SNN4Agents: a framework for developing energy-efficient embodied spiking neural networks for autonomous agents.

Recent trends have shown that autonomous agents, such as Autonomous Ground Vehicles (AGVs), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and mobile robots, effectively improve human productivity in solving diverse tasks. However, since these agents are typically powered by portable batteries, they require extremely low power/energy consumption to operate in a long lifespan. To solve this challenge, neuromorphic computing has emerged as a promising solution, where bio-inspired Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) use spikes from event-based cameras or data conversion pre-processing to perform sparse computations efficiently.

Particle swarm optimization-assisted approach for the extraction of VCSEL model parameters.

We propose a direct particle swarm optimization (PSO) method for extracting the parameters of a physical model describing the behavior of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), starting from the light-current (L-I) characteristics and the small signal modulation (S21) responses, at different currents and temperatures. With an optimal choice of hyperparameters of the algorithm, the method is able to predict parameters that accurately reproduce the behavior of the device. Its prediction capabilities are compared to those of two commonly used nonlinear optimizers (Interior Point and Levenberg-Marquardt), to benchmark its performances.

Nanosponge-Based Composite Gel Polymer Electrolyte for Safer Li-O Batteries.

Li-O batteries represent a promising rechargeable battery candidate to answer the energy challenges our world is facing, thanks to their ultrahigh theoretical energy density. However, the poor cycling stability of the Li-O system and, overall, important safety issues due to the formation of Li dendrites, combined with the use of organic liquid electrolytes and O cross-over, inhibit their practical applications. As a solution to these various issues, we propose a composite gel polymer electrolyte consisting of a highly cross-linked polymer matrix, containing a dextrin-based nanosponge and activated with a liquid electrolyte.

Sol-gel-entrapped pH indicator for monitoring pH variations in cementitious materials.

Sensors for pH evaluation of concrete were made by a sol-gel process with alizarin yellow as pH indicator. The optical absorbance was measured with a visible spectrophotometer coupled with optical fibers. Results showed that the sensors had good reversibility, reproducibility, and fast response time.

Accelerated rehabilitation versus conventional rehabilitation in total hip arthroplasty (ARTHA): a randomized double blinded clinical trial.

Objectives: compare an accelerated physiotherapeutic protocol to a conventional physiotherapeutic protocol in total hip arthroplasty patients.

Methods: a randomized double blinded clinical trial performed from August 2013 to November 2014. Forty-eight patients diagnosed with hip osteoarthritis submitted to a total hip arthroplasty surgery.

Photogeneration of reactive transient species upon irradiation of natural water samples: Formation quantum yields in different spectral intervals, and implications for the photochemistry of surface waters.

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in surface waters is a photochemical source of several transient species such as CDOM triplet states ((3)CDOM*), singlet oxygen ((1)O2) and the hydroxyl radical (OH). By irradiation of lake water samples, it is shown here that the quantum yields for the formation of these transients by CDOM vary depending on the irradiation wavelength range, in the order UVB > UVA > blue. A possible explanation is that radiation at longer wavelengths is preferentially absorbed by the larger CDOM fractions, which show lesser photoactivity compared to smaller CDOM moieties.

Rehabilitation following total hip arthroplasty evaluation over short follow-up time: randomized clinical trial.

Unlabelled: Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease, and total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the surgical procedures of choice to improve the OA patient's quality of life. Without a rehabilitation program, THA patients will develop functional limitations. A randomized double-blind trial was performed between July 2009 and October 2011 to compare in a short follow-up time two groups of patients who underwent THA for OA.

Long-term duodenal levodopa infusion in Parkinson's disease: a 3-year motor and cognitive follow-up study.

Duodenal infusion of levodopa/carbidopa gel (Duodopa) is an effective treatment option for advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Long-term clinical experience up to 16 years suggests that the safety of this procedure is acceptable, while several observational studies showed that Duodopa reduces motor fluctuations and dyskinesias improving patients' quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study is to investigate the long-term motor and cognitive outcome of Duodopa treatment in advanced PD patients and its' impact on the QoL.

Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation outcome in young onset Parkinson's disease: a role for age at disease onset?

Background: Patients with young onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD) are often candidates for subthalamic nucleus-deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS). Nevertheless, few data have been reported on the long term STN-DBS clinical outcome of YOPD versus non-young onset Parkinson's disease (n-YOPD) patients.

Aim: In this study, the issue of whether YOPD might represent a long term positive predictive factor for STN-DBS was addressed, comparing follow-up data for 20 YOPD and 40 n-YOPD patients (20 treated after <15 years of disease duration and 20 treated after ≥15 years of disease duration).

Beyond nine years of continuous subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease.

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus is an effective treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease. The benefits of bilateral subthalamic stimulation are well documented, and some studies reported outcomes with a follow-up of 5 to 6 years; nevertheless, few data are available beyond 5 years. We report a long-term prospective evaluation of 14 consecutive parkinsonian patients, treated by bilateral subthalamic stimulation for at least 9 years.

Design, recruitment, logistics, and data management of the GEHA (Genetics of Healthy Ageing) project.

In 2004, the integrated European project GEHA (Genetics of Healthy Ageing) was initiated with the aim of identifying genes involved in healthy ageing and longevity. The first step in the project was the recruitment of more than 2500 pairs of siblings aged 90 years or more together with one younger control person from 15 areas in 11 European countries through a coordinated and standardised effort. A biological sample, preferably a blood sample, was collected from each participant, and basic physical and cognitive measures were obtained together with information about health, life style, and family composition.

