Increased Moral Sensitivity for Outgroup Perpetrators Harming Ingroup Members.

From an evolutionary perspective, one should be more sensitive when outgroup members attack the ingroup but less so when ingroup or outgroup members fight among themselves. Indeed, previous behavioral and neuroimaging research demonstrated that people show greater sensitivity for the suffering of ingroup compared with outgroup members. However, the question still remains whether this is always the case regardless of who is the agent causing the harm. To examine the role of agency and group membership in perception of harm, 48 participants were scanned while viewing ingroup or outgroup perpetrators intentionally harming ingroup or outgroup members. Behavioral results showed greater moral sensitivity for ingroup versus outgroup victims, but only when the perpetrator was from the outgroup. In support of this finding, fMRI data showed greater activity in left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) for ingroup victims when they were harmed by outgroup individuals. In addition, effective connectivity analyses documented an increased coupling between left OFC and left amygdala and insula for ingroup harm, when the perpetrator was from the outgroup. Together these results indicate that we are highly sensitive to harm perpetrated by outgroup members and that increased sensitivity for ingroup victims is dependent on who is the agent of the action.

Ossifying plexiform tumor.

We report a rare case of ossifying plexiform tumor in a 64-year-old female. The patient had a 2-year history of gradual hardening of the right thumb pad and pain that radiated up the forearm. Physical examination showed a tender, mobile 2-cm subcutaneous nodule distending the tip of the right thumb. The biopsy specimen showed a well-delineated tumor with multiple lobules of epithelioid and spindled cells arranged in a plexiform pattern separated by fibrous bands and having foci of bone formation. The neoplastic cells had scant-to-moderate amphophilic cytoplasm with mild nuclear pleomorphism in a myxocollagenous background. No necrosis, mitoses or cytological atypicia were seen. The osteocytes present in the bone islands were bland, with occasional rimming osteoblasts. X-ray showed stippled calcification in the soft tissue of the distal thumb without involvement of the phalanx. The patient is tumor free for 1 year after complete local excision. Only three cases of ossifying plexiform tumor have been reported. All previous cases and the current case presented as subcutaneous nodules on hand digits of females, measuring 1-2 cm in greatest dimension. Ossifying plexiform tumor appears to be a benign neoplasm with no reports of progression or metastasis.

Cutaneous and systemic plasmacytosis in an Asian male born in the North American continent: a controversial entity potentially related to multicentric Castleman disease.

Cutaneous and systemic plasmacytosis is a rare condition primarily affecting middle-aged individuals of Japanese descent and has principally been reported in cases originating from Asia. Its relationship, if any, to Castleman disease, is controversial. The authors report a case of cutaneous and systemic plasmacytosis involving a 36-year-old man of Chinese ancestry born in North America. The biopsy of an involved lymph node revealed changes resembling Castleman disease. Significantly, this case to our knowledge represents the first case of cutaneous and systemic plasmacytosis presenting in a patient of Chinese ancestry born on the North American mainland.