How many cases do young pediatric surgeons need to experience to achieve autonomy in performing pediatric endoscopic surgery? A nationwide survey to establish an ideal curriculum for pediatric endoscopic surgery in Japan.

Purpose: To ensure the safe prevalence of pediatric endoscopic surgery in Japan, a training curriculum should be established. In addition, the number of pediatric surgical cases is decreasing due to the decreasing birth rate in Japan, and it is necessary to clarify the number of surgical cases required for young pediatric surgeons to achieve autonomy in pediatric endoscopic surgery.

Methods: An online nationwide survey was conducted among young pediatric surgeons with 3-15 years of clinical experience in Japan.

Assessing the utility of fractional exhaled nitric oxide-guided management in adult patients with asthma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has been utilized as a reliable biomarker for diagnosis, treatment response, and prediction of future risks in asthma care, that potentially ensures the efficacy of FeNO-guided asthma management. As previous systematic reviews reported limited efficacy with this approach, we evaluated the efficacy of FeNO-guided management in monitoring adults with asthma.

Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Statement and the Minds Manual for Guideline Development, we updated a Cochrane systematic review in 2016 by adding six papers reporting randomized controlled trials with a treatment duration ≥12 weeks published between June 2016 and July 2022, and conducted a sub-analysis of two groups stratified by the strategy used: the FeNO-alone and FeNO with symptom score groups.

Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin sensitization is associated with declined capsaicin cough sensitivity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Sensitization to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) enterotoxins (SEs) A (SEA) and B (SEB) is associated with the pathogenesis of several chronic airway diseases, including asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis, but its role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains unclear. This cohort study aimed to investigate the impact of sensitization to SEs on total IgE levels, and capsaicin cough reflex sensitivity (C-CS) in COPD.

Focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound with intraoperative prostate compression for patients with localized prostate cancer: a multi-center prospective study with 7 year experience.

Background: To evaluate clinical outcomes of focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) with intraoperative prostate compression for patients with localized prostate cancer (PC).

Methods: Patients were included if they had prostate specific antigen levels of ≤20 ng/mL and clinically significant PC (CSPC) within the left or right half, or upper or lower half of the prostate. CSPC was detected using magnetic resonance imaging-transrectal ultrasound fusion image-guided target biopsy and a 12-core systematic biopsy.

A Case of Pancreatic Serous Cystadenoma Penetrating Bile Duct Requiring Differentiation from Malignancy.

A 67-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with jaundice. A closer examination revealed that he had obstructive jaundice due to bile duct obstruction caused by a multifocal cystic tumor of the pancreas. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) revealed stenosis of the distal bile duct and leakage of contrast medium into the pancreatic cyst.

Association of Plasma Nestin With Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Combined With Chemotherapy in Extensive-stage Small-cell Lung Cancer: A Pilot Study.

Background/aim: Nestin, an intermediate filament protein expressed in stem/progenitor cells of the developing central nervous system, is involved in the progression and poor prognosis of various malignancies. Difficulties in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) tissue biopsy reduce the accuracy of immunohistochemistry analyses; therefore, evaluating nestin in blood samples is preferred in clinical practice. This study examined the clinical significance of plasma nestin levels in SCLC.

Nationwide questionnaire survey on pediatric pancreatic tumors in Japan.

Background: Pediatric pancreatic tumors are rare and account for < 0.1% of all childhood cancers. The primary treatment for pancreatic tumors is surgical resection.

Comparison of Ampullary and Pancreatic Adenocarcinomas: Smaller Invasion, Common Adenomatous Components, Resectability, and Histology are Factors for Improved Survival for Patients with Ampullary Adenocarcinoma.

Background: The information on the clinicopathologic/outcome differences between ampullary adenocarcinoma (AC) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC) has been conflicting to the extent that it still is questioned whether ACs need to be recognized separately from PCs.

Methods: The characteristics of 413 ACs were compared with those of 547 PCs.

Results: The ACs had a better prognosis than the PCs (5-year survival, 57 % vs 23 %; p < 0.

Productive cough associated with patient-reported outcomes and computed tomography analysis results in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a single centre cross-sectional study.

https://bit.ly/4bPOCzC.

Impairment of perioperative activities of daily living is associated with poor prognosis following pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer.

Purpose: It has reported that the prevalence of frailty in patients with pancreatic cancer is 45%. The number of patients with pancreatic cancer is increasing, and within this cohort, patients often suffer from impaired activities of daily living (ADLs). This study aimed to examine the association between perioperative Barthel Index (BI) scores, a validated measure of ADLs, and survival outcomes after pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer.

[BRONCHOPULMONARY ASPERGILLOSIS WITH COMORBID GRANULOMATOUS POLYANGIITIS IN A PATIENT WHO PRESENTED WITH EXOPHTHALMOS: A CASE REPORT].

There have been no reports of the coexistence of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). The first case of ABPA with comorbid GPA that developed exophthalmos is reported. A 69-year-old man was referred to our hospital for exophthalmos, fever, anorexia and weight loss.

The Association Between Surgical Site Infection and Prognosis of T4 Colorectal Cancer.

Objectives: Patients with T4 colorectal cancer have poor prognosis, wherein no prognostic factors have been established. Surgical site infection (SSI) has been reported to be one of the risk factors for colorectal cancer recurrence. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between SSI occurrence and prognosis of T4 colorectal cancer and the prognostic impact of the site of SSI occurrence.

Artificial intelligence facilitates the potential of simulator training: An innovative laparoscopic surgical skill validation system using artificial intelligence technology.

Purpose: The development of innovative solutions, such as simulator training and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tutoring systems, has significantly changed surgical trainees' environments to receive the intraoperative instruction necessary for skill acquisition. In this study, we developed a new objective assessment system using AI for forceps manipulation in a surgical training simulator.

Methods: Laparoscopic exercises were recorded using an iPad®, which provided top and side views.

Qualitative inductive analysis of the lives of women with persistent cloaca based on their narratives.

Purpose: The study aimed to explore and describe the lives of patients with persistent cloaca (PC) from childhood to adulthood.

Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine adult patients with PC. Their experiences and thoughts regarding this disease were analyzed qualitatively and inductively.

Serum Lactate Clearance as a Predictive Biomarker for Optimal Graft Perfusion in Living Donor Liver Transplantation.

Background: The optimal balance between the graft volume (GV) and portal venous flow (PVF) in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is unclear. As lactate is mainly metabolized in the liver, perioperative lactate levels are reportedly a useful biomarker for early graft dysfunction (EGD). The present study analyzed perioperative lactate levels according to the PVF.

A retrospective study investigating the risk of graft loss in living donor liver transplant cases where size mismatching is predicted from graft-to-recipient weight ratio.

Background/purpose: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is vital for pediatric end-stage liver disease due to organ shortages. The graft-to-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) preoperatively measured predicts the outcomes of LDLT. We typically target between 0.