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ABSTRACTAs the philosophical basis for neuropsychoanalysis, dual-aspect monism is fundamental to the entire neuropsychoanalytic project. However, dual-aspect monism has been criticized not only from without but also from within neuropsychoanalysis. This paper considers criticisms of dual-aspect monism from withinneuropsychoanalysis. These might be summed up as a concern that the differenceat the level of epistemology (neuroscience, psychoanalysis) and phenomena (objectivity, subjectivity) must not be washed away by an appeal to a common ontology. In response, I propose to supplement dual-aspect monism with the philosophical framework of Transcendental Materialism. In this view, epistemological difference between the dual aspects is secondary to antagonism at the level of monistic ontology. Transcendental Materialism begins with the question: what sort of nature must nature be to give rise to two irreducible perspectives such as neuroscience and psychoanalysis? I argue for supplementing dual-aspect monism with Transcendental Materialism through a review of Mark Solms’s work on the hard problem of consciousness via Karl Friston’s Free Energy Principle. Within the Solms-Friston framework, the informatic mechanisms that give rise to dual-aspect epistemologies rely upon ontological antagonism. Principles of a transcendental materialist dual-aspect monism for neuropsychoanalysis are put forward.

ABSTRACTJouissanceis a multifaceted Lacanian concept that refers to a paradoxical blend of pleasure and unpleasure, an excess of pleasure that becomes traumatic. While jouissanceappears as a pinnacle of Lacanian theoretical complexity, it has been critiqued as a nebulous descriptor that shuts down questions rather than deepening rigor. Specifically, Darian Leader has charged the Lacanian use of jouissanceas theoretically imprecise, ignoring vicissitudes of bodily innervation, obscuring the relationship with the Other, and implicitly maintaining problematic Freudian quantitative, homeostatic ideas. I propose that affective neuroscience, when interpreted within a Lacanian neuropsychoanalytic framework, offers tools to answer some of these critiques of jouissance. At the same time, an integration of jouissancewith affective neuroscience draws out radical perspectives in neuropsychoanalysis – specifically against a straightforward application of homeostasis – that demonstrate the importance of maintaining the concept of jouissanceas excess. This article attempts to advance interdisciplinary dialogue in Lacanian neuropsychoanalysis.

ABSTRACTThe neuropsychoanalytic theory of repression as premature automatization is a major clinical contribution of neuropsychoanalysis. One of its clinical implications is that psychoanalysis works with (declarative) derivatives of the repressed to gradually automatize new non-declarative action plans that better meet one’s needs. This supposes a certain link between the repressed and its derivatives. However, the way derivatives are linked to the repressed has not been elaborated. Here, I propose a consilience between hierarchical cognitive control (instantiated in basal ganglia-prefrontal cortex loops) and the fantasy (as developed in Lacanian psychoanalysis). I claim that this structure provides the link between the premature automatized repressed and derivatives. Specifically, higher-order, abstract (non-declarative) rule systems govern the contextual selection of actions to achieve a goal-state. For premature automatized action plans, which have a generalized status and confidence, the abstract rule system in which they are nested is commensurately generalized, even though it does not work. This approach emphasizes how prematurely automatized motor plans are nested within a structuring hierarchy that effects their instantiations across various interpersonal and fantasmatic scenes.

The Octaray (Biosense Webster) is a novel, multispline mapping catheter with 48 closely spaced microelectrodes enabling high-resolution electroanatomical mapping.

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) treatments have gradually shifted toward a more interventional approach and transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) has assumed a first-order role. TriClip™ by Abbott (Menlo Park, USA) is one of the most widely used devices for tricuspid repair. TEER procedures are recognised as technically challenging, characterized by a steep learning curve. For this reason, specialized training is necessary. The aim of this work is to develop and test a novel 3D printed training simulator, which considers both anatomical and mechanical characteristics, specifically designed for this kind of procedure.

AbstractPsychoanalysis prioritizes the subjective experience of the mind. Neuroscience studies the objective aspects of the brain. These different focuses are the advantage—and the difficulty—of a dialogue between the two fields. Some argue that the emergence of “neuropsychoanalysis” reduces the mind to meaningless biological correlates. However, dialogue with neuroscience differs from reduction to objective explanation. Rather, through theoretical exchange, neuropsychoanalysis opens avenues for new possibilitiesof meaning. A dialogue with neuroscience can elucidate new relationships between different subjective phenomena, such as the vicissitudes of basic motivational systems. Whereas the opponents of neuropsychoanalysis argue that drives and affects are irreducible to biology—implying that they are the limit of neuroscience—this article argues that these concepts are instead the critical juncture of this dialogue. From such an intersection, a neuropsychoanalytic model of levels of the mind is proposed, where the unconscious is reframed as a dynamic effect of disjuncturesbetween levels of consciousness.

