: The review of the literature seems to confirm the effects of NAIs on several brain functions. Indeed, a significant association between NAIs exposure and both well-being and high cognitive performances has been described. Furthermore, exposure to high concentrations of NAIs could be related to the improvement of depressive symptoms. Conclusion: A growing evidence of data, although not yet conclusive, would suggest that NAIs might improve cognitive processes. These findings require specific and urgent controlled trials adopting systems based on AIs release to possibly prevent and treat cognitive dysfunctions present in a broad range of neuropsychiatric conditions.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Schizophrenia is a very disabling condition that may result in a significant impairment of individual, professional, and social adjustments. Antipsychotics (APs), the first-line treatment for schizophrenia, in many cases modify the course of the disease, by reducing the institutionalization risk, at the price of severe and invalidating side effects. Cariprazine is one of the latest second-generation APs (SGAs) acting as a partial agonist of type 2 and 3 dopamine receptors, which was recently approved for the treatment of adult schizophrenia.Areas covered: The authors provide a critical review and commentary on the currently available data on the effectiveness and tolerability of cariprazine in schizophrenic patients, with a particular focus on its specific target symptoms.Expert opinion: Cariprazine appears significantly effective on both acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia, and in improving positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms, slightly more than other SGAs. It shows a good safety and tolerability profile, with akathisia being its most common side effect. Although further independent studies are needed to clarify its precise advantages over other SGAs, cariprazine seems a promising compound not only in schizophrenia, but also in a broad range of psychiatric conditions, including perhaps bipolar and addictive disorders.

AbstractThe worldwide economic crisis of the last decade, and still unresolved, led to a great recession involving all major economies. Since economic factors may influence mental wellbeing, not surprisingly a rise in poor mental health was observed in different countries, while representing a great challenge to psychiatric interventions. This paper aims at reviewing the available English literature focusing on the impact of the current economic crisis on mental health, with a special focus on depression and suicide. Available studies indicate that consequences of economic crisis, such as unemployment, increased workload or work reorganization, and reduced staff and wages, may constitute important stressing factors with a negative impact on mental health. Although data are not easily comparable in different countries, depression seems to be the most common psychiatric disorders especially in middle-aged men. Even suicide rates seem to be increased in men, mainly in countries with no public welfare or poor family relationships. All these findings require a careful attention from both governments that cut resources on public health instead of investing in it, and psychiatric associations that should implement appropriate strategies to face and to manage this sort of depression epidemic driven by economic crisis. Again, as available data suggest that the impact of the crisis might have been attenuated in countries with higher spending in social protection, they clearly urge policy makers to take into account possible health externalities associated to inadequate social protection systems.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) refers to tumors that do not express clinically significant levels of estrogen and progesterone receptors, and lack membrane overexpression or gene amplification of ErbB-2/HER2, a receptor tyrosine kinase. Transcriptome and proteome heterogeneity of TNBC poses a major challenge to precision medicine. Clinical biomarkers and targeted therapies for this disease remain elusive, so chemotherapy has been the standard of care for early and metastatic TNBC. Our present findings placed ErbB-2 in an unanticipated scenario: the nucleus of TNBC (NErbB-2). Our study on ErbB-2 alternative splicing events, using a PCR-sequencing approach combined with an RNA interference strategy, revealed that TNBC cells express either the canonical (wild-type) ErbB-2, encoded by transcript variant 1, or the non-canonical ErbB-2 isoform c, encoded by alternative variant 3 (RefSeq), or both. These ErbB-2 isoforms function in the nucleus as transcription factors. Evicting both from the nucleus or silencing isoform c only, blocks TN cell and tumor growth. This reveals not only NErbB-2 canonical and alternative isoforms role as targets of therapy in TNBC, but also isoform c dominant oncogenic potential. Furthermore, we validated our findings in the clinic and observed that NErbB-2 correlates with poor prognosis in primary TN tumors, disclosing NErbB-2 as a novel biomarker for TNBC. Our discoveries challenge the present scenario of drug development for personalized BC medicine that focuses on wild-type RefSeq proteins, which conserve the canonical domains and are located in their classical cellular compartments.

