Adult colorectal intussusception caused by giant lipoma-A case report.

Key Clinical Message: Adult intussusception commonly has a leading point. In the colon, malignancy is a prevalent etiology for the leading point; however, benign tumors should also be considered. We present a case of colorectal intussusception caused by a giant lipoma. Abstract: Intussusception in adults is comparatively infrequent in contrast to children, and in adult colonic intussusception, malignancy is the predominant cause of the leading point. Lipoma, an uncommon tumor in the gastrointestinal tract, rarely induces colonic intussusception in adults. We present the case of a 55-year-old Cambodian man experiencing cramping abdominal pain. He presented with mild abdominal distension with tenderness in the lower abdomen. On the rectal examination a large palpable mass was detected three to four centimeters from the anal verge. Abdominal computerized tomography revealed a collapsed sigmoid colon with mesenteric fat invaginated into the lumen of the upper rectum. Emergency laparotomy was performed and during the surgery the sigmoid intussusception spontaneously reduced. A mass was identified in the mid-sigmoid colon, leading to the decision for segmental resection of the sigmoid colon with the mass and subsequent end-to-end anastomosis. Histological examination results confirmed the mass as a lipoma. Colorectal intussusception in adults due to a lipoma is a relatively rare, with only a few reported cases in the literature.

Enhancing deep learning classification performance of tongue lesions in imbalanced data: mosaic-based soft labeling with curriculum learning.

BACKGROUND: Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are associated with an increased risk of cancer of the oral cavity including the tongue. The early detection of oral cavity cancers and OPMDs is critical for reducing cancer-specific morbidity and mortality. Recently, there have been studies to apply the rapidly advancing technology of deep learning for diagnosing oral cavity cancer and OPMDs. However, several challenging issues such as class imbalance must be resolved to effectively train a deep learning model for medical imaging classification tasks. The aim of this study is to evaluate a new technique of artificial intelligence to improve the classification performance in an imbalanced tongue lesion dataset. METHODS: A total of 1,810 tongue images were used for the classification. The class-imbalanced dataset consisted of 372 instances of cancer, 141 instances of OPMDs, and 1,297 instances of noncancerous lesions. The EfficientNet model was used as the feature extraction model for classification. Mosaic data augmentation, soft labeling, and curriculum learning (CL) were employed to improve the classification performance of the convolutional neural network. RESULTS: Utilizing a mosaic-augmented dataset in conjunction with CL, the final model achieved an accuracy rate of 0.9444, surpassing conventional oversampling and weight balancing methods. The relative precision improvement rate for the minority class OPMD was 21.2%, while the relative [Formula: see text] score improvement rate of OPMD was 4.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that the integration of mosaic-based soft labeling and curriculum learning improves the classification performance of tongue lesions compared to previous methods, establishing a foundation for future research on effectively learning from imbalanced data.

In Vivo Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor Availability and Its Relationship with Aggression Traits in Healthy Individuals: A Positron Emission Tomography Study with C-11 MDL100907.

Serotonergic neurotransmission has been associated with aggression in several psychiatric disorders. Human aggression is a continuum of traits, ranging from normal to pathological phenomena. However, the individual differences in serotonergic neurotransmission and their relationships with aggression traits in healthy individuals remain unclear. In this study, we explored the relationship between 5-HT2A receptor availability in vivo and aggression traits in healthy participants. Thirty-three healthy participants underwent 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography (PET) with [11C]MDL100907, a selective radioligand for 5-HT2A receptors. To quantify 5-HT2A receptor availability, the binding potential (BPND) was derived using the basis function implementation of the simplified reference tissue model, with the cerebellum as the reference region. The participants' aggression levels were assessed using the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. The voxel-based correlation analysis with age and sex as covariates revealed that the total aggression score was significantly positively correlated with [11C]MDL100907 BPND in the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) pole, left fusiform gyrus (FUSI), right parahippocampal gyrus, and right hippocampus. The physical aggression subscale score had significant positive correlations with [11C]MDL100907 BPND in the left olfactory cortex, left orbital superior frontal gyrus (SFG), right anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri, left orbitomedial SFG, left gyrus rectus, left MTG, left inferior temporal gyrus, and left angular gyrus. The verbal aggression subscale score showed significant positive correlations with [11C]MDL100907 BPND in the bilateral SFG, right medial SFG, left FUSI, and right MTG pole. Overall, our findings suggest the possibility of positive correlations between aggression traits and in vivo 5-HT2A receptor availability in healthy individuals. Future research should incorporate multimodal neuroimaging to investigate the downstream effects of 5-HT2A receptor-mediated signaling and integrate molecular and systems-level information in relation to aggression traits.

Attention Circuits Mediate the Connection between Emotional Experience and Expression within the Emotional Circuit.

