An explainable artificial intelligence approach to spatial navigation based on hippocampal circuitry.

Learning to navigate a complex environment is not a difficult task for a mammal. For example, finding the correct way to exit a maze following a sequence of cues, does not need a long training session. Just a single or a few runs through a new environment is, in most cases, sufficient to learn an exit path starting from anywhere in the maze.

Sequence Learning in a Single Trial: A Spiking Neurons Model Based on Hippocampal Circuitry.

In contrast with our everyday experience using brain circuits, it can take a prohibitively long time to train a computational system to produce the correct sequence of outputs in the presence of a series of inputs. This suggests that something important is missing in the way in which models are trying to reproduce basic cognitive functions. In this work, we introduce a new neuronal network architecture that is able to learn, in a single trial, an arbitrary long sequence of any known objects.

Impact of COVID-19 on hand surgery in Italy: A comparison between the Northern and the Southern regions.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency and elective hand surgery in four Italian regions that had either a high (Lombardy and Piemonte) or a low (Sicilia and Puglia) COVID-19 case load to discuss problems and to elaborate strategies to improve treatment pathways. A panel of hand surgeons from these different regions compared and discussed data from the centers they work in. The COVID-19 pandemic had an enormous impact on both elective and emergency surgery in Italy, not only in highly affected regions but also - and paradoxically even at a higher extent - in regions with a low COVID-19 case load.

How much are biosimilars used in southern Italy?: a retrospective analysis of epoetin utilization in the local health unit of Messina in the years 2010-2011.

Background: Epoetins are one of the three biologics for which biosimilars are available in Italy. So far, there is a lack of Italian national/regional longitudinal data about epoetin use.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prescribing pattern of epoetins (reference products and biosimilars) in a Local Health Unit (LHU) of Southern Italy in recent years.

Economic results of a palivizumab seasonal prophylaxis using a cohorting software and vial sharing.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus is the most important pathogen in lower respiratory tract infection in infants and young children. In high-risk populations it may develop severe, sometimes fatal, lower respiratory tract infections. A proportion of these infants require admission to intensive care units due to the severity of the condition and the level of care needed.

A simple sterile polypropylene fingernail substitute.

Traumatic nail injuries are often observed in clinical practice. Usually the fingernail can be preserved, cleaned and disinfected in order to use it in the reconstructive procedure. However, in some cases the nail can be avulsed and lost or too damaged to be used.

Study of the aggregation of insulin glargine by light scattering.

Insulin glargine (Lantus, Aventis Pharma, Deutschland, GmbH) is a new long-acting human insulin analog. Structural modification of the insulin molecule at two sites alters its pH, causing insulin glargine to precipitate in the neutral environment of subcutaneous tissue and to form a depot that is slowly absorbed into the bloodstream. In this paper insulin glargine aggregation is investigated by light scattering.

Correlation between quality of life assessment and a personality neurobiologic model in dialyzed patients.

The Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) is a self-administered scoring system that has been widely used and validated as a quality of life (QOL) assessment tool. In our study, a cluster analysis of SF-36 scores was performed in 50 healthy volunteers (controls) and 50 neurobiologically asymptomatic patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Firstly, we assayed the tendency to form clusters from each of the investigated dimensions.

Fast drug stability determination by LC variable-parameter kinetic experiments.

Variable-parameter kinetic experiments were carried out using HPLC as analytical instrument. The hydrolysis of aspirin was followed both at variable-temperature and at variable-pH conditions. The peak areas relative to salicylic acid were processed by direct fit to a mathematical model and/or by differential method obtaining, by single experiments, the values of the apparent rate constant in the whole range of temperature and pH studied.

Variable-ionic strength kinetic experiments in drug stability studies.

The dependence of the pseudo-first-order rate constant on the ionic strength for the alkaline hydrolysis of indomethacin has been obtained, for the first time, in a single kinetic experiment carried out by varying with time the salt concentration inside the reaction vessel. The kinetic profile obtained was processed using as a mathematical model the variable-parameter kinetic equation containing the Bronsted-Bjerrum equation as the dependence function. The results are in good agreement with those obtained by the traditional method but the experimental time is reduced to about one-tenth.

Release from transdermal delivery systems. Application of a new non isothermic method to Trans-Ver-Sal patches.

In this paper a new non isothermic method for the determination of the release drug rate constant (k) from a transdermal delivery system is proposed. The new method was applied to transdermal patches Trans-Ver-Sal. The results obtained prove to be able to release salicylic acid of transdermal system and the effectiveness of the new method propose.

