We investigated the relationship between the electrical and the mechanical responses of the frog sartorius in situ in isometric reflex contraction. All the thigh muscles other than the sartorius were dennervated. Mechanical stimulations were applied mainly on the dorsal skin of the ipsilateral foot. The electrical response led from the surface electrode was integrated by means of the Miller integrator. The mechanical response was recorded by the mechano-electric transducer, and its impulse was measured by the planimeter.
A very high positive correlation was found between the integrated value of the EMG and the mechanical impulse. It was found that the quantitative measurement of the electrical response of the muscle could be made in more accurate and efficient way by the Miller integrator than the other methods discussed in this paper.

Objective: Bevacizumab maintenance therapy following platinum-based combination chemotherapy for metastatic, recurrent, or persistent cervical cancer is not recommended as standard therapy. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab maintenance therapy and the contribution of the platinum-free interval to the efficacy of subsequent chemotherapy for advanced cervical cancer. Methods: We retrospectively identified 115 patients with metastatic, recurrent, or persistent cervical cancer treated with platinum-paclitaxel chemotherapy plus bevacizumab at 7 institutions between 2015 and 2020. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients who received bevacizumab maintenance therapy and those who did not. We also analyzed the adverse events associated with bevacizumab and survival time from the start of subsequent chemotherapy in both groups. Results: Following platinum-paclitaxel plus bevacizumab chemotherapy, 34 patients received bevacizumab maintenance therapy and 81 patients did not. Of the 115 patients, 56 received chemotherapy for subsequent relapse. Although bevacizumab maintenance therapy prolonged PFS (median of 16.0 months vs. 9.0 months, p=0.041), significant differences were not observed in OS (p=0.374). Furthermore, bevacizumab maintenance therapy did not prolong OS and PFS after the start of subsequent chemotherapy (p=0.663 and p=0.136, respectively). Bevacizumab maintenance therapy significantly increased hypertension (p=0.035) and proteinuria (p=0.005) but did not cause complications leading to death. Conclusion Bevacizumab single-maintenance therapy for advanced cervical cancer can be considered in selected cases, such as those with acceptable bevacizumab-related side effects. The outcomes of our study will likely contribute to decision-making regarding practical treatment strategies.

Background: We evaluated the effectiveness of gemcitabine and paclitaxel therapy in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma for whom two lines of sequential chemotherapy had been unsuccessful.

Methods: A total number of 105 patients who had previously received first-line chemotherapy consisting of gemcitabine and cisplatin or carboplatin, were treated with second-line gemcitabine and docetaxel therapy between June 2006 and May 2015. Of these patients, 15 with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status of 0 or 1 were administered gemcitabine and paclitaxel as third-line treatment from 2013 after failure of the second-line therapy. For each 21-day cycle, gemcitabine (1000 mg/m²) was administered on days 1, 8, and 15, and paclitaxel (200 mg/m²) on day 1. Patients were assessed for each cycle and any adverse events were noted. Furthermore, a Short Form Health Survey questionnaire was used to assess each patient’s quality of life.

Results: Third-line gemcitabine and paclitaxel treatment cycles were undertaken for a median of four times (range 2–9). The disease control rate was 80.0%. After second-line gemcitabine and docetaxel therapy was completed, median progression-free survival and median overall survival were determined as 9.8 and 13.0 months, respectively. The only prognostic factor for overall survival, as determined by univariate and multivariate analyses, was third-line gemcitabine and paclitaxel therapy. Neutropenia (66.7%) and thrombocytopenia (53.3%) were noted as the grade 3 treatment-related toxicities. After two cycles of third-line gemcitabine and paclitaxel therapy, the pre- and post-treatment quality of life scores did not differ significantly.

Conclusions: Results demonstrate that third-line combination therapy using gemcitabine and paclitaxel is a feasible option for metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients.