The Effect of Nationwide Organized Cancer Screening Programs on Gastric Cancer Mortality: A Synthetic Control Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Nationwide organized gastric cancer (GC) screening programs have been running for decades in South Korea and Japan. This study conducted a quasi-experimental analysis to assess the population impact of these programs on GC mortality. METHODS: We used the flexible synthetic control method (SCM) to estimate the effect of the screening programs on age-standardized GC mortality and other upper gastrointestinal (UGI) diseases (esophageal cancer and peptic ulcer) among people aged ≥40 years. World Health Organization mortality data and country-level covariates from the World Bank and the Global Burden of Diseases study were used for the analyses. We compared postintervention trends in outcome with the counterfactual trend of the synthetic control and estimated average postintervention rate ratios (RRs) with associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A series of sensitivity analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The preintervention fits were acceptable for the analyses of South Korea and Japan's GC mortality but poor for Japan's other UGI disease mortality. The average postintervention RRs were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.71-0.96) for GC mortality and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.57-0.90) for other UGI disease mortality in South Korea. The RR reached 0.59 by the 15th year after the initiation of nationwide screening. For Japan, the average RRs were 0.97 (95% CI, 0.88-1.07) for GC mortality and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.68-1.28) for other UGI disease mortality. Sensitivity analysis reveals the result for Japan may potentially be biased. CONCLUSIONS: South Korea's nationwide GC screening has apparent benefits, whereas the Japanese program's effectiveness is uncertain. The experiences of South Korea and Japan could serve as a reference for other countries.

Domain-Selective Enzymatic Cross-linking and Etching for Shape-Morphing DNA-Linked Nanoparticle Films.

The highly programmable and responsive molecular recognition properties of DNA provide unparalleled opportunities for fabricating dynamic nanostructures capable of structural transformation in response to various external stimuli. However, they typically operate in tightly controlled environments because certain conditions (ionic strength, pH, temperature, etc.) must be met for DNA duplex formation. In this study, we adopted site-specific enzymatic ligation and DNA-based layer-by-layer thin film fabrication to build shape-morphing DNA-linked nanoparticle films operational in a broad range of environments. The ligated films remained intact in unusual conditions such as pure water and high temperature causing dissociation of DNA duplexes and showed predictable and reversible shape morphing in response to various environmental changes and DNA exchange reactions. Furthermore, domain-selective ligation combined with photoinduced interlayer mixing allowed for the fabrication of unusual edge-sealed double-layered films through midlayer etching, which is difficult to realize by other methods.

RE.GA.IN.: the Real-world Gastritis Initiative-updating the updates.

At the end of the last century, a far-sighted 'working party' held in Sydney, Australia addressed the clinicopathological issues related to gastric inflammatory diseases. A few years later, an international conference held in Houston, Texas, USA critically updated the seminal Sydney classification. In line with these initiatives, Kyoto Global Consensus Report, flanked by the Maastricht-Florence conferences, added new clinical evidence to the gastritis clinicopathological puzzle.The most relevant topics related to the gastric inflammatory diseases have been addressed by the Real-world Gastritis Initiative (RE.GA.IN.), from disease definitions to the clinical diagnosis and prognosis. This paper reports the conclusions of the RE.GA.IN. consensus process, which culminated in Venice in November 2022 after more than 8 months of intense global scientific deliberations. A forum of gastritis scholars from five continents participated in the multidisciplinary RE.GA.IN. consensus. After lively debates on the most controversial aspects of the gastritis spectrum, the RE.GA.IN. Faculty amalgamated complementary knowledge to distil patient-centred, evidence-based statements to assist health professionals in their real-world clinical practice. The sections of this report focus on: the epidemiology of gastritis; Helicobacter pylori as dominant aetiology of environmental gastritis and as the most important determinant of the gastric oncogenetic field; the evolving knowledge on gastric autoimmunity; the clinicopathological relevance of gastric microbiota; the new diagnostic horizons of endoscopy; and the clinical priority of histologically reporting gastritis in terms of staging. The ultimate goal of RE.GA.IN. was and remains the promotion of further improvement in the clinical management of patients with gastritis.