Akt downregulation by flavin oxidase-induced ROS generation mediates dose-dependent endothelial cell damage elicited by natural antioxidants.

High intake of natural antioxidants (NA) from plant-derived foods and beverages is thought to provide cardiovascular benefits. The endothelium plays a pivotal role in cardiovascular homeostasis, and for this reason, the molecular events resulting from NA actions on endothelial cells (ECs) are actively investigated. Here, we show the direct impact of two NA, coumaric acid and resveratrol, on intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, protein carbonylation, and cell physiology in human ECs.

Dipsogenic-like and behavioural effects of bombesin administered intracerebroventricularly to sheep.

Bombesin administered intracerebroventricularly both by bolus injection (3.0, 6.0, 12.

Heterogeneity of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the developing human fetal brain: regional distribution and characterization.

The ontogeny of muscarinic cholinergic receptors has been studied in different regions of the human fetal brain. For a comparison, the same study has been carried out on newborn and premature brain. Regarding on the areas examined (frontal cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, thalamus and basal ganglia) either an increase or a decrease of receptor density during gestation was observed.

Muscarinic receptor subclasses in the chick embryo retina: influence of corticosterone treatment.

The present study was performed on retinas of chick embryos receiving at day 8 of incubation an intracerebral injection of 0.02 microgram of corticosterone. We had previously shown with the use of [3H]quinuclidinylbenzilate [( 3H]QNB) that such treatment induced the appearance of two muscarinic binding sites in the treated retinas, whereas only one was detectable in the controls.

Heterogeneity of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the developing chick embryo retina.

Heterogeneity of muscarinic cholinergic receptors was investigated in chick embryo retina throughout development and in chicks immediately after hatching. The presence of a homogeneous receptor population was evidenced by antagonist binding. The affinity of antagonists increased up to day 14 of incubation, when synaptogenesis occurs.

Presence of high affinity dopamine receptors in estrone-induced, prolactin-secreting rat pituitary adenomas: a model for human prolactinomas.

Adenomatous cells obtained from a pituitary tumor induced in Fisher 344/Lis rats by the subcutaneous implantation of estrone (E1) were found to secrete large amounts of prolactin (PRL). The secretion of PRL was stimulated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and low concentrations of dopamine (DA), while micromolar concentrations of DA were inhibitory. High affinity binding sites for 3H-spiroperidol (3H-SPIR) were found to be present on the cells and to conform to the criteria of dopaminergic receptors.

Estrone-induced, prolactin-secreting and dopamine-sensitive rat pituitary tumor.

Prolactin (PRL)-secreting rat pituitary tumors were induced in female Fisher 344/Lis rats by s.c. implants of estrone (E1) pellets.

Sodium ions: their role and mechanism of action in the control of prolactin release.

The secretion of PRL by the pituitary gland is under a tonic inhibitory control exerted by dopamine. However, the mechanisms involved in this inhibition remain to be completely defined. We have investigated the effects of sodium removal in the incubation medium on baseline PRL, on the inhibitory effects exerted by bromocriptine, haloperidol and cobalt, and on the stimulatory action of TRH and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) on PRL release by enzymatically dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells in primary culture.

Interaction of sulpiride with human pituitary dopaminergic receptors is sodium dependent.

The effects of various drugs on [3H]-spiroperidol binding to human anterior pituitary and prolactinoma membranes are studied in the presence and in the absence of sodium chloride in the incubation medium. It is shown that in the absence of NaCl, 1-sulpiride is significantly less potent in displacing the radioactive ligand from its dopaminergic binding sites than in the presence of NaCl. On the contrary, the interaction of neuroleptics (d-butaclamol and haloperidol) and dopamine agonists (apomorphine and bromocriptine) was unaffected by the NaCl conditions.

Dopaminergic binding sites in human pituitary adenomas other than prolactinomas.

Binding studies of [3H]-spiroperidol, a potent dopamine antagonist, were performed on dispersed cells obtained from 2 mixed PRL- and GH-secreting adenomas, 3 GH-secreting adenomas and 4 'nonsecreting' pituitary tumors. Saturable, high affinity binding sites for [3H]-spiroperidol were identified in the two adenomas of mixed PRL and GH secretion, in 2 of 3 GH-secreting adenomas and in 2 of 4 'nonsecreting' adenomas. These data indicate that dopaminergic binding sites are present in some GH-secreting adenomas in the absence of PRL hypersecretion and in some 'nonsecreting' pituitary adenomas.

Postreceptorial refractoriness of prolactin release mechanisms.

While a first injection of the antidopaminergic benzamide drug, sulpiride, induced a large rise in plasma prolactin (PRL) levels in chronically cannulated adult male rats, a second injection given 2 h later was totally inactive although the pituitary content of the hormone was still 76% of the initial value. When the second injection was given 8 h after the first it was slightly effective, but when administered 24 h later it was as effective as the first. The second of two consecutive injections of haloperidol given at 2-h intervals, or an injection of morphine given 2 h after sulpiride, were incapable of inducing a release of PRL.

Human ceruminous glands: a histochemical study.

Human ceruminous glands were treated for the histochemical demonstration of glycoproteins and of several enzymatic activities. Neutral mucopolysaccharides were detected in the cytoplasm and pigment granules of the epithelial cells, and acid glycoproteins were recognized only in a thin apical zone corresponding to the glycocalyx. Lysosomal enzymes were demonstrated within cytoplasmic granules, while peroxidase, G6PD and 6PGD showed a diffuse reactivity through the entire cytoplasm of the secretory cells.