What memory binding functions is the hippocampus responsible for?

The role of the hippocampus in binding information in working memory (WM) is little understood. When complex experiences comprise associations between different pieces of information such as objects and locations (relational binding), the function of the hippocampus is required to hold them in WM (Mitchell et al., 2000; 2006; Piekema, 2006). However, recent evidence suggests that if the to-be-associated information leads to the formation of integrated objects such as coloured shapes (conjunctive binding), the hippocampus is less involved in holding temporary representations of these complex events in WM (Baddeley et al., 2010; Piekema, 2006). We investigated the relational and conjunctive binding hypotheses of the hippocampal functions in a patient with right hippocampal damage. The patient and controls were asked to study visual arrays of stimuli which consisted of shape-colour relations (shape-colour pairs) or shape-colour conjunctions (coloured shapes). After the study array, they were presented with a new screen consisting of one set of shapes (line drawings) and one set of colours. They were asked to reconstruct the bindings by selecting the shapes and their corresponding colours. As compared to healthy controls, the patient was impaired in holding relations of shapes and colours in WM whereas he could retain the conjunctions similarly to controls. These results lend support to the role of the hippocampus in supporting memory for inter-item associations but not memory for conjunctions of features which define objects' identity

Electromagnetic waves around dilatonic stars and naked singularities

We study the propagation of classical electromagnetic waves on the simplest four-dimensional spherically symmetric metric with a dilaton background field. Solutions to the relevant equations are obtained perturbatively in a parameter which measures the strength of the dilaton field (hence parameterizes the departure from Schwarzschild geometry). The loss of energy from outgoing modes is estimated as a back-scattering process against the dilaton background, which would affect the luminosity of stars with a dilaton field. The radiation emitted by a freely falling point-like source on such a background is also studied by analytical and numerical methods.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

Theoretical survey of tidal-charged black holes at the LHC

We analyse a family of brane-world black holes which solve the effective four-dimensional Einstein equations for a wide range of parameters related to the unknown bulk/brane physics. We first constrain the parameters using known experimental bounds and, for the allowed cases, perform a numerical analysis of their time evolution, which includes accretion through the Earth. The study is aimed at predicting the typical behavior one can expect if such black holes were produced at the LHC. Most notably, we find that, under no circumstances, would the black holes reach the (hazardous) regime of Bondi accretion. Nonetheless, the possibility remains that black holes live long enough to escape from the accelerator (and even from the Earth's gravitational field) and result in missing energy from the detectors.Comment: RevTeX4, 12 pages, 4 figures, 5 tables, minor changes to match the accepted version in JHE

Gastrointestinal presentation of kawasaki disease: A red flag for severe disease?

Background Kawasaki disease (KD) is a febrile systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology and the main cause of acquired heart disease among children in the developed world. To date, abdominal involvement at presentation is not recognized as a risk factor for a more severe form of the disease. Objective To evaluate whether presenting abdominal manifestations identify a group at major risk for Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)-resistance and coronary lesions. Methods Retrospective study of KD patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2015 in 13 pediatric units in Italy. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence or absence of abdominal manifestations at onset. We compared their demographic and clinical data, IVIG-responsiveness, coronary ectasia/aneurysms, laboratory findings from the acute and subacute phases. Results 302 patients (181 boys) were enrolled: 106 patients with, and 196 patients without presenting abdominal features. Seasonality was different between the groups (p = 0.034). Patients with abdominal manifestations were younger (p = 0.006) and more frequently underwent delayed treatment (p = 0.014). In the acute phase, patients with abdominal presentation had higher platelet counts (PLT) (p = 0.042) and lower albuminemia (p = 0.009), while, in the subacute phase, they had higher white blood cell counts (WBC) and PLT (p = 0.002 and p < 0.005, respectively) and lower red blood cell counts (RBC) and hemoglobin (Hb) (p = 0.031 and p 0.009). Moreover, the above mentioned group was more likely to be IVIG-resistant (p < 0.005) and have coronary aneurysms (p = 0.007). In the multivariate analysis, presenting abdominal manifestations, age younger than 6 months, IVIG- resistance, delayed treatment and albumin concentration in the acute phase were independent risk factors for coronary aneurysms (respectively p<0.005, <0.005, = 0.005 and 0.009). Conclusions This is the first multicenter report demonstrating that presenting gastrointestinal features in KD identify patients at higher risk for IVIG-resistance and for the development of coronary aneurysms in a predominantly Caucasian population

Pulmonary embolism versus pulmonary vasculitis in Hughes-Stovin syndrome: Characteristic computed tomography pulmonary angiographic findings and diagnostic and therapeutic implications. HSS International Study Group

Background and aim: Hughes-Stovin syndrome (HSS) is a rare systemic vasculitis with widespread venous/arterial thrombosis and pulmonary vasculitis. Distinguishing between pulmonary embolism (PE) and in-situ thrombosis in the early stages of HSS is challenging. The aim of the study is to compare clinical, laboratory, and computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) characteristics in patients diagnosed with PE versus those with HSS. Methods: This retrospective study included 40 HSS patients with complete CTPA studies available, previously published by the HSS study group, and 50 patients diagnosed with PE from a single center. Demographics, clinical and laboratory findings, vascular thrombotic events, were compared between both groups. The CTPA findings were reviewed, with emphasis on the distribution, adherence to the mural wall, pulmonary infarction, ground glass opacification, and intra-alveolar hemorrhage. Pulmonary artery aneurysms (PAAs) in HSS were assessed and classified. Results: The mean age of HSS patients was 35 ± 12.3 years, in PE 58.4 ± 17 (p &lt; 0.0001). Among PE 39(78 %) had co-morbidities, among HSS none. In contrast to PE, in HSS both major venous and arterial thrombotic events are seen. Various patterns of PAAs were observed in the HSS group, which were entirely absent in PE. Parenchymal hemorrhage was also more frequent in HSS compared to PE (P &lt; 0.001). Conclusion: Major vascular thrombosis with arterial aneurysms formation are characteristic of HSS. PE typically appear loosely-adherent and mobile whereas “in-situ thrombosis” seen in HSS is tightly-adherent to the mural wall. Mural wall enhancement and PAAs are distinctive pulmonary findings in HSS. The latter findings have significant therapeutic ramifications.</p

Posti di guerra / luoghi di pace sul confine; Voji in kraji / kraji miru na obmejnem obmo\u10dju

mappa dei siti relativi alla prima guerra mondiale (musei, cimiteri militari, musei all'aperto, postazioni, sacrari, ossari...) presenti sull'area al confine tra l'IItalia e la Sloveni