Surrogate biomarkers of liver fibrosis developed in tertiary care are increasingly used in general populations. We evaluated the association between liver stiffness (LS) and five continuous (AST/ALT, APRI, Forns Index, FIB-4, GGT) and two discrete biomarkers (BARD, BAAT) in a general population.

The best treatment option for patients with type 2 diabetes in whom treatment with metformin alone fails to achieve adequate glycaemic control is debated. We aimed to compare the long-term effects of pioglitazone versus sulfonylureas, given in addition to metformin, on cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: In the past few decades, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased significantly all over the world. In the same period, there also seems to have been an increase in the incidence of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis—the most common inflammatory autoimmune thyroid disease. Several studies have linked thyroiditis to thyroid cancer. Methods: In our study, we examined 2304 cases of thyroid surgery collected over a 12-year period starting from 2004. In 2090 cases (90.7%) out of our sample, it has been possible to compare the presence, or lack thereof, of thyroiditis by means of a histological diagnosis post-surgery; 214 (9.3%) cases were excluded from our study due to insufficient data. We then divided the different histological classifications into two groups. Group A included all the benign histological classifications and Group B included all the malignant histological classifications. In each group, we then assessed the presence, or lack thereof, of thyroiditis in order to evaluate if thyroiditis can be linked to a higher incidence of thyroid cancer. Results: Data analysis showed a higher incidence of thyroiditis in Group B, 36.4% (malignant pathology report), than in Group A, 32.4% (benign pathology report), but no statistically significant difference emerged between those two groups (P> 0.05). Conclusions: Our conclusion was that a correlation between thyroiditis and a higher incidence of thyroid cancer is still undefined.

In this paper we study the Dirichlet problem for two related equations involving the 1-Laplacian and a total variation term as reaction, namely: with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions on ∂Ω, where Ωis a regular, bounded domain in RN. Here fis a measurable function belonging to some suitable Lebesgue space, while g(u) is a continuous function having the same sign as uand such that g(±∞)=±∞. As far as Eq. (1) is concerned, we show that a bounded solution exists if the datum fbelongs to LN(Ω). When the absorption term g(u) is missing, i.e. in the case of Eq. (2), we show that if f∈LN(Ω), and its norm is small, then the only solution of (2) is u≡0. In the case where the norm of fis not small, several cases may happen. Depending on Ωand f, we show examples where no solution of (2) exists, other examples where u≡0is still a solution, and finally examples with nontrivial solutions. Some of these results can be viewed as a translation to the 1-Laplacian operator of known results by Ferone and Murat.

ABSTRACTMeta-psychological bridges between neuroscience and psychoanalysis have focused on Freud’s structural model [Kaplan-Solms & Solms, 2002. Clinical studies in neuro-psychoanalysis: Introduction to a depth neuropsychology(2nd ed.). London: Karnac Books; Solms, 2013. The conscious id. Neuropsychoanalysis, 15(1), 5–19]. While other psychoanalytic schools have been in dialog on specific concepts, alternative full-scale meta-psychologies have received less attention. This paper maps the brain through the Lacanian triad of the real, imaginary, and symbolic. Dynamic localization of these concepts avoids neuro-structural reduction. Right and left cortical hemispheres appear necessary (but not sufficient) for imaginary and symbolic functions respectively, with the frontal lobes underlying social and self-reflective functions. The real is supported by subcortical affective and motivational structures, particularly the automatization of non-representational systems prior to hippocampal development. This project highlights the structural disjuncture (impossibility) which is constitutive of human subjectivity and brain function.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is known as an intractable, highly heterogeneous tumor encompassing multiple subclones, each supported by a distinct glioblastoma stem cell (GSC). The contribution of GSC genetic and transcriptional heterogeneity to tumor subclonal properties is debated. In this study, we describe the systematic derivation, propagation, and characterization of multiple distinct GSCs from single, treatment-naive GBMs (GSC families). The tumorigenic potential of each GSC better correlates with its transcriptional profile than its genetic make-up, with classical GSCs being inherently more aggressive and mesenchymal more dependent on exogenous growth factors across multiple GBMs. These GSCs can segregate and recapitulate different histopathological aspects of the same GBM, as shown in a paradigmatic tumor with two histopathologically distinct components, including a conventional GBM and a more aggressive primitive neuronal component. This study provides a resource for investigating how GSCs with distinct genetic and/or phenotypic features contribute to individual GBM heterogeneity and malignant escalation.

The geomorphological analysis of historically urbanized areas is the best scientific way to understand how the extant geomorphological factors conditioned urbanization. It also provides a baseline to enable comparisons to be made with the modern environment. This paper considers four urbanized historical sites on the Adriatic coast (Italy) that owe their urban development to particular geomorphological and environmental conditions that were modified over the centuries from the Roman age to the present day. The focus here is on the evolution of the shoreline and associated geomorphic variables (streambeds and river mouths migration). These factors are fundamental for determining the development of a city, both as basic boundary elements – therefore including defence and protection – and also for the development of harbours.

