Wine tasting: a neurophysiological measure of taste and olfaction interaction in the experience

In the last years have been provided evidences of sensory–sensory connectivity and influences of one modality over primary sensory cortex of another, a phenomena called crossmodality. Typically, for the wine tasting, sommeliers in addition to the use of the gustation, by the introduction of the wine into the mouth, employ the stimulation of the olfactory system both through a direct olfactory stimulation (by the nose) and a retro-nasal pathway (inhaling air while swirling the wine around in the mouth). Aim of the present study was to investigate the reaction to the wine gustation with and without the direct olfactory contribution, through an electroencephalographic index of approach or withdrawal (AW) motivation, and an autonomic index (Emotional Index – EI), deriving from the matching of heart rate and galvanic skin response activity and considered an indicator of emotional involvement. Results showed a statistically significant increase of the EI values in correspondence of wine tasting with the olfactory component (p<0.01) in comparison to the tasting without the direct olfactory contribution, and a trend of greater approach attitude was reported for the same condition. Data suggest an interaction of the two sensory modalities influencing the emotional and the cognitive aspects of wine tasting experience in a non-expert sampl

An assessment of the genus Columbella Lamarck, 1799 (Gastropoda: Columbellidae) from eastern Atlantic

Three species of the neogastropod genus Columbella Lamarck, 1799 are recognised from the northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. One is the common Mediterranean C. rustica (Linnaeus, 1758), with paucispiral protoconch, extending its range in the Atlantic South to Senegal and North to Portugal. Columbella adansoni Menke, 1853, with multispiral protoconch is restricted to the Macaronesian archipelagoes. A third species, also with multispiral protoconch, from West Africa is recognised through molecular methods, and the name C. xiphitella Duclos, 1840 is employed by correcting the original erroneous locality (“Californie”) to Gabon. Except for protoconch features, no major morphological characters are available to separate the three species; however diagnostic species-level differences in specific positions in the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequences are present between all three species

Giorgio Morandi. De la naturaleza al alma.

El presente Trabajo de Fin de Grado procura centrar la atención sobre Giorgio Morandi como pintor de paisajes. Pese a que, numéricamente, los paisajes constituyen un quinto de su producción, es con este género con el que comienza su trayectoria de artista, y es al que recurre en determinados momentos de su vida, representando una presencia constante, aunque no continua. Queremos estudiar este aspecto de su arte y ofrecer una contribución, limitada pero específica, a un nuevo enfoque al objeto de sugerir posibles y distintas lecturas de su obra como paisajista. De este modo, se quiere comprender de manera más exhaustiva una parte de su actividad artística conocida y divulgada en menor medida, que merece incorporarse a su faceta como artista plástico

Gender and Age Related Effects While Watching TV Advertisements: An EEG Study

The aim of the present paper is to show how the variation of the EEG frontal cortical asymmetry is related to the general appreciation perceived during the observation of TV advertisements, in particular considering the influence of the gender and age on it. In particular, we investigated the influence of the gender on the perception of a car advertisement (Experiment 1) and the influence of the factor age on a chewing gum commercial (Experiment 2). Experiment 1 results showed statistically significant higher approach values for the men group throughout the commercial. Results from Experiment 2 showed significant lower values by older adults for the spot, containing scenes not very enjoyed by them. In both studies, there was no statistical significant difference in the scene relative to the product offering between the experimental populations, suggesting the absence in our study of a bias towards the specific product in the evaluated populations. These evidences state the importance of the creativity in advertising, in order to attract the target population

Good news or bad news, which do you want first? The importance of the sequence and organization of Information for financial decision-making: a neuro-electrical imaging study