Nationwide survey of Helicobacter pylori seropositivity and gastric atrophy in Zambia.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a common bacterial infection which predominately drives upper gastrointestinal pathology. We carried out a nationwide serological survey in response to the deficiency of robust African data on H. pylori prevalence, age of acquisition, socio-geographic determinants, and impact on gastric physiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of archival plasma samples collected during the Zambia Population-based HIV impact Assessment (ZAMPHIA) 2016 survey. ZAMPHIA used a two-stage door-to-door stratified cluster sample approach to collect samples from adults and children from age 0 to 59 years (n = 24,266). We randomly retrieved one fifth of these samples from each of Zambia's 10 provinces and used ELISA to test for H. pylori IgG antibodies, pepsinogen 1 and 2 and gastrin-17. A pepsinogen 1:2 ratio of <3 was used to define gastric atrophy. RESULTS: The analysis of 4050 plasma samples (30% <16 years, 53% females) revealed an overall H. pylori seroprevalence of 79%. By the age of 10 years, more than 75% of the children had H. pylori. Urban residence was associated with increased odds (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.5-2.2, p < 0.001) and HIV infection was associated with reduced odds (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.9, p = 0.02) of H. pylori seropositivity. Gastric atrophy was detected in 6% of H. pylori seropositive adults below 45 years of age and 9% in those between 45 and 59 years. CONCLUSIONS: We have confirmed a high prevalence of H. pylori seropositivity in Zambia, predominantly in urban settings. The prevalence of gastric atrophy is broadly consistent with other populations around the globe, but our sample did not include adults over 60 years.

Is transmucosal healing of an implant as effective as submerged healing when simultaneous guided bone regeneration is performed? A preclinical study.

AIM: To investigate whether transmucosal healing is as effective as submerged healing in terms of buccal bone regeneration when guided bone regeneration (GBR) is performed simultaneously with implant placement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In six dogs, buccal dehiscence defects were created in the edentulous mandibular ridge, sized 5 × 5 × 3 mm (length × height × depth). In each defect, a bone-level implant was placed, and four experimental groups were randomly assigned as follows: (i) transmucosal healing with GBR (T-GBR), (ii) transmucosal healing without GBR (T-control), (iii) submerged healing with GBR (S-GBR) and (iv) submerged healing without GBR (S-control). Data analyses were based on histological slides 5 months after implant placement. RESULTS: The T-GBR group showed significant differences compared to the control groups regarding defect height resolution, buccal bone thickness and mineralized tissue area (p < .05), but showed no significant differences when compared with the S-GBR group (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: The mode of healing (transmucosal vs. submerged) does not influence bone regeneration at implant sites. The clinician may therefore choose the approach based on further clinical and patient-specific parameters.

Flapless early implant placement into the uncalcified provisional matrix-Does it lead to osseointegration of the implant? A preclinical study.

AIM: To test whether early implant placement into the extraction socket containing an uncalcified provisional matrix leads to successful osseointegration and stable marginal bone levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In six mongrel dogs, the mandibular molars were extracted. Three weeks later, early implant placement was performed according to three experimental protocols: (i) flapless implant placement with preservation of the provisional matrix; (ii) flap elevation, socket debridement and implant placement; and (iii) flap elevation, socket debridement, implant placement and guided bone regeneration (GBR). One untreated extraction socket served as a control group. Data analyses were based on histologic slides 3 months after implant placement. RESULTS: There were no differences in bone-to-implant contact between the three experimental groups (66.97%, 58.89% and 60.89%, respectively) (inter-group comparison p = .42). Marginal bone levels, first bone-to-implant contact as well as the thickness of the connective tissue did not reveal any significant differences between the groups (p = .85, .60 and .65, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Flapless early implant placement into posterior extraction sockets was as effective as an open flap approach in conjunction with GBR. Mineralization of the socket seems to occur irrespective of the presence of dental implants or biomaterials.