In the present paper we study the Dirichlet problem for an equation involving the 1-Laplacian and a total variation term as reaction.We prove a strong multiplicity result. Namely, we show that for any positive Radon measure concentrated in a set away from the boundary and singular with respect to a certain capacity, there exists an unbounded solution, and measures supported on disjoint sets generate different solutions.These results can be viewed as the analogue for the 1-Laplacian operator of some known multiplicity results which were first obtained by Ireneo Peral, to whom this article is dedicated, and his collaborators.

We exploit a set of high signal-to-noise (~70), low-resolution (R~ 800) quasar spectra to search for the signature of the so-called proximity effect in the $\ion{H}{i}$Lyαforest. Our sample consists of 17 bright quasars in the redshift range 2.7 < z< 4.1. Analysing the spectra with the flux transmission technique, we detect the proximity effect in the sample at high significance. We use this to estimate the average intensity of the metagalactic UV background, assuming it to be constant over this redshift range. We obtain a value of J= (9 ±4)$\times$10-22erg cm-2s-1Hz-1sr-1, in good agreement with previous measurements at similar z. We then apply the same procedure to individual lines of sight, finding a significant deficit in the effective optical depth close to the emission redshift in every single object except one (which by a different line of evidence does nevertheless show a noticeable proximity effect). Thus, we clearly see the proximity effect as a universal phenomenon associated with individual quasars. Using extensive Monte-Carlo simulations to quantify the error budget, we assess the expected statistical scatter in the strength of the proximity effect due to shot noise (cosmic variance). The observed scatter is larger than the predicted one, so that additional sources of scatter are required. We rule out a dispersion of spectral slopes as a significant contributor. Possible effects are long time-scale variability of the quasars and/or gravitational clustering of Lyαforest lines. We speculate on the possibility of using the proximity effect as a tool to constrain individual quasar ages, finding that ages between ~106and ~108yrs might produce a characteristic signature in the optical depth profile towards the QSO. We identify one possible candidate for this effect in our sample.

We report the discovery of 14 quasars in the vicinity of HE 2347-4342, one of the two quasars whose intergalactic $\ion{He}{ii}$forest has been resolved with FUSE. By analysing the $\ion{H}{i}$and the $\ion{He}{ii}$opacity variations separately, no transverse proximity effect is detected near three foreground quasars of HE 2347-4342: QSO J23503-4328 ($z=2.282$, $\vartheta=3\farcm59$), QSO J23500-4319 ($z=2.302$, $\vartheta=8\farcm77$) and QSO J23495-4338 ($z=2.690$, $\vartheta=16\farcm28$). This is primarily due to line contamination and overdensities probably created by large-scale structure. By comparing the $\ion{H}{i}$absorption and the corresponding $\ion{He}{ii}$absorption, we estimated the fluctuating spectral shape of the extragalactic UV radiation field along this line of sight. We find that the UV spectral shape near HE 2347-4342 and in the projected vicinity of the three foreground quasars is statistically harder than expected from UV background models dominated by quasars. In addition, we find three highly ionised metal line systems near the quasars. However, they do not yield further constraints on the shape of the ionising field. We conclude that the foreground quasars show a transverse proximity effect that is detectable as a local hardening of the UV radiation field, although the evidence is strongest for QSO J23495-4338. Thus, the relative spectral hardness traces the proximity effect also in overdense regions prohibiting the traditional detection in the $\ion{H}{i}$forest. Furthermore, we emphasise that softening of quasar radiation by radiative transfer in the intergalactic medium is important to understand the observed spectral shape variations. From the transverse proximity effect of QSO J23495-4338 we obtain a lower limit on the quasar lifetime of ~25 Myr.

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical characteristics, attrition, weight loss, and psychological changes of obese young adults and obese adults seeking treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1530 individuals seeking treatment in 18 Italian medical centers were evaluated. 382 cases (25%) were classified as young adults (age≤35 years), 1148 (75%) as adults (>35 years). Psychological distress, binge eating, body uneasiness, and attitude towards eating were evaluated, at baseline and after a 12-month weight-loss program, together with BMI changes. Weight-loss expectations and primary motivation for seeking treatment were also recorded. RESULTS: At baseline, young adults reported significantly higher BMI at age 20, weight loss expectations and body uneasiness scores than adults. A significantly higher percentage of young adults also reported improving appearance as primary reason for seeking treatment. The attrition rate was significantly larger in young adults. Among completers, the mean percent weight loss at 12 months and improvement of psychosocial variables were significantly higher in young adults than in adults. By intention to treat, BMI changes were no longer significant between groups. DISCUSSION: Obese young adults lose more weight and considerably improve psychological distress, but show a higher attrition rate after 12 months of continuous care in a real world medical setting.

