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Associative plasticity, the neurophysiological bases of Hebbian learning, has been implied in the formation of the association between sensory and motor representations of actions in the Mirror Neuron System; however, such inductor role still needs empirical support. We have assessed whether Paired Associative Stimulation (PAS), known to activate Hebbian associative plasticity, can induce the formation of atypical (absent in normal conditions), visuo-motor associations, reshaping motor resonance. Healthy participants underwent a novel PAS protocol (mirror-PAS, m-PAS), during which they were exposed to repeated pairings of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied over the right primary motor cortex (M1), time-locked with the view of index-finger movements of the right (ipsilateral) hand. In a first experiment, the inter-stimulus interval (ISI) between visual-action stimuli and TMS pulses was varied. Before and after each m-PAS session, motor resonance was assessed by recording Motor Evoked Potentials induced by single-pulse TMS applied to the right M1, during the observation of both contralateral (left) and ipsilateral (right) index-finger movements. In the second experiment, the specificity of the m-PAS was assessed by presenting a visual stimulus depicting a non-biological movement. Before m-PAS, the facilitation of corticospinal excitability occurred only during the view of contralateral (with respect to the TMS side) index-finger movements. The m-PAS induced new ipsilateral motor resonance responses, indexed by atypical facilitation of corticospinal excitability by the view of ipsilateral hand movements. This effect occurred only if the associative stimulation followed the chronometry of motor control (ISI of 25 ms) and if the visual stimulus of the m-PAS depicts a biological movement (human hand action). The present findings provide the first empirical evidence that Hebbian learning induced by a PAS protocol shapes the visual-motor matching properties of the human Mirror Neuron System. • Paired Associative Stimulation induces atypical visuo-motor associations. • Hebbian learning mediates the visuo-motor properties of the Mirror Neuron System. • Motor resonance in humans can be re-shaped by Paired Associative Stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Italian philosopher Umberto Campagnolo was a unique player in the Cold War years, being determined to bring about a dialogue between men of culture on intellectuals' function in society and on European identity beyond the East-West divide. Following the evolution of the politically independent Société européenne de culture founded by Campagnolo in 1950, this essay is based on its periodical Comprendre in order to outline the critical reception of the philosopher's idea of a universal civilization built on the undogmatic features of Christianity and capable of understanding reality from an historical point of view (the «civilisation de l'universel»). Though mistaken for a neo-colonialist concept, the «civilisation de l'universel» entrusted Europe with the responsibility of fostering peace through its values at a time when a reconsideration of its identity was needed due to growing political and economic integration and the decolonization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the last few years, novel robotic technology has been developed that has the potential to improve upper extremity function after spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, and other neurological diseases. Three generations of the arm therapy robot ARMin were developed and clinically evaluated on many patients. Key focus was on the training of functional tasks incorporating activities of daily living (ADL) with large range of motion of the entire arm in order to enhance transfer to daily life and improve quality of life. Encouraged by the promising results in first single-case studies performed with ARMin I and ARMin II, an optimized ARMin III was developed and duplicated and is currently being used within a 4-center randomized clinical trial. A fourth generation of ARMin is currently under development that will have further functional benefits with respect to patient-cooperative control and therapy assessment. Intellectual property has been identified for technology transfer and commercial exploitation. The continuation of the clinical research and the future product development and commercialization may satisfy the pressing socioeconomic need to improve quality of life of the disabled subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which examines the reproductive isolation or compatibility levels among syntopic taxa in the Sylvia cantillans species in the mainland sites of Italy. The study provides a new data on the coexistence of both taxa, and offers details on the abundance of each taxon as well as presents observations regarding the bird's interspecific behavior in the mainland areas. The study also looks into a data about the overlap between heterospecific terrotories and habitat features which offers differences on areas defended by pairs of the two taxa. Findings of the study suggest that the lack of syntopic interbreeding will result to different behavior of species.

