Japanese Girl Research Articles

The Time Museum by Matthew Loux

Reviewed by: The Time Museum by Matthew Loux April Spisak Loux, Matthew The Time Museum; written and illus. by Matthew Loux. First Second, 2017 252p (Time Museum) ISBN 978-1-59643-849-1 $14.99 R Gr. 3-6 This fresh graphic novel series is off to a promising, mind-bending start as Delia learns that time travel exists and that she’s been chosen to compete to be an intern at the Earth Time Museum. She’s stunned to learn that her uncle is actually curator of this museum, and the surprises don’t end there as she is thrown into lessons, time travel experiences, and a mystery involving an unusual man who gives cryptic, perhaps harmful, perhaps useful clues. Though similar in each, the six competitors hail from drastically different time periods and locations (there’s a futuristic Japanese girl, a quippy boy from Ancient Rome, etc.), so they offer a lot of different access points for readers. Vivid, almost garish illustrations are effectively zippy, matching the lightning-fast text. Structured panels force slowing during key explanation points, which is helpful given the complexities of time travel, but for the most part, the science of it all is kept to a minimum, allowing for a primary tone of sheer adventure. Fans of Loux’s Salt Water Taffy books (The Legend of Old Salty, BCCB 3/09, etc.) will rejoice that this is a new series with all the same spirited, dynamic energy of his earlier graphic novels. [End Page 226] Copyright © 2017 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Babymetal and the ambivalence of cuteness

This article examines the recent emergence of the genre of ‘cute metal’ through the Japanese teen girl group Babymetal. Drawing on Sianne Ngai’s theories of cuteness, I explore notions of cuteness on two levels: Babymetal’s cute, and at times childish, vision of metal that evokes cuteness’s intertwining with violence and aggressiveness and the critical, yet ambivalent, reception of Babymetal by some in the global metal community as inauthentic or suspect. The critiques and affective responses to Babymetal’s music reveal the inherent power of cuteness to make viewers feel as if they are being duped. As I argue, Babymetal’s complex performance aesthetics invoke cuteness as inherently weak, vulnerable and tied to girlhood. At the same time, however, they deform these qualities in jarring and unexpected ways, ultimately transforming cuteness and the genre of cute metal into a powerful and subversive affective form.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes: The Dialogic Narrative in the Educational Act

<p class="apa">This study used the story of <em>Sadako and the thousand paper cranes </em>by Coerr (1977) to discover similarities between the events of August 1945 in Hiroshima and the events of August 1990 in Kuwait. The participants in a children’s literature class at Kuwait University folded paper cranes and wrote in their journals to answer two questions: (1) what is the importance of the story of Sadako, the Japanese girl, in introducing the issue of Kuwaiti prisoners of war? and (2) what are the educational values that Kuwaiti students can extract from Sadako’s story? Three techniques were used, with a special focus on the participants’ remarks and their impressions of those remarks in written form. The researcher counted nine values that the participants mentioned while they folded the paper crane and five values after they realized the crane’s meaning. Several recommendations, suggestions, and remarks are also proposed.</p>

Epulis fibrosa identified in a 6-year-old Japanese girl

Epulis is a relatively common benign polypoid lesion that generally appears in the gingiva of individuals aged between 20 and 50 years. A 6-year-old Japanese girl came to our hospital for consultation regarding swelling of the marginal gingiva in the region between the maxillary left deciduous lateral incisor and canine. An intraoral examination revealed that the surface of the swollen mass was nonulcerated and smooth, and its color was similar to that of the surrounding gingival tissue. X-ray findings showed no calcified body or tooth germ malposition. The lesion was removed surgically under local anesthesia and histopathological findings showed it to be composed of fibrous connective tissue and blood vessels with minimal inflammatory cells, and covered by stratified squamous epithelium cells under the mucosa, which led to a diagnosis of epulis fibrosa. Patient prognosis has been good to date with no symptoms indicating recurrence.

Fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes in a Japanese girl with severe motor and intellectual disabilities.

Fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes in a Japanese girl with severe motor and intellectual disabilities.

