The prevailing hierarchical model of cortical sensory processing holds that early processing is specific to individual modalities and that combination of information from different modalities is deferred until higher-order stages of processing. In this paper, we present physiological evidence of multisensory convergence at an early stage of cortical auditory processing. We used multi-neuron cluster recordings, along with a limited sample of single-unit recordings, to determine whether neurons in the macaque auditory cortex respond to cutaneous stimulation. We found coextensive cutaneous and auditory responses in caudomedial auditory cortex, an area lying adjacent to A1, and at the second stage of the auditory cortical hierarchy. Somatosensory-auditory convergence in auditory cortex may underlie effects observed in human studies. Convergence of inputs from different sensory modalities at very early stages of cortical sensory processing has important implications for both our developing understanding of multisensory processing and established views of unisensory processing.

Patients who have undergone complete cavopulmonary anastomosis, the Fontan procedure, have passive venous blood flow from the superior and inferior vena cava into the pulmonary circulation without passing through the right ventricle. Although this procedure is an effective means of palliation, the resultant chronically increased central venous pressure, leads to several types of hepatic dysfunction including chronic congestion, cardiac cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma. In this case report, we describe a patient with Fontan-associated hepatocellular carcinoma who successfully underwent a right hepatectomy.

Objective-To assess stability of cardiac output, mean arterial pressure, and systemic vascular resistance during biventricular pacing optimization.Design-Substudy analysis of data collected as part of a randomized controlled study examining the effects of optimized temporary biventricular pacing after cardiopulmonary bypass.Setting-Single center study at a university affiliated tertiary care hospital. Participants-Cardiac surgery patients at risk of left ventricular failure following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).Interventions-Biventricular pacing was optimized immediately after CPB. Atrioventricular delay (7 unique settings) was optimized first, followed by left ventricular pacing site (3 unique settings), followed by interventricular delay (9 unique settings) Each setting was tested twice for 10 seconds each time. Vasoactive medication and fluid infusion rates were held constant. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Measurements and Main Results-Aortic NIH Public Access

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