On geometric independency trees for points in the plane

AbstractA plane spanning tree is a tree drawn in the plane so that its edges are closed straight-line segments and no two edges intersect internally, and no three of its vertices are collinear. In this paper, we present several results on a plane spanning tree T such that the graph obtained from T by adding a line segment between any two end-vertices of T is self-intersecting

Lip incompetence and myofunctional therapy

Lip incompetence, which is a state in which the upper and lower lips are constantly apart, is thought to induce mouth breathing that may result in the development of gingivitis and periodontal disease. In the orthodontic field, lip incompetence has major problems for diagnosis, when determining the treatment goal and at the time of retention. We have been performing studies on lip incompetence and have obtained the following results : (1) it is possible to predict to some extent the state of lip closure during sleep by examination only in an awake state, (2) anterior teeth are positioned forward in individuals with lip incompetence, and (3) a training method called Button Pull is effective as a myofunctional therapy for improving lip incompetence, but there remains a need to clarify the background

Soft-tissue perineurioma of the retroperitoneum in a 63-year-old man, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Soft-tissue perineuriomas are rare benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors in the subcutis of the extremities and the trunks of young patients. To our knowledge, this the first presentation of the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of a soft-tissue perineurioma in the retroperitoneum with pathologic correlation.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 63-year-old Japanese man was referred for assessment of high blood pressure. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a well-defined, gradually enhancing tumor without focal degeneration or hemorrhage adjacent to the pancreatic body. Tumor excision with distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy was performed, as a malignant tumor of pancreatic origin could not be ruled out. No recurrence has been noted in the 16 months since the operation. Pathologic examination of the tumor revealed a soft-tissue perineurioma of the retroperitoneum.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the definitive diagnosis of soft-tissue perineurioma requires biopsy and immunohistochemical reactivity evaluation, the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings described in this report suggest inclusion of this rare tumor in the differential diagnosis when such findings occur in the retroperitoneum.</p

Characteristics of systolic and diastolic potentials recorded in the left interventricular septum in verapamil-sensitive left ventricular tachycardia

We studied the electrophysiological characteristics of systolic (SP) and diastolic (DP) potentials recorded during sinus rhythm (SR) in the left interventricular septum of a 27 year-old woman presenting with verapamil-sensitive idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia (VT). During SR, and during VT, SP was activated from ventricular base-to-apex, and DP from apex-to-base. SP and DP were both detected at the site of successful ablation during SR, whereas during VT, DP was detected away from the earliest activation site. Thus, SP apparently reflected a critical component of the reentrant circuit, while DP reflected the activation of a bystander pathway

GABA-containing sympathetic preganglionic neurons in rat thoracic spinal cord send their axons to the superior cervical ganglion.

GABA-containing fibers have been observed in the rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) and, to a lesser extent, in the stellate ganglion (STG). The aim of present study is to clarify the source of these fibers. No cell body showed mRNAs for glutamic acid decarboxylases (GADs) or immunoreactivity for GAD of 67 kDa (GAD67) in the cervical sympathetic chain. Thus, GABA-containing fibers in the ganglia are suggested to be of extraganglionic origin. Since GAD67-immunoreactive fibers were found not in the dorsal roots or ganglia, but in the ventral roots, GABA-containing fibers in the sympathetic ganglia were considered to originate from the spinal cord. Furthermore, almost all GAD67-immunoreactive fibers in the sympathetic ganglia showed immunoreactivity for vesicular acetylcholine transporter, suggesting that GABA was utilized by some cholinergic preganglionic neurons. This was confirmed by the following results: 1) after injection of Sindbis/palGFP virus into the intermediolateral nucleus, some anterogradely labeled fibers in the SCG were immunopositive for GAD67, and 2) after injection of fluorogold into the SCG, some retrogradely labeled neurons in the thoracic spinal cord were positive for GAD67 mRNA. Finally, when the ventral roots of the eighth cervical to the fourth thoracic segments were cut, almost all GAD67- and GABA-immunoreactive fibers disappeared from the ipsilateral SCG and STG, suggesting that the vast majority of GABA-containing fibers in those ganglia were of spinal origin. Thus, the present findings strongly indicate that some sympathetic preganglionic neurons are not only cholinergic, but also GABAegi

Armadillo Repeat Containing 8α Binds to HRS and Promotes HRS Interaction with Ubiquitinated Proteins

Recently, we reported that a complex with an essential role in the degradation of Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase in yeast is well conserved in mammalian cells; we named this mammalian complex C-terminal to the Lissencephaly type-1-like homology (CTLH) complex. Although the function of the CTLH complex remains unclear, here we used yeast two-hybrid screening to isolate Hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate (HRS) as a protein binding to a key component of CTLH complex, Armadillo repeat containing 8 (ARMc8) α. The association was confirmed by a yeast two-hybrid assay and a co-immunoprecipitation assay. The proline-rich domain of HRS was essential for the association. As demonstrated through immunofluorescence microscopy, ARMc8α co-localized with HRS. ARMc8α promoted the interaction of HRS with various ubiquitinated proteins through the ubiquitin-interacting motif. These findings suggest that HRS mediates protein endosomal trafficking partly through its interaction with ARMc8α