Phenotypic characteristics of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in Japan: results from a multicenter registry

( Katsuhiro Arai ),( Reiko Kunisaki ),( Fumihiko Kakuta ),( Shin-ichiro Hagiwara ),( Takatsugu Murakoshi ),( Tadahiro Yanagi ),( Toshiaki Shimizu ),( Sawako Kato ),( Takashi Ishige ),( Tomoki Aomatsu 대한장연구학회 2020 Intestinal Research Vol.18 No.4

Background/Aims: There are few published registry studies from Asia on pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Registry network data enable comparisons among ethnic groups. This study examined the characteristics of IBD in Japanese children and compared them with those in European children. Methods: This was a cross-sectional multicenter registry study of newly diagnosed Japanese pediatric IBD patients. The Paris classification was used to categorize IBD features, and results were compared with published EUROKIDS data. Results: A total of 265 pediatric IBD patients were initially registered, with 22 later excluded for having incomplete demographic data. For the analysis, 91 Crohn’s disease (CD), 146 ulcerative colitis (UC), and 6 IBD-unclassified cases were eligible. For age at diagnosis, 20.9% of CD, 21.9% of UC, and 83.3% of IBD-unclassified cases were diagnosed before age 10 years. For CD location, 18.7%, 13.2%, 64.8%, 47.3%, and 20.9% were classified as involving L1 (ileocecum), L2 (colon), L3 (ileocolon), L4a (esophagus/stomach/duodenum), and L4b (jejunum/proximal ileum), respectively. For UC extent, 76% were classified as E4 (pancolitis). For CD behavior, B1 (non-stricturing/non-penetrating), B2 (stricturing), B3 (penetrating), and B2B3 were seen in 83.5%, 11.0%, 3.3%, and 2.2%, respectively. A comparison between Japanese and European children showed less L2 involvement (13.2% vs. 27.3%, P<0.01) but more L4a (47.3% vs. 29.6%, P<0.01) and L3 (64.8% vs. 52.7%, P<0.05) involvement in Japanese CD children. Pediatric perianal CD was more prevalent in Japanese children (34.1% vs. 9.7%, P<0.01). Conclusions: Upper gastrointestinal and perianal CD lesions are more common in Japanese children than in European children. (Intest Res 2020;18:412-420)

New Spectral Evidence of an Unaccounted Component of the Near-infrared Extragalactic Background Light from the<i>CIBER</i>

Matsuura, Shuji,Arai, Toshiaki,Bock, James J.,Cooray, Asantha,Korngut, Phillip M.,Kim, Min Gyu,Lee, Hyung Mok,Lee, Dae Hee,Levenson, Louis R.,Matsumoto, Toshio,Onishi, Yosuke,Shirahata, Mai,Tsumura, K American Astronomical Society 2017 The Astrophysical journal Vol.839 No.1

<P>The extragalactic background light (EBL) captures the total integrated emission from stars and galaxies throughout the cosmic history. The amplitude of the near-infrared EBL from space absolute photometry observations has been controversial and depends strongly on the modeling and subtraction of the zodiacal light (ZL) foreground. We report the first measurement of the diffuse background spectrum at 0.8-1.7 mu m from the CIBER experiment. The observations were obtained with an absolute spectrometer over two flights in multiple sky fields to enable the subtraction of ZL, stars, terrestrial emission, and diffuse Galactic light. After subtracting foregrounds and accounting for systematic errors, we find the nominal EBL brightness, assuming the Kelsall ZL model, is 42.7(-10.6) (+11.9) nW m(-2) sr(-1) at 1.4 mu m. We also analyzed the data using the Wright ZL model, which results in a worse statistical fit to the data and an unphysical EBL, falling below the known background light from galaxies at. lambda<. 1.3 mu m. Using a model-independent analysis based on the minimum EBL brightness, we find an EBL brightness of 28.7(-3.3)(+5.1) nWm(-2) s(r-1) at 1.4 mu m. While the derived EBL amplitude strongly depends on the ZL model, we find that we cannot fit the spectral data to ZL, Galactic emission, and EBL from solely integrated galactic light from galaxy counts. The results require a new diffuse component, such as an additional foreground or an excess EBL with a redder spectrum than that of ZL.</P>

