Decades of stability of conjunctival vascular malformations in two patients

A 65-year-old woman with diabetic retinopathy underwent glaucoma surgery to construct a filtering bleb adjacent to conjunctival hemangioma, and showed bleb function and stable hemangioma for a decade. A 1.5-year-old girl with right eye lid and cheek swelling by orbital to facial lymphangioma was followed for visual acuity development. Conjunctival lymphangioma was stable in 20 years

INFLUENCE OF LATERAL TRUNK TILT ON THROWING ARM KINETICS DURING BASEBALL PITCHING

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between lateral trunk tilt angle and several injury-related kinetic parameters during pitching. Based on kinematic data of 12 overhand and three-quarter-hand pitchers, several pitching motions with different lateral trunk tilt angles from the original were simulated. Joint kinetics among the simulated motions was compared. As a result, elbow medial force and elbow varus torque were generally increased as the lateral trunk tilt increased, that is the greater contra-lateral side-bending to the throwing arm side. On the other hand, the shoulder shear force was decreased as the lateral trunk tilt increased. Data from the study demonstrated that the shoulder proximal force was irrelevant to the trunk tilt angle

The Effects of Mutual Interaction of Orexin-A and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 on Reflex Swallowing Induced by SLN Afferents in Rats

(1) Background: Our previous studies revealed that orexin-A, an appetite-increasing peptide, suppressed reflex swallowing via the commissural part of the nucleus tractus solitarius (cNTS), and that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), an appetite-reducing peptide, also suppressed reflex swallowing via the medial nucleus of the NTS (mNTS). In this study, we examined the mutual interaction between orexin-A and GLP-1 in reflex swallowing. (2) Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats under urethane-chloralose anesthesia were used. Swallowing was induced by electrical stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) and was identified by the electromyographic (EMG) signals obtained from the mylohyoid muscle. (3) Results: The injection of GLP-1 (20 pmol) into the mNTS reduced the swallowing frequency and extended the latency of the first swallow. These suppressive effects of GLP-1 were not observed after the fourth ventricular administration of orexin-A. After the injection of an orexin-1 receptor antagonist (SB334867) into the cNTS, an ineffective dose of GLP-1 (6 pmol) into the mNTS suppressed reflex swallowing. Similarly, the suppressive effects of orexin-A (1 nmol) were not observed after the injection of GLP-1 (6 pmol) into the mNTS. After the administration of a GLP-1 receptor antagonist (exendin-4(5-39)), an ineffective dose of orexin-A (0.3 nmol) suppressed reflex swallowing. (4) Conclusions: The presence of reciprocal inhibitory connections between GLP-1 receptive neurons and orexin-A receptive neurons in the NTS was strongly suggested

Association Between SLFN11 and Antitumor Activity of Trabectedin

Background/Aim: Trabectedin is a DNA-damaging agent and has been approved for the treatment of patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma. Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) was identified as a dominant determinant of the response to DNA-damaging agents. The aim of the study was to clarify the association between SLFN11 expression and the antitumor activity of trabectedin. Materials and Methods: The antitumor activity of trabectedin was evaluated under different expression levels of SLFN11 regulated by RNA interference and CRISPR-Cas9 systems, and the combined antitumor activity of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein kinase (ATR) inhibitor and trabectedin in sarcoma cell lines using in vitro a cell viability assay and in vivo xenograft models. Results: SLFN11-knockdown cell lines had a lower sensitivity to trabectedin, compared to parental cells. ATR inhibitor enhanced the antitumor activity of trabectedin in SLFN11-knockdown cells and in a SLFN11-knockout xenograft model. Conclusion: SLFN11 expression might be a key factor in the antitumor activity of trabectedin

Magnetic and structural studies on two-dimensional antiferromagnets (MCl)LaNb₂O₇ (M = Mn, Co, Cr)

We report magnetic and structural studies on the two-dimensional antiferromagnets (MCl)LaNb₂O₇ (M = Mn, Cr, Co), prepared by topochemical reactions of a layered perovskite RbLaNb2O7. Electron diffraction of these oxyhalides revealed a superstructure with a √2a × √2a cell for M = Mn and Co, and a √2a × √2a cell for M = Cr, indicating that the MCl networks are distorted from an ideal square lattice. Neutron diffraction experiments showed that M = Mn and Co exhibit a(π 0 π) antiferromagnetic order as observed for the S = 1/2 counterparts. (CoCl)LaNb₂O₇ with a strong spin anisotropy shows an antiferro to weak-ferromagnetic transition at low field, followed by novel two-step metamagnetic transitions likely associated with a 1/2 plateau for 27-54 T. Possible spin structures under magnetic field are discussed in terms of an Ising-type model. By contrast, (CrCl)LaNb₂O₇ exhibits a (π π π) order, which is the first observation among related oxyhalides, and a spin-flop transition at 12 T due to a weak spin anisotropy. These results suggest that a slight difference in the MCl structure and spin anisotropy provides a crucial influence on the magnetic properties