The aim of this work is the development of a methodology to predict lift characteristics for transport aircraft in the whole flight envelope, useful in the preliminary aircraft design stage. The purpose is an attempt to improve the classical methodologies for wing load distribution and lift prediction, applicable to both clean and flapped configuration. This has been obtained considering the airfoils’ aerodynamic characteristics until stall and post-stall conditions during the process, and modifying 2D characteristics in the case of high-lift devices to take into account 3D effects introduced by the devices themselves. The method is a modification of standard vortex-lattice procedures which are capable of predicting wing aerodynamic characteristics. As regards the clean configuration, the enhanced method works by integrating airfoil characteristics, whereas as far as the high-lift devices’ effect is concerned, the improved method works by substituting clean airfoil aerodynamic characteristics for the flapped aerodynamics ones, and introducing a correction to evaluate the 3D effects induced by the high-lift devices’ geometrical discontinuities. The methodology is explained separately for these two configurations. The results of the developed method have been compared with CFD and experimental data showing good agreement, making available a fast and reliable method useful in preliminary aircraft design phase.

Mandibular overdentures retained by 2 conventional implants have been considered the standard of care for complete edentulism, according to the McGill and York consensuses. However, many patients refuse this treatment modality due to the associated costs and postsurgical discomfort. Mini-implants have the chance to overcome these limitations due to their potentially lower costs and a relatively uncomplicated surgical technique. This study compared treatment costs and incremental cost-effectiveness following the insertion of mini-implants (2 or 4) or 2 standard-size implants for the retention of mandibular overdentures, by means of a randomized clinical trial. In total, 120 edentulous participants (mean age 59.5 ± 8.5 y) were randomly allocated into 3 groups according to treatment received: 4 mini-implants (group 1), 2 mini-implants (group 2), or 2 standard implants (group 3). Treatment costs and outcomes (Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous [OHIP-EDENT] and satisfaction with the dentures) were evaluated after 6 mo. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated for each intervention in terms of cost per 1-point change in patient outcomes. A 1-way sensitivity analysis was performed considering a 95% confidence interval variation in cost and outcome parameters, represented in tornado diagrams. Overall treatment cost was the lowest for group 2 (average cost: US$318.08), followed by group 1 (US$510.75) and group 3 (US$566.13). Groups did not differ in terms of the length of unscheduled appointments and time spent by participants. In summary, our findings indicate that mandibular overdentures retained by 2 or 4 mini-implants are less costly compared to 2-implant overdentures. Despite the lower costs of overdentures retained by 2 mini-implants, those retained by 4 mini-implants showed further improvement in patient-reported outcomes and reduced costs compared to standard implants (ClinicalTrials.govNCT01411683).Knowledge Transfer Statement:This report shows that mini-implant retained overdentures are less costly than overdenture treatment on 2 standard-sized implants. Treatment with 2 mini-implants is an effective procedure to substantially save resources, whereas treatment with 4 mini-implants provides better results from a patient perspective combined with slightly reduced costs compared to the treatment with 2 standard implants. Therefore, mini-implant overdentures may be effective and more accessible than overdentures on 2 standard-size implants for those with limited incomes.

Circulating thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) can confound measurement of serum thyroglobulin and impair thyroid cancer surveillance. Few data exist on the significance of TgAb in pediatric thyroid cancer.

Uniform approximation error estimates for weighted Shepard-type operators more flexible than the unweighted analogues are given. Error estimates for a linear combination of their iterates faster converging than previous ones are also showed. The results are applied in CAGD to construct Shepard-type curves useful in modeling and a weighted progressive iterative approximation technique exponentially converging.

Oxytocin (OT) is involved in the regulation of physiological processes and emotional states, with increasing evidence for its beneficial actions being mediated by the autonomic and immune systems. Growing evidence suggests that OT plays a role in the pathophysiology of different psychiatric disorders. Given the limited information in humans the aim of this study was to retrospectively explore plasma OT levels in psychiatric patients, particularly focusing on sex-related differences, as compared with healthy controls. The patients studied here were divided into three groups diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depressive disorder (MDD). Plasma OT levels were significantly different between healthy men and women, with the latter showing higher values, while none of the three psychiatric groups showed sex-related differences in the parameters measured here. The intergroup analyses showed that the OT levels were significantly higher in OCD, lower in PTSD and even more reduced in MDD patients than in healthy subjects. These differences were also confirmed when gender was considered, with the exception of PTSD men, in whom OT levels were similar to those of healthy men. The present results indicated that OT levels were higher amongst healthy women than men, while a sex difference was less apparent or reversed in psychiatric patients. Reductions in sex differences in psychopathologies may be related to differential vulnerabilities in processes associated with basic adaptive and social functions.