Resting-state functional connectivity and cognitive performance in aging adults with cognitive decline: A data-driven multivariate pattern analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairments occur on a continuous spectrum in multiple cognitive domains showing individual variability of the deteriorating patterns; however, often, cognitive domains are studied separately. METHODS: The present study investigated aging individual variations of cognitive abilities and related resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) using data-driven approach. Cognitive and neuroimaging data were obtained from 62 elderly outpatients with cognitive decline. Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted on the cognitive data to determine patterns of cognitive performance, then data-driven whole-brain connectome multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) was applied on the neuroimaging data to discover neural regions associated with the cognitive characteristic. RESULTS: The first component (PC1) delineated an overall decline in all domains of cognition, and the second component (PC2) represented a compensatory relationship within basic cognitive functions. MVPA indicated rsFC of the cerebellum lobule VIII and insula with the default-mode network, frontoparietal network, and salience network inversely correlated with PC1 scores. Additionally, PC2 score was related to rsFC patterns with temporal pole and occipital cortex. CONCLUSIONS: The featured primary cognitive characteristic depicted the importance of the cerebellum and insula connectivity patterns in of the general cognitive decline. The findings also discovered a secondary characteristic that communicated impaired interactions within the basic cognitive function, which was independent from the impairment severity.

Ridge preservation using a self-retaining block type bone substitute for extraction sockets with buccal dehiscence defects - A preclinical study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a self-retaining block-type bone substitute (srBB) on the dimensional stability of the horizontal ridge width at the coronal level in a buccal dehiscence model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four box-shaped bone defects with a buccal dehiscence were surgically prepared in the partially edentulous mandible (n = 6). Experimental biomaterials were randomly assigned to each site: (1) Control group: no treatment, (2) particle-type bone substitute (PBS) group, (3) collagenated soft block bone substitute (csBB) group, and (4) self-retaining synthetic block bone (srBB) group. In all grafted groups, a collagen membrane covered the biomaterials. At 16 weeks, clinical, histological, and radiographic analyses were performed. RESULTS: Three of the six blocks in the srBB group became exposed and fell out during the first week after surgery. Therefore, the remaining three specimens were renamed RsrBB group. The RsrBB group showed an increase horizontal ridge compared to the pristine bone width at 2-4 mm below the CEJ, while the other groups showed resorption (augmented width at 2 mm below: 4.2, 42.4, 36.2, and 110.1% in the control, PBS, csBB, and RsrBB groups, respectively). The mineralized bone area was largest in the RsrBB group (4.74, 3.44, 5.67, and 7.77 mm2 in the control, PBS, csBB, and RsrBB groups, respectively.). CONCLUSIONS: The srBB group demonstrated the highest volume stability at the coronal level. These findings would potentially suggest that self-retaining block bone substitute might be a good candidate for alveolar ridge preservation.

The Impact of Bone Marrow Stimulation on Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair for Small to Large Rotator Cuff Tears: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow stimulation (BMS), a procedure involving the creation of multiple channels in the greater tuberosity, is often performed alongside arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR). This study evaluated the effect of BMS on clinical and structural outcomes following ARCR. METHOD: This study involved 204 patients with small, medium, and large full-thickness rotator cuff tears. In all, 103 patients who underwent BMS and ARCR made up the BMS group, while the 101 patients who only had ARCR made up the control group with randomization. Clinical and functional outcomes were assessed before and at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery, using parameters such as range of motion, functional scores (ASES and constant score), and clinical scores (VAS). Tendon integrity was also examined postoperatively via ultrasound at 6 months and 2 years. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups concerning range of motion, functional scores (ASES score and constant score), and clinical score (VAS) during the 2-year post-surgery period (all p>0.05). Similarly, the rotator cuff retear rate, as assessed using ultrasonographic tendon integrity checks over 2 years post-surgery, did not significantly vary between the groups (all p>0.05). CONCLUSION: There were no significant disparities in functional scores and clinical outcomes between the BMS and control groups. Further, no significant differences were observed in tendon integrity post-surgery. Therefore, the inclusion or exclusion of BMS is not anticipated to influence the postoperative outcome in ARCR for patients with small, medium, or large rotator cuff tears.

