Search

To develop and validate a quick observational clinical tool, the Functional ASsessment Test for Upper Limb (FAST-UL), for the evaluation of upper limb impairment in goal-directed functional-oriented motor tasks after stroke.Observational, cross-sectional, psychometric study.Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation clinic.A total of 188 post-stroke survivors (mean age 65.2±17.7 years, 61% men, 48% with ischemic stroke and 66% in the sub-acute phase; N=188).Not applicable.Principal component analysis and Rasch analysis through a Partial Credit Model were used to assess the structure and psychometric properties of the 5 items of the FAST-UL (Hand to Mouth [HtM], Reach to Target, Prono-Supination, Grasp and Release, and Pinch and Release [PaR]).The Cronbach's α equal to 0.96 was indicative of an acceptable internal consistency; the reliability, as measured through the Person Separation Reliability equal to 0.87, was good. The FAST-UL tool was unidimensional. All the FAST-UL items were found to fit well the Rasch measurement model. The easiest to perform FAST-UL item was the HtM movement while the most difficult was the PaR movement.The FAST-UL is a quick, easy-to-administer observational assessment tool of upper limb motor impairment in post-stroke survivors with good item-level psychometric properties.

In this paper, an example of the application of two chemometric class-modeling tools (SIMCA and UNEQ) to the pattern recognition of Italian extra virgin oils from three different Protected Denominations of Origin is reported. In particular, 200 oil samples from three different PDOs of Sicily (Monte Etna, Valli Trapanesi and Monti Iblei; harvests 2002 and 2003) have been considered. The models built using the whole data set (22 chemical and physico-chemical indices were determined on each sample) resulted in 87% (SIMCA) or 77% (UNEQ) predictive ability, as evaluated by leave-one-out cross-validation. Therefore, SIMCA seems to perform better on the complete data set. A further investigation on the subsets from each of the two production years has shown that the 2003 data (mainly from the category Valli Trapanesi) are significantly different from the 2002 ones. Interestingly, when performing class-modeling on each of these two subsets, UNEQ provides better (or at least comparable) results than SIMCA.

This work is the logical consecution of our previous investigation on the classification of “monocultivar” olive oils, in which 153 samples from the five cultivars Carboncella, Frantoio, Leccino, Moraiolo and Pendolino [harvested from 1997 to 1999, in the same geographical area (Sabina, Lazio)] were discriminated according to their variety, using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Back-propagation Artificial Neural Network (BP-ANN). This study has been now extended to include 50 new samples from three (Frantoio, Leccino, Moraiolo) of the previously examined cultivars and 373 samples from other nine olive varieties (Minuta, Moraiolo, Nocellara del Belice, Nociara, Ortice, Ortolana, Ottobratica, Peranzana, Racioppella and Sinopolese). These new samples were harvested from 1996 to 2000 in six Italian regions (Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Molise, Puglia and Sicilia). Kennard-Stone algorithm was used to partition the samples into the training and test sets and the value of Fisher F-ratio was computed to identify the most discriminating indices in order to reduce the number of input variables. A first study, restricted to the original five cultivars only, showed that 12 variables are necessary in the best LDA model, which was able to correctly recognize 92.7% of the training samples and to correctly predict 90.6% of the test set. On the other hand, the first seven variables only were necessary to obtain a null prediction error over the test and validation set samples using BP-ANN. In a successive stage, ANNs have been used to extend the study to all the 14 cultivars (576 samples). In this case, the first 16 variables according to the value of Fisher F-ratio were included in the best classification model. This model was able to correctly recognize all the samples in the training set (RMS

In this work a supervised chemometric approach to the discrimination of Italian honey samples from different floral origin is presented. The analytical data of 73 Italian honey samples from six varieties (chestnut, eucalyptus, heather, sulla, honeydew, and wildflower) have been processed by Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), using two different variable selection procedures (Fisher F-based and stepwise LDA). Three and two variables, respectively have been necessary to obtain a 100% predictive ability as evaluated by cross-validation. Successively, a class modeling approach has been followed, using UNEQ. The resulting models showed 100% sensitivity and specificity.