In the present article we study global existence for a nonlinear parabolic equation having a reaction term and a Radon measure datum:

Abstract: Milk is a food with a very high biological value, essential in the early stages of life, and has been used to produce ricotta and other cheeses in the Mediterranean area for at least for the last 6,000 years. From a nutritional point of view, in addition to a high water content, milk also contains glucids, proteins of a high biological quality, lipids, vitamins and minerals in highly absorbable forms. In terms of evolution, cholesterol also plays an important role in the activation and propagation of the hedgehog signaling cascade, which is responsible for the differentiation and development of the central nervous system. Finally, the authors analyze its potential as a vector of alimentary supplements, making this food fundamental for human nutrition and the future of Homo sapiens.

We investigated a set of high-resolution (R?45 000), high signal-to-noise (S/N?70) quasar spectra to search for the signature of the so-called proximity effect in the Hi Ly??forest. The sample consists of 40?bright quasars with redshifts in the range 2.1 < z < 4.7. Using the flux transmission statistic, we determined the redshift evolution of the Hi effective optical depth in the Lyman forest between 2?z?4.5, finding good agreement with previous measurements based on smaller samples. We also see the previously reported dip in ?eff(z) around redshift z?3.3, but as the significance of that feature is only?2.6?, we consider this detection tentative. Comparing the flux transmission near each quasar with what was expected from the overall trend of??eff(z), we clearly detect the proximity effect not only in the combined quasar sample, but also towards each individual line of sight at high significance, albeit with varying strength. We quantify this strength using a simple prescription based on a fiducial value for the intensity of the metagalactic UV background (UVB) radiation field at 1?Ryd, multiplied by a free parameter that varies from?QSO to?QSO. The observed proximity effect strength distribution (PESD) is asymmetric, with an extended tail towards values corresponding to a weak effect. We demonstrate that this is not simply an effect of gravitational clustering around quasars, as the same asymmetry is already present in the PESD?predicted for purely Poissonian variance in the absorption lines. We present the results of running the same analysis on simulated quasar spectra generated by a simple Monte-Carlo code. Comparing the simulated?PESD with observations, we argue that the standard method of determining the UVB?intensity J?0by averaging over several lines of sight is heavily biased towards high values of?J?0because of the PESD?asymmetry. Using instead the mode of the PESD provides an estimate of?J?0that is unbiased with respect to his effect. For our sample we get a modal value for the UVB intensity of logJ?0= -21.51?0.15 (in units of ergcm-2s-1Hz-1sr-1) for a median quasar redshift of?2.73. With?J?0fixed we then corrected ?eff near each quasar for local ionisation and estimated the amount of excess Hi?absorption attributed to gravitational clustering. On scales of ?3?Mpc, only a small minority of quasars show substantial overdensities of up to a factor of a few in ?eff; these are exactly the objects with the weakest proximity effect signatures. After removing those quasars residing in overdense regions, we redetermined the UVB?intensity using a hybrid approach of sample averaging and statistical correction for the PESD?asymmetry bias, arriving at logJ?0= -21.46+0.14-0.21. This is the most accurate measurement of?J?0to date. We present a new diagnostic based on the shape and width of the?PESD that strongly supports our conclusion that there is no systematic overdensity bias for the proximity effect. This additional diagnostic breaks the otherwise unavoidable degeneracy of the proximity effect between UVB and overdensity. We then applied our hybrid approach to estimate the redshift evolution of the UVB?intensity and found tentative evidence of a mild decrease in logJ?0with increasing redshift, by a factor of ?0.4 from z=2 to z=4. Our results are in excellent agreement with earlier predictions for the evolving UVB?intensity, and they also agree well with other methods of estimating the UVB?intensity. In particular, our measured UVB?evolution is much slower than the change in quasar space densities between z=4 and z=2, supporting the notion of a substantial contribution of star-forming galaxies to the?UVB at high redshift.

