Helicobacter pylori Screening and Eradication in Junior High School Students in Yokosuka, Japan: Prevalence, Eradication Rates, and Challenges.

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection increases the risk of developing gastric cancer. Early eradication is effective in reducing the risk. An increasing number of Japanese municipalities are implementing school-based H.

Cytotoxic Anti-tumor Drugs and Tumor-Associated Macrophages Synergistically Surge PD-L1 Expression in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression within the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a key predictor of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Chemotherapy-induced modulation of the TME, particularly through some immune cells including tumor-associated macrophages, may influence PD-L1 expression and impact treatment outcomes.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 241 patients with ESCC, with or without preoperative chemotherapy, who underwent curative esophagectomy at our single institute, Kyushu University.

Two Brothers With ADSS1 Myopathy: A Report of Clinical, Radiological, and Autopsy Findings.

ADSS1 myopathy, previously known as adenylosuccinate synthetase-like 1 (ADSSL1) myopathy, is an autosomal recessive muscle disease caused by variants in ADSS1 (adenylosuccinate synthase 1). ADSS1 myopathy is complicated by respiratory muscle weakness or cardiomyopathy as well as limb muscle weakness. We analyzed two siblings with ADSS1 myopathy, both harboring compound heterozygous pathogenic variants (c.

AT101 Suppresses Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Growth and Promotes Apoptosis via YAP/TAZ-CCND1 and FBXW7-MCL1 Axes.

Background: Imatinib (IM), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), is the first-line treatment for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). However, its efficacy is limited due to acquired resistance induced by secondary KIT mutations in most patients with GIST. Furthermore, new challenges have emerged following the clarification that KIT-independent GISTs exhibit strong resistance to small molecule inhibitors targeting KIT/ platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA).

YAP acts as an independent prognostic marker and regulates growth and metastasis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors via FBXW7-YAP pathway.

Background: Although imatinib (IM) and subsequent tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) significantly improve the prognosis of GIST patients by delaying metastasis and recurrence, most patients experience limited efficacy due to toxicity and secondary resistance. We evaluated Yes-associated protein (YAP), a coactivator of the Hippo pathway accounting for IM resistance and aggressive GIST phenotypes, in GISTs. The degradation of YAP is mediated by FBXW7, and FBXW7 predicts recurrence and IM efficacy for GIST patients.

Textbook outcome contributes to long-term prognosis in elderly patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Textbook outcome (TO) is a composite quality measurement of outcomes for evaluating surgical procedures. We investigated whether TO can be used to predict outcomes after curative resection for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in elderly patients.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 105 patients who underwent curative esophagectomy for ESCC from 2005 to 2020.

The difficulty of nuclear emergency prevention measures during natural disasters: ongoing challenges in Japan.

It is crucial to anticipate nuclear emergency scenarios and implement effective measures. Japan's climate and topography make it vulnerable to natural disasters; thus, it is necessary to address compounding and cascading disaster scenarios involving the simultaneous occurrence of natural and nuclear disasters. On 1 January 2024, an earthquake hit the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture, resulting in damage to the area around the Shika Nuclear Power Plant, located 90 km from the epicenter.

Laparoscopic versus open abdominal lymph node dissection for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis.

Purpose: To compare the short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic and open abdominal lymph node dissection using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis.

Methods: The subjects of this retrospective analysis were 459 patients who underwent curative resection for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) between May, 2005 and December, 2019, at our hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: the Laparoscopic (Lap group) and the Open (Open group).

The relationship between the treatment course and prognosis of oligometastasis after esophageal squamous cell carcinoma resection.

Purpose: The concept of oligometastasis, which represents limited metastatic disease, has recently gained interest, accompanied by a more detailed classification. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the treatment course and prognosis in patients with a recurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after curative esophagectomy.

Methods: 126 patients with ESCC recurrence after curative resection were enrolled in this study.

Critical roles of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in olfactory memory formation and retrieval in crickets.

Acetylcholine (ACh) is a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the insect central nervous system, and insect neurons express several types of ACh receptors (AChRs). AChRs are classified into two subgroups, muscarinic AChRs and nicotinic AChRs (nAChRs). nAChRs are also divided into two subgroups by sensitivity to α-bungarotoxin (α-BGT).

Mental health professionals' use of the ICD-11 classification of impulse control disorders and behavioral addictions: An international field study.

Background And Aims: The ICD-11 chapter on mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders contains new controversial diagnoses including compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD), intermittent explosive disorder (IED) and gaming disorder. Using a vignette-based methodology, this field study examined the ability of mental health professionals (MHPs) to apply the new ICD-11 diagnostic requirements for impulse control disorders, which include CSBD and IED, and disorders due to addictive behaviors, which include gaming disorder, compared to the previous ICD-10 guidelines.

Methods: Across eleven comparisons, members of the WHO's Global Clinical Practice Network (N = 1,090) evaluated standardized case descriptions that were designed to test key differences between the diagnostic guidelines of ICD-11 and ICD-10.

Relationship between the severity of emphysematous change in the lung and morbidity after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: A retrospective study on a novel strategy for risk prediction.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prevalence increases post-esophagectomy morbidity. However, the association between COPD severity and post-esophagectomy morbidity remains unclear because of the lack of an objective method to classify COPD severity. Low attenuation volume ratio (LAVR) estimated using Ziostation2 may reflect the extent of emphysematous changes in the lungs and COPD severity, thereby predicting post-esophagectomy morbidity.

