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Characterization and modeling of biological neural networks has emerged as a field driving significant advancements in our understanding of brain function and related pathologies. As of today, pharmacological treatments for neurological disorders remain limited, pushing the exploration of promising alternative approaches such as electroceutics. Recent research in bioelectronics and neuromorphic engineering have fostered the development of the new generation of neuroprostheses for brain repair. However, achieving their full potential necessitates a deeper understanding of biohybrid interaction. In this study, we present a novel real-time, biomimetic, cost-effective and user-friendly neural network capable of real-time emulation for biohybrid experiments. Our system facilitates the investigation and replication of biophysically detailed neural network dynamics while prioritizing cost-efficiency, flexibility and ease of use. We showcase the feasibility of conducting biohybrid experiments using standard biophysical interfaces and a variety of biological cells as well as real-time emulation of diverse network configurations. We envision our system as a crucial step towards the development of neuromorphic-based neuroprostheses for bioelectrical therapeutics, enabling seamless communication with biological networks on a comparable timescale. Its embedded real-time functionality enhances practicality and accessibility, amplifying its potential for real-world applications in biohybrid experiments., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

. The nurses' strike in the United Kingdom: an overview of the reasons, debate and implications., Introduction: In the UK, where the National Health Service (NHS) was founded, one of the most important and long-lasting strikes in nursing is taking place., Aim: To understand the historical, professional, political/social reasons for the UK nurse's strike., Method: Historical, scientific literature and data from key informant interviews have been analysed. Data has been summarized narratively., Results: On 15th December 2022, more than 100,000 NHS nurses went on strike in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales asking for an increased salary; on the 6th and 7th of February and 1st of March the protest has continued. By improving pay, nurses believe the attractiveness of the profession can increase and counteract the loss of nurses who are leaving the public for the private sector, and the lack of attractiveness of the profession towards young people. The strike is organized by the Royal College of Nursing in a structured form which gives nurses precise information on how it should be explained to patients: according to a survey, 79% of the population supports the nurses' strike. However, not all agree with this strike action., Discussion: The media, social media and professional debate is passionate with some polarization between who is in favor and who is against. Nurses strike not only for better wages but also to increase patient safety. What we see in the UK today is the result of years of austerity, lack of investment and health priorities: a similar situation experienced in several countries as well.

Background and Objective: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common form of nerve entrapment. Clinically, various signs and symptoms compare due to overexposure to mechanical vibrations transmitted to the wrist bones and cartilage, resulting in compression of the sensory and motor nerve fibers of the median nerve. Early symptoms include nocturnal paresthesia and electromyography reveals reduced sensory nerve conduction velocity. Aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a dietary integrator composed of acetyl-L-carnitine, α-lipoic acid, quercetin, bromelain, pantothenic acid, C and B1 and B2 and B6 and B12 vitamins in patients with early (minimal) carpal tunnel syndrome., Methods: 36 patients (28 female and 8 male) with early CTS characterized by sensory nerve demyelination and inflammation of the transverse carpal ligament. Patients were divided into two groups, group A (18 patients received physical therapy) and group B (18 patients received physical therapy and an oral integrator). Clinical (sleep quality questionnaire to measure severity of paresthesia) and neurophysiological assessment (Sensory Nerve Conduction Velocity) performed at baseline, and then at 30 and 60 days after treatment., Results: Sleep quality and Sensory Nerve Conduction Velocity data analysis show improvement in both groups at 30 and 60 days, with statistical difference between them in both time of analysis., Conclusion: In the early CTS, with sensory fibers damage, use of dietary integrator, such as Micronil Dol®, composed of acetyl-L-carnitine, α-lipoic acid, quercetin, bromelain, pantothenic acid, C and B1 and B2 and B6 and B12 vitamins can be effective in quick recovery of median nerve sensory., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Introduction: Left atrial diverticula (LAD) have been reported to be (1) at risk for intracavitary thrombosis and cardiac perforation during ablation and (2) sites of extrapulmonary vein foci. In atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, their presence might undermine procedure safety and efficacy. This observational study evaluates the morphology and clinical impact of LAD in patients undergoing AF ablation., Methods and Results: Consecutive patients undergoing computed tomography scan (Aquilion 64, Toshiba, Otawara, Japan) and AF ablation with imaging integration (CARTO 3 Merge, Biosense Webster, CA, USA) in our center were included. Morphologic analysis was performed by 2 independent radiologists. Ablation was obtained by irrigated radiofrequency energy (Navistar Thermocool or Thermocool SF, Biosense Webster). Out of 212 patients, 58 (27.3%) had LAD; 74.4% of LAD were located in the anterosuperomedial left atrium. In patients with and without LAD, the prevalence of prior cerebrovascular events was similarly low. The rate of major periprocedure complications did not differ significantly: 1.7% versus 2.6% (P = 1) in patients with and without LAD, respectively. However, 1 case of cardiac perforation occurred during ablation in a diverticulum. During follow-up, survival free from arrhythmia recurrences was comparable in the 2 groups., Conclusion: LAD are present in about one-fourth of patients undergoing AF ablation and, in general, they have no impact on its safety and efficacy. However, occasionally, radiofrequency energy delivery in a LAD can cause tissue overheating and perforation., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

