Recurrence score-predicted value derived from estrogen receptor, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, progesterone receptor, and Ki-67 may substitute for the Oncotype DX recurrence score in estrogen receptor (ER)+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)- breast cancer.

Oncotype DX is the only multigene assay supported by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (USA) with Level 1 evidence for use on node-negative and postmenopausal node-positive patients with estrogen receptor (ER)+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-breast cancer to predict the prognosis and to estimate chemotherapy add-on effects. However, the test's high cost prevents its use in most cases. Therefore, we aimed to obtain an alternative recurrence score (RS) prediction formula using the optimal clinicopathological factors.

Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Three Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Ulcerative Colitis: A Real-World Multicentre Study in Japan.

Background: Three Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are approved for ulcerative colitis (UC) in Japan.

Aim: To compare the real-world efficacy and safety of these three JAK inhibitors in UC.

Methods: This was a multicentre, retrospective study of patients with UC started on JAK inhibitors.

Identification of nanaomycin A and its analogs by a newly established screening method for functional inhibitors of the type IX secretion system in Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium, is a key pathogen in chronic periodontitis. P. gingivalis has a type IX secretion system (T9SS) that secretes highly hydrolytic proteinases called gingipains for obtaining peptides as an energy source.

Usefulness of participation of endoscopic surgical skill qualification system-qualified surgeons in laparoscopic high anterior resection.

Introduction: A technical qualification system was established by the Japanese Society of Endoscopic Surgery in 2004, and its effectiveness in low anterior resection (LAR) has been reported. We herein performed a subgroup analysis of the effectiveness of the participation of technically qualified surgeons in laparoscopy-assisted high anterior resection (HAR), a procedure used for the technical qualification of surgeons.

Methods: The EnSSURE study enrolled 3188 patients who underwent laparoscopic rectal resection for rectal cancer between January 2014 and December 2016 at 56 Japanese hospitals.

A case of needle tract seeding of pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma after a single endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition.

Needle tract seeding (NTS) is a rare complication of endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA). Herein, we report the case of an 83 year-old man who presented with a solid mass in the pancreatic tail, measuring 35 mm in diameter, with cystic degeneration. EUS-TA was performed using a 22-gauge biopsy needle, with a single puncture via the stomach; however, no definitive pathological diagnosis was achieved.

Incidence of Cholecystitis After Endoscopic Biliary Drainage Using a Low Axial Force Covered Self-Expandable Metallic Stent in Patients With Malignant Distal Biliary Obstruction: A Multicenter Prospective Study.

Background And Aim: No prospective studies have verified the incidence of cholecystitis in patients using the covered self-expandable metallic stent. In this study, we aimed to investigate the incidence of cholecystitis and its risk factors after low axial force covered self-expandable metallic stent placement for malignant distal biliary obstruction.

Methods: This multicenter prospective study included patients diagnosed with unresectable distal biliary obstruction between November 2019 and October 2022 who underwent low axial force covered self-expandable metallic stent placement.

Involvement of Mediterranean fever gene mutations in colchicine-responsive enterocolitis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The involvement of Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene mutations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBDU) remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics and responsiveness to colchicine in Japanese patients with IBDU carrying MEFV mutations.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we examined MEFV mutations using gene analysis, clinical information, and colchicine responsiveness.

Impact of Concomitant Prescriptions and Lifestyle Factors on the Initial Course of Newly Diagnosed Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Introduction: There is a close relationship between the relapse of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and lifestyle factors, including concomitant medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antithrombotic drugs, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. However, solid evidence is limited regarding the risk factors at diagnosis and initial disease course. This study aimed to explore the impact of concomitant prescriptions and lifestyle factors in patients with newly diagnosed IBD using a large-scale real-world database.

Disruption of Iqsec1 in mice leads to embryonic lethality with reduced large apical vacuoles in the visceral endoderm.

Iqsec1 (IQ motif and Sec7 domain-containing protein 1), also known as BRAG2 (Brefeldin A-resistant Arf-GEF 2), is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor that regulates membrane trafficking, cytoskeletal organization, and signal transduction by activating class II and III ADP-ribosylation factors. To investigate the physiological role of Iqsec1 at the whole animal level, we generated Iqsec1-deficient mice using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing. Nearly all Iqsec1 mice (99%) exhibited embryonic lethality with severe growth retardation.

Device-Related Adverse Events and Flow Capacity of Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Devices.

Background: Complication management is crucial in patients receiving mechanical circulatory devices. However, there are limited data on the association between the risks of complications and device type in patients with percutaneous ventricular assist devices (PVAD).

Methods: The Japanese registry for PVAD (J-PVAD) is a nationwide ongoing registry that enrolls consecutive patients with cardiogenic shock treated with PVAD.