Immediate loading on two adjacent single dental implants with definitive nonsplinted restorations: A proof of concept in the posterior zone.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate clinical, clinician- and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of two adjacent single posterior implants immediately loaded with definitive single crowns up to 1 year. Ten patients in need of two adjacent posterior single implants were included. All implants were placed applying a fully digital workflow. Definitive screw-retained single zirconia crowns were delivered within 72 h after implant placement. Clinical parameters, patient- and clinician-reported outcomes were assessed up to 1 year of follow-up. CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Clinical outcomes remained stable, with no implant failures or technical and biological complications throughout the observation period. Patient satisfaction was very high at baseline (crown delivery) and remained consistently high at 6 and 12 months of follow-up. Crown insertion 3 days after implant placement was rated as an easy procedure by clinicians. CONCLUSIONS: Two adjacent single implants with immediate definitive restorations (<72 h) in the posterior region appear to be a viable and easy treatment option to shorten the overall treatment time and potentially enhancing patient satisfaction. However, randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the advantages of this treatment protocol over a delayed loading approach. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: In selected cases, immediate implant loading with definitive restorations in the posterior region appears a valuable and straightforward option to shorten the overall treatment time.

Immediate loading of definitive restorations in partially edentulous patients requiring an implant-supported prosthesis: A scoping review.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Interest is growing in immediately loading definitive implant-supported prostheses. However, it appears that implant protocols are evolving faster than their scientific validation. PURPOSE: The purpose of this scoping review was to identify the current trends, feasibility, and clinical outcomes of a specific clinical loading scenario (type A), where a single definitive implant-retained restoration is delivered within 3 days. The focus question was "In partially edentulous patients requiring an implant-retained prosthesis (population), is immediate loading with a definitive restoration (concept) a viable treatment option (context)?" MATERIAL AND METHODS: An electronic search was conducted in the PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Two authors independently reviewed the studies, screened titles and abstracts, and performed full-text analysis. Cross-reference checks within the bibliography of included studies, relevant reviews, and guideline were conducted. Bibliometric information and study details were extracted. RESULTS: The search identified 2568 titles after removing duplicates. Four studies involving 91 participant and 100 implant-retained restorations were included in this scoping review. The selected articles were a randomized controlled trial (RCT), a prospective clinical study, and the remaining 2 were case series. The follow-up periods investigated ranged from 6 to 26 months. All studies evaluated marginal bone loss as a primary outcome, and only 1 implant failure was reported. Patient-reported outcome measures were favorable, and no major biological or technical complications were reported in any study. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate loading with a definitive restoration within 3 days appears to be a suitable approach in specific clinical situations.

Population-based investigation of common and deviating patterns of gastric cancer and oesophageal cancer incidence across populations and time.

BACKGROUND: The subtypes of gastric cancer (GC) and oesophageal cancer (EC) manifest distinct epidemiological profiles. Here, we aim to examine correlations in their incidence rates and to compare their temporal changes globally, both overall and by subtype. METHODS: Long-term incidence data were obtained from population-based registries available from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents series. Variation in the occurrence of EC and GC (overall and by subtype) was assessed using the GC:EC ratio of sex-specific age-standardised rates (ASR) in 2008-2012. Average annual per cent changes were estimated to assess temporal trends during 1998-2012. RESULTS: ASRs for GC and EC varied remarkably across and within world regions. In the countries evaluated, the GC:EC ratio in men exceeded 10 in several South American countries, Algeria and Republic of Korea, while EC dominated in most sub-Saharan African countries. High rates of both cardia gastric cancer and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) were observed in several Asian populations. Non-cardia gastric cancer rates correlated positively with ESCC rates (r=0.60) and negatively with EAC (r=-0.79). For the time trends, while GC incidence has been uniformly decreasing by on average 2%-3% annually over 1998-2012 in most countries, trends for EC depend strongly on histology, with several but not all countries experiencing increases in EAC and decreases in ESCC. CONCLUSIONS: Correlations between GC and EC incidence rates across populations are positive or inverse depending on the GC subsite and EC subtype. Multisite studies that include a combination of populations whose incidence rates follow and deviate from these patterns may be aetiologically informative.

