Effectiveness of cardiopulmonary bypass for radical resection of giant middle mediastinal paraganglioma.

A non-functional middle mediastinal paraganglioma is a rare entity. We describe a case of a 67-year-old woman with a diagnosis of a big mediastinal paraganglioma by endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration after chest CT and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography. The nine centimeter in length tumor was located between the superior vena cava and the posterior portion of the ascending aorta, compressing the left atrium and the trachea and main left bronchus, posteriorly, surrounding the right pulmonary artery.

Training simulator efficacy in developing thoracic and general surgical skills in a residency programme: a pilot study.

Objectives: Virtual training simulators have been introduced in several surgical disciplines to improve residents' abilities. Through the use of the LapSim® virtual training simulator (Surgical Science, Göteborg, Sweden), this study aims to plan an effective learning path in minimally invasive thoracic and general surgery.

Methods: All thoracic and general surgery trainees in their 1st and 2nd year of residency at the University of Insubria were enrolled and randomized into 2 groups: residents undergoing an intensive twice-a-week virtual training programme (group A: n = 8) and those undergoing a once-weekly non-intensive virtual training programme (group B: n = 9).

The surgical approach of late-onset tracheoesophageal fistula in a tracheostomized COVID-19 patient.

In the COVID-19 era the tracheal complications due to prolonged mechanical ventilation have significantly increased. Acquired tracheoesophageal fistula is one of those in ventilated COVID-19 patients. Thus, the knowledge of their management in such fragile patient is crucial.

The relationship between self-observed and other-observed countertransference and session outcome.

For the psychodynamic approach, being aware of and managing countertransference is a core therapeutic competency. Research has demonstrated the negative effect of unmanaged countertransference on the outcomes of all kinds of psychotherapy. In this study, we focused on the relationship between countertransference when measured by therapists and external observers and its impact on session quality.

Using Overt and Covert Items in Self-Report Personality Tests: Susceptibility to Faking and Identifiability of Possible Fakers.

Self-report personality tests widely used in clinical, medical, forensic, and organizational areas of psychological assessment are susceptible to faking. Several approaches have been developed to prevent or detect faking, which are based on the use of faking warnings, ipsative items, social desirability scales, and validity scales. The approach proposed in this work deals with the use of overt items (the construct is clear to test-takers) and covert items (the construct is obscure to test-takers).