Investment decisions are largely based on the information investors received from the target firm. Thaler introduced the hedonic editing framework, in which suggests that integration/segregation of information influence individual's perceived value. Meanwhile, when evaluating the evidence and information in a sequence, order effect and biases have been found to have an impact in various areas. In this research, the influence of the Organization of Information (Integration vs. Segregation) and the Sequence of Information (Negative-Positive order vs. Positive-Negative order) on individual's investment decision-making both at the behavioral level (decision) and neurometrix level (measured by an individual's emotion and Approach Withdraw tendency) was assessed for the three groups of information: a piece of Big Positive Information and a piece of Small Negative Information, a piece of Big Negative Information and a piece of Small Positive Information, and a piece of Small Negative information. The behavioral results, which are an individual's final investment decision, were consistent for all three scenarios. In general, individuals will invest more/retire less when receiving two pieces of information in a Negative-Positive order. However, the neurometric results (Emotional Index, Approach Withdraw Index and results from LORETA) show differences among information groups. An effect of the Sequence of Information and the Organization of Information was found for the different scenarios. The results suggest that in the scenarios that involve large-scale information, the organization of information (Integration vs. Segregation) influences the emotion and Approach Withdraw tendency. The results of this investigation should provide insight for effective communication of information, especially when large-scale information is involved

Neurophysiological Profile of Antismoking Campaigns

Over the past few decades, antismoking public service announcements (PSAs) have been used by governments to promote healthy behaviours in citizens, for instance, against drinking before the drive and against smoke. Effectiveness of such PSAs has been suggested especially for young persons. By now, PSAs efficacy is still mainly assessed through traditional methods (questionnaires and metrics) and could be performed only after the PSAs broadcasting, leading to waste of economic resources and time in the case of Ineffective PSAs. One possible countermeasure to such ineffective use of PSAs could be promoted by the evaluation of the cerebral reaction to the PSA of particular segments of population (e.g., old, young, and heavy smokers). In addition, it is crucial to gather such cerebral activity in front of PSAs that have been assessed to be effective against smoke (Effective PSAs), comparing results to the cerebral reactions to PSAs that have been certified to be not effective (Ineffective PSAs). &e eventual differences between the cerebral responses toward the two PSA groups will provide crucial information about the possible outcome of new PSAs before to its broadcasting. &is study focused on adult population, by investigating the cerebral reaction to the vision of different PSA images, which have already been shown to be Effective and Ineffective for the promotion of an antismoking behaviour. Results showed how variables as gender and smoking habits can influence the perception of PSA images, and how different communication styles of the antismoking campaigns could facilitate the comprehension of PSA’s message and then enhance the related impac

Antismoking campaigns’ perception and gender differences: a comparison among EEG Indices

Human factors’ aim is to understand and evaluate the interactions between people and tasks, technologies, and environment. Among human factors, it is possible then to include the subjective reaction to external stimuli, due to individual’s characteristics and states of mind. These processes are also involved in the perception of antismoking public service announcements (PSAs), the main tool for governments to contrast the first cause of preventable deaths in the world: tobacco addiction. In the light of that, in the present article, it has been investigated through the comparison of different electroencephalographic (EEG) indices a typical item known to be able of influencing PSA perception, that is gender. In order to investigate the neurophysiological underpinnings of such different perception, we tested two PSAs: one with a female character and one with a male character. Furthermore, the experimental sample was divided into men and women, as well as smokers and nonsmokers. The employed EEG indices were the mental engagement (ME: the ratio between beta activity and the sum of alpha and theta activity); the approach/withdrawal (AW: the frontal alpha asymmetry in the alpha band); and the frontal theta activity and the spectral asymmetry index (SASI: the ratio between beta minus theta and beta plus theta). Results suggested that the ME and the AW presented an opposite trend, with smokers showing higher ME and lower AW than nonsmokers. The ME and the frontal theta also evidenced a statistically significant interaction between the kind of the PSA and the gender of the observers; specifically, women showed higher ME and frontal theta activity for the male character PSA. This study then supports the usefulness of the ME and frontal theta for purposes of PSAs targeting on the basis of gender issues and of the ME and the AW and for purposes of PSAs targeting on the basis of smoking habits

Diversidad críptica en gasterópodos mediterráneos del género Aplus (Neogastropoda: Buccinidae)

Northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean gastropods previously ascribed to the buccinid genus Pollia Gray, 1837 are more correctly classified in the genus Aplus de Gregorio, 1885. Using an integrative taxonomy approach combining molecular, morphological and geographic data, we revisit the limits of the extant species in the area, and propose a molecular phylogenetic hypothesis based on 66 specimens from various localities in the Mediterranean Sea, including type localities of some nominal taxa. We used a preliminary morphological inspection, followed by a DNA-barcoding approach to propose species hypotheses, subsequently consolidated using additional data (phylogenetic, geographic and refined morphological data). Seven species hypotheses were eventually retained within our molecularly assayed samples, versus three classical morphologically recognized species. Among these, three correspond to Aplus dorbignyi (Payreaudeau, 1826) with its hitherto unrecognized geographical cognates A. gaillardoti (Puton, 1856) (eastern Mediterranean) and Aplus nodulosus (Bivona Ant., 1832) (Sicily); two closely related, yet considerably divergent, lineages are treated as a single species under Aplus scaber (Locard, 1892); the classically admitted Aplus scacchianus (Philippi, 1844) is confirmed by molecular evidence; Mediterranean populations attributable to Aplus assimilis (Reeve, 1846) may represent either cryptic native populations or an ongoing invasion of the Mediterranean by what was hitherto considered to be a West African species; finally, specimens from the Strait of Gibraltar may represent an undescribed species, but we conservatively refrain from formally introducing it pending the analysis of more material, and it is compared with the similar Aplus campisii (Ardovini, 2014), recently described from Sicily and not assayed molecularly, and Aplus scaber.Los gasterópodos mediterráneos y del Atlántico nordeste previamente asignados al género Pollia Gray, 1837 deben ser más correctamente incluidos en el género Aplus de Gregorio, 1885. Se revisan aquí los límites de las especies recientes de este género en el área estudiada por medio de un enfoque de taxonomía integrativa. En base a ello se propone una hipótesis filogenética basada en 66 ejemplares procedentes de varias localidades del Mediterráneo, incluyendo las localidades tipo de algunos taxones nominales. Primero se realizó una diferenciación morfológica, seguida de la aplicación del marcador molecular COI para proponer las especies a modo de hipótesis, que finalmente fueron validadas con datos adicionales (filogenéticos, geográficos y detalles morfológicos). Como resultado se reconocieron siete especies válidas entre los ejemplares analizados molecularmente, en contraste con las tres especies previamente reconocidas morfológicamente. Tres de ellas corresponden a Aplus dorbignyi (Payreaudeau, 1826) y a sus afines geográficos no reconocidas hasta ahora A. gaillardoti (Puton, 1856) [del Mediterráneo oriental] y Aplus nodulosus (Bivona Ant., 1832) [de Sicilia]; dos linajes estrechamente relacionados, aunque divergentes, son considerados como una misma especie con el nombre de Aplus scaber (Locard, 1892); la especie tradicionalmente admitida Aplus scacchianus (Philippi, 1844) se confirma en base a evidencias moleculares; las poblaciones mediterráneas atribuibles a Aplusas similis (Reeve, 1846) pueden ser crípticas nativas o corresponder a una invasión en curso por parte de esta especie del noroeste africano; finalmente los ejemplares del Estrecho de Gibraltar pueden representar una especie no descrita, pero se ha preferido optar por una posición conservadora y no introducir un nuevo nombre a la espera del estudio de material adicional y compararla con Aplus campisii (Ardovini, 2014), especie descrita recientemente de Sicilia y pendiente de su análisis molecular, y con Aplus scaber

Natural History and Management of Familial Paraganglioma Syndrome Type 1: Long-Term Data from a Large Family

Head and neck paragangliomas are the most common clinical features of familial paraganglioma syndrome type 1 caused by succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit D (SDHD) mutation. The clinical management of this syndrome is still unclear. In this study we propose a diagnostic algorithm for SDHD mutation carriers based on our family case series and literature review. After genetic diagnosis, first evaluation should include biochemical examination and whole-body imaging. In case of lesion detection, nuclear medicine examination is required for staging and tumor characterization. The study summarizes the diagnostic accuracy of different functional imaging techniques in SDHD mutation carriers. 18F-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (18F-DOPA) positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) is considered the gold standard. If it is not available, 123I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) could be used also for predicting response to radiometabolic therapy. 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) PET-CT has a prognostic role since high uptake identifies more aggressive cases. Finally, 68Ga-peptides PET-CT is a promising diagnostic technique, demonstrating the best diagnostic accuracy in our and in other published case series, even if this finding still needs to be confirmed in larger studies. Periodic follow-up should consist of annual biochemical and ultrasonographic screening and biannual magnetic resonance examination to identify biochemical silent tumors early