Objective: : Most affective neuroscience studies use pictures from the International Affective Picture System or standard facial expressions to elicit emotional experiences. The attention system, including the prefrontal cortex, can mediate emotional regulation in response to stimulation with emotional faces. We hypothesized that emotional experience is associated with brain activity within the neocortex. In addition, modification within the neocortex may be associated with brain activity within the attention system. Methods: : Thirty-one healthy adult participants were recruited to be assessed for emotional expression using clinical scales of happiness, sadness, anxiety, and anger as and for emotional experience using brain activity in response to pictures of facial emotional expressions. The attention system was assessed using brain activity in response to the go-no-go task. Results: : We found that emotional experience was associated with brain activity within the frontotemporal cortices, while emotional expression was associated with brain activity within the temporal and insular cortices. In addition, the association of brain activity between emotional experiences and expressions of sadness and anxiety was affected by brain activity within the anterior cingulate gyrus in response to the go-no-go task. Conclusion: : Emotional expression may be associated with brain activity within the temporal cortex, whereas emotional experience may be associated with brain activity within the frontotemporal cortices. In addition, the attention system may interfere with the connection between emotional expression and experience.

The Relationship between Character Traits and In Vivo Cerebral Serotonin Transporter Availability in Healthy Subjects: A High-Resolution PET Study with C-11 DASB.

To elucidate the potential roles of serotonergic activity in human character traits (i.e., self-directedness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence), we investigated the relationship between these character traits and serotonin transporter (5-HTT) in healthy subjects. Twenty-four participants underwent High-Resolution Research Tomograph-positron emission tomography scans with [11C]DASB. To quantify 5-HTT availability, binding potential (BPND) of [11C]DASB was obtained using the simplified reference tissue model. The Temperament and Character Inventory was used to assess subjects' levels of three character traits. There were no significant correlations between the three character traits. Self-directedness was significantly positively correlated with [11C]DASB BPND in the left hippocampus, left middle occipital gyrus, bilateral superior parietal gyrus, left inferior parietal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), and left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG). Cooperativeness was significantly negatively correlated with [11C]DASB BPND in the median raphe nucleus. Self-transcendence was significantly negatively correlated with [11C]DASB BPND in the right MTG and right ITG. Our results show significant correlations between the three character traits and 5-HTT availability in specific brain regions. In particular, self-directedness was significantly positively correlated with 5-HTT availability, suggesting that a goal-oriented, self-confident, and resourceful character may be related to higher serotonergic neurotransmission.

Facile Fabrication of TiO2 Quantum Dots-Anchored g-C3N4 Nanosheets as 0D/2D Heterojunction Nanocomposite for Accelerating Solar-Driven Photocatalysis.

TiO2 semiconductors exhibit a low catalytic activity level under visible light because of their large band gap and fast recombination of electron-hole pairs. This paper reports the simple fabrication of a 0D/2D heterojunction photocatalyst by anchoring TiO2 quantum dots (QDs) on graphite-like C3N4 (g-C3N4) nanosheets (NSs); the photocatalyst is denoted as TiO2 QDs@g-C3N4. The nanocomposite was characterized via analytical instruments, such as powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, t orange (MO) under solar light were compared. The TiO2 QDs@g-C3N4 photocatalyst exhibited 95.57% MO degradation efficiency and ~3.3-fold and 5.7-fold higher activity level than those of TiO2 QDs and g-C3N4 NSs, respectively. Zero-dimensional/two-dimensional heterojunction formation with a staggered electronic structure leads to the efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers via a Z-scheme pathway, which significantly accelerates photocatalysis under solar light. This study provides a facile synthetic method for the rational design of 0D/2D heterojunction nanocomposites with enhanced solar-driven catalytic activity.

Target registration errors in navigation-assisted mandibular surgery according to the tracking methods and the type of markers: experiments using human dry mandibular bone.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of navigation process according to the type of tracking methods and registration markers. The target registration errors (TREs) were measured at seven anatomical landmarks of the mandible. METHODS: Four different experiments were performed to obtain the TREs using two tracking methods, the optical tracker (Polaris) and the electromagnetic (EM) tracker (Aurora), and two types of registration markers, invasive and noninvasive markers. All comparisons of TREs were statistically analyzed using SPSS and Python-based statistical package. RESULTS: The average TRE values obtained from the four experiments were as follows: (1) 0.85 mm (± 0.07) using invasive marker and Aurora, (2) 1.06 mm (± 0.12) using invasive marker and Polaris, (3) 1.43 mm (± 0.15) using noninvasive marker and Aurora, and (4) 1.57 mm (± 0.23) using noninvasive marker and Polaris. Comparisons between all the experimental results revealed statistically significant differences except for the type of tracking system. Although the comparison between the modality of the tracking system showed no significant differences, the EM-based approach consistently demonstrated better performances than the optical type in all comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that irrespective of the tracking modality, using invasive marker is a better choice in terms of accuracy. When using noninvasive marker, it is important to consider the increased TREs. In this study, the noninvasive marker caused a maximum increment of TREs of 0.81 mm compared with the invasive marker. Furthermore, using an EM-based tracker with invasive marker may result in the best accuracy for navigation.

Outcome of Intermittent Thoracentesis versus Pigtail Catheter Drainage for Hepatic Hydrothorax.

