code: def import_item(name):
      
      package = '.'.join(name.split('.')[0:-1])
      obj = name.split('.')[-1]
  
      if package:
          module = __import__(package,fromlist=[obj])
          return module.__dict__[obj]
      else:
          return __import__(obj)
docs: Useful for importing nested modules such as pymc.gp.cov_funs.isotropic_cov_funs.
  
      Updated with code copied from IPython under a BSD license.