Cancer-Associated Fibroblast-Derived IL-8 Upregulates PD-L1 Expression in Gastric Cancer Through the NF-κB Pathway.

Background: The expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in tumor cells is a leading cause of tumor immune escape; however, the precise mechanism underlying the regulation of PD-L1 expression in gastric cancer (GC) cells remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential mechanism of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) regulating PD-L1 expression in GC cells.

Methods: We evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of CAFs in GC cells in vitro via the transwell co-culture system, cytometric bead array, and Western blotting.

The comprehensive review of gastric adenocarcinoma and proximal polyposis of the stomach (GAPPS) from diagnosis and treatment.

Gastric adenocarcinoma and proximal polyposis of the stomach (GAPPS) was first proposed by Wothley et al. in 2012 as a rare familial gastric cancer syndrome associated with an autosomal dominant form of inheritance. GAPPS is characterized by gastric basal gland polyposis from the hilum to the body of the stomach.

Textbook outcome contributes to long-term prognosis in older adults with gastric cancer.

Purpose: Textbook outcome (TO) is a composite quality measurement of short-term outcomes for evaluating surgical procedures. We investigated whether TO can be used to predict outcomes after curative gastric cancer (GC) surgery in older adults.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 492 consecutive patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for GC from 2005 to 2017.

Longitudinal Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Stress and Occupational Well-Being of Mental Health Professionals: An International Study.

Background: Increased levels of occupational stress among health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic have been documented. Few studies have examined the effects of the pandemic on mental health professionals despite the heightened demand for their services.

Method: A multilingual, longitudinal, global survey was conducted at 3 time points during the pandemic among members of the World Health Organization's Global Clinical Practice Network.

Roles of octopamine neurons in the vertical lobe of the mushroom body for the execution of a conditioned response in cockroaches.

Aminergic neurons mediate reward signals in mammals and insects. In crickets, we showed that blockade of synaptic transmission from octopamine neurons (OANs) impairs conditioning of an odor (conditioned stimulus, CS) with water or sucrose (unconditioned stimulus, US) and execution of a conditioned response (CR) to the CS. It has not yet been established, however, whether findings in crickets can be applied to other species of insects.

Prognostic value of F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the bone marrow on pretreatment positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy.

Background: Increased F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in the bone marrow (BM) on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) clinically reflects increased BM metabolism owing to systemic inflammation, bacterial infection, anemia, and cytokine-producing tumors. The association between FDG uptake in the BM and prognosis after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer has not been investigated.

Methods: This study included 651 patients who underwent PET/CT before any treatment and McKeown esophagectomy for esophageal cancer between June 2007 and August 2021.

Case-controlled field study of the ICD-11 clinical descriptions and diagnostic requirements for Bodily Distress Disorders.

Aims: Mental disorders characterized by preoccupation with distressing bodily symptoms and associated functional impairment have been a target of major reconceptualization in the ICD-11, in which a single category of Bodily Distress Disorder (BDD) with different levels of severity replaces most of the Somatoform Disorders in ICD-10. This study compared the accuracy of clinicians' diagnosis of disorders of somatic symptoms using either the ICD-11 or ICD-10 diagnostic guidelines in an online study.

Methods: Clinically active members of the World Health Organization's Global Clinical Practice Network (N = 1065) participating in English, Spanish, or Japanese were randomly assigned to apply ICD-11 or ICD-10 diagnostic guidelines to one of nine pairs of standardized case vignettes.

Gastric cancer with a giant lymph node metastasis: a case report and review of the literature.

A 78-year-old man presented with a large abdominal mass detected by ultrasonography during a regular checkup. Even if the mass was > 10 cm in diameter, he was asymptomatic. Computed tomography detected an oval-shaped mass, with a maximum diameter of 12 cm, adjacent to the greater curvature of the stomach.

C-Reactive Protein Levels After Esophagectomy are Associated with Increased Surgical Complications and Poor Prognosis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients.

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are reported to predict complications and survival after surgery in various cancers. However, the relationship between postoperative CRP levels and short- and long-term outcomes of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients after esophagectomy is unclear.

Method: We reviewed the records of 543 ESCC patients who underwent subtotal esophagectomy with gastric conduit reconstruction at Kumamoto University Hospital between August 2010 and July 2021.

Dynamic Alteration in HLA-E Expression and Soluble HLA-E via Interaction with Natural Killer Cells in Gastric Cancer.

Background: Some reports showed the immune tolerance of soluble human leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E), but the role that soluble HLA-E plays in gastric cancer (GC) is unknown. We aimed to clarify the molecular mechanism and clinical significance of soluble HLA-E in GC.

Methods: We examined the expression of HLA-E on GC cells and soluble HLA-E under co-culture with natural killer (NK) cells in a time-dependent manner.

Poor prognosis of patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to an infectious disease intensive care unit during the pandemic caused by the Delta variant in Japan.

During the surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) delta variant, our institution operated an intensive care unit (ICU) for patients with severe COVID-19. The study aim was to determine the survival rate and treatment outcomes of patients with severe COVID-19 treated in the ICU during the surge. A total of 23 consecutive patients with severe COVID-19 were admitted to the ICU between August 5 and October 6, 2021.