Dr. Kiyoshi Shiga (1871-1957): Outstanding Bacteriologist Who Discovered Dysentery Bacillus and Contributed Immensely to Public Health in Japan.

Kiyoshi Shiga (1871-1957) was a renowned Japanese bacteriologist best known for discovering the dysentery bacillus. Born in Sendai during the Meiji Restoration, Shiga graduated from Tokyo Imperial University's School (later University of Tokyo) of Medicine and began microbiological research under Shibasaburo Kitasato. In 1897, during a dysentery () epidemic, he isolated and identified the causative organism (later named ) using Koch's postulates, laying the foundation for enteric disease research.

Validation of British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding from 8,956 cases in Japan.

Background And Aims: We sought to validate the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) guidelines for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (ALGIB).

Methods: We analyzed 8,956 patients with ALGIB in CODE BLUE-J study and categorized them into four groups based on BSG guidelines. Outcomes included 30-day rebleeding, 30-day mortality, blood transfusion, therapeutic intervention, and severe bleeding.

Live-attenuated vaccine failure after liver transplantation: A 20-year cohort study.

Background: A recent conditional recommendation suggests considering live-attenuated vaccines for solid organ transplant recipients, yet the conditions of their safe and effective administration remain unclear.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted at Keio University Hospital from 2002 to August 2023. We gave a live-attenuated vaccine to liver transplant (LT) recipients fulfilling criteria for live-attenuated vaccines, including criteria for humoral and cell-mediated immunity.

The impact of core curriculum revisions on Japanese medical schools: Navigating curriculum evolution.

Purpose: This study examines the impact of the 2010 and 2016 Model Core Curriculum (MCC) revisions on medical education across all 82 medical schools in Japan.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2021, focusing on the response to the MCC revisions, curriculum changes, and factors influencing these changes. The survey included questions on approaches to implementing the MCC revisions, timing of curriculum updates, factors triggering these revisions, changes in student performance and career paths, and the introduction of new subjects.

Prognostic Value of Sarcopenia Definitions and Outcomes Consortium Criteria in Older Patients with Heart Failure.

Objectives: The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia in 2019 (AWGS 2019) emphasized muscle mass measurements. In contrast, the Sarcopenia Definitions and Outcomes Consortium (SDOC) prioritizes functional strength and mobility. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the prognostic utility of the SDOC and AWGS 2019 criteria for all-cause mortality in older patients with heart failure.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Driven Frailty Prediction Using Electronic Health Records in Hospitalized Patients With Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: This study aimed to create a deep learning model for predicting phenotypic physical frailty from electronic medical record information in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Methods And Results: This single-center retrospective study enrolled patients who could be assessed for physical frailty according to cardiovascular health study criteria (25.5% [691/2,705] of the patients were frail).

Real-World Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Filgotinib and Upadacitinib for Ulcerative Colitis: A Multicentre Cohort Study.

Background: Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, filgotinib (FIL) and upadacitinib (UPA) have emerged as promising treatments for ulcerative colitis (UC). However, a comparative analysis of these JAK inhibitors, particularly in patients previously treated with tofacitinib (TOF), has not been performed.

Aims: To compare the efficacy and safety of FIL and UPA in patients with UC, including those previously exposed to TOF.

Associations between community social capital and posttraumatic growth among older survivors 11 years after a natural disaster.

We prospectively examined whether community-level social capital plays a significant role in developing Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) among older survivors of the 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The baseline survey was conducted 7 months before the disaster among residents of a city located 80km west of the earthquake epicenter. The survey inquired about participants' health status and social capital (informal socializing and social participation, and social cohesion).

Contextual memory bias in emotional events: Neurobiological correlates and depression risk.

Background: Contextual memory loss of emotional events plays a critical role in depression psychopathology. Individuals with depression, clinical or subclinical, exhibit enhanced and impaired memory for emotionally negative stimuli and context in an event, respectively. This suggests that contextual encoding may fail because of attentional interference caused by concurrent negative stimuli, possibly leading to contextual memory loss as a depression risk.

Efficacy and safety of carmustine wafers, followed by radiation, temozolomide, and bevacizumab therapy, for newly diagnosed glioblastoma with maximal resection.

Background: To improve the outcome in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients with maximal resection, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of implantation of carmustine wafers (CWs), radiation concomitant with temozolomide and bevacizumab, and maintenance chemotherapy with six cycles of temozolomide and bevacizumab.

Method: This prospective phase II study enrolled glioblastoma patients considered candidates for complete resection (> 90%) of a contrast-enhanced lesion. The CWs were intraoperatively implanted into the resection cavity after achieving maximal resection.

jPOST environment accelerates the reuse and reanalysis of public proteome mass spectrometry data.

jPOST (https://jpostdb.org/) comprises jPOSTrepo (https://repository.jpostdb.