To study the role of endothelial factors in luteal function, the dynamic profiles of genes for endothelin 1 (EDN1), its receptor subtypes, EDNRAand EDNRB, and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) were examined in corpora lutea (CL) obtained from rabbits on Days 4 and 9 of pseudopregnancy after prostaglandin (PG) F2α analogue (alfaprostol) treatment. The cell type distribution of EDN1 in the ovaries and its mechanisms of actions in vitro and in vivo were also studied. Positive immunostaining for EDN1 was localized in the luteal and endothelial cells, in granulosa cells of the follicles, and in the ovarian epithelium. The basal mRNA levels for EDNRA, EDNRB, and ACEwere lower (P≤ 0.01) in Day-4 CL than in Day-9 CL, whereas those for EDN1did not differ between these two time-points. On Day 4, the luteal EDN1, EDNRA, EDNRB, and ACEmRNA levels were similarly increased two-fold (P≤ 0.01) 1.5 h after alfaprostol injection, and did not show further changes in the subsequent 24 h. On Day 9, alfaprostol challenge transiently up-regulated (P≤ 0.01) the luteal ACEtranscripts at 1.5 h, and those of EDN1at 1.5 h and 3 h, whereas the EDNRAand EDNRBtranscript levels remained unchanged during the course of luteal regression. EDN1 decreased (P≤ 0.01) progesterone release and increased (P≤ 0.01) PGF2α secretion and NOS activity via the PLC/PKC pathway in Day-9 CL, but not in Day-4 CL, cultured in vitro. EDN1-induced, but not alfaprostol-induced luteolysis, was blocked by cotreatment in vivo with the ACE antagonist captopril. These findings support the hypothesis that PGF2α regulates luteolysis through intraluteal activation of the renin-angiotensin/EDN1 systems in CL that have acquired luteolytic competence.

Background: Research about personality factors involved in successful outcome after bariatric surgery has led to contrasting results. The reasons for such discrepancies may include the lack of assessment of adaptive personality traits and of psychiatric co-morbidity, which may limit the reliability of personality findings. This study aimed to provide exploratory data regarding preoperative personality dimensions and weight loss prediction 1 year after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). Both normal and deviant personality patterns were assessed by means of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Moreover, co-morbid psychiatric disturbances were evaluated both categorically and dimensionally. Methods: 65 morbidly obese subjects applying for LAGB were evaluated preoperatively by means of the TCI, standardized diagnostic interview, rating scales and questionnaires to assess co-morbid psychopathology. After intake screening, 35 subjects (mean age 41.2, mean BMI 45.5) were accepted for and underwent LAGB. BMI reduction 1 year following LAGB was used as an outcome measure and entered as a dependent variable in a stepwise multiple regression analysis. TCI scores, presence and severity of eating, depressive and anxiety disorders, sex, age, level of education and BMI at baseline were tested as independent variables. Results: Preoperative TCI 'Persistence' scores explained >40% of variance of BMI reduction 1 year following LAGB, irrespective of preoperative BMI, age, gender, educational level, psychiatric co-morbidity, psychopathology severity and other temperament and character features. Conclusions: Some personality dimensions, as measured by the TCI, may be involved in successful weight control after LAGB.

Abstract Genetic mapping of major genes and quantitative traits loci (QTLs) for many important agricultural traits is increasing the integration of biotechnology with the conventional breeding process. Exploitation of the information derived from the map position of traits with agronomical importance and of the linked molecular markers, can be achieved through marker assisted selection (MAS) of the traits during the breeding process. However, empirical applications of this procedure have shown that the success of MAS depends upon several factors, including the genetic base of the trait, the degree of the association between the molecular marker and the target gene, the number of individuals that can be analyzed and the genetic background in which the target gene has to be transferred. MAS for simply inherited traits is gaining increasing importance in breeding programs, allowing an acceleration of the breeding process. Traits related to disease resistance to pathogens and to the quality of some crop products are offering some important examples of a possible routinary application of MAS. For more complex traits, like yield and abiotic stress tolerance, a number of constraints have determined severe limitations on an efficient utilization of MAS in plant breeding, even if there are a few successful applications in improving quantitative traits. Recent advances in genotyping technologies together with comparative and functional genomic approaches are providing useful tools for the selection of genotypes with superior agronomical performancies.

Fatty liver at ultrasounds, with/without raised plasma levels of hepatic enzymes, is common in obesity. In most cases, it is the hallmark of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a potentially progressive disease associated with insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome (MS). We tested the hypothesis that insulin resistance per semight be associated with hepatocellular necrosis. Alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (ALT and AST; no.=799) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT; no.=459) were analyzed in a group of treatment-seeking obese patients recruited in 12 Italian medical centers. Insulin resistance was calculated by the homeostasis model assessment method (HOMA-IR; no.=522). Median ALT and AST increased with increasing obesity class (p=0.001 and p=0.005) and exceeded normal limits in 21.0% of cases. Also HOMA-IR increased with the obesity class (p<0.0001), and was higher in subjects with elevated ALT (median, 4.93 vs 2.89; p<0.0001). A significant correlation was observed between HOMA-IR and ALT (R2=0.208; p<0.0001), as well as between HOMA-IR and AST or GGT (R2=0.112 and R2=0.080; p<0.0001). The correlation was maintained when cases with elevated enzyme levels were omitted from analysis. Diabetes and hypertriglyceridemia were the features of the MS most commonly associated with raised liver enzymes. In logistic regression, after correction for age, gender, BMI and features of the MS, HOMA-IR maintained a highly predictive value for raised ALT, AST and GGT. We conclude that in obesity insulin resistance is a risk factor for raised liver enzyme levels, possibly related to NAFLD.