Performance of free-breathing dynamic T1-weighted sequences in patients at risk of developing motion artifacts undergoing gadoxetic acid-enhanced liver MRI.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the recall rate and performance of free-breathing T1W dynamic imaging in patients who underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced liver MRI. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent free-breathing dynamic T1WI liver MRI using Cartesian (XD-VIBE) or self-gated radial (SG-GRASP) sequences at two institutions. Four radiologists independently reviewed the overall image quality, streak, and motion artifacts for precontrast, arterial, and portal venous phases on a 4-point scale. Hepatic observations were annotated and assessed according to LI-RADS v2018. RESULTS: In total, 360 patients were included (XD-VIBE [n = 253], SG-GRASP [n = 107]). The overall image quality of free-breathing T1WI was 3.4 ± 0.4, 3.2 ± 0.4, and 3.5 ± 0.4 for precontrast, arterial, and portal venous phases, respectively. The actual recall rate was 0.6% (2/360). The SG-GRASP group showed fewer motion artifacts and more streak artifacts than the XD-VIBE group in all phases (p < 0.001 for all). The overall image quality was not significantly different between the two sequences in arterial (3.2 ± 0.4 in both, p = 0.607) and portal venous phases (3.5 ± 0.4 in XD-VIBE, 3.4 ± 0.4 in SG-GRASP, p = 0.214). Two sequences did not show significant differences in the lesion detection rate (figure of merit, FOM: 0.67 vs. 0.68, p = 0.876) or diagnostic performance for hepatocellular carcinoma (FOM: 0.55 vs. 0.62, p = 0.105). CONCLUSIONS: Both XD-VIBE and SG-GRASP provided sufficient image quality for patients at risk of developing motion artifacts, without significant differences in image quality or the lesion detection rate between sequences. KEY POINTS: • The overall image quality of free-breathing T1-weighted images using Cartesian or radial sequences was 3.4 ± 0.4, 3.2 ± 0.4, and 3.5 ± 0.4 for precontrast, arterial, and portal venous phases, respectively. • Only 0.3% (1/360) had undiagnostic exams and the actual recall rate was 0.6% (2/360) in patients who underwent free-breathing dynamic T1WI. • The overall lesion detection rate was 0.67 without a significant difference between Cartesian and radial sequences (figure of merit: 0.67 vs. 0.68, respectively, p = 0.876).

Validation of resonance Raman spectroscopy-measured skin carotenoid status as a biomarker for fruit and vegetable intake in Korean adults.

Blood carotenoid concentration measurement is considered the gold standard for fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake estimation; however, this method is invasive and expensive. Recently, skin carotenoid status (SCS) measured by optical sensors has been evaluated as a promising parameter for F&V intake estimation. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to validate the utility of resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS)-assessed SCS as a biomarker of F&V intake in Korean adults. We used data from 108 participants aged 20-69 years who completed SCS measurements, blood collection and 3-d dietary recordings. Serum carotenoid concentrations were quantified using HPLC, and dietary carotenoid and F&V intakes were estimated via 3-d dietary records using a carotenoid database for common Korean foods. The correlations of the SCS with serum carotenoid concentrations, dietary carotenoid intake and F&V intake were examined to assess SCS validity. SCS was positively correlated with total serum carotenoid concentration (r = 0·52, 95 % CI = 0·36, 0·64, P < 0·001), serum ß-carotene concentration (r = 0·60, 95 % CI = 0·47, 0·71, P < 0·001), total carotenoid intake (r = 0·20, 95 % CI = 0·01, 0·37, P = 0·04), ß-carotene intake (r = 0·30, 95 % CI = 0·11, 0·46, P = 0·002) and F&V intake (r = 0·40, 95 % CI = 0·23, 0·55, P < 0·001). These results suggest that SCS can be a valid biomarker of F&V intake in Korean adults.

Association between salt intake and gastric atrophy by Helicobacter pylori infection: first results from the Epidemiological Investigation of Gastric Malignancy (ENIGMA).