Active clays are known to possess an aggregated structure, which justifies the use of double-porosity models to reproduce their behavior. Simulation of chemo-mechanical processes requires instead the introduction of a relevant number of coupled mechanical and transport laws. It follows that double porosity models for coupled chemo-hydro-mechanical require a relevant number of parameters, which are twice those needed by single porosity models. The aim of this work is to evaluate the consequences of using single- and double-porosity frameworks to simulate the transient chemo-mechanical processes in active clays, showing how models based on simple microstructural considerations can help in performing simulations which are a reasonable trade-off between simplicity and accuracy. In particular with single porosity models, it might be necessary introducing parameters having a doubtful meaning to describe adsorption–desorption processes. This type of assumption is not required by double porosity models. While for compacted clays these conclusions are corroborated with microstructural observations, the same hold also when reproducing the behavior of an active clay at a remolded condition. In this latter case the delay of swelling with respect to desalinization, typical of remolded conditions, was satisfactorily reproduced only with double porosity models.

Abstract: Monitoring transport of dissolved substances in soil deposits is particularly relevant where safety is concerned, as in the case of geo-environmental barriers. Geophysical methods are very appealing, since they cover a wide domain, localising possible preferential flow paths and providing reliable links between geophysical quantities and hydrological variables. This paper describes a 3D laboratory application of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) used to monitor solute transport processes. Dissolution and transport tests on both homogeneous and heterogeneous samples were conducted in an instrumented oedometer cell. ERT was used to create maps of electrical conductivity of the monitored domain at different time intervals and to estimate concentration variations within the interstitial fluid. Comparisons with finite element simulations of the transport processes were performed to check the consistency of the results. Tests confirmed that the technique can monitor salt transport, infer the hydro-chemical behaviour of heterogeneous geomaterials and evaluate the performances of clay barriers.

Gastrointestinal abnormalities have been reported in subjects with bronchial asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in subjects with bronchial asthma. 380 asthmatic patients were selected for body mass index (BMI), sex, and age, before undergoing both methacholine challenge test (MCHt) and skin prick tests. 195 asthmatic patients (51.3%) were positive to MCHt, while 185 (41.6 %) were negative. We also found that 17 (8.7%) of the 276 patients with positive MCHt, and 22 (11.8%) of the 185 patients with negative MCHt were affected by IBS. Therefore, there was no statistical significance between positive MCHt tests and IBS. The results do not demonstrate an interrelationship between asthma and IBS.

This paper describes the theoretical simulations carried out with a model of the backscattering coefficient of crops, where the leaf geometry is represented by a curved rectangular dielectric sheet. A general formulation is introduced for the bistatic scattering cross section of the curved sheet, and numerical results based on this approach are compared with those obtained by considering disc shaped leaves.

Chronic stable asthma is characterized by inflammation of the airway wall, with abnormal accumulation of basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, mast cells, macrophages, dendritic cells and myofibroblasts. The airway inflammation is not confined to severe asthma, but is also found in mild and moderate asthma. This inflammation results in a peculiar type of lymphocytic infiltration whereby Th2 lymphocytes secrete cytokines that orchestrate cellular inflammation and promote airway hyperresponsiveness.The term “airway remodelling” in bronchial asthma refers to structural changes that occurr in conjunction with, or because of, chronic airway inflammation. Airway remodelling results in alterations in the airway epithelium, lamina propria, and submucosa, leading to thickening of airway wall. The consequences of airway remodelling in asthma include incompletely reversible airway narrowing, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), smooth muscle contraction, airway edema, and mucus hypersecretion which may predispose persons with asthma to exacerbations and even death from airway obstruction.

Cysteinyl leukotrienes (Cys-LTs) are mediators released in asthma and are both direct bronchoconstrictors and proinflammatory substances that mediated several steps in the pathophysiology of chronic asthma, including inflammatory cells recruitment, vascular leakage, and possibly airway remodelling.Available evidence from clinical trials and real-word experience derived from managing patients with asthma justifies a broader role for anti-LTRAs in asthma management than that recommended in the National Asthma Education and Prevention Programm (NAEPP) and National Health Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) treatment guidelines.Leukotriene-receptor antagonists drugs (LTRAs) seem to be effective alternatives to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) either as monotherapy or as adjunctive therapy that reduces the need for higher doses of ICS in patients with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma. LTRAs may be used as adjunctive therapy for al levels of disease severity because they are effective in combination with ICS during long-term maintenance therapy. The agents seem especially effective in preventing aspirin-induced asthma, exercise-induced asthma (EIA) and they may provide an additional advantage of reducing nasal congestion in patients with both asthma and rhinitis.

