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Abstract Introduction Inverted Meckel’s diverticulum has usually been misdiagnosed in the cases based on computed tomography images presented in the literature. The final diagnosis was made intra-operatively or by pathology reports after surgery. Despite this, preoperative diagnosis could be made successfully by using endoscopic ultrasound with double-balloon endoscopy prior to surgery. Case presentation A 60-year-old Japanese woman with severe anemia complained of several episodes of black stool over the preceding 2 years. Abdominal computed tomography showed a 3.0-cm low-density tumor in the ileum, suggesting a diagnosis of intestinal lipoma. Examination of the tumor by endoscopic ultrasound with double-balloon endoscopy revealed a hypo-echoic layer corresponding to the muscularis propria, and a hyper-echoic layer corresponding to the fat tissue. These findings, which suggested that the tumor included areas outside the intestinal serosa, are not typical for a lipoma, despite the existence of a hyper-echoic layer corresponding to fatty tissue. We then considered a diagnosis of inverted Meckel’s diverticulum. Conclusion Lipoma and inverted Meckel’s diverticulum are difficult to differentially diagnose by computed tomography. Polypectomy is the preferred therapeutic approach when a lipoma is present; however, polypectomy in a patient with Meckel’s diverticulum requires full-thickness resection. Situations where polypectomy is performed without preparing for full-thickness resection can be avoided by first making a precise diagnosis using double-balloon endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound.

Water management is a significant aspect of sustainable vegetable farming, especially in water-scarce regions. This, in addition to weed infestations, limits vegetable yields, which negatively affect food security in developing regions, particularly East Africa, where livelihoods chiefly depend on rain-fed agriculture. Vegetable farming, especially tomato cultivation, requires more water. By promoting mulching, a soil water conservation tool, we can control surface evaporation (E), which, together with irrigation, enhances effective water use and vegetable yields. The experiments for this study were conducted at the Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan, to evaluate the influences of different irrigation conditions and poly-mulching on weed control, tomato yields, and water use efficiency. The study was conducted from May to September 2018 on a 30 m2 plot in an open-ended greenhouse using drip irrigation for tomato cultivation. Three predetermined irrigation conditions of 4, 3, and 2 mm/day were applied on black poly-mulched and bare ridges. Data on soil conditions—soil temperature, as well as meteorological variables, including solar radiation and temperature—were measured using thermocouple sensors and micro-hobo weather stations, respectively, during the tomato cultivation, while yield components—growth, yield, water productivity, and sugar content—were determined after harvest. The results of a two-way ANOVA show that irrigation conditions with poly-mulching reduced the weed biomass significantly, and improved yields and water use efficiency compared to the irrigation conditions on bare ridges. The application of 4, 3, and 2 mm/day irrigation with poly-mulching significantly reduced the weed biomass by 5% compared to the same irrigation conditions on bare ridges. Similarly, 4 and 3 mm/day irrigation conditions with poly-mulching significantly increased the tomato yield by 5% compared to 2 mm/day on bare ridges. The bigger roots were concentrated and widely distributed at the shallow soil depth (0–20 cm) of the ridges with high irrigation amounts, while the small and thin roots were in deeper soil layers (30–45 cm). This study provides scientific knowledge on the application of predetermined irrigation conditions that can be (i) integrated into irrigation scheduling and (ii) adopted for regions facing water scarcity and limited or no in situ meteorological data, to improve water use efficiency for vegetable cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]