On the instability and constraints of the interaction between number representation and spatial attention in healthy humans: A concise review of the literature and new experimental evidence.

The relationship between number and space representation is still one of the most debated topics in studies of mathematical cognition. Here we offer a concise review of two important behavioral effects that have pointed out the use of a spatially left-to-right oriented mental number line (MNL) in healthy participants: the SNARC effect and the attentional SNARC effect (Att-SNARC). Following a brief summary of seminal investigations on the introspective properties of the MNL, we review recent empirical evidence and theories on the functional origin of the SNARC effect, where upon left/right response choices faster reaction times are found for small numbers with left-side responses and for large numbers with right-side responses. Then we offer a summary of the studies that have investigated whether the mere perception of visual Arabic numbers presented at central fixation can engender spatially congruent lateral shifts of attention, ie, leftward for small numbers and rightward for large ones, ie, the Att-SNARC effect. Finally, we summarize four experiments that tested whether the Att-SNARC depends on an active rather than passive processing of centrally presented digit cues. In line with other recent studies, these experiment do not replicate the original Att-SNARC and show that the mere perception of Arabic numerals does not trigger automatic shifts of attention. These shifts are instead found when the task requires the explicit left/right spatial coding of digit cues, ie, Spatial Att-SNARC (Fattorini et al., 2015b). Nonetheless, the reliability of the Spatial Att-SNARC effect seems not as strong as that of conventional SNARC effects where left/right codes are mapped onto responses rather than directly mapped on digit cues. Comparing the magnitude of digits to a numerical reference, ie, "5," also produced a Magnitude Comparison Att-SNARC that was weaker than the spatial one. However, the reliability of this Magnitude Comparison Att-SNARC should be considered with caution because, like in a study by Zanolie and Pecher (2014), we recently failed to replicate this effect in a separate behavioral-event-related potentials study in preparation (Fattorini et al., 2015a). All together the results from the present series of experiments support the hypothesis that spatial coding is not an intrinsic part of number representation and that number-space interaction is determined by the use of stimulus- or response-related spatial codes in the task at hand.

[Scrotal ultrasound: anatomy and pathological findings]. / Ecografia del testicolo: anatomia e quadri patologici.

Ultrasonography (US) is the imaging modality of choice for the evaluation of scrotal disease. It provides high anatomical detail and in most cases, it is essential to enable a correct diagnosis and to obtain the right management of the patient. Color Doppler ultrasonography is a non invasive technique that aids important information about testicular perfusion, necessary in reaching a specific diagnosis in many pathologic conditions; moreover contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), recently introduced in the clinical practice, may be considered an additional tool in the classification and differentiation of testicular pathology. The purpose of this review, is to provide the state of the art on the role of ultrasonography in the evaluation of different scrotal pathologies including vaginal process' disorders, acute scrotum, varicocele, hydrocele, chronic inflammatory diseases and testicular tumours.

Role of multidetector-row CT in assessing the source of arterial haemorrhage in patients with pelvic vascular trauma. Comparison with angiography.

PURPOSE: We investigated the role of multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) in identifying active bleeding and its source in polytrauma patients with pelvic vascular injuries with or without associated fractures of the pelvis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2003 to December 2007, 28 patients (19 men and nine women, age range 16-80 years) with acute symptoms from blunt pelvic trauma and a drop in haematocrit underwent MDCT and angiography. Conventional radiography of the pelvis was performed in all patients at the time of admission to the emergency department. MDCT was performed with a four-row unit in 15 patients and a 16-row unit in the remaining 13 patients. The study included whole-body CT to identify craniocerebral, vertebral, thoracic, abdominal and pelvic injuries. CT was performed before and after rapid infusion (4-5 ml/s) of intravenous contrast material (120 ml) using a power injector. A triphasic contrast-enhanced study was performed in all patients. MDCT images were transferred to a workstation to assess pelvic fracture, site of haematoma and active extravasation of contrast material, visibility of possible vascular injuries and associated traumatic lesions. At angiography, an abdominal and pelvic aortogram was obtained in all cases before selective catheterisation of the internal iliac arteries and superselective catheterisation of their branches for embolisation purposes. Results related to identifying the source of bleeding at MDCT were compared with sites of bleeding or vascular injury identified by selective pelvic angiography. The sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of MDCT were determined. RESULTS: MDCT allowed us to identify pelvic bleeding in 21/28 patients (75%), with most cases being detected in the delayed contrast-enhanced phase (13/21 cases, 61.9%). Injured arteries were identified on MDCT in 12/21 cases (57%): the obturator artery (n=9), internal iliac artery (n=6), internal pudendal artery (n=6) and superior gluteal artery (n=5) were most frequently injured. In 8/21 patients (28.6%), more than one artery was injured. Among the 12 patients in whom MDCT showed the presence of pelvic haemorrhage, there was agreement between MDCT and angiography in ten cases. Angiography confirmed the site of bleeding detected on MDCT and identified a second arterial haemorrhage in one patient. There was no agreement between MDCT and angiography in the last patient. MDCT showed a sensitivity of 42.85% and a PPV of 100% in identifying the injured arteries. CONCLUSIONS: Arterial haemorrhage is one of the most serious problems associated with pelvic fracture, and it remains the leading cause of death attributable to such fractures. MDCT provides diagnostic information regarding the presence of small pelvic fractures and, thanks to the contrast-enhanced angiographic technique, it is capable of identifying pelvic bleeding, with the demonstration in some cases of it source. The presence of contrast material extravasation is an indicator of injury to a specific artery passing through the region of the pelvis where the extravasation is noted on MDCT. Urgent angiography and subsequent transcatheter embolisation are the most effective methods for controlling ongoing arterial bleeding in pelvic injuries.