Bronchial Foreign Body Attributable to an Aspirated Marking Pin: A Case Report

We report the case of an 18 year old Japanese girl who suddenly started coughing after eating a piece of bread. Chest radiography revealed an aspirated marking pin used for sewing located in the right main bronchus. Using a flexible bronchoscope and a shortened endotracheal tube, we successfully removed the foreign body without any complications. Our case shows that a flexible bronchoscope can be used after intubation with an endotracheal tube cut to one-third its length to safely remove an aspirated pin.

Posttraumatic Seroma Mimicking Tibial Edema in a Patient With Frequently Relapsing Nephrotic Syndrome

Seromas are collections of serous fluid. A Japanese girl with refractory nephrotic syndrome showed posttraumatic seroma following a large soft ball hitting at the tibia. The seroma was misunderstood as tibial edema, but the seroma did not disappear after archiving complete remission. After the puncture, the seroma shrank and no flare-up occurred. Hypoalbuminemia associated with nephrotic syndrome may not only cause tibial edema, but also make the patient prone to seroma formation after trauma. Int J Clin Pediatr. 2016;5(2):36-37 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/ijcp248w

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures as a manifestation of psychological distress associated with undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are observable changes in behavior or consciousness that are similar to epileptic seizures but are not associated with electrophysiologic changes. PNES occur in children with underlying psychological distress and are especially frequent in those with epilepsy. Because PNES are heterogeneous, comprehensive treatment tailored to each patient is required to reduce psychosocial stress. Currently, reports regarding children with PNES concomitant with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not exist, and effective treatment strategies for these children are lacking. In this case report, we describe a 10-year-old Japanese girl with undiagnosed ASD who developed PNES while undergoing treatment for benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes. She exhibited hypersensitivity to sound and interpersonal conflicts caused by social communication deficits. The PNES symptoms improved shortly after our intervention, which was designed to reduce her distress caused by auditory hypersensitivity and impaired social communication, both characteristics of ASD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing PNES in a child with ASD. Our findings suggest that PNES can result from psychological distress in children with undiagnosed ASD and highlight the importance of examining ASD traits in patients with PNES.

Early combined treatment with steroid and immunoglobulin is effective for serious Kawasaki disease complicated by myocarditis and encephalopathy

Severe-type Kawasaki disease (KD) complicated by serious myocarditis and encephalopathy can be successfully treated without abnormality of the coronary arteries by steroid pulse treatment and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). A 4-year-old Japanese girl was diagnosed with KD due to a 6-day history of fever, rash, flushed lips, conjunctival hyperemia, palmar edema, and cervical lymphadenopathy. The day after initiation of IVIg and aspirin, cardiac gallop rhythm was identified. Cardiac ultrasonography revealed severe left ventricular dysfunction. Disturbance of consciousness, hallucinations, and slurred speech were also observed. Magnetic resonance imaging showed no abnormalities, but electroencephalography revealed high-voltage slow waves. Despite this serious disease, cardiac function and neurological abnormalities showed complete recovery without dilatation of the coronary arteries by steroid pulse treatment and additional IVIg. Follow-up at 15 months revealed no abnormality of the coronary arteries. In conclusion, we suggest that early combined treatment with steroid and IVIg is effective for serious KD complicated by myocarditis and encephalopathy.

Coronary ostium occlusion by coronary cusp displacement in Williams syndrome

Williams syndrome is a contiguous gene deletion syndrome resulting from a heterozygous deletion on chromosome 7q11.23, and is characterized by distinctive facial features and supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS). This syndrome rarely presents unpredictable cardiac death, and yet, as illustrated in the present case, it is still not possible to predict it, even on close monitoring. We herein describe the case of a 6-year-old Japanese girl with Williams syndrome, who had sudden cardiac collapse due to cardiac infarction after pharyngitis. Cardiac failure followed a critical course that did not respond to catecholamine support or heart rest with extracardiac mechanical support. Although marked coronary stenosis was not present, the left coronary cusp abnormally adhered to the aortic wall, which may synergistically cause coronary ostium occlusion with SVAS. Altered hemodynamic state, even that caused by the common cold, may lead to critical myocardial events in Williams syndrome with SVAS.

