How Task Interactivity Shapes Action Observation.

Action observation triggers imitation, a powerful mechanism permitting interpersonal coordination. Coordination, however, also occurs when the partners' actions are nonimitative and physically incongruent. One influential theory postulates that this is achieved via top-down modulation of imitation exerted by prefrontal regions. Here, we rather argue that coordination depends on sharing a goal with the interacting partner: this shapes action observation, overriding involuntary imitation, through the predictive activity of the left ventral premotor cortex (lvPMc). During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), participants played music in turn with a virtual partner in interactive and noninteractive conditions requiring 50% of imitative/nonimitative responses. In a full-factorial design, both perceptual features and low-level motor requirements were kept constant throughout the experiment. Behaviorally, the interactive context minimized visuomotor interference due to the involuntary imitation of physically incongruent movements. This was paralleled by modulation of neural activity in the lvPMc, which was specifically recruited during the interactive task independently of the imitative/nonimitative nature of the social exchange. This lvPMc activity reflected the predictive decoding of the partner's actions, as revealed by multivariate pattern analysis. This demonstrates that, during interactions, we process our partners' behavior to prospectively infer their contribution to the shared goal achievement, generating motor predictions for cooperation beyond low-level imitation.

Heart Rate Variability reveals the fight between racially biased and politically correct behaviour.

In this study, we explored vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) responses, a psychophysiological index of cognitive self-regulatory control, to map the dynamics associated with empathic responses for pain towards an out-group member. Accordingly, Caucasian participants were asked to judge the experience of African and Caucasian actors touched with either a neutral or a harmful stimulus. Results showed that (1) explicit judgment of pain intensity in African actors yielded higher rating score and (2) took longer time compared to Caucasian actors, (3) these behavioural outcomes were associated with a significant increment of RMSSD, Log-HF-HRV and HF-HRV n.u., (4) resting HF-HRV n.u. predicted the participants' lag-time to judge painful stimulations delivered to African actors. Interestingly, these dynamics were associated with a measure of implicit racial attitudes and were, in part, abolished when participants performed a concurrent task during videos presentation. Taken together our results support the idea that a cognitive effort is needed to self-regulate our implicit attitude as predicted by the 'Contrasting Forces Model'.

Novel nanostructured scaffold for osteochondral regeneration: pilot study in horses.

The present in vivo preliminary experiment is aimed at testing mechanical and biological behaviour of a new nano-structured composite multilayer biomimetic scaffold for the treatment of chondral and osteochondral defects. The three-dimensional biomimetic scaffold (Fin-Ceramica Faenza S.p.A., Faenza-Italy) was obtained by nucleating collagen fibrils with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, in two configurations, bi- and tri-layered, to reproduce, respectively, chondral and osteochondral anatomy. Chondral defects (lateral condyle) and deep osteochondral defects (medial condyle) were made in the distal epiphysis of the third metacarpal bone of both forelimbs of two adult horses and treated respectively with the chondral and osteochondral grafts. Both animals were euthanised six months follow up. The images obtained at the second look arthroscopy evaluation, performed two months after surgery, demonstrated good filling of the chondral and osteo-chondral defects without any inflammatory reaction around and inside the lesions. At the histological analysis the growth of trabecular bone in the osteochondral lesion was evident. Only in one case, the whole thickness of the osteochondral lesion was filled by fibrocartilaginous tissue. The formation of a tidemark line was evident at the interface with the newly formed bone. Newly formed fibrocartilaginous tissue was present in the area of the chondral defect. Initial alignment of the collagen fibres was recognisable with polarised light in both groups. The results of the present pilot study showed that this novel osteochondral and chondral scaffold may act as a suitable matrix to facilitate orderly regeneration of bone and hyaline-like cartilage.

[Rotator cuff rupture in the shoulder impingement syndrome. Echography and arthrography: 2 diagnostic methods compared]. / Rottura della cuffia dei rotatori nella sindrome da attrito della spalla. Ecografia e artrografia: due metodiche diagnostiche a confronto.

After briefly reviewing the shoulder impingement syndrome, the authors investigate the role of two diagnostic imaging methods, i.e., ultrasonography (US) and arthrography, in demonstrating the typical features of this condition. Over a 15 months' period, 190 patients suffering from shoulder pain were examined with arthrography; 50 of them subsequently underwent acromion plastic surgery and rotator cuff stitching. This study was aimed at comparing US and arthrographic results, applying classifiable criteria to make the most accurate diagnosis of rotator cuff tears. The lack of visibility of the rotator cuff at US was the major and clearest sign of tear (100% of cases). The association between cuff thinning and hypo/hyperechoic damaged focal areas was another major sign (in 76.19% of complete tears and in 14.28% of incomplete tears). Hyperechoic focal areas alone proved to be a false-positive finding in 5 cases, while in 11 of 19 cases normal US patterns were a false-negative finding; in 3 cases other conditions were diagnosed. To conclude, the value of US is emphasized in the screening of the painful shoulder and the use of arthrography is suggested when both clinical tests and US fail to yield enough information for a diagnosis to be made.

[Acute pulmonary edema and a state of shock in a female patient with a penbutolol-treated pheochromocytoma]. / Edema polmonare acuto e stato di shock in una paziente affetta da feocromocitoma trattata con penbutololo.

A woman with "mild arterial hypertension" had a cardiogenic shock a few minutes after taking the first tablet of penbutolol. Subsequently, a suprarenal pheochromocytoma was discovered (and surgically excised, with stable recovery).