PURPOSE: Gastric atrophy (GA), usually linked to chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), may over time evolve into gastric malignancy. Besides H. pylori, high salt intake may play a role in GA development. This study evaluates cross sectionally the association between salt intake and GA in Chilean adults. METHODS: Population-based samples were recruited from two sites, Antofagasta and Valdivia, partaking in the Epidemiological Investigation of Gastric Malignancies. At recruitment, participants answered questionnaires and provided biospecimens. Salt intake (g/day) was estimated from casual spot urine samples using the Tanaka equation. GA was determined by serum pepsinogen levels. Only participants ≥ 40 to 70 years of age were considered in this analysis, n = 565. For the association between salt intake (as sex-specific quartiles) and GA, odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated through multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: In women, the multivariable-adjusted OR for GA comparing quartile 4 of the estimated salt intake (12.8 g/day) to quartile 1 (6.6 g/day) was 1.18 (95% CI 0.52-2.68, P-trend = 0.87). The corresponding OR in men was 0.49 (95% CI 0.19-1.27, P-trend = 0.17) with salt intakes of 12.8 g/day and 7.1 g/day for quartiles 4 and 1, respectively. CONCLUSION: There was little evidence for an association between salt intake estimated from spot urine and GA risk in our cross-sectional analysis of middle aged and older adults in Chile. Reverse causation bias cannot be ruled out and the sample size was limited to provide more precise estimates.

Platelet-rich fibrin combined with a particulate bone substitute versus guided bone regeneration in the damaged extraction socket: An in vivo study.

AIM: It has been proposed that platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) can be used to support bone regeneration during alveolar ridge augmentation. The aim of this study was to determine whether an approach utilizing PRF provides similar performance to the established guided bone regeneration (GBR) procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two-wall defects were surgically created in beagle dogs and treated in three experimental groups: (i) a sticky bone (SB) substitute prepared using liquid PRF and deproteinized porcine bone mineral (DPBM); (ii) SB covered with solid PRF compressed into a membrane; and (iii) GBR performed using DPBM covered by a collagen membrane. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was applied to the specimen after 1 week of healing, and microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) and histological outcomes were analysed after 8 weeks of healing. RESULTS: Compared with GBR, PRF resulted in a moderate increase in the expression levels of osteoblast and osteoclast markers, osteocalcin, and calcitonin receptor. Moreover, PRF modestly increased angiogenesis and the inflammation markers vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and IL-6. Micro-CT and histological analyses confirmed the expected increased alveolar ridge area, with no significant differences between the three groups. Consistently, graft consolidation, as indicated by new bone formation at the defect site, did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The present results demonstrate that PRF-based approaches perform comparably to the established GBR procedure in terms of the consolidation of DPBM in two-wall alveolar defects.

Altered prefrontal beta oscillatory activity during removal of information from working memory in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is related to working memory impairment. Since patients with OCD have difficulty controlling their obsessive thoughts, removal of irrelevant information might be important in the pathophysiology of OCD. However, little is known about brain activity during the removal of information from working memory in patients with OCD. Our goal was to explore potential deficits in inhibitory function related to working memory processes in patients with OCD. METHODS: Sixteen OCD patients and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. We compared in prefrontal alpha and beta band activity derived from magnetoencephalography (MEG) between patients with OCD and HCs during multiple phases of information processing associated with working memory, especially in post-trial period of the visuospatial working memory task (the delayed matching-to-sample task), which is presumed to be related to the information removal process of working memory. RESULTS: Prefrontal post-trial beta power change (presumed to occur at high levels during the post-trial period) exhibited significant reductions in patients with OCD compared to HCs. In addition, the post-trial beta power change was negatively correlated with Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised total scores in patients with OCD. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that impairment in the removal of information from working memory might be a key mechanism underlying the inability of OCD patients to rid themselves of their obsessions.

Does the fixture thread depth affect the accuracy of implant placement during fully guided immediate implant placement?: A human cadaver study.

