Anomalous morphology in left hemisphere motor and premotor cortex of children who stutter

Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the smooth flow of speech production. Stuttering onset occurs during a dynamic period of development when children first start learning to formulate sentences. Although most children grow out of stuttering naturally, ∼1% of all children develop persistent stuttering that can lead to significant psychosocial consequences throughout one’s life. To date, few studies have examined neural bases of stuttering in children who stutter, and even fewer have examined the basis for natural recovery versus persistence of stuttering. Here we report the first study to conduct surface-based analysis of the brain morphometric measures in children who stutter. We used FreeSurfer to extract cortical size and shape measures from structural MRI scans collected from the initial year of a longitudinal study involving 70 children (36 stuttering, 34 controls) in the 3–10-year range. The stuttering group was further divided into two groups: persistent and recovered, based on their later longitudinal visits that allowed determination of their eventual clinical outcome. A region of interest analysis that focused on the left hemisphere speech network and a whole-brain exploratory analysis were conducted to examine group differences and group × age interaction effects. We found that the persistent group could be differentiated from the control and recovered groups by reduced cortical thickness in left motor and lateral premotor cortical regions. The recovered group showed an age-related decrease in local gyrification in the left medial premotor cortex (supplementary motor area and and pre-supplementary motor area). These results provide strong evidence of a primary deficit in the left hemisphere speech network, specifically involving lateral premotor cortex and primary motor cortex, in persistent developmental stuttering. Results further point to a possible compensatory mechanism involving left medial premotor cortex in those who recover from childhood stuttering.This study was supported by Award Numbers R01DC011277 (SC) and R01DC007683 (FG) from the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIDCD or the National Institutes of Health. (R01DC011277 - National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD); R01DC007683 - National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD))Accepted manuscrip

The Spitzer C2D Survey of Nearby Dense Cores: Jet and Molecular Outflow Associated With A Young Stellar Object in Core A of L1251

A long infrared jet has been discovered by the Spitzer c2d Legacy Program in core A of L1251. It is associated with a very embedded Class 0 object with an accretion luminosity of about 0.9 L(circle dot) derived by radiative transfer model fitting to the observed spectral energy distribution. Comparing the observed Infrared Array Camera colors along the infrared jet with those calculated from a model of an admixture of gas with a power-law temperature distribution indicates that the jet is possibly created by a paraboloidal bow shock propagating into the ambient medium of n(H(2)) = 10(5) cm(-3). In addition, the variation of the power-law index along the jet suggests that the portion of hot gas decreases with distance from the jet engine. The molecular outflow in this region has been mapped for the first time using CO data. From the calculated outflow momentum flux, a very strong lower limit to the average accretion luminosity is 3.6 sin i/cos(3) i L(circle dot), indicative of a decrease in the accretion rate with time.Korean government (MEST) 2009-0062865NRF R01-2007-000-20336-0NASA 1407, 1224608Astronom

Impact of paraquat regulation on suicide in South Korea

Background: Ingestion of pesticides (mainly paraquat) accounted for one-fifth of suicides in South Korea in 2006-10. We investigated the effect on suicide mortality of regulatory action, culminating in a ban on paraquat in South Korea in 2011-12. Methods: We calculated age-standardized method-specific suicide mortality rates among people aged a parts per thousand yen15 in South Korea (1983-2013) using registered death data. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate changes in the rate and number of pesticide suicides in 2013, compared with those expected based on previous trends (2003-11). Results: Pesticide suicide mortality halved from 5.26 to 2.67 per 100 000 population between 2011 and 2013. Compared with the number expected based on previous trends, the regulations were followed by an estimated 847 [95% confidence interval (CI) -1180 to -533] fewer pesticide suicides, a 37% reduction in rates (rate ratio = 0.63, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.73) in 2013. The decline in pesticide suicides after the regulations was seen in all age/sex/geographical groups. The absolute reduction in the number of suicides was greatest among men, the elderly and in rural areas. The reduction in pesticide suicides contributed to 56% of the decline in overall suicides that occurred between 2011 and 2013. There was no impact of the regulations on crop yield. Conclusions: The regulation of paraquat in South Korea in 2011-12 was associated with a reduction in pesticide suicide. Further legislative interventions to prevent the easy availability of highly lethal suicide methods are recommended for reducing the number of suicides worldwide.N

Eyelid Squamous Cell Carcinoma in a Dog

A 10-year-old, female, Yorkshire Terrier was presented with a left lower eyelid mass. No other abnormality was detected on affected eye in a general eye examination. The mass was surgically removed and histologically diagnosed as a squamous cell carcinoma. The advancement flap used in this case may be an appropriate therapeutic choice for eyelid squamous cell carcinoma in dogs

Initial serum sodium concentration determines the decrease in sodium level after terlipressin administration in patients with liver cirrhosis