Usefulness of the axillary artery as vascular access for cardiopulmonary bypass.

AIM: In this paper we report our clinical experience with extended utilization of axillary artery cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and discuss the indications and the results of the procedure in terms of complications and usefulness. METHODS: Between January 1999 and May 2004, 26 patients underwent right axillary artery cannulation for CPB. Fifteen patients presented acute type A aortic dissection and were operated urgently. Axillary cannulation was also used in 11 elective cases: 3 reoperative coronary surgery, 3 valve redo-operations and 5 cases of aortic valve regurgitation+aneurysm of the ascending aorta. RESULTS: All axillary artery cannulations were successful (21 direct and 5 with a side graft) without neurologic or vascular injuries to the right upper extremities. Hospital mortality was 7.7% and included 2 patients operated in an emergency procedure because of acute type A aortic dissection. In all cases, this cannulation site provided adequate perfusion, with a range of peak flows from 4.1 to 5.7 L/min. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results demonstrate that the right axillary artery may be considered an alternative cannulation site for achieving full CPB and providing antegrade flow, thus avoiding complications related to retrograde flow when femoral artery perfusion is performed. This safe and useful method may be used not only in aortic surgery but in other such complex cardiac procedures as redo-operations.

Ventricular assistance with microaxial flow pump following mitral repair for dilated cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Postcardiotomy heart failure is still the main cause of death in patients undergoing palliative surgery for end-stage dilative cardiomyopathy. New micro-axial flow ventricular assisting devices (LVAD) have been suggested in such cases. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the effect of the new LVAD on short-term outcome of a patient admitted for end-stage heart failure. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. DATA SOURCES: One patient admitted for severe mitral regurgitation secondary to end-stage dilative cardiomyopathy and chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). INTERVENTION: Preoperative intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) insertion, mitral plasty with radiofrequency ablation of AF, microaxial flow LVAD support. RESULTS: The patient was unweanable from cardiopulmonary bypass until microaxial flow LVAD unloaded the left ventricle and restored adequate cardiac function. The patient was discharged home and is still well at 5 months folllow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The miniinvasive insertion and withdrawal, low anticoagulation protocols, and the possibility of coupling with IABP make the microaxial flow LVAD promising for patients with end-stage heart failure undergoing surgery.

The reversed ipsilateral acoustic reflex: clinical features and kinetic analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The reversed ipsilateral acoustic reflex (RIAR) has been the subject of few studies in the past literature and the nature of this "reflex" response is not yet completely understood. It can be observed in different diseases, all of which result from inactivity of the stapedial reflex (SR). We aimed to investigate the occurrence of the RIAR in different diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An extensive clinical investigation of the RIAR was carried out. RESULTS: The RIAR was found to be present in 100% of ears lacking an effective SR arc. Its amplitude is modulated by the air pressure level in the external ear canal whilst its sign is constantly positive and never reverses. CONCLUSION: Kinetic analysis of the RIAR suggests the existence of a single underlying phenomenon while the interaction of the RIAR with the SR may explain the complex morphology frequently observed in the normal ipsilateral acoustic reflex.

Analysis of exhausts emitted by i.c. engines and stationary burners, by means of u.v. extinction and fluorescence spectroscopy.

Optical investigations of the exhausts emitted by internal combustion (i.c.) engines and a stationary burner were performed, in order to assess their relative role as sources of organic matter to the atmosphere. Extinction spectra of air-diluted exhausts in the 200-400 nm u.v. band reveal the expected existence of gaseous trace-species (NO, NO2 and SO2) and carbonaceous particulate matter (soot). In addition, after subtracting the absorption contribution from known species, a strong residual absorption band remains below 250 nm, which is attributed to organic aromatic matter, involving no more than two aromatic rings. A set of ex situ extinction and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) experiments were carried out on condensed combustion-water samples. Extinction measurements from the water samples show absorption spectra similar to those observed from air-diluted samples, which are attributed to low volatility organic compounds, as they are trapped in the condensed phase. Combining the indications of extinction data for both air-diluted and condensed samples, it is suggested that the absorbing species might be molecular clusters of one/two aromatic rings. LIF spectra from condensed samples evidence two fluorescence bands, centered above 300 and 400 nm, respectively, whose intensities correlate with the combustion regimes. Analogous optical analysis on rain samples, collected in an urban area, showed that rain absorption and fluorescence spectra are similar to those found in condensed exhaust samples, which is consistent with the prevailing contribution of i.c. engines to the urban air pollution. The combined experimental data suggest that the absorbing and fluorescent species trapped in the condensed samples are organic (aromatic) compounds, involving mostly one two aromatic rings structural units, since they do not absorb above 250 nm. The overall molecular weight of the trapped material is likely heavy as they show low volatility.

Time-resolved spectral and spatial description of laser-induced breakdown in air as a pulsed, bright, and broadband ultraviolet-visible light source.

The optical breakdown induced in air at atmospheric pressure by Nd:YAG Q-switched laser pulses is studied in terms of the spectral features of the emitted radiation in the wavelength range 180-850 nm during the first 200 ns after the laser pulse onset. During the plasma build up, radiation emission features intense, broadband, and structureless ultraviolet-visible spectra before the appearence of atomic lines on the microsecond scale. Also, the emitting plasma kernel, imaged during the buildup and decay stages in the early tens of nanoseconds, turns out to have a size of ~0.3 mm and a volume of ~0.02 mm(3). The coupling of direct emission data and broadband absorption measurements allowed us to retrieve peak values of electron temperature above 100,000 K and of an optical depth of the order of unity, under the assumptions of local thermodynamic equilibrium and a homogeneous kernel. The simultaneous occurrence of such temporal, spatial, and spectral features of the plasma kernel suggests its exploitation as a pulsed, bright, and broadband ultraviolet-visible light source.