BACKGROUND: The fixture thread depth reportedly influences the primary stability of dental implant, but its effect on the positional accuracy in immediate implant placement has not been reported previously. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-six single-rooted, anterior and premolar teeth were extracted from six human cadavers, followed by installing either regular-threaded implants (RT group, N = 30) or deep-threaded implants (DT group, N = 26) completely relying on the surgical guide. Optical impressions taken after osteotomy and fixture installation were superimposed with the preoperative virtual planning data to measure the vertical, angular, platform and apex deviations that occurred during osteotomy and installation. RESULTS: While the osteotomy deviations were similar between the two groups, the angular and apex deviation of the DT group (2.67 ± 2.56°; 1.04 ± 0.49 mm, respectively) were significantly larger than those of the RT group (1.61 ± 1.04°; 0.67 ± 0.41 mm, respectively) during installation (p < .05). When the installation deviations were analysed in the anterior and premolar areas separately, the angular, platform and apex deviations of the DT group (3.05 ± 3.26°; 0.75 ± 0.32 mm; 1.08 ± 0.56 mm, respectively) were significantly larger than those of the RT group (1.56 ± 0.73°, 0.59 ± 0.28 mm; 0.62 ± 0.38 mm, respectively) in the anterior site (p < .05), whereas there was no significant intergroup difference in the premolar site. CONCLUSION: In immediate-implant surgery, using an implant with a deeper thread might increase the deviations during installation, especially in the anterior area.

Changes in the Circadian Rhythm of High-Frequency Heart Rate Variability Associated With Depression.

BACKGROUND: Heart rate variability (HRV) extracted from electrocardiogram measured for a short period during a resting state is clinically used as a bio-signal reflecting the emotional state. However, as interest in wearable devices increases, greater attention is being paid to HRV extracted from long-term electrocardiogram, which may contain additional clinical information. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of HRV parameters extracted through long-term electrocardiogram and explore the differences between participants with and without depression and anxiety symptoms. METHODS: Long-term electrocardiogram was acquired from 354 adults with no psychiatric history who underwent Holter monitoring. Evening and nighttime HRV and the ratio of nighttime-to-evening HRV were compared between 127 participants with depressive symptoms and 227 participants without depressive symptoms. Comparisons were also made between participants with and without anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: Absolute values of HRV parameters did not differ between groups based on the presence of depressive or anxiety symptoms. Overall, HRV parameters increased at nighttime compared to evening. Participants with depressive symptoms showed a significantly higher nighttime-to-evening ratio of high-frequency HRV than participants without depressive symptoms. The nighttime-to-evening ratio of HRV parameters did not show a significant difference depending on the presence of anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSION: HRV extracted through long-term electrocardiogram showed circadian rhythm. Depression may be associated with changes in the circadian rhythm of parasympathetic tone.

Optimization of the Outlet Shape of an Air Circulation System for Reduction of Indoor Temperature Difference.

This study proposes an air circulation system that can forcibly circulate the lowest cold air to the top of indoor smart farms, and it has a width, length, and height of 6, 12, and 2.5 m, respectively, to reduce the effect of temperature differences between the upper and lower parts on the growth rate of plants in winter. This study also aimed to reduce the temperature deviation generated between the upper and lower parts of the target indoor space by optimizing the shape of the manufactured outlet of the air circulation system. A table of L9 orthogonal arrays, which is a design of experiment methodology, was used, and it presented three levels of the following design variables: blade angle, blade number, output height, and flow radius. Flow analysis was performed for the experiments on the nine models to minimize the high time and cost requirements. Based on the derived analysis results, an optimized prototype was manufactured by applying the Taguchi method, and experiments were conducted by installing 54 temperature points in an indoor space to identify the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts over time for the performance experiment. Under natural convection, the minimum temperature deviation was 2.2 °C and the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts did not decrease. For a model without an outlet shape, such as a vertical fan, the minimum temperature deviation was 0.8 °C and at least 530 s were required to reach a difference of less than 2 °C. When air was circulated in the air circulation system with the proposed outlet shape, the minimum temperature deviation was 0.6 °C and the time required to reach a difference of less than 2 °C was 440 s. Using the proposed air circulation system, cooling and heating costs are expected to be reduced in summer and winter because the arrival time and temperature difference between the upper and lower parts can be reduced using the outlet shape compared with the case without the outlet shape.