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Previous studies have shown that people with autistic traits have difficulties in motion perception, such as human gait as depicted on a point-light display. A recent study reported that adults with autism spectrum disorders showed atypical visual event-related evoked potentials (ERPs) in response to radial optic flow. To determine the correlation between gait perception and autistic traits in the general population, the present study recorded ERPs time-locked to the onset of approaching and receding point-light walkers. ERPs were measured using an 8-channel system in 19 adults and the correlation between the ERP components and the Subthreshold Autism Trait Questionnaire (SATQ) score were assessed to quantitatively measure autistic traits in the general population. The results showed that the higher SATQ score was, the longer the latency of the ERP component for an approaching walker was. In conclusion, people with autistic traits have trouble perceiving the approach of other people.

Objective: The aim of this study was to show the usefulness of examining HER2 status on fluorescence in situ hybridization using cytological samples taken from recurrent/metastatic tumors. Methods: One hundred freshly aspirated or scraped cytological samples were obtained from locoregional recurrences or distant metastases. Fluorescence in situ hybridization assay for HER2 amplification was performed on both these samples and the formalin-fixed, paraffinembedded tissues of the paired primary tumors of breast cancer, and the relationships between various clinico-pathological factors and HER2 amplification of both tumors were examined. Results: A change in HER2 status was observed in nine cases (9%): six cases (6%) underwent a positive-to-negative conversion in HER2 status and three cases (3%) underwent a negative-to-positive conversion in HER2 status. A positive-to-negative conversion of HER2 status was noted in 4 (36%) of 11 ‘luminal-B’ cases. The change in HER2 status in recurrent or metastatic tumor was noted in more cases treated with drug therapy than in those with no drug therapy (P , 0.05; Fisher’s exact probability). Although the time to relapse was 3 years or more in three cases showing a negative-to-positive conversion in HER2 status, the time to relapse was less than 3 years in six cases showing a positive-to-negative conversion (P , 0.05; Fisher’s exact probability). Conclusions: HER2 examination on fluorescence in situ hybridization using fine-needle aspiration cytology samples of tumors in recurrent/metastatic sites or disseminated tumor cells in effusion is beneficial, particularly when the primary tumor is not suitable for the testing of HER2 status or negative for HER2 amplification, because aspiration using a needle is technically feasible and not as traumatic as biopsy.

The aim of this study was to compare the results of immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays evaluated by human examiners with the results evaluated by computerized image analysis, and to compare the computerized image analysis results among three automated IHC assays, namely the BioGenex, Dako and Ventana assays. All slides were semiquantitatively evaluated according to the Allred score and J-score by human examiners. The images were analyzed using MacSCOPE version 2.6 for Macintosh according to the H-score and the percentage of positive-stained nuclei per area of carcinoma cells (PP) irrespective of the intensity of the stained nuclei. The H-score for the estrogen receptor (ER) was significantly correlated with the Allred score (P

A case of mandibular myofibroma in a 11-month-old boy is described. Forty-six patients with maxillofacial myofibroma, including our case, have been reported since 1981. Among 42 patients, excluding 4 patients for whom age was not stated, 67% of the tumors occurred in those younger than 16 years old. We classified the patients into a pediatric patient group and an adult patient group, divided at 16 years old. Tumors arose in bone, including the mandible and temporal bone, in 71% of the pediatric patients, but in none of the adult patients. The mean tumor size in the pediatric patients was greater than that in the adult patients. Immunohistochemical staining was useful for establishing the diagnosis. Of the 32 cases for whom immunohistochemical findings were described, all were positive for α-smooth-muscle-actin and vimentin. However, all cases were negative for desmin and S-100 protein. No recurrence was reported among 20 patients for whom the outcome was described.