H and B Blood Antigens Are Essential for In Vitro Replication of GII.2 Human Norovirus.

Background: Human norovirus (HuNoV) is a major cause of enteric infectious gastroenteritis and is classified into several genotypes based on its capsid protein amino acid sequence and nucleotide sequence of the polymerase gene. Among these, GII.4 is the major genotype worldwide.

Preventive effect of Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI against pouchitis in children with ulcerative colitis.

Purpose: Pouchitis is a major complication after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis in children (UCc). In this study, we investigated whether the oral administration of Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI 588 (CBM) can reduce the incidence of pouchitis after IPAA in UCc.

Methods: We reviewed the data for pediatric patients with UC, who underwent IPAA in Mie University Hospital between 2004 and 2022.

Current practice regarding the diagnosis and treatment of anorectal malformations in female patients: a multicenter questionnaire survey in Japan.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the current practices in the diagnosis and surgical management of anorectal malformations (ARMs) in female patients in Japan, specifically focusing on anovestibular fistula (AVF), rectovaginal fistula (RVF), and persistent cloaca (PC).

Methods: An anonymous online survey was conducted with 61 institutional members of the Japanese Study Group for Anorectal Anomalies.

Results: Sixty-one institutions (100%) completed the survey.

Dynamic Pathology of Enteric Neural Network using Curcumin-assisted Multiphoton Laser Imaging in Hirschsprung Disease.

Objective: In living tissue, it has been difficult to make microscopic-level observations without damaging the tissue.

Summary Background Data: We have invented a novel intravital fluorescent observation method (IFOM) for real-time tissue observation, combining multi-photon laser scanning microscopy (MPLSM) with curcumin vital staining (CVS-IFOM). The aim of this study was to use CVS-IFOM to analyze the enteric nervous system (ENS) in mice and human patients with hypoganglionosis and Hirschsprung disease.

Concentrations and carbonyl index of microplastic in surface seawater in southeastern coastal region off Japan, Northwestern Pacific.

In this study, microplastic concentrations in the southeastern coastal regions of Japan were measured along the northward ocean current at seven stations from Okinawa to Tokai region. Concentrations ranged from 0.014 to 0.

Development of a ship-based camera monitoring system for floating marine debris.

This study developed an automatic monitoring system for Floating Marine Debris (FMD) aimed at reducing the labor-intensiveness of traditional visual surveys. It involved creating a comprehensive FMD database using 55.6 h of video footage and numerous annotated images, which facilitated the training of a deep learning model based on the YOLOv8 architecture.

Abundance and potential sources of floating polystyrene foam macro- and microplastics around Japan.

Polystyrene foam is widely used due to its lightweight, impact resistance, and excellent thermal insulation properties. Meanwhile, weak adhesion between beads in polystyrene foam leads to fragmentation, generating a substantial amount of microplastics (<5 mm). Such polystyrene foam debris littered on beaches diminishes the aesthetic value of coastal areas, negatively impacting tourism.

[Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor-producing multiple myeloma presenting with neutrophilia].

A 71-year-old woman complained of nausea and anorexia. Laboratory tests revealed significant neutrophilia and immunoglobulin A-kappa type M proteinemia, as well as increased plasma cells on bone marrow examination. Furthermore, the serum granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) concentration was high at 160 pg/ml, and the colony stimulating factor 3 receptor (CSF3R)-T618I mutation was negative.

Promoter methylation levels of microRNA-124 in non-neoplastic rectal mucosa as a potential biomarker for ulcerative colitis-associated colorectal cancer in pediatric-onset patients.

Purpose: To determine the methylation level of the miR-124 promoter in non-neoplastic rectal mucosa of patients with pediatric-onset ulcerative colitis (UC) to predict UC-associated colorectal cancer (UC-CRC).

Methods: Between 2005 and 2017, non-neoplastic rectal tissue specimens were collected from 86 patients with UC, including 13 patients with UC-CRC; cancer tissues were obtained from the latter group. The methylation status of the miR-124 promoter was quantified using bisulfite pyrosequencing and compared between pediatric- and adult-onset UC patients.

Symptom palliation with QUAD Shot radiation therapy to penile metastasis derived from descending colon cancer: a case report.