Hymenoptera stings may be responsible for both local and systemic reactions; these can be immediate or delayed, depending on the time between the sting and the development of signs or symptoms. Delayed clinical reactions have been reported, although unusual, due to serum sickness and/or affecting organs or systems generally not involved in the immediate reaction, such as heart, kidneys, central and peripheral nervous systems. This paper describes the clinical and immunological findings in a 51-year-old subject, who, after two stings of paper wasps, the second one after the third venom immunotherapy (VIT) injection, presented immediate large local and systemic allergic ractions which quickly improved after e.v. methilprednisolone administration. About 40 hours later, he developed acute polyradiculoneuropathy with muscle weakness, paresthesia, difficulties in standing up and walking. Skin tests and specific IgE determination showed allergy to paper wasp. The activation, by wasp venom, of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in primary culture, evaluated by tritiated thymidine incorporation proliferation assay, showed an important hypersensitivity to wasp venom. Therefore our results suggest the hypothesis that the polyradiculoneurtis causative etiopathogenetic mechanism might be a delayed immunological response to wasp antigens followed by an allergy-triggered autoimmune reaction, as previously suggested by other authors; they found lymphocytic infiltrates in demyelinization areas and at perivascular levels, by histologic examination of autoptical and bioptical material of patients with nervous system lesions after hymenoptera stings.

In this study, we have examined the presence and the distribution of receptors for leptin (Ob-R) in the oviduct of rabbits, and the effects of leptin on the release of prostaglandin (PG) F2α and PGE2 and on the activity of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) by oviducts cultured in vitro.Rabbits were killed during the follicular phase and the oviducts were incubated in vitrowith leptin, PGF2α, PGE2, NO donor and inhibitors of NOS and cyclo-oxigenase (COX). Using immunohistochemistry, Ob-R-like positive reaction was observed only in the cytoplasm of secretory cells, having stronger intensity in the infundibulum and ampulla tracts than in the isthmus. Both leptin and NO donor inhibited PGE2 release, whereas they enhanced PGF2α release; NOS inhibitor alone or with leptin increased PGE2 and decreased PGF2α production; NOS activity was enhanced by leptin, while PGs did not affect this enzyme. This study suggests that the oviduct could be a potential target for endocrine regulation by leptin, whose circulating levels may act as a metabolic signal modulating oviductal PG release through mediation of the NOS/NO system.

Objective: To investigate weight loss expectations (expected 1‐year BMI loss, dream BMI, and maximum acceptable BMI) in obese patients seeking treatment and to examine whether expectations differ by sex, weight, diet and weight history, age, psychological factors, and primary motivations for weight loss. Research Methods and Procedures: 1891 obese patients seeking treatment in 25 Italian medical centers (1473 women; age, 44.7 ± 11.0 years; BMI, 38.2 ± 6.5 kg/m2) were evaluated. Diet and weight history, weight loss expectations, and primary motivation for seeking treatment (health or improving appearance) were systematically recorded. Psychiatric distress, binge eating, and body image dissatisfaction were tested by self‐administered questionnaires (Symptom CheckList‐90, Binge Eating Scale, and Body Uneasiness Test). Results: In 1011 cases (53.4%), 1‐year expected BMI loss was ≥9 kg/m2, dream BMI was 26.0 ± 3.4 kg/m2(corresponding to a 32% loss), and maximum acceptable BMI was 29.3 ± 4.4 kg/m2(−23%). BMI and age were the strongest predictors of weight goals. Weight loss necessary to reach the desired targets was largely in excess of weight loss observed during previous dieting. Psychiatric distress, body dissatisfaction, and binge eating did not predict weight loss expectations. The primary motivation for weight loss was concern for future or present health; women seeking treatment to improve appearance had a lower grade of obesity, were younger, and had first attempted weight loss at a younger age. Discussion: Obese Italian patients had unrealistic weight loss expectations. There were significant disparities between patients’ perceptions and physicians’ weight loss recommendations of desirable treatment outcome.

In this paper we study the existence of bounded weak solutions for some nonlinear Dirichlet problems in unbounded domains. The principal part of the operator behaves like the p-laplacian operator, and the lower order terms, which depend on the solution u and its gradient ∇ u, have a power growth of order p−1 with respect to these variables, while they are bounded in the x variable. The source term belongs to a Lebesgue space with a prescribed asymptotic behaviour at infinity.