Fast rolitetracycline stability determination by spectrophotometer variable-temperature kinetic experiments.

The pseudo-first order rate constant for the hydrolysis of rolitetracycline as a function of temperature was obtained by performing variable-temperature kinetic experiments. The results are in agreement with those obtained at constant-parameter kinetics but saving experimental time and chemicals.

[Surgery and rehabilitation of flexor tendons injuries in zone 1 and 2].

Background: Prevention of adhesions that restrain tendon gliding is based on early mobilization techniques. Such approach, anyway, does not guarantee positive outcomes.

Methods: Seventy-five patients for a total number of 98 flexors tendons have been treated at the University Hospital of Messina between December 1993 and January 2000.

[Traumatic lesions of the hand extensor system: epidemiology and surgical considerations].

Aims: To investigate demographics, modalities and type of injuries among a population of isolated traumatic injuries of extensor tendons in order to evaluate the consequences on health service and on prevention.

Methods: Retrospective study of injuries treated at the divisions of Plastic Surgery and Orthopedics in a third level referral center among the years 1993-1999.

Main Results: Data from 173 patients were analyzed, a prevalence of males (81%) and injuries at home (55%) has been observed.

Clinical results and thoughts on sensory nerve repair by autologous vein graft in emergency hand reconstruction.

Lesions of the digital and other sensory nerves in the hand are common. Based on experimental studies on vein graft as a support for peripheral nerve regeneration, the Authors have been using a simple vein graft to bridge sensory nerve gaps when treating acute hand injuries. This is a retrospective study on the results of 22 sensory nerves repaired using vein grafts in cases in which primary suture was not feasible, in emergency hand reconstruction.

Temperature-rate profiles by polarimetric variable-temperature kinetic experiments to study racemization reactions.

The racemization of (-)-adrenaline was followed by polarimetric variable-temperature kinetic experiments obtaining activation parameters and k(obs)(T) profile in one tenth of the time usually spent for traditional kinetic runs. A polarimeter connected to a computer for the acquisition and processing of the analytical data was used. The kinetic profiles were processed by both an integral method and a differential method.

Clinical signs and diagnosis of scrapie in Italy: a comparative study in sheep and goats.

This article reports the clinical signs of scrapie occurring in sheep-goat flocks in Italy. The research, carried out on over 500 goats and 550 sheep, yielded an interesting clinical picture, especially of goat scrapie. The affected animals, aged between 2 and 8 years, showed neurological signs that could be classified into three categories: changes in mental status, abnormalities of movement and changes in sensation.

Variable pH kinetics: an easy determination of pH-rate profile.

The complete pH-rate profile of the hydrolysis reaction of aspirin, requiring many experiments in the past, was obtained by a single variable-parameter kinetic experiment carried out by varying the hydrogen ion concentration. The experiment was carried out spectrophotometrically, reading automatically absorbance, pH, and temperature inside the reaction vessel. The results obtained by the fast processing of the kinetic profile are identical to those obtained under the same conditions but using traditional constant-pH kinetic runs.

Stability study of piroxicam and cinnoxicam in solid pharmaceuticals.

The pseudo-first order rate constant for the hydrolysis of cinnoxicam as a function of temperature was obtained by variable-temperature kinetic experiments. The method used is on a generalization of non-isothermal analysis, and takes advantage of the capabilities of modern data collection and processing systems. A spectrophotometric method under non isothermal conditions was carried out.

[Biliary ileus (description of 2 clinical cases)].

Biliary ileus is a rare complication of the biliary pathology, appearing through obstructive pictures of patients in advanced age. After a careful study about this subject, the authors report two cases they had he opportunity to observe.

[Cirsoid aneurysm: apropos of a clinical case].

The authors, after mentioning the anatomopathologic, physiopathologic and clinical features of cyrsoid aneurysms, presently classed in the chapter of the congenital artero-venous fistulas, show a case, angiographically discovered, of cyrsoid aneurysm with palmar location, elsewhere already subjected twice to unsuccessful operation, and successfully operated at the Institute of Surgical Pathology of the Pavia University. The Authors think the morphologic and topographic features of such lesion, its relative local malignancy and trend to relapsing, justify why the old denomination of cyrsoid aneurysm was kept, even in the frame of the more general chapter of artero-venous fistulas.

[Sulpiride and extrahepatic bile ducts. Radioisotope study].

An original radioisotopic method was employed in an investigation of the effect of sulpiride on extrahepatic bile duct motility. Stress is laid on the primarily hyposthenic effect of the drug, and the influence of various factors on the functional status of the gallbladder.