Background/Aims: The management of hepatic hydrothorax (HH) remains a challenging clinical scenario with suboptimal options. We investigated the effect and safety of pigtail catheter drainage compared to intermittent thoracentesis. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study included 164 cirrhotic patients with recurrent pleural effusion from March 2012 to June 2017. Patients with neoplasms, cardiopulmonary disease, and infectious conditions were excluded. We compared the clinical outcomes of pigtail catheter drainage versus thoracentesis for variables including complications related to procedures, overall survival, and re-admission rates. Results: A total of 164 patients were divided into pigtail catheter (n = 115) and thoracentesis (n = 49) groups. During the follow-up period of 6.93 months after discharge, 98 patients died (pigtail; n = 47 vs. thoracentesis; n = 51). The overall survival (p = 0.61) and 30-day mortality (p = 0.77) rates were similar between the pigtail catheter and thoracentesis groups. Only MELD scores were associated with overall survival (adjusted HR, 1.08; p < 0.01) in patients with HH. Spontaneous pleurodesis occurred in 59 patients (51.3%) in the pigtail catheter group. Re-admission rates did not differ between the pigtail catheter and thoracentesis groups (13.2% vs 19.6% p = 0.7). A total of five complications occurred, including four total cases of bleeding (one patient in the pigtail catheter group and three in the thoracentesis group) and one case of empyema in the pigtail catheter group. Conclusions: Pigtail catheter drainage is not inferior to that of intermittent thoracentesis for the management of HH, proving it may be an effective and safe clinical option.

A congenital wandering spleen with a large epithelial cyst: A case report.

We present a case of a 21-year-old female patient who had a wandering spleen with a large cyst. The celiotomy was performed under the impression of torsion of the wandering spleen and leakage from the splenic cyst. The total splenectomy was performed instead of cystectomy and splenopexy.

Differences in mGluR5 Availability Depending on the Level of Social Avoidance in Drug-Naïve Young Patients with Major Depressive Disorder.

Background: Previous research has shown that metabotropic glutamate receptor-5 (mGluR5) signaling is significantly involved in social avoidance. We investigated the relationship between levels of social avoidance and mGluR5 availability in drug-naïve young patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: Twenty non-smoking patients and eighteen matched non-smoking healthy controls underwent [11C]ABP688 positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging scans. The binding potential (BPND) of [11C]ABP688 was obtained using the simplified reference tissue model. Patients' level of social avoidance was assessed using the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS). For [11C]ABP688 BPND, the region-of-interest (ROI)-based between-group comparisons and correlations with SADS scores were investigated. The frontal cortices were chosen as a priori ROIs based on previous PET investigations in MDD, and on literature underscoring the importance of the frontal cortex in social avoidance. Results: Independent samples t-tests revealed no significant differences in [11C]ABP688 BPND in the frontal cortices between the MDD patient group as a whole and healthy controls. One-way analysis of variance with post-hoc tests revealed significantly lower BPND in the bilateral superior frontal cortex (SFC) and left middle frontal cortex (MFC) in MDD patients with low levels of social avoidance (L-SADS) than in healthy controls. The L-SADS patients also had significantly lower BPND in the medial part of the right SFC than both MDD patients with high levels of social avoidance (H-SADS) and healthy controls. The L-SADS patients also showed significantly lower BPND in the orbital parts of the SFC, MFC, and inferior frontal cortex than H-SADS patients. No significant group differences were found between H-SADS patients and healthy controls. The ROI-based correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between social avoidance levels and frontal [11C]ABP688 BPND in the entire patients. Conclusion: Our exploratory study shows significant differences in frontal mGluR5 availability depending on the level of social avoidance in drug-naïve non-smoking MDD patients, suggesting that social avoidance should be considered as one of the clinical factors involved in mGluR5 signaling changes in depression.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy versus radiofrequency ablation as initial treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) may be an alternative treatment for patients with small (≤3 cm) hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) who were not indicated for resection or local ablation therapy. This study compared the therapeutic effects of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and SBRT in patients with small (≤3 cm) HCCs. METHODS: Data of HCC patients who underwent SBRT or RFA as an initial treatment at four tertiary referral hospitals between March 2011 and February 2017 were reviewed. The patient inclusion criteria were a single nodule measuring ≤3 cm in size and not suitable for resection. RESULTS: SBRT and RFA were performed for 72 (SBRT group) and 134 (RFA group) patients, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 97.0%, 80.3%, and 80.3%, respectively, in the SBRT group compared with 98.5%, 83.9%, and 80.8%, respectively, in the RFA group, with no significant differences between the groups (P = 0.81). The estimated five-year local control (LC) rate was 68.1% in the SBRT group and 73.1% in the RFA group (P = 0.81). In the SBRT group analysis, both SBRT alone (n = 34) and SBRT combined with transarterial chemoembolization (n = 38) showed no difference with RFA in OS (P = 0.72 and P = 0.90) or LC rate (P = 0.95 and P = 0.68), respectively. CONCLUSION: SBRT is an effective and safe treatment method