The oil extracted from the seeds of niger (Guizotia Abyssinica), collected from 6 different regions of Ethiopia and India, was characterized in terms of its fatty acid, sterol and triglyceride distribution and of its total tocopherol content. Where available, the results have been compared with those reported in the literature or with data on oils from the same botanical family (Compositae). The analytical data have then been elaborated by supervised pattern recognition techniques (Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Artifical Neural Network (ANN)) in order to authenticate the geographical origin of the samples. Eight and 11 variables were necessary to achieve a complete discrimination respectively of the country and of the region of origin of the oils under exam, when using LDA, whereas ANN required a smaller number of experimental variables (4 and 6), due to its non-linearity.

Supervised pattern recognition appears to be a useful tool to authenticate foodstuffs according to their geographical or varietal origin, when a set of samples whose classification is known a priori are available. In this work, linear discriminant analysis and artificial neural networks trained by the back-propagation algorithm have been used to discriminate rice bran oils manufactured in three different countries (Italy, Thailand and Switzerland) according to their geographical origin. The variables to be included in the mathematical models have been chosen by means of Fisher F-ratio value among the chemical indices routinely determined on vegetable oils (particularly fatty acids, triglycerides and sterol composition). The prediction ability of all the classifiers was 100% as evaluated by cross-validation.

A sensitive spectrophotometric method for the determination of ethanol with potassium dichromate was developed. Chromium(VI), in 7 mol L-1 perchloric acid, reacts quantitatively with ethanol to form chromium(III) and acetic acid. The reaction is complete in about 15 min at room temperature and the chromium(VI) consumed may be determined by the decrease of the absorbance at 267 nm. The analytical working parameters (such as acidity and ionic strength of the solution, temperature and time of the reaction, chromium(VI) concentration, matrix interferences) were optimized. The apparent molar absorptivities of chromium(VI), in the monomer and dimer form, and the equilibrium quotient for the dimerization reaction were determined in 3 mol L-1 perchloric acid solution. The method was applied to the analysis of micro samples of commercial beverages (beers, wines and spirits) without the previous distillation of ethanol.

A sensitive, simple, rapid and precise method for the simultaneous determination of fosinopril (FOS) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) in pharmaceutical formulations is presented. These active ingredients are extracted in aqueous solution and measured by multiwavelength UV spectrophotometry using the program QUEST. HCT acts as an internal standard to verify the accuracy of the analysis. Some aspects of the chemical, spectroscopic and thermoanalytical behaviour of FOS are also reported.

The neural mechanisms underlying unintended mirror movements (MMs) of one hand during unimanual movements of the other hand in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are largely unexplored. Here we used surface electromyographic (EMG) analysis and focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to investigate the pathophysiological substrate of MMs in four PD patients. Surface EMG was recorded from both abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscles. Cross-correlation EMG analysis revealed no common motor drive to the two APBs during intended unimanual tasks. Focal TMS of either primary motor cortex (M1) elicited normal motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in the contralateral APB, whereas MEPs were not seen in the ipsilateral hand. During either mirror or voluntary APB contraction, focal TMS of the contralateral M1 produced a long-lasting silent period (SP), whereas stimulation of the ipsilateral M1 produced a short-lasting SP. During either mirror or voluntary finger tapping, 5 Hz repetitive TMS (rTMS) of the contralateral M1 disrupted EMG activity in the target FDI, whereas the effects of rTMS of the ipsilateral M1 were by far slighter. During either mirror or voluntary APB contraction, paired-pulse TMS showed a reduction of short-interval intracortical inhibition in the contralateral M1. These findings provide converging evidence that, in PD, MMs do not depend on unmasking of ipsilateral projections but are explained by motor output along the crossed corticospinal projection from the mirror M1.