We studied leptin involvement in rabbit corpora lutea (CL) activity, and its post-transcriptional signalling pathway. The expression of leptin receptor (Ob-R) in rabbit ovary at day 9 of pseudopregnancy was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. The specificity of the Ob-R receptor antibodies was characterised by immunoprecipitation and competition with blocking peptide. Day 9 CL were incubated in vitrowith leptin alone or with inhibitors of PLC (phospholipase C), PLD (phospholipase D), AC (adenylate cyclase), JAK (janus kinase), MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) and both cAMP- and cGMP-specific PDE (phosphodiesterase). Prostaglandin F2α(PGF2α), PGE2 and progesterone levels were measured in the culture medium, while NOS (nitric oxide synthase) and cAMP- and cGMP- specific PDE activities were measured in CL tissue. Positive staining for Ob-R was found within the cytoplasm of large luteal cells of CL as well as in granulosa cells of follicles and oocytes. Immunoblots detected a band of about 99 kDa size in Ob-R immunoprecipitates from CL homogenates. This band was not detectable after pre-incubation of the primary antibody with the immunising leptin peptide. Leptin increased PGF2αand cAMP-specific PDE, decreased basal progesterone and did not affect PGE2 and NOS levels. Leptin used the JAK pathway in increasing PGF2α, and MAPK and cAMP-specific PDE in decreasing progesterone. This study supports a permissive luteolytic role for leptin in rabbit CL.

The zonoid of a d-dimensional random vector is used as a tool for measuring linear dependence among its components. A preorder of linear dependence is defined through inclusion of the zonoids. The zonoid of a random vector does not characterize its distribution, but it does characterize the size-biased distribution of its compositional variables. This fact will allow a characterization of our linear dependence order in terms of a linear-convex order for the size-biased compositional variables. In dimension 2 the linear dependence preorder will be shown to be weaker than the concordance order. Some examples related to the Marshall-Olkin distribution and to a copula model will be presented, and a class of measures of linear dependence will be proposed.

We prove the existence of solutions of nonlinear elliptic equations with first-order terms having “natural growth” with respect to the gradient. The assumptions on the source terms lead to the existence of possibly unbounded solutions (though with exponential integrability). The domain Ω is allowed to have infinite Lebesgue measure.

Dynamic left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction was thought to be a hallmark of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, especially in those cases with isolated asymmetric septal hypertrophy and systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve. Recently, several authors described the occurrence of a dynamic LVOT obstruction during acute coronary insufficiency in ventricles without significant myocardial hypertrophy. The LVOT gradient was reported to disappear following resolution of the ischemic syndrome. Furthermore, it was reported that LVOT obstruction in the setting of acute myocardial infarction could predispose to cardiac rupture. We describe four cases with acute anterior myocardial infarction complicated with a dynamic LVOT obstruction documented by transthoracic Doppler echocardiogram. The detection of the dynamic LVOT obstruction allowed us to optimize the pharmacological treatment in each case. In spite of therapy, two of our patients worsened progressively to fatal cardiogenic shock and cardiac rupture. In conclusion, the development of a LVOT obstruction during acute anterior myocardial infarction has to be considered a serious and potentially fatal complication.

We give a definition for Obstacle Problems with measure data and general obstacles. For such problems we prove existence and uniqueness of solutions and consistency with the classical theory of Variational Inequalities. Continuous dependence with respect to data is discussed.

Sugar residues are important components of salivary gland secretion. Traditional histochemical methods and lectin histochemistry were used to characterise glycoconjugates present in the mandibular gland of normal adult pigs. Acinar cells contained abundant quantities of glycoconjugates with the terminal trisaccharide sialic acid – (α2→3, 6) galactosyl (β1→3) N-acetylgalactosamine. Mandibular acinar cells also contained α and βN-acetylgalactosamine and N-acetylglucosamine residues, whereas the demilunar cells contained glycoconjugates with fucose, mannose and N-acetylglucosamine residues. In the duct system a range of sugar residues were localised throughout the cell cytoplasm or limited to the apical surface. These results provide new knowledge concerning the structure of salivary glycoconjugates in normal adult pig and a basis for future pathological studies.

The aging process of long-term self-renewing hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells is not yet completely understood and recent studies on antiapoptotic cell pathways have demonstrated a close linkage between telomerase activation and Bcl-2 deregulation in human cancer cells. The present work shows that human T cell leukemia virus type II (HTLV-II) Mo virions that have originated from the T cell line (C344), but not from the B cell line (BJAB), are critically involved in mediating survival and growth effects on hematopoietic precursors (represented by both the TF-1 CD34+ cell line and by peripheral blood-derived CD34+ cells) through the maintenance or enhancement of telomerase activity and the induction of bcl-2 expression. In addition, using an interleukin-3-dependent TF-1 cell line, it was demonstrated that IL-3 deprivation was sufficient to influence the levels of telomerase activity and Bcl-2 expression in CD34+ cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that, in appropriate conditions, extended hematopoietic progenitor cell survival and proliferation following HTLV-II exposure depends on a synergistic interaction between up-regulation of Bcl-2 and activation of telomerase activity.