The Suffering by Rin Chupeco (review)

Reviewed by: The Suffering by Rin Chupeco April Spisak Chupeco, Rin The Suffering. Sourcebooks Fire, 2015 [320p] ISBN 978-1-4926-2983-2 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys R* Gr. 8-10 In this startling, impressive sequel to The Girl from the Well (BCCB 12/14), Tark, freed from the demon who haunted him, remains close to Okiku, the vengeful but vulnerable Japanese teen girl ghost who keeps him safe. Okiku’s blood lust dooms only those who truly deserve it, and Tark and Okiku go on frequent Dexter-style missions around DC to destroy otherwise ordinary-looking men who are dragging around ghost children. Tark tries not to spend much time wondering about his feelings for the centuries-old, very dead Okiku, and instead he flirts, goes to high school, and tries to stay out of legal trouble (given the nighttime killing of bad guys). When an old pal goes missing in Japan, they travel there to seek her in an ancient forest that holds horrifying secrets. Chupeco smoothly catches readers up on the complex series of events that landed Okiku and Tark together, and both get subtle, elegant character development here that elevates their personalities. Okiku’s disgust with the horrible events that took place in the Japanese forest pushes her morality off the very tenuous track on which it already rests; the resulting tension is palpable as the book explores the way she views herself and the possibility that Tark may not be able to save her from her own darkness. It’s an unexpectedly complex bit of philosophical musing about how damaged is too damaged, so offer this to ghost and horror fans who appreciate sharp intelligence woven into their narratives. Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

"Sport Guts" in Japanese Girl Anime

"Sport Guts" in Japanese Girl Anime

Study On Modern Japanese Girl’s Novels -Focus on S of “Hanamonogatai”-

Study On Modern Japanese Girl’s Novels -Focus on S of “Hanamonogatai”-

A paediatric case of lymphadenitis by toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans

Introduction: Corynebacterium ulcerans, a potentially toxigenic zoonotic agent, may produce diphtheria toxin and causes varied types of infections in humans. Cases of infection due to toxigenic C. ulcerans infection have been increasingly reported. Case presentation: A 6-year-old Japanese girl who had been vaccinated using diphtheria toxoid presented with fever and swelling in the left neck. Ultrasonography showed cervical lymphadenitis with cellulitis. C. ulcerans was isolated from the drainage specimen. The infection was cured with erythromycin administration. Her anti-diphtheria toxoid antibody level was at an adequate level for diphtheria prevention on admission and was significantly increased 3 weeks later. Zoonotic infection was considered likely, because a family cat had shown rhinitis and skin ulcers prior to symptom onset in the child. Conclusion: In addition to the number of reported cases of infection in adults, C. ulcerans infection in previously vaccinated children should also be a subject of concern in Japan.

DRUG-INDUCED LUPUS CAUSED BY LONG TERM MINOCYCLINE TREATMENT FOR ACNE VULGARIS

An 18-year-old Japanese girl had received oral minocycline 200mg daily for treatment of acne vulgaris since 16 years old. She had a fever three months before admission, followed by joint pains in her knees, elbows and several proximal interphalangeal joints one month before admission. She was referred to our hospital because of a high serum level of anti-DNA antibody. She had already discontinued oral minocycline five weeks before admission, because she missed her medication refilled. On admission, the arthralgia and fever spontaneously resolved, and there were no laboratory evidence of hypocomplementemia and cytopenia. She had neither erythema nor internal organ involvements. Because her symptoms subsided spontaneously after the cessation of minocycline, she was considered to have drug-induced lupus. Both the arthralgia and fever did not relapse, and anti-ds DNA antibody returned to normal during a follow-up period without treatment. There are few reports of drug-induced lupus caused by minocycline in Japan. This case highlights the importance of considering minocycline-induced lupus.