This study was undertaken to assess the reproducibility of office versus ambulatory heart rates in 839 hypertensive subjects participating in the Hypertension and Ambulatory Recording Venetia Study (HARVEST). A 24-hour heart rate was recorded twice; this procedure was repeated three months later. Reproducibility was better for ambulatory than for office measurement, and was greater for 24-hour than for daytime heart rate, and lowest for night-time heart rate. Reproducibility of office heart rate was impaired above 85 bpm, and was poorer in subjects with more severe office hypertension. A small but significant decrease in average daytime (-1 bpm, P < 0.0001) and virtually no change in night-time heart rate (-0.3 bpm, NS) were observed at repeat recording. Heart rate reproducibility indices were related to the extent of the heart rate and blood pressure white-coat effect, but did not vary according to age, gender, body mass index, day-night blood pressure difference, or alcohol or tobacco use. Results indicate that heart rate recorded over the 24 hours has a better reproducibility than office heart rate, and could thus be a better prognostic indicator than traditional measurement of resting heart rate in the hospital setting.

Sixty-seven subjects with primary hypercholesterolemia were enrolled in an open study with "low dosages" of inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3methylglutaril coenzyme A reductase. Patients were randomized in comparative and parallel study with simvastatin 10 mg (30 subjects) and pravastatin 20 mg (27 subjects) once in the evening for a treatment period of 12 months. At the end of the treatment the plasma concentrations of total and LDL cholesterol were reduced respectively by 21% (p < 0.001) and 29% (p < 0.001), plasma triglyceride concentration was reduced by 16%, high density lipoprotein (HDL) was increased by 2.9%. The efficacy of drugs was increasing during the study: at the third month 63% of subjects and at the twelfth month 89% of subjects showed a LDL < 160 mg/dL. In this study the drugs were well-tolerated, but 11 subjects showed a slight and transitory increase of CK. A treated group with simvastatin showed a similar decrease of the total cholesterol and LDL as that one treated with pravastatin. Pravastatin in comparison with simvastatin reduced significantly plasma triglycerides. There was no significant difference between the groups in the frequency of drug-related adverse effects. In conclusion "low dosages" of simvastatin and pravastatin in long term treatment were very efficacious in the reduction of total and LDL cholesterol. In our study, the decrease of total and LDL cholesterol was time-dependent, with the greatest reduction after sixth months. There were no significant differences between 10 mg of simvastatin and 20 mg of pravastatin on reduction of total and LDL cholesterol levels. Triglycerides decreased significantly only with pravastatin.

Objective: To study the relationship of urinary albumin excretion to ambulatory blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors in borderline to mild hypertension., Patients and Methods: We studied 779 patients with borderline to mild hypertension (mean +/- SEM age 33 +/- 0.3 years; mean +/- SEM office blood pressure 146 +/- 0.4/94 +/- 0.2 mmHg) at 17 hypertension clinics in northeast Italy. Office and 24-h blood pressures were recorded with simultaneous urine collection for albumin measurement. In 510 subjects, left ventricular mass was measured by echocardiography., Results: Subjects with overt (> or = 30 mg/24 h) and borderline (16-29 mg/24 h) microalbuminuria had similar 24-h blood pressure levels, higher than those in the subjects without microalbuminuria. In the univariate and multiple regression analyses the albumin excretion rate was closely correlated with 24-h systolic blood pressure and not related to age, body mass index, metabolic parameters, lifestyle factor and degree of left ventricular hypertrophy., Conclusions: Borderline values of urinary albumin excretion (16-29 mg/24 h) may be clinically relevant in subjects with borderline to mild hypertension. Renal and cardiac damage do not develop in parallel in the initial phases of hypertension.