BACKGROUND: Terlipressin, as a prodrug of vasopressin, has agonistic effects on the V1 receptor and partial agonistic effects on renal vasopressin V2 receptors. However, its effects on serum sodium concentration are controversial. METHODS: This study retrospectively investigated 127 patients with liver cirrhosis to examine the incidence and risk factors for the decrease in serum sodium level following terlipressin administration. RESULTS: Terlipressin was prescribed for bleeding control (99) and management of hepatorenal syndrome (28). Serum sodium level decreased from 134.0 ± 6.5 mmol/L to 130.4 ± 6.2 mmol/L during or after terlipressin treatment (P < 0.001) in all patients. In 45 patients (35.4%), the serum sodium concentration decreased by > 5 mmol/L, in 29 patients (22.8%); by 5–10 mmol/L; and in 16 patients (12.6%), by > 10 mmol/L. Five patients in the latter group showed neurological manifestations. In the univariate analysis, several factors including age, purpose of use, serum creatinine, and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score, representing liver function, were significantly associated with the decrease in serum sodium after terlipressin administration. However, a multivariate analysis revealed that only initial sodium level was the most powerful predictor of terlipressin-induced reduction in serum sodium. CONCLUSION: An acute reduction in serum sodium concentration was not uncommon during terlipressin treatment, and the baseline serum sodium level was closely related to the reduction in serum sodium concentration

Inappropriate antidiuretic hormone syndrome presenting as ectopic antidiuretic hormone-secreting gastric adenocarcinoma: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Although the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone has connection with various malignant tumors, there are few reports associated with advanced gastric cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a 63-year-old Korean male with inappropriate antidiuretic hormone syndrome due to an ectopic antidiuretic hormone-producing advanced gastric adenocarcinoma manifested with overt serum hypo-osmolar hyponatremia and high urinary sodium concentrations. His adrenal, thyroidal, and renal functioning were normal, and the hyponatremia improved following removal of the tumor. The cancer cells were immunostained and found to be positive for the antidiuretic hormone. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an antidiuretic hormone-secreting advanced gastric adenocarcinoma associated with the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone, showing cancer cells immunostained for the antidiuretic hormone. CONCLUSIONS: Although a strong relationship between gastric cancer and the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone remains to be established, we suggest that gastric cancer could be included as a differential diagnosis of cancer that is associated with the syndrome of antidiuretic hormone

Brain developmental trajectories associated with childhood stuttering persistence and recovery

Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 5–8 % of preschool-age children, continuing into adulthood in 1 % of the population. The neural mechanisms underlying persistence and recovery from stuttering remain unclear and little information exists on neurodevelopmental anomalies in children who stutter (CWS) during preschool age, when stuttering symptoms typically first emerge. Here we present findings from the largest longitudinal study of childhood stuttering to date, comparing children with persistent stuttering (pCWS) and those who later recovered from stuttering (rCWS) with age-matched fluent peers, to examine the developmental trajectories of both gray matter volume (GMV) and white matter volume (WMV) using voxel-based morphometry. A total of 470 MRI scans were analyzed from 95 CWS (72 pCWS and 23 rCWS) and 95 fluent peers between 3 and 12 years of age. We examined overall group and group by age interactions in GMV and WMV in preschool age (3–5 years old) and school age (6–12 years old) CWS and controls, controlling for sex, IQ, intracranial volume, and socioeconomic status. The results provide broad support for a possible basal ganglia-thalamocortical (BGTC) network deficit starting in the earliest phases of the disorder and point to normalization or compensation of earlier occurring structural changes associated with stuttering recovery.</p

Gap Analysis Between the Level of Heat Wave Adaptation Policy and Heat Wave Effects in South Korean Municipalities

This study aims to analyze the gap between the level of heat wave adaptation policies and heat wave effects in South Korean municipalities. First, the types of industries in municipalities were classified using factor analysis and cluster analysis. Second, the level of heat wave adaptation policy in the municipalities was assessed using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process analysis. Third, the gap between the level of heat wave adaptation policy and the heat wave effect was analyzed. The results show that the heat wave adaptation policies were established in accordance with the heat wave effects to at least some degree. However, closer to the long-term future (2095), the policies have not sufficiently matched the level of heat wave effects. The proportion of municipalities with insufficient levels of heat wave adaptation policies against the heat wave effects was higher among urban-type municipalities. The analysis results suggest two policy implications. First, the heat wave adaptation policies of municipalities should be established through continuous feedback on the predictions of future heat wave effects. Second, urban-type municipalities should strengthen their planning authority and competence by securing a professional workforce and budgets for the establishment of heat wave adaptation policies

Inter edge Tunneling in Quantum Hall Line Junctions

We propose a scenario to understand the puzzling features of the recent experiment by Kang and coworkers on tunneling between laterally coupled quantum Hall liquids by modeling the system as a pair of coupled chiral Luttinger liquid with a point contact tunneling center. We show that for filling factors $\nu\sim1$ the effects of the Coulomb interactions move the system deep into strong tunneling regime, by reducing the magnitude of the Luttinger parameter $K$, leading to the appearance of a zero-bias differential conductance peak of magnitude $G_t=Ke^2/h$ at zero temperature. The abrupt appearance of the zero bias peak as the filling factor is increased past a value $\nu^* \gtrsim 1$, and its gradual disappearance thereafter can be understood as a crossover controlled by the main energy scales of this system: the bias voltage $V$, the crossover scale $T_K$, and the temperature $T$. The low height of the zero bias peak $\sim 0.1e^2/h$ observed in the experiment, and its broad finite width, can be understood naturally within this picture. Also, the abrupt reappearance of the zero-bias peak for $\nu \gtrsim 2$ can be explained as an effect caused by spin reversed electrons, \textit{i. e.} if the 2DEG is assumed to have a small polarization near $\nu\sim2$. We also predict that as the temperature is lowered $\nu^*$ should decrease, and the width of zero-bias peak should become wider. This picture also predicts the existence of similar zero bias peak in the spin tunneling conductance near for $\nu \gtrsim 2$.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figure