We carried out tests of visual functions and evaluated the effects of the correction of visual acuity on kinetic visual acuity (KVA) in 21 high school rugby players. KVA during sports activities was highly correlated with binocular vision (r=0.719, p<0.0001) and static visual acuity (SVA) (r =0.798, p<0.0001) . When binocular vision, SVA, and KVA during sports activities were compared after correction, they all significantly improved after correction (binocular vision: 0.78±0.39→1.46 ±0.26, p<0.0001 ; SVA : 0.86±0.48→1.31±0.25, p<0.01 ; KVA : 0.54±0.350.75±0.20, p <0.05) . Moreover, significant negative correlations were observed among binocular vision, SVA, and KVA and the percent improvement after correction (r=-0.755, r=-0.848, r=-0.829, respectively ; all p<0.001) . The percentage of KVA to SVA was 64.0±21.7% during sports activities and 59.1±16.7% after correction decreasing slightly with correction, though not significantly. Therefore, KVA, which plays an important role in sports activities, improved as SVA improved, and poor KVA is thought to improve to an adequate level by correction of visual acuity. However, the effect of a correction was smaller in KVA than in SVA, and KVA deteriorated with over-correction in some players. Further studies are needed concerning the criteria for correction to obtain good KVA and the relationship between correction and training.

With disuse, e. g. that resulting from tail-suspension, skeletal muscle shows a decrease in both mass and strength, with concomitant atrophy. Type IIc fibers are observed during muscle fiber generation, regeneration and fiber type transformation. Thus, the recovery process of atrophied muscle fibers can be investigated by observing changes in type IIc fiber distribution. In this study, the behavior of type IIc fibers was examined in rats during recovery following 5 weeks of tail-suspension. Male rats were assigned to three groups : control (C), tailsuspension (S), and pair-weight (P), in which body weight was adjusted to that of the S group by controlled food consumption.
The results were as follows : 1) After 5 weeks of tail-suspension, the weight of the m. soleus in the S group was less than 40% of that in the C group. 2) Weights of all muscles removed in the S group increased rapidly until 2 weeks into the recovery period, and returned to the level in the P group by 5 weeks. 3) Type IIc fiber distribution in the m, soleus in the S group was increased by about 35% after 5 weeks of tail-suspension, and had not returned to the level in the C group by 5 weeks of recovery. 4) Phanocytosis and central nuclei were observed in the atrophic muscle fibers of the S group.

A 50-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a tumor in the left ventricle. He had suffered from rheumatic fever when 14 years old. He had shown signs of chronic heart failure due to atrial fibrillation and rheumatic valves (ASr, MSr) for 10 years. There was a history of unaccountable fever and rash, so infective endocarditis was suspected and echocardiography was performed. It showed a homogeneous mass with a diameter of approximately 10mm, fixed directly to the left ventricular septum 20mm below the aortic valvular ring. At operation, the tumor was excised together with endocardium and a part of the muscular coat. The rheumatic aortic and mitral valves were replaced with a 21mm SJM AHP and a 27mm SJM MTK mitral valve, respectively. Tricuspid annuloplasty (TAP) (De Vega 29mm) was also performed. Histopathological examination of the tumor revealed benign papillary fibroelastoma. It suggested that the tumors were secondary to mechanical wear and tear, and represent a degenerative process due to rheumatic valve disease.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors originating in the gastrointestinal tract. With the introduction of molecular-targeted therapy for GISTs which has yielded remarkable outcomes, these tumors have become a model of multidisciplinary oncological treatment. Although Western clinical guidelines are available for GISTs, such as those published by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), the clinical situations in Asian countries are different from those in Western countries in terms of diagnostic methods, surgical approach, and availability of new targeted agents. Accordingly, we have reviewed current versions of several GIST guidelines published by Asian countries (Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan) and the NCCN and ESMO and discussed the areas of dissensus. We here present the first version of the Asian GIST consensus guidelines that were prepared through a series of meetings involving multidisciplinary experts in the four countries. These guidelines provide an optimal approach to the diagnosis and management of GIST patients in Asian countries.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; China ; Consensus* ; Diagnosis* ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Imatinib Mesylate ; Korea ; Medical Oncology