Long-Term Durability of Infliximab for Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis: A Retrospective Data Review in a Tertiary Children's Hospital in Japan

Shimizu, Hirotaka,Arai, Katsuhiro,Takeuchi, Ichiro,Minowa, Kei,Hosoi, Kenji,Sato, Masamichi,Oka, Itsuhiro,Kaburaki, Yoichiro,Shimizu, Toshiaki The Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology 2021 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.24 No.1

Purpose: The long-term efficacy and safety of infliximab (IFX) in children with ulcerative colitis (UC) have not been well-evaluated. Here, we reviewed the long-term durability and safety of IFX in our single center pediatric cohort with UC. Methods: This retrospective study included 20 children with UC who were administered IFX. Results: For induction, 5 mg/kg IFX was administered at weeks 0, 2, and 6, followed by every 8 weeks for maintenance. The dose and interval of IFX were adjusted depending on clinical decisions. Corticosteroid (CS)-free remission without dose escalation (DE) occurred in 30% and 25% of patients at weeks 30 and 54, respectively. Patients who achieved CS-free remission without DE at week 30 sustained long-term IFX treatment without colectomy. However, one-third of the patients discontinued IFX treatment because of a primary nonresponse, and one-third experienced secondary loss of response (sLOR). IFX durability was higher in patients administered IFX plus azathioprine for >6 months. Four of five patients with very early onset UC had a primary nonresponse. Infusion reactions (IRs) occurred in 10 patients, resulting in discontinuation of IFX in four of these patients. No severe opportunistic infections occurred, except in one patient who developed acute focal bacterial nephritis. Three patients developed psoriasis-like lesions. Conclusion: IFX is relatively safe and effective for children with UC. Clinical remission at week 30 was associated with long-term durability of colectomy-free IFX treatment. However, approximately two-thirds of the patients were unable to continue IFX therapy because of primary nonresponse, sLOR, IRs, and other side effects.

On the origin of near-infrared extragalactic background light anisotropy

Zemcov, Michael,Smidt, Joseph,Arai, Toshiaki,Bock, James,Cooray, Asantha,Gong, Yan,Kim, Min Gyu,Korngut, Phillip,Lam, Anson,Lee, Dae Hee,Matsumoto, Toshio,Matsuura, Shuji,Nam, Uk Won,Roudier, Gael,Tsu American Association for the Advancement of Scienc 2014 Science Vol.346 No.6210

<P><B>A diffuse cosmic glow is not primordial</B></P><P>A cumulative map of all photons ever emitted by any star or galaxy is a highly desirable historical record of the universe's evolution. For this reason, cosmologists have sought to measure this diffuse distribution of light: the extragalactic background light. Zemcov <I>et al.</I> sent up a rocket to measure the fluctuations in this faint background and found largescale fluctuations greater than known galaxies alone should produce (see the Perspective by Moseley). Stars tidally stripped from their host galaxies are the most likely culprit, rather than unknown primordial galaxies.</P><P><I>Science</I>, this issue p. 732; see also p. 696</P><P>Extragalactic background light (EBL) anisotropy traces variations in the total production of photons over cosmic history and may contain faint, extended components missed in galaxy point-source surveys. Infrared EBL fluctuations have been attributed to primordial galaxies and black holes at the epoch of reionization (EOR) or, alternately, intrahalo light (IHL) from stars tidally stripped from their parent galaxies at low redshift. We report new EBL anisotropy measurements from a specialized sounding rocket experiment at 1.1 and 1.6 micrometers. The observed fluctuations exceed the amplitude from known galaxy populations, are inconsistent with EOR galaxies and black holes, and are largely explained by IHL emission. The measured fluctuations are associated with an EBL intensity that is comparable to the background from known galaxies measured through number counts and therefore a substantial contribution to the energy contained in photons in the cosmos.</P>

Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Golimumab for Ulcerative Colitis in a Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center in Japan

Kazuhide Tokita,Hirotaka Shimizu,Ichiro Takeuchi,Toshiaki Shimizu,Katsuhiro Arai 대한소아소화기영양학회 2022 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.25 No.6

