A network approach to response inhibition: dissociating functional connectivity of neural components involved in action restraint and action cancellation

The ability to inhibit action tendencies is vital for adaptive human behaviour. Various paradigms are supposed to assess action inhibition and are often used interchangeably. However, these paradigms are based on different conceptualizations (action restraint vs. action cancellation) and the question arises as to what extent different conceptualizations of inhibitory processing are mirrored in a distinct neural activation pattern. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the neural correlates of action restraint vs. action cancellation. Analyses of local activity changes as well as network connectivity measures revealed a strong overlap of activation within a common action inhibition network including inferior frontal, pre‐supplementary motor and thalamic brain areas as well as the anterior cingulate cortex. Furthermore, our findings pointed to additional neural networks that are distinct for action restraint (i.e. right superior frontal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, and bilateral anterior cingulate cortex) and action cancellation (i.e. right middle frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, and parietal regions). Our connectivity analyses showed that different inhibitory modalities largely relied on a task‐independent global inhibition network within the brain. Furthermore, they suggested that the conceptually distinct inhibitory aspects of action restraint vs. action cancellation also activated additional specific brain regions in a task‐dependent manner. This has implications for the choice of tasks in an empirical setting, but is also relevant for various clinical contexts in which inhibition deficits are considered a diagnostic feature.     

Evaluation of immune responses to an oral typhoid vaccine,Ty21a,in children from 2 to 5 years of age in Bangladesh

Young children are very susceptible to typhoid fever, emphasizing the need for vaccination in under five age groups. The parenteral Vi polysaccharide vaccine is not immunogenic in children under 2 years and the oral Ty21a vaccine (Vivotif) available in capsular formulation is only recommended for those over 5 years.     

Darmbrand (Enteritis necroticans) Eine historische und aktuelle übersicht

Zusammenfassung In den Jahren 1946 bis 1948 trat in Lübeck und anderen Städten Norddeutschlands eine epidemisch verlaufende Infektion auf, die bis dahin nicht bekannt war. Die Erkrankung wurde aufgrund ihrer Morphologie als Darmbrand (Enteritis necroticans) bezeichnet. Untersuchungen ergaben, dass es sich bei dem Infektionserreger um Clostridium perfringens Typ C handelte. In der Folge konnten die Pathogenese der Enteritis necroticans und eine krankheitsauslösende Bedeutung des #-Toxins von Clostridium perfringens Typ C gesichert werden. Entsprechend konnte durch die Immunisierung gegen dieses Toxin die Inzidenz der Enteritis necroticans in Papua-Neuguinea, einem Land, in dem die Erkrankung in bestimmten Regionen noch heute endemisch ist, deutlich gesenkt werden. Wenngleich der Darmbrand in Europa eine kaum noch auftretende Erkrankung ist, so ist mit seinem epidemischen Auftreten besonders in Notstandsgebieten zu rechnen. Die vorliegende Arbeit soll an die in Lübeck aufgetretene Darmbrandepidemie erinnern, eine Darstellung der Epidemiologie, Pathogenese und Therapie der Erkrankung unter Berücksichtigung inzwischen gewonnener Erkenntnisse geben und andere durch Clostridium perfringens induzierte Erkrankungen abgrenzen. Abstract Enteritis necroticans, locally called "Darmbrand", is a severe and life threatening infectious disease which was epidemic in Northern Germany after World War II. Darmbrand had a limited appearance, occurring only for a few years. In Lübeck many cases were diagnosed in 1946/1948 and the book "Darmbrand, Enteritis necroticans" was published in 1949 by clinicians and pathologists. Enteritis necroticans is also known as a tropical cause of bloody diarrhea and is caused by Clostridium perfringens Type C (type #-toxin). The disease is related to pig feasts in Papua New Guinea. Although necrotizing enterocolitis is now a rather rare disease we must be aware of the appearance of this fulminant entity. This paper represents a review on the historic and current aspects of enteritis necroticans and discusses the epidemiology, pathogenesis and treatment of this disease.     

Changes of body image and body awareness in eating-disorder and non eating-disorder patients after inpatient-therapy

Altered body image and body awareness have significant clinical implications not only for patients with eating disorders. We evaluated therapy-outcome including distortions in body image in 61 inpatients using two instruments assessing body image (FKB-20 Clement and L?we, and FBeK Strauss and Richter-Appelt ). Eating disorder subjects, as expected, showed the most severely disturbed body image with negative attitudes towards their own body and restricted body dynamics. While body image improved over all diagnostic groups after treatment, anorectic patients improved less than others. This finding confirms the clinical observation of the limited therapeutic influence on body image distortions in anorectic patients. Our results show, that the body image questionnaire FKB-20 discriminates well between healthy and psychosomatically diseased patients and is a suitable instrument for process- and outcome-evaluation.     

Increased level of polymerase Ⅲ transcribed Alu RNA in hepatocellular carcinoma tissue

There have been extensive observations that RNA containing repetitive elements accumulates in transformed cells and tumor tissues. In the present study, we first obtained result consistent with previous observations by in situ hybridization.     

Seizures in children with low-grade tumors： outcome after tumor resection and risk factors for uncontrolled seizures

OBJECT： The goals of this study were to define the incidence of seizures in children with low-grade tumors, study seizure outcome after lesionectomy in these children, and identify risk factors for poor seizure outcome, METHODS： The authors performed a retrospective chart review of children who harbored low-grade brain tumors, experienced seizures, and were treated in a single institution, Statistical analyses included step-wise as well as single-variable binary logistic regression analyses.     

Geographic variation in groundwater iodine and iodine deficiency in Israel, The West Bank and Gaza

BACKGROUND: Iodine deficiency during pregnancy and infancy is the world's most common preventable cause of mental retardation. Previous studies have shown a high incidence of goiter and low groundwater iodine concentrations in northern Israel. OBJECTIVE: We examined the relationship between low groundwater iodine and iodine deficiency in pregnant women and schoolchildren. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We measured the urinary iodine excretion of school-children in the West Bank and Gaza and rural and urban pregnant women in Western Galilee (an area known to have low groundwater iodine concentrations). We also measured iodine concentrations in groundwater in various locations in the West Bank and Gaza. RESULTS: Lower urinary iodine excretion was found among pregnant Arab women living in rural Western Galilee (101+/-7 microg iodine/g creatinine). 20% of them excreted <50 microg I/g creatinine. This is relatively less than found among pregnant Jewish women living in cities in the same area (154+/-13 microg I/g creatinine). Low iodine concentrations (<5 microg/l) were found in groundwater in the Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem highlands, as compared to normal concentrations in the lowland districts of the West Bank and Gaza. In a cohort of 728 schoolchildren aged 8-10, 10% (range 8-13%) of children from areas of low groundwater iodine had low levels of urinary iodine excretion, as compared to only <5% of those from districts with groundwater iodine concentrations >10 microg/l. CONCLUSIONS: Lower concentrations of groundwater iodine are related to low urinary iodine excretion in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.