Do you mean me? Communicative intentions recruit the mirror and the mentalizing system

Being able to comprehend communicative intentions and to recognize whether such intentions are directed toward us or not is extremely important in social interaction. Two brain systems, the mentalizing and the mirror neuron system, have been proposed to underlie intention recognition. However, little is still known about how the systems cooperate within the process of communicative intention understanding and to what degree they respond to self-directed and other-directed stimuli. To investigate the role of the mentalizing and the mirror neuron system, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging with four types of action sequence: communicative and private intentions as well as other-directed and self-directed intentions. Categorical and functional connectivity analyses showed that both systems contribute to the encoding of communicative intentions and that both systems are significantly stronger activated and more strongly coupled in self-directed communicative actions.     

Serum arginase activity in postsurgical monitoring of patients with colorectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies. In the current work, the role of arginase as a diagnostic marker in patients with recurrent CRC and colorectal liver metastases (CRCLM) was studied. METHODS: Arginase activity was monitored in serum from 40 patients with primary CRC and from 100 patients with CRCLM. Blood was taken before and after patients underwent tumor resection. Studies were conducted for 3 years. RESULTS: Preoperative arginase activity in serum from patients with CRC and CRCLM was much greater compared with the arginase activity in serum from healthy control blood donors. One and two cut-off levels of increased arginase activity were observed in patients with CRC and CRCLM, respectively. After patients underwent tumor resection, the arginase activity decreased to normal values in both patients with CRC and patients with CRCLM. Activity levels remained low in patients who did not develop recurrent CRC or CRCLM (first or second). In patients who developed subsequent recurrences or metastases that appeared after surgery, during 3 years of surveillance, a significant rise in serum arginase activity was observed. The clinical prognosis for patients was worst when the postoperative serum arginase activity was very high, because those patients more often developed second liver metastases or died. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that the determination of serum arginase activity may be a complementary test to confirm the occurrence of CRC and may be useful for the early diagnosis of patients who develop recurrent CRC and/or CRCLM.     

Clinical applications of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of laryngeal lesions

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used in the treatment of laryngeal lesions. The disorders comprised primary dysplasia and leukoplakia of the vocal cords. The patients after diagnosis were subjected to the therapy. Six hours prior to the light irradiation the patients received 4% solution of delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) during 30 minutes inhalation. After 6 hours all the changes were irradiated using 400 nm wavelength light from 300 W halogen lamp (range: 380-420 nm) in order to visualize them. Next, the wavelength was tuned to 650 nm (range 620-680 nm) and the total dose 120 J/cm2 for all cases. Control examinations in patients revealed complete response of the lesions within 2-3 months after PDT.     

Activity of certain salivary enzymes in school children exposed to excessive concentrations of lead and cadmium

The purpose of the study was assessment of the effect of an environment contaminated with heavy metals on the activity of certain enzymes of mixed saliva. The activity was determined of total acid phosphatase and phosphatase resistant to tartrate and formaldehyde, alkaline phosphatase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, and alpha-amylase. The studied material comprised 110 saliva samples obtained from three groups of children aged 8 years. Group I of 21 children lived in Szopienice, group II of 30 children lived in Miasteczko Slaskie. In both these localities the children were exposed to mean daily concentrations, above the permitted ones, mainly of lead compounds, in lower degree to cadmium and zinc compounds. Environment contamination in Szopienice was greater than in Miasteczko Slaskie. Group III of 59 children living in Lubowice served as controls. In that town the permissible concentrations of these compounds were not exceeded. Statistical analysis of these results showed that the activity of total acid phosphatase in groups I and II, that is in the contaminated areas, was highly significantly greater than in the control group. The activity of alkaline phosphatase was raised only in the saliva in group I. No differences were found in the activity of alpha-amylase and aminotransferases.     

Endosalpingiosis of the axillary lymph nodes--primary or metastatic tumour?

The involvement of extra-abdominal sites by serous ovarian tumours of low malignant potential is extremely rare. In this paper we present the case of a 33 years old woman, diagnosed with atypical endosalpingiosis in the axillary lymph nodes before the diagnosis of a bilaterally ovarian serous tumour of low malignant potential. The occurrence of axillary lymph nodes involvement associated with serous tumours of the ovary could be explained by the presence of circulating serous cells that remained dormant for a period of time or by the development of an independent primary tumour from glandular inclusions in axillary lymph nodes. The recognition of the occurrence of axillary atypical endosalpingiosis in association with serous tumours of the ovary is important to avoid misdiagnosis. It is better to define these lesions as secondary serous papillary involvement.     

Fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone

Fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone is a rare disease which may lead to progressive stenosis of the external auditory canal with conductive hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss has usually been attributed to involvement of the otic capsule or inner auditory canal. The case of fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone in 11 years old girl was described. The conductive hearing loss with sensorineural component improved after surgical treatment.     

Multivisceral operations for carcinoma of the upper stomach and cardia

In this study are noted technical problems regarding "en bloc" multiple organ resections and the anatomic and functional reconstruction for carcinoma of the upper stomach and cardia. From 1997 to 2002, a total of 264 patients with cancers of the stomach were operated in the service. 75 patients presented cancers localized at the proximal stomach and cardia (97.33% adenocc.). The rate of resectability was 27.77% (27 pt.). Types of operations in this series were: standard esophagogastrectomy in 7 patients; total gastrectomy with regional lymphadenectomy in 9 patients; 11 patients underwent "en bloc" multiple organ resection, with the removal of the stomach, partial or total esophagectomy and, occasionally, ablation of the spleen, pancreas, left hepatectomy, resection of the diaphragm and an extensive lymphadenectomy. Surgical mortality for the complex multivisceral resections was noted in 3 patients (8.88%). The global 5 years survival in the service is poor: 15.9%.