Purpose: Golimumab (GLM) is an anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antibody preparation known to be less immunogenic than infliximab (IFX) or adalimumab. Few reports on GLM in pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are available. This study aimed to review the long-term durability and safety of GLM in a pediatric center. Methods: The medical records of 17 pediatric patients (eight boys and nine girls) who received GLM at the National Center for Child Health and Development were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The median age at GLM initiation was 13.9 (interquartile range 12.0–16.3) years. Fourteen patients had pancolitis, and 11 had severe disease (pediatric ulcerative colitis activity index ≥65). Ten patients were biologic-naïve, and 50% achieved corticosteroid-free remission at week 54. Two patients discontinued prior anti-TNF-α agents because of adverse events during remission. Both showed responses to GLM without unfavorable events through week 54. However, the efficacy of GLM in patients who showed primary nonresponse or loss of response to IFX was limited. Four of the five patients showed non-response at week 54. Patients with severe disease had significantly lower corticosteroid-free remission rate at week 54 than those without severe disease. No severe adverse events were observed during the study period. Conclusion: GLM appears to be safe and useful for pediatric patients with UC. Patients with mild to moderate disease who responded to but had some adverse events with prior biologics may be good candidates for GLM. Its safety and low immunogenicity profile serve as favorable options for selected children with UC.

LOW-RESOLUTION NEAR-INFRARED STELLAR SPECTRA OBSERVED BY THE COSMIC INFRARED BACKGROUND EXPERIMENT (CIBER)

Kim, Min Gyu,Lee, Hyung Mok,Arai, Toshiaki,Bock, James,Cooray, Asantha,Jeong, Woong-Seob,Kim, Seong Jin,Korngut, Phillip,Lanz, Alicia,Lee, Dae Hee,Lee, Myung Gyoon,Matsumoto, Toshio,Matsuura, Shuji,Na American Astronomical Society 2017 The Astronomical journal Vol.153 No.2

<P>We present near-infrared (0.8-1.8 mu m) spectra of 105 bright (m(J) < 10) stars observed with the low-resolution spectrometer on the rocket-borne Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment. As our observations are performed above the Earth ' s atmosphere, our spectra are free from telluric contamination, which makes them a unique resource for near-infrared spectral calibration. Two-Micron All-Sky Survey photometry information is used to identify crossmatched stars after reduction and extraction of the spectra. We identify the spectral types of the observed stars by comparing them with spectral templates from the Infrared Telescope Facility library. All the observed spectra are consistent with late F to M stellar spectral types, and we identify various infrared absorption lines.</P>

VTOL mode controller for a mini-UAV having a side-force fin

Shinichi Hashimoto,Nobuhiro Yokoyama,Yoshimasa Ochi,Hideo Adachi,Natsuki Kondo,Toshiaki Yamashita,Takanari Arai 한국항공우주학회 2008 한국항공우주학회 학술발표회 논문집 Vol.- No.-

A UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) currently developed by the authors is a kind of flying wing. One of features of the UAV is its capability of vertical takeoff and landing as a tail-sitter. Thus, it is possible to operate it flexibly by reducing the space restrictions on the takeoff and landing. In this work, we designed a gain-scheduled controller for the vertical takeoff and landing, which can vary the control gain in accordance with the varying state of the vehicle. We applied a method that solves Lyapunov stability conditions on all the design points simultaneously by using linear matrix inequalities (LMI). The effectiveness of the controller is demonstrated through the numerical simulations.

Predictors of Small Bowel Transit Time for Capsule Endoscopy in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Itsuhiro Oka,Rie Funayama,Hirotaka Shimizu,Ichiro Takeuchi,Shuko Nojiri,Toshiaki Shimizu,Katsuhiro Arai 대한소아소화기영양학회 2023 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.26 No.4

