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Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), an agonist that activates specific G protein-coupled receptors, is present at an elevated concentration in the serum and ascitic fluid of ovarian cancer patients. Although the increased levels of LPA have been linked to the genesis and progression of different cancers including ovarian carcinomas, the specific signaling conduit utilized by LPA in promoting different aspects of oncogenic growth has not been identified. Here, we show that LPA stimulates both migration and proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. Using multiple approaches, we demonstrate that the stimulation of ovarian cancer cells with LPA results in a robust and statistically significant proliferative response. Our results also indicate that Gα 12 , the gep proto-oncogene, which can be stimulated by LPA via specific LPA receptors, is overtly activated in a large array of ovarian cancer cells. We further establish that LPA stimulates the rapid activation of Gα

Although postmortem morphological changes in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) have been reported in human amblyopia, LGN function during monocular viewing by amblyopic eyes has not been documented in humans. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study monocular visual activation of the LGN in a patient with anisometropic amblyopia. Four normal subjects, a patient with optic neuritis and a patient with anisometropic amblyopia were studied with fMRI at 1.5 T during monocular checkerboard stimulation. Activated areas in the LGN and visual cortex were identified after data processing (motion correction and spatial normalization) with SPM99. In the 4 normal subjects, comparable activation of the LGN and visual cortex was obtained by stimulation of either the right or left eye. In the patient with unilateral optic neuritis, activation of the LGN and visual cortex was markedly decreased when the affected eye was stimulated. Similarly, decreased activation of the LGN as well as the visual cortex by the affected eye was demonstrated in the patient with anisometropic amblyopia. Our preliminary results suggest that activation of the LGN is diminished during monocular viewing by affected eyes in anisometropic amblyopia. fMRI appears to be a feasible method to study LGN activity in human amblyopia.

Objectives• To characterize the use of emergent JJ ureteric stent placement and percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) for patients with obstructive urolithiasis with sepsis, and to determine whether outcomes differ between the two treatment methods. Patients and Methods• A total of 130 patients with obstructive urolithiasis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria were identified retrospectively from a single health system database from 1995 to 2011.• Primary outcomes included stone-related and clinical variables which predicted the use of each treatment method.• Secondary outcomes included the length of hospital stay, risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and surgical approach used for definitive stone management. Results• The overall rate of failed procedures was 2.3% (3/130), with one in-hospital death (0.8%). • After resolution of sepsis, patients treated with PCN were more likely to be treated definitively with a percutaneous approach, while patients treated with JJ stent placement were more likely to be treated ureteroscopically. Conclusions• Both JJ stent placement and PCN drainage appear effective.• Patients with larger stones and who are more acutely ill are more likely to be treated with PCN.• Additional randomized clinical trials of adequate power are warranted to define the optimum management of these often complex cases.

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