A simple, fast and relatively inexpensive spectrophotometric method for the identification and the quantification of the individual components of the Italian general denaturant in alcohol samples is proposed. In particular, it is shown that bitrex (a quaternary ammonium salt), whose UV spectrum is completely masked by those of the other denaturant components, can be identified using its reaction with disulphine blue VN-150 (an anionic dye indicator), which leads to the formation of an intensely colored ion-association complex (mole ratio 1:1), easily extractable in chloroform. As far as the quantitative detection is involved, it is however necessary to shake the chloroform phase in the presence of 1 mol L(-1) NaClO(4) aqueous solution because of the fast adsorption of the ion pair on the walls of the glass cell. Perchlorate anion, due to mass action, substitutes the anionic dye indicator in the association complex: as a consequence, disulphine blue passes to the aqueous phase, where its absorbance at lambda=640 nm is measured. On the other hand, C.I. Reactive Red 24 dye is easily identifiable from the visible spectrum of the product without any further pretreatment: its concentration can be determined measuring the absorbance at lambda=542 nm. Thiophene, being significantly more concentrated than the other components, can be identified from the UV spectrum of a 1:100 diluted solution of the alcohol sample and quantitatively determined measuring the absorbance at lambda=230 nm. Lastly, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) can be identified from the UV spectrum of a 1:5 diluted solution of the alcohol sample and quantitatively determined measuring the absorbance at lambda=273 nm. However, more accurate results can be obtained using a multiwavelength analysis in the range 220-250 and 250-310 nm for the determination of thiophene and MEK, respectively. Validation on standard denatured alcohol samples has proven the method to be both accurate and sufficiently precise (within- and between-days repeatability

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has been used to investigate drug-excipient interactions and, in consequence, their compatibility. In particular, binary mixtures of nefazodone with magnesium stearate and lactose, and fosinopril with the same excipients were prepared and analysed, after proper conditioning. The thermoanalytical results were compared with those obtained by spectroscopic (UV, IR) and chromatographic (HPLC) analysis. We believe that changes in DSC runs cannot always be a sufficient condition to prove that some interaction occurs between drug and excipient during storage at room temperature. Some data on the spectroscopic characteristics of nefazodone and fosinopril drugs and their thermal behaviour are also reported.

The spectroscopic characteristics (IR and diffuse reflectance) and thermal properties (TG, DSC) of the solid compounds obtained by the direct reaction of pyrazine-2-carboxylic acid with manganese(II), iron(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) are reported and discussed. The stoichiometry and thermal stability order of the compounds obtained are determined and their structures hypothesized.

Gabapentin has been administered in placebo-controlled studies with a thrice daily (T.I.D.) schedule, because of its short half-life. However, clinical efficacy does not seem strictly related to plasma levels: a twice daily (B.I.D.) schedule might therefore be possible. The aim of our study was to verify if the conversion from a T.I.D. to a B.I.D. regimen affected the efficacy and safety of gabapentin therapy. Out of 171 patients treated with add-on gabapentin, we selected 29 stable responders, who were followed for three months with a T.I.D. schedule and then switched to B.I.D. regimen for further three months. Seizure number, side-effects and trough plasma levels of gabapentin were collected during both periods. Gabapentin mean dose was 2117.2 mg/day. Mean number of seizures/months was: 4.2 at baseline, 1.0 during the T.I.D., and 0.9 during the B.I.D. period. Mean trough plasma level of gabapentin was 5.9 μ g/ml during the T.I.D. and 5.2 μ g/ml during the B.I.D. period. Twelve side-effects were reported by 11 patients during the T.I.D. and 6 by 5 patients during the B.I.D. period., sedation and vertigo were the most frequent in both. Results of our study suggest that gabapentin can be administered safely and effectively either with a T.I.D. and a B.I.D. regimen.