Insufficient data exist to evaluate the comparative effects of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) versus leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) on airway inflammation and quality of life (QoL). The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of montelukast compared to budesonide at different doses on QoL and bronchial reactivity in mild-asthmatic adult patients.45 subjects with bronchial asthma were randomly assigned to a different treatment and divided in 3 treatment groups: A: 400 μg of budesonide twice a day; B: 10 mg of montelukast daily; C: 10 mg of montelukast daily plus 400 μg of budesonide twice a day. At the beginning of the study and at the end of the treatment period (16 weeks) all patients underwent complete clinical evaluation, pulmonary function testing and methacholine challenge test (MCHt).In group A the increase from baseline was 153.4%, in group C was 133.2%, and in group B 247.7%, the latter increase being statistically significant compared to that in the other 2 groups (p< 0.005 Wilcoxon test). In all domains the improvement in quality of life in the group treated with montelukast (group B) was significantly greater than that in the group treated with both medications (group C): in particular, the improvement was consistent in the symptoms (p< 0.01) and emotions (p< 0.01) domains, and weaker in the physical activity (p< 0.05). A similar difference was observed between group B and A, but only in the symptoms (p<0.01), emotions (p<0.01), and environmental stimuli domains (p<0.05).The personal perception of their own disease is important for a correct therapeutic management of asthma. In order to optimize the treatment, a complete adherence of the patient to the treatment itself is required, to be achieved through simplification of therapeutic schedule and easy administration of medications. Montelukast may be considered a valid alternative in the treatment of mild-persistent asthma, both for the clinical and functional benefits and for the great advantage of the once-daily dosage, which consistently improves the compliance with the chronic treatment of the disease.

Epidemiological studies have shown that asthma and rhinitis often coexist in the same patients and the prevalence of asthma is greater in patients with rhinitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in bronchial reactivity in subjects with seasonal and perennial rhinitis.We enrolled 128 subjects with seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis divided into three groups: A with perennial rhinitis and allergy to “Dermatophagoides Pteronissynus”; B with seasonal rhinitis and allergy to “Graminae” and “Parietaria”, who underwent methacholine challenge test (MCHt) during the exposure period (fron March until May); C with seasonal rhinitis and allergy to “Graminae” and “Parietaria”, who underwent MCHt during the non exposure period (from June until February).The PC20 mean values of group A (1774.8 ± 20.7) and group B (1740.7 ± 38.8) were not significantly different, but significantly lower than those of group C (3010.0 ± 56.9) (p=0.001). The subjects with group A were positive to the MCHt in 54.54%, against 29.28% of group B and 11.62% of group C (p=0.007).The results show differences in the degree of bronchial responsiveness. The dose-response curves documented a lower value of PC20 in the group with perennial rhinitis and a statistically significant difference of bronchial hyperresponsiveness prevalence between the three groups (p=0.007).

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a clinical condition characterized by a persistent or relapsing debilitating fatigue at rest, lasting > 6 months, and made worse by exercise. At the present moment, there are three potential etiopathogenic factors: immunologic, viral and neuroendocrine. The purpose of our study was to evaluate possible alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in our CFS patients by studying the circadian rhythms of prolactin (PRL), thyrotropic hormone (TSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and Cortisol (CS). A total of 36 patients were enrolled according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case-definition criteria. Twenty healthy subjects were included as controls. Blood samples were taken every 4 hours during a single 24-hour period. We performed a fluorometric enzyme immunoassay with serum PRL, Cortisol and TSH, and an immunoradiometric assay with plasma ACTH. The circadian rhythms of PRL, TSH, ACTH and CS were statistically significant in both CFS and control groups. At 24:00 and 04:00 hrs the CFS patients showed lower ACTH levels than healthy subjects (p < 0.001); the PRL levels were higher at 04.00 h in CFS patients than in healthy subjects.