Literature Examined under the Diasporic Lens: Emotional Diaspora Present in Madame Butterfly

The typical myth of a Caucasian man and an Asian woman’s romance ends with tragedy, and this story is well versed in literature including Madame Butterfly by John Luther Long. In this story, Cho-Cho San, a young Japanese girl waits patiently for her American husband who betrayed her. However, the novel contains more than such myth in the aspect that it portrays emotional diasporic experience of an individual not falling directly into conventional diaspora criteria. Traditionally, diaspora mainly revolves around the notion of a home land, senses of alienation, maladjustment and communally shared experiences in foreign land. However, with the increase in international dislocations, there is paradigm shift in defining diaspora. It does not only envelop people in geographical displacement but in emotional, situational displacements. In this study, I hope to review the point that diaspora can occur to individuals who might not be geographically apart from their home land but are emotionally displaced due to different situational circumstances, which can be termed “emotional diaspora”. In Madame Butterfly, emotional diaspora occurs in Cho-Cho San who is displaced from Japanese society and confined in the walls of Pinkerton’s house which creates a particular diasporic experience for her. Therefore, through Madame Butterfly it can be suggested that the key stone of diaspora is the emotional displacement from whichever society one is in, not only confined by home land/ foreign land segregation or communal experiences of people in the same circumstance.

Extremely low-dose vigabatrin for West syndrome with tuberous sclerosis

Treatment of west syndrome in patients with tuberous sclerosis, the relevant effective period and doses of vigabatrin (VGB) to avoid serious side effects still needs further investigation. We report on a Japanese girl who showed good results with a very low dose of VGB. Tonic spasms appeared at 5 mo of age. Adrenocorticotropic hormone therapy resulted in incomplete seizure control. VGB at the lowest practical dose (30 mg/kg/d) showed complete control after 3 d. With reduction of the dose to 10 mg/kg/d, side effects such as hyperactivity, irritability, and sleep disturbances improved. She was seizure-free for the next 6 mo with an improved developmental quotient. Ophthalmological evaluation revealed no abnormality. The present case illustrates that low-dose VGB therapy (10 mg/kg/d) has fewer side effects and may bring prompt seizure control in west syndrome with tuberous sclerosis.

Heterozygous nonsense mutations near the C‐terminal region of IGF1R in two patients with small‐for‐gestational‐age‐related short stature

The type I insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF1R) plays an important role in growth. We aimed to evaluate the detailed mechanism underlying the effect of IGF1R on human growth. We have performed sequence analysis of IGF1R in 55 patients with SGA short stature in Japan, since 2004, and identified novel heterozygous nonsense mutations in 2 patients: an 8-year-old Japanese boy (case 1), with a birthweight of 2228 g (-3·3 SDS) and height of 46 cm (-2·1 SDS), and a 3-year-old Japanese girl (case 2), with a birthweight of 2110 g (-3·0 SDS) and height of 44·3 cm (-2·8 SDS). Both patients had a short stature (-3·2 SDS, -3·1 SDS). We determined the protein expression of mutated IGF1R, assessed the effect of the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway on mutated IGF1R, assessed the dominant-negative effect of IGF1R and performed quantitative RT-PCR analysis of IGF1R mRNA expression in whole blood cells. Two novel heterozygous nonsense mutations (case 1: p.Q1250X and case 2: p.W1249X) were identified. Although these mutations did not affect blood IGF1R mRNA levels, they significantly decreased the expression of IGF1R protein in transiently transfected cells. Treatment with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 showed significantly increased IGF1R protein. Heterozygous nonsense mutations affecting the C-terminal region (p.Q1250X, p.W1249X) of IGF1R decreased the expression of IGF1R through the ERAD pathway. Our study revealed the importance of the C-terminal region and the dosage of this receptor for growth.