A 54-year-old man was diagnosed with descending colon cancer with metastases in the liver, para-aortic lymph nodes, and penis, and chemotherapy was introduced after construction of a colostomy. The patient reported only mild penile pain at the time of diagnosis; however, the pain gradually worsened and interfered with his daily life. Opioids did not provide sufficient analgesia, and the patient developed dysuria and priapism.

Clinical Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome in Children and Adults.

Background: Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a rare disease characterized by the presence of hamartomatous polyposis throughout the gastrointestinal tract, except for the esophagus, along with characteristic mucocutaneous pigmentation. It is caused by germline pathogenic variants of the STK11 gene, which exhibit an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Some patients with PJS develop gastrointestinal lesions in childhood and require continuous medical care until adulthood and sometimes have serious complications that significantly reduce their quality of life.

Comparative evaluation of the carbonyl index of microplastics around the Japan coast.

The carbonyl index (CI) of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics (MPs) (2950 particles) collected in coastal waters around Japan was investigated. The CI of MPs was calculated by the specified area under band technique. The mean MP CI in all samples (regardless of shape and color) was 0.

Preoperative myopenia and myosteatosis and their impact on postoperative complications in children with inflammatory bowel disease.

Purpose: To assess the severity of preoperative myopenia and myosteatosis in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and examine their impact on postoperative complications.

Methods: The subjects of this retrospective study were 30 pediatric patients with IBD (22 with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 8 with Crohn's disease (CD)) and 67 age-matched controls. Preoperative body mass index (BMI), psoas muscle index (PMI), and intramuscular adipose tissue content were compared between the patient groups, to investigate their association with postoperative complications.

Development of mortality prediction models for infants with isolated, left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia before and after birth.

Background: Mortality prediction of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is essential for developing treatment strategies, including fetal therapy. Several researchers have reported prognostic factors for this rare but life-threatening condition; however, the optimal combination of prognostic factors remains to be elucidated.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop the most discriminative prenatal and postnatal models to predict the mortality of infants with an isolated left-sided CDH.

Qing-Dai for pediatric ulcerative colitis multicenter survey and systematic review.

Background: Pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) is more challenging to treat than adult UC. Qing-Dai therapy is effective in adults but reports of its efficacy in children are unavailable. We conducted a questionnaire survey on Qing-Dai use among pediatric patients with UC in Japan to determine its efficacy and safety.

TPX2 is a prognostic marker and promotes cell proliferation in neuroblastoma.

Targeting protein for kinesin-like protein 2 (TPX2) is upregulated in various tumors, and several studies have demonstrated the role of TPX2 as a prognostic marker in cancer. However, the function of TPX2 in neuroblastoma (NB) has not been completely elucidated. In the present study, the clinical significance and functional role of TPX2 in NB was investigated.

[Evaluation of the correlation between JAK2V617F allele burden by Quenching Probe-Tm method and allele-specific quantitative PCR method].

The JAK2V617F mutation is a driver mutation of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). V617F allele burden is considered a risk factor for complications associated with MPNs and is a predictor of prognosis. In Japan, V617F allele burden has been measured in laboratory settings using the i-densy IS-5320 genetic analyzer with the quenching probe-Tm (QP-Tm) method.

Characteristics and Frequency of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Associated Pancreatitis: A Japanese Nationwide Survey.

Unlabelled: Acute pancreatitis (AP) develops in approximately 2% of patients with the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the characteristics and frequency of childhood-onset IBD-associated AP in Japan have not been studied. The present study aimed to clarify the characteristics of IBD-associated AP in Japan.

Methods: A nationwide survey of pediatric patients with IBD (age, <17 years) was conducted from December 2012 to March 2013 at 683 hospitals and medical centers in Japan.

Best pre-ductal PaO prior to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as predictor of mortality in patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia: a retrospective analysis of a Japanese database.

Purpose: Predicting lethal pulmonary hypoplasia in infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) before extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) initiation is difficult. This study aimed to predict lethal pulmonary hypoplasia in patients with CDH prior to ECMO.

Methods: This was a multicenter cohort study involving neonates prenatally diagnosed with isolated unilateral CDH (born 2006-2020).