Change Detection Performance in Naturalistic Scenes: The Influence of Visual Working Memory for Identity and Spatial Locations

The present studies examined the roles of identity and spatial working memory in change detection. Observers completed a spatial or identity working memory task concurrently with a change detection task. In the change detection task, participants were presented naturalistic scenes that contained either a color or location change to one object. Concurrently, participants remembered either the colors or locations of four squares. There was specific disruption of performance when the working memory task and the change detection task loaded the same subsystem of working memory. There was also evidence that spatial information is processed more readily than identity information. This suggests that although there are separate systems for identity and spatial working memory, these subsystems are not necessarily created equal in that processing in the spatial processing may have priority over identity processing. However, this priority can be overridden during change detection if spatial memory is already occupied

Correlation between female sex and allergy was significant in patients presenting with dysphonia

Aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of allergy in patients affected by both organic and/or functional vocal fold disorders. The secondary aim was to assess the correlation between sex and allergy in dysphonic patients. A retrospective chart review was performed on dysphonic patients. A total of 76 patients underwent fiberoptic endoscopy to assess the objective picture. Logistic regression analyses have been conducted to assess the association between sex and the outcome variables. The laryngoscopic examination revealed the presence of poor glottic closure in 32.9%, hyperkinesias in 11.8%, redness in 11.84%, polyps in 5.3%, oedema in 3.95%, vocal fold hypertrophy in 5.3%, nodules in 42.1%, cordectomy in 2.6%. Allergic rhinitis was present in 56.6%, milk intolerance in 13.2%, asthma in 9.2%, atopic dermatitis in 3.9%, drugs intolerance in 11.8%. A total of 76.32% patients presenting with dysphonia were allergic. A statistically significant association was found between female sex and presence of allergy. In conclusion, allergy testing should be performed routinely on female professional voice users. Mild respiratory disorders must be taken into serious consideration in female professional voice users, who may primarily complain of vocal dysfunction rather than upper and lower respiratory diseases

Platelet-Rich Plasma combined with a sterile 3D polylactic acid scaffold for postoperative management of complete hoof wall resection for keratoma in four horses.

Keratoma is a non-malignant horse tumour that grows in the space between the horn of the hoof and the distal phalanx. Keratoma causes lameness in the horse, and surgical excision is the treatment of choice. Four horses underwent removal of a keratoma by complete hoof wall resection. The remaining wound was treated with Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) combined with a sterile 3D polylactic acid scaffold. The PRP was applied at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 days postoperatively. The surgical site was cleaned with gauzes and swabs soaked in Ringer’s lactate solution before applying PRP and the foot bandage. Healthy granulation tissue developed at 6-21 days postoperatively. The hoof wall defect was completely filled with new hoof wall within 6-8 months after surgery. All horses returned to their previous exercise level and no recurrence of lameness was reported by the owner

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Earthquake Research: Implementation of a Geochemical Geographic Information System for the Gargano Site, Southern Italy

A priority task for correct environmental planning is to evaluate Natural Hazards, especially in highly populated areas. In particular, thorough investigations based on different Earth Science techniques must be addressed for the Seismic Hazard Assessment (SHA) in tectonically active areas. Not only the management but also the multidisciplinary analysis of all the SHA-related data sets is best performed using a Geographic Information System. In this paper we show how a researchoriented GIS is built and used in a practical case. The Geochemical Geographic Information System (G2IS) was developed and applied to the Gargano promontory (southern Italy) in the framework of an EC research project, the Geochemical Seismic Zonation (GSZ) Project. This multidisciplinary – multiscaling powerful tool is described in its structure, updating procedures and manipulation techniques. Preliminary results are presented on the detection of geochemically active fault zones and their correlation with remote sensing data and other evidences of seismogenic structures.Published255-278JCR Journalreserve