Abstract 195: Kawasaki Disease in a four-year-old girl with History of Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Report of a Case and Literature Review

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) both occur predominantly in young children. However, considering that the incidence rate of cancer during 0-14 years of age in Japan is 10.1 per a hundred thousand and that of KD during 0-4 years of age is 260 per a hundred thousand, there is little possibility of the same individual developing 2 diseases. Both inside and outside Japan we found at least 19 case reports of KD some relevant to cancer. Herein, we report a case of KD in a four-year-old Japanese girl with history of AML. Case report: A four-year-old Japanese girl was diagnosed with KD at 3 days of illness. She had the medical history of AML-M7 at her age of 1. She had no chimeric genes and was classed as intermediate risk. She had been treated following JPLSG AML05 protocol including etoposide, cytarabine (Ara-C), mitoxantrone, idarubicin, methotrexate (MTX), hydrocortisone (HDC) and triple intrathecal therapy (Ara-C, MTX and HDC). More than 2 years had passed without recurrence since her last chemotherapy. When we diagnosed her as KD, laboratory findings showed WBC 15.5 х103/μl with 85% neutrophils, hematocrit 33.7%, platelet count 19.1x10 6 /μl, CRP 10.5mg/dl, serum albumin 3.8g/dl and BNP 12.2pg/ml. She responded well to IVIG (2g/kg) plus prednisolone (2mg/kg/day) and ASA (30mg/kg/day). Although BNP transiently had increased to 151.8pg/ml at 5 days after onset, neither coronary arterial abnormalities nor myocardial complications were detected at 1 year of illness. Conclusions: We experienced the rare case of KD in a four-year-old Japanese girl with history of AML. She responded well to IVIG and any cardiovascular complications were not detected at 1 year of illness. Referring to only this case, it is unclear whether the history of AML could influence developing and progress of KD or not. The possibility of the same individual developing KD during 0-4 years of age and cancer during 0-14 years of age would be 2.6 per 10 million in Japan. However, among three hundred thousand cumulative patients of KD in Japan, 14 cases have been reported that they had developed cancer during 0-14 years of age. To discuss the relation to character of cancer, chemotherapy and severity or compilations of KD, more case should be evaluated.

A case of congenital combined pituitary hormone deficiency who showed respiratory distress and hypoglycemia soon after birth

Congenital combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CCPHD) is a rare disease, presenting with respiratory distress, hypoglycemia and jaundice soon after birth. It is caused by .pituitary aplasia or hypoplasia or abnormality of transcription factor which related to pituitary development. We describe a Japanese patient with CCPHD, who presented with respiratory distress, hypoglycemia and jaundice soon after birth. The patient is now 13 months old Japanese girl. She was born by cesarean section because of fetal distress with 39 weeks and 4 days gestation after an uneventful pregnancy. Her parents were unrelated. Birth length and weight were 43.8cm (-2.2SD) and 2,100g and Apgar scores were 8 at both of 1 and 5 min. She had showed tachypnea and cyanosis since soon after birth and taken nasal-CPAP. However respiratory distress had not improved. She had also showed jaundice and hypoglycemia and was treated with phototherapy and infusion therapy. At 6 days old, we found her FT4 level was 0.4 pg/ml and TSH level was below 0.01 μIU/ml. She was suspected CPHD and anterior pituitary hormone levels were assessed. All of anterior pituitary hormones were undetectable. Anterior pituitary was not visible, posterior pituitary was detected at normal position and there were no other abnormality on brain magnetic resonance imaging. We diagnosed her as CCPHD and hydrocortisone was started since 6 days old and levothyroxine since 8 days old. After that respiratory distress and jaundice had improved rapidly. But hypoglycemia had appeared again after interrupting infusion therapy. GH level after arginine stimulation was also undetectable. She had also started growth hormone therapy since 25 days old and she has had no hypoglycemic episodes after that. Her length and weight were 70.3cm (-1.2SD) and 8,485g at 1 year old. GH replacement therapy that was started soon after diagnosis was able to prevent the severe growth retardation. She has no gene abnormalities of transcription factors, HESX1, LHX4 and OTX2, that involves pituitary development. Further studies are needed for investigating genetic basis of this patient. Careful and prompt clinical, endocrinological and neuroradiological assessment are needed for diagnosis of hypopituitarism in patients who show prolonged respiratory distress, hypoglycemia or jaundice soon after birth. Written informed consent was obtained from the patient's parent or guardian for publication of this abstract and any accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor of this journal.