The potential benefits of hybrid-electric or all-electric propulsion have led to a growing interest in this topic over the past decade. Preliminary design of propulsion systems and innovative configurations has been extensively discussed in literature, but steps towards higher levels of technological readiness, optimisation algorithms based on reliable weight estimation and simulation-based mission analysis are required. This paper focuses on the integration of a method for evaluating the lateral-directional controllability of an aircraft within a design chain that integrates aero-propulsive interactions, accurate modelling of the fuel system, and mid-fidelity estimation of the structural weight. Furthermore, the present work proposes a strategy for powerplant management in scenarios with an inoperative chain element. Benefits of hybrid-electric propulsion on the design of the vertical tail plane are evaluated involving the analysis of multiple failure scenarios and certification requirements. The proposed application concerns a commuter aircraft.

Abstract: In the present paper we extend previous results about the monotonicity of Bernstein-type operators relative to convex functions and about the preservation of Lipschitz classes.

Abstract: We discuss the Shepard operators Sn (f; x) in this paper and establish the saturation of the sequence {Sn f} n-1∞ , as well as investigate some related questions.

We provide sufficient conditions for a sequence of positive linear approximation operators,Ln(f,x), converging tof(x) from above to imply the convexity off. We show that, for the convolution operators of Feller type,Kn(f,x), generated by a sequence of iid random variables taking values in an intervalI, having a finite moment generating function, the inequalitiesKn(f,x)⩾f(x) (x∈I,n⩾1) are necessary and sufficient conditions forfto be convex. This provides a converse of a well-known result of R. A. Khan (Acta. Math. Acad. Sci. Hungar.39(1980), 193–203). It contains, as a special case, the corresponding result for the Bernstein polynomials and extends two results obtained for bounded continuous functions by Horova for Szász and Baskakov operators. As examples, similar results are also provided for the beta, Meyer-König Zeller, Picard, and Bleiman, Butzer, and Hahn operators.

Inheritance studies were conducted to determine the genetic basis of adult-plant resistance in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) to Phytophthora capsici. F1, backcrosses and F2 populations were developed using the resistant parent Criollo de Morellos 334 and susceptible parents Agronômico 10-G and Yolo Wonder. Pepper plants, at 36 days post-emergence, were inoculated near the base of the stem with an inoculum suspension of 5×104 zoospores/ml. Segregation ratios in the F2 generation of 13 resistant to 3 susceptible plants fit a 2-gene model for resistance with dominant and recessive epistasis.

We develop two algorithms for the numerical evaluation of the semi-infinite Hilbert Transform of functions with a given algebraic behaviour at the origin and at infinity. The first algorithm is connected with a Gauss-Jacobi type quadrature formula for unbounded intervals; the second is based on a rational Bernstein-type operator. Error estimates for different classes of functions are shown. Finally numerical examples are given, comparing the rules among themselves.

In the present paper we extend previous results about the monotonicity of Bernstein-type operators relative to convex functions and about the preservation of Lipschitz classes.

We discuss the Shepard operators Sn(f; x) in this paper and establish the saturation of the sequence {Snf}n-1∞, as well as investigate some related questions.

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was published in 2001 by the World Health Organization (WHO) who defined participation restriction as the difficulty to achieve activities in daily life. The ICF allows to consider an individual in its global functioning then, participation restriction is the combined consequence of disability, activity limitation and contextual factors both personal and environmental. Participation is a major determinant of quality of life and life satisfaction in stroke patients, then for a given deficiency and activity limitation, consequences on participation may be very different depending on these contextual factors. However, there is limited evidence existing. The ICF defined two levels of environmental factors: “individual, direct environment” (interaction between an individual and his direct environment: physical environment, social and familial relationships) and “societal, global environment” (interaction with social, health services, lows and national policies). The aim of this systematic literature review is to better understand the role of environment in stroke patients’ functioning and precisely to identify which environmental determinants could be associated with participation restriction in stroke patients.

Factitious disorders are characterized by physical or psychological symptoms that are intentionally produced or feigned in order to assume the sick role. “Munchausen’s syndrome” is one of these disorders and often is under-recognized or only suspected after unnecessary investigations. We report the case of a 15-year-old boy who came to our notice because of reduced urine output and recurrent abdominal pain during the previous 3 months. The patient attended several emergency room visits and he had been hospitalized for 1 month in an adult internal medicine department because of “oliguria”. He had undergone several invasive investigations with normal results before the diagnosis of Munchausen’s syndrome was made. General pediatricians and practitioners should be aware that suspecting Munchausen’s syndrome in the first instance in the management of a patient showing discrepancies between reported urinary symptoms and the detectable clinical signs could avoid unnecessary and invasive exams.