Few data are available on childhood Helicobacter pylori gastritis and its relation to age. We investigated pathologic changes in gastric mucosa of children and adults of different age. Materials and Methods: Gastric mucosa specimens of 74 children (age range 1-18 years) were compared with those of 51 adults (age range, 2970). All had H. pylori gastritis without peptic ulcer. Morphologic analysis according to the Updated Sydney System and morphometric analysis to determine inflammatory cell the density (cell/mm2) were performed. Results: Pangastritis was less frequent in children (92% vs. 100% in adults, p = 0.03) and morphologic scores were significantly lower in children than in adults (4 vs. 6, p = 0.0002 in the antrum; 4 vs. 7, p = 0.000 in the corpus). Children had lower density of all cell types, and lower frequency of neutrophils' infiltration than adults in the corpus (54% vs. 78%, p < 0.009). In both groups a significant correlation was found between morphologic scores and neutrophils' density in the antrum (r = 0.608, p < 0.0001 in children; r = 0.881, p < 0.0001 in adults) and in the corpus (r = 0.780, p < 0.0001 in children; r = 0.908, p < 0.0001 in adults). Atrophic gastritis (4%) and intestinal metaplasia (1%) were exceptional in children and significantly more frequent in adults. Conclusions: Inflammation in childhood H. pylori gastritis is milder than in adults because of lower neutrophil prevalence and density in gastric mucosa. Pangastritis is less frequent in children but a constant finding in adults. Atrophy and intestinal metaplasia are rare in childhood gastritis. There is a good correlation between morphologic scores and morphometric evaluation of H. pylori gastritis both in children and adults. The Updated Sydney System seems suitable for evaluation of gastritis also in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histological criteria for the diagnosis of reflux esophagitis include basal zone hyperplasia, stromal papillae elongation, and inflammatory infiltrate. However, endoscopic esophageal biopsy specimens may include little or no lamina propria. Intraepithelial T lymphocytes, seen in hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections as cells with irregular nuclear contours (CINC), may have a higher density in children with esophagitis. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a numerical score built up by grading the "classical" parameters and its correlation with CINC density in grasp biopsy specimens obtained from children undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy with and without esophagitis. We analyzed esophageal biopsy specimens from 349 children (median age, 5 years) subdivided in 4 groups according to the previous routine histology report: group 1, 144 children with esophagitis; group 2, 65 controls; group 3, 51 children with dubious esophagitis; and group 4, 75 children with esophagitis on endoscopy but a normal histology report. A numerical value was assigned to each parameter; the sum of these values represented the histological score. We also evaluated intraepithelial CINC density (ie, number of CINC per high-power field). We separately analyzed histological sections with and without lamina propria. For both total score and for CINC density, we calculated a cutoff using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Cutoffs of 6 for score and of 4 for CINC density provided the best sensitivity and specificity. Sensitivity of the histological score was better in biopsy specimens containing lamina propria (94%) than in those without lamina propria (4%). Sensitivity of CINC density was satisfactory in both specimens with (78%) and without (75%) lamina propria. Specificity was satisfactory for both parameters. In conclusion, when lamina propria was present in sections of endoscopic esophageal biopsy specimens, histological score provided a better diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of esophagitis. However, when no lamina propria was present, as was the case in 67% of our children, CINC density had better sensitivity. In addition, this latter parameter showed esophageal mucosa damage in 34% of previously dubious cases or cases with esophagitis at endoscopy but a previous routine histology report of normal mucosa.

We mechanocardiographically evaluated 50 patients with acute myocardial infarction, invasively monitored by Swan-Ganz catheters, in order to assess if mechanocardiography could provide reliable hemodynamic informations. The last 25 subjects were also studied by pulsed Doppler echocardiography. Our results confirm the high precision of apexcardiography in assessing mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (r = 0.91) while Doppler echocardiography proved itself better than mechanocardiography in assessing cardiac output (r = 0.82 vs r = 0.78). Moreover, Doppler echocardiography allowed a good estimation of mean pulmonary artery pressure (r = 0.81) which cannot be assessed by other noninvasive methods. However, we could not find any clinically useful relationship between Doppler mitralic flow characteristics and mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. Therefore noninvasive methods could represent a valid alternative to right heart catheterization provided that an integrated Doppler echocardiographic and mechanocardiographic approach is used.