A 34-year man was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of hypoglycemia. The endocrine investigations indicated adrenocortical insufficiency secondary to isolated ACTH deficiency: low ACTH and cortisol plasma levels, significant increase of cortisol following prolonged stimulation with depot tetracosactrin, normal secretory reserve of other anterior pituitary hormones. The absence of ACTH-response after corticotropin releasing hormone and insulin tolerance tests suggested a primary impairment of corticotropin cells.

AGAPE (Computer-based Outpatients' Clinic Programme) is a programme for IBM-compatible microcomputers realised by physicians for the management of hypertensive patients. The programme is planned to make the operators' work complete and expeditious while, at the same time, respecting the standard formulation of the clinical approach to the patient. The collection, organisation, recording and communication of data are handled on line by the programme under the operator's control. Special attention has been given to the control of the quality of the data collected as well as to their easy use for clinical, research and statistical purposes. This programme was used for 52 months in a hypertension clinic where physicians and nurses work jointly. Up to April 1989, 1924 new patient visits and 10,639 control visits together with 3,375 groups of lab tests were inserted. The mean training time for new operators was 3.2 hours; the mean data insertion time was 12.5 minutes for the first visit, 3 minutes for the subsequent visits and 2.5 minutes for lab tests. The drop-outs, evaluated at one-year follow-up on each 250 patients before and after the introduction of the computerized system, were 84/250 and 64/250 respectively (p less than 0.05), with a trend to wards the better control of hypertension (diastolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg, 128/250 vs 143/250, n.s.).

A non fatal case of Human Herpes Simplex hepatitis is presented, and the features of 15 previously reported cases are briefly reviewed. The patient, an otherwise normal middle-aged woman, presented as acutely ill, with typical mucocutaneous lesions, but recovered in a few days. Liver biopsy showed multiple focal areas of cellular necrosis with marked inflammatory infiltration, but without evidence of intranuclear eosinophilic inclusions. The possible underestimation of cases of Herpes Simplex hepatitis is proposed.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes in urinary micro-albumin and in serum and urinary beta 2-microglobulin during treatment with captopril at low doses in a group of hypertensive outpatients without any sign of renal impairment. Thirty-four patients with essential hypertension entered the study, all having been treated for at least one year with beta-blockers and diuretics. None had proteinuria (by Albustix) and creatinine clearance was normal. The patients were randomly allocated to two groups: the first group was maintained on the previous regimen (group BD) and the second received captopril 50 mg twice daily instead of the beta-blocker (group CD). During the year of observation blood pressure values and serum and urinary beta 2-microglobulin were not significantly different between the two groups. There was, however, a significant reduction in albumin excretion rate (AER) in the CD group at both 3 and 6 months. Since arterial measures did not differ between the two groups, it is proposed that the reduction of AER was due to a diminution of the transcapillary hydraulic pressure due to the inhibition of the intrarenal angiotensin II induced by captopril.

Among the various syndromes caused by excess mineralocorticoids, the factitious syndrome produced by excessive 9-alpha-fluorprednisolone inhalations is more common than might be expected, especially in places where the drug is easily obtained without a doctor's prescription. A fairly typical case of addiction to a nasal spray containing ephedrine hydrochloride and an imidazoline compound as well as the steroid is described. The diagnosis of the case is analysed with details of certain differences from similar cases reported in the literature and the modifications to clinical and instrumental parameters achieved after over two months' treatment with spironolactone are described.

Prolactin (PRL) and thyrotropin (TSH) serum levels were determined in a group of young female heroin addicts treated in hospital with methadone in tapered doses. At admission, from 24 to 3 h after the last dose of 'street' heroin, basal PRL values were 21 +/- 2.6 ng/ml, i.e. significantly higher (P less than 0.001) than in controls: 9.8 +/- 0.7; there was no significant differences of basal TSH values between heroin addicts and normal subjects: 2.5 +/- 0.2 vs. 2.2 +/- 0.1 mu units/ml, respectively. The day after admission, when methadone treatment was begun, the PRL and TSH pituitary response to thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) 200 micrograms i.v. in 12 patients was studied. The PRL response was significantly reduced (P less than 0.001) in heroin addicts vs. controls, the mean values of highest percent increments over basal were 368 +/- 41.8 and 847 +/- 80.7, respectively. The TSH response in the two groups was similar, the mean highest per cent increment over basal 393 +/- 53.4 in heroin addicts vs. 367 +/- 39.2 in controls. The increase of the PRL basal concentration and its decreased pituitary response following TRH were probably related to a change in the tuberoinfundibolar dopaminergic system (TIDA) because of a chronic intake of opiates whereas the impaired function of the dopaminergic system did not alter the thyrotropin pituitary secretion.