Ozonized water increases oxygen local tension. The ozone by itself produces inflammatory reactions in lung epithelium. The action of ozonized water during the inflammatory process was investigated. In rat paw edema induced by carrageenin, the inflammatory process was stimulated by ozonized water (1.2 μg, p.o.) when applied 30 min prior to the induction. In the inflammatory process induced by Freund's Complete Adjuvant, the ozonized water did not interfere in the inflammatory reaction. Furthermore, in gastric ulcers models induced by stress, there was a significant reduction in the incidence of ulcers types I, II and III (P<0.05, Student's t-test).

Many seasonal respiratory allergies are caused byairborne pollens. There is an evident correlationbetween allergic attacks and the amount of pollens inthe atmosphere at any time. The airbornetree pollen concentration and the relevantrepercussions on pollinotics hasnot yet been extensively reported for all Italian regions.We present the results of a 3-year, weekly, tree pollen count byBurkard spore trap from the atmosphere of Parma,Italy. Annual pollen calendars were made from theresults. The study has been conducted because, in Europe,an increasing frequency of allergic sensitisation to thesepollens has been observed.

The influence of human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type II (HTLV-II) in individuals also infected with HIV-1 is poorly understood. To evaluate the reciprocal influence of HTLV-II and HIV-1 infection, primary peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures from coinfected individuals were established in the presence of interleukin 2 (IL-2). In these cultures, the kinetics of HTLV-II replication always preceded those of HIV-1. Noteworthy, the kinetics of HIV-1 production were inversely correlated to the HTLV-II proviral load in vivo and its replication ex vivo. These observations suggested a potential interaction between the 2 retroviruses. In this regard, the levels of IL-2, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) were measured in the same coinfected PBMC cultures. Endogenous IL-2 was not produced, whereas IL-6 and TNF- were secreted at levels compatible with their known ability to up-regulate HIV-1 expression. The HIV-suppressive CC-chemokines RANTES, macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1), and MIP-1β were also determined in IL-2–stimulated PBMC cultures. Of interest, their kinetics and concentrations were inversely related to those of HIV-1 replication. Experiments were performed in which CD8+ T cells or PBMCs from HTLV-II monoinfected individuals were cocultivated with CD4+ T cells from HIV-1 monoinfected individuals separated by a semipermeable membrane in the presence or absence of antichemokine neutralizing antibodies. The results indicate that HTLV-II can interfere with the replicative potential of HIV-1 by up-regulating viral suppressive CC-chemokines and, in particular, MIP-1. This study is the first report indicating that HTLV-II can influence HIV replication, at least in vitro, via up-regulation of HIV-suppressive chemokines.

As part of a research programme aimed at the synthesis of compounds with antiviral, antibacterial and antitumor properties and their spectroscopic characterization, new thiosemicarbazones deriving from natural aldehydes have been investigated. These substances contain in the same molecule both a chain with nucleophilic centres N, S with tubercolostatic activity, and a glycosidic or alkyl moiety (modified glycosides and nucleosides have recently received a great deal of attention in the fields of neoplastic diseases and viral infections). In this paper the synthesis and the characterization of these compounds by means of 1H NMR, IR, and MS techniques is reported. Biological studies have involved both inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis tests on human leukemia cell line U937.

Sulphated esters are important to increase effectiveness of specific biological activities of carbohydrates. Biochemical studies revealed the presence of distinct sulphated glycoproteins in mammal zona pellucida (ZP) that bind proacrosin and thus participate in the sperm-egg fusion processes. In the present study, 6 lectin-horseradish peroxidase conjugates (SBA, PNA, RCA-I, GSA-IB4, GSA-II and DBA) were used in combination with desulphation and sialidase digestion to identify sulphocarbohydrates in the terminal and/or subterminal position of oligosaccharide side chains of glycoproteins in the ZP of bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine antral oocytes. In particular, we identified the following terminal sulphoglycans located in the outer layer of the ZP only: SO4-GalNAc in bovine ZP; SO4-Galβ1,3GalNAc in bovine and ovine ZP; SO4-Galβ1,4GlcNAc in bovine, ovine and caprine ZP; SO4-α-Gal in bovine, caprine and porcine ZP. Subterminal sulphoglycans linked to sialic acid residues were evenly distributed throughout the entire thickness of the ZP: Neu5Ac-SO4-Galβ1,3GalNAc in bovine and porcine ZP; Neu5Ac-SO4-Galβ1,4GlcNAc in caprine ZP; Neu5Ac-SO4-α-Gal in porcine ZP; Neu5Ac-SO4-GlcNAc in bovine ZP. The results demonstrate that the chemical composition of the ZP differs among species determining the species-specificity of gamete interactions.