Purpose: The development of assistive devices has allowed for the performance of capsule endoscopy in children. Anticipating the capsule’s transit time could affect the efficacy of the investigation and potentially minimize the fasting period. This study determined the predictors of small bowel transit time for small-bowel capsule endoscopy in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease. Methods: We retrospectively examined children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease who underwent capsule endoscopy by the age 18 at a Japanese tertiary care children’s hospital. Small bowel transit time predictors were analyzed using multiple regression with explanatory variables. Results: Overall, 92 patients, aged 1–17 years, with inflammatory bowel disease (63 Crohn’s disease and 29 ulcerative colitis cases) were examined for factors affecting small bowel transit time. In the simple regression analysis, diagnosis, age, height, weight, serum albumin, general anesthesia, and small intestine lesions were significantly associated with small bowel transit time. In the multiple regression analyses, serum albumin (partial regression coefficient: −58.9, p=0.008), general anesthesia (partial regression coefficient: 127, p<0.001), and small intestine lesions (partial regression coefficient: 30.1, p=0.037) showed significant associations with small bowel transit time. Conclusion: Hypoalbuminemia, the use of general anesthesia for endoscopic delivery of the capsule, and small intestine lesions appeared to be predictors of prolonged small bowel transit time in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease. Expecting the finishing time may improve examination with a fasting period reduction, which benefits both patients and caregivers.

Design of a PID Flight Control System for an MAV having a Side-force Fin

Yoshimasa Ochi,Hiroyuki Kondo,Nobuhiro Yokoyama,Hideo Adachi,Natsuki Kondo,Toshiaki Yamashita,Takanari Arai 한국항공우주학회 2008 한국항공우주학회 학술발표회 논문집 Vol.- No.-

This paper describes dynamic properties and a night control system of an MAY (mini aerial vehicle) hal ing a side-force fin. We are developing a nonlinear model of the MAY through flight/wind tunnel experiments and CFD anal) sis. A linear model is obtained from the current nonlinear model. Using the linear model, we have designed a !light control system (FCS) that controls the altitude, forward speed, roll angle. and heading angle with thrust. elevator. aileron. and the sideforce fin. respectively. The side-force fin produces direct side-force that achieves skid-to-turn without bank in cooperation with the aileron. The FCS is designed as a PID control system, whose gains are determined based on the integral-type optimal servo, Although the design method has theoretically not been established, it provides PID gains via a simple design procedure and its usefulness and effectiveness have been proved through various design examples, Also in this study, computer simulation and analysis demonstrate how the FCS works.

Efficacy and Safety of Long-Term Administration of Esomeprazole in Japanese Pediatric Patients Aged 1–14 Years with Chronic Gastric Acid-Related Disease

Masaaki Mori,Yoshiko Nakayama,Shigeo Nishimata,Tadafumi Yokoyama,Ryo Matsuoka,Reiko Hatori,Masaki Shimizu,Katsuhiro Arai,Yuri Etani,Tsuyoshi Sogo,Tomoko Ishizu,Masahiro Nii,Ryosuke Nakashima,Toshiaki 대한소아소화기영양학회 2024 Pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition Vol.27 No.5

Purpose: To evaluate prolonged esomeprazole use in Japanese pediatric patients for reflux esophagitis (RE) maintenance therapy and prevention of gastric (GU) and/or duodenal ulcers (DU) while using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or low-dose aspirin (LDA). Methods: This multicenter, open-label, parallel-group, phase III study (NCT03553563) included patients who were administered esomeprazole according to body weight (10 mg/day [Groups 1 and 3] and up to 20 mg/day [Groups 2 and 4] for patients weighing 10–20 kg and ≥20 kg, respectively). Efficacy outcomes for Groups 1 and 2 (maintenance therapy for healed RE) and Groups 3 and 4 (prevention of long-term NSAID/LDA use-associated GU/DU) were the presence/absence of RE relapse and GU/DU recurrence, respectively. Results: Esomeprazole as maintenance therapy was associated with a low RE recurrence rate, independent of body weight or dosage. Recurrence rates of RE were 0.0% and 5.3% for Groups 1 and 2, respectively. In patients previously diagnosed with GU and/or DU due to long-term NSAID/LDA use, the recurrence rates of GU/DU during weeks 0–32 were 11.1% and 0.0% in Groups 3 and 4, respectively. Conclusion: Long-term use of 10- or 20-mg, once-daily esomeprazole demonstrated a favorable benefit-risk balance in preventing RE and suppressing recurrence of GU and/or DU secondary to NSAID or LDA therapy in Japanese pediatric patients. No new safety concerns were identified. Esomeprazole may be a viable option for managing RE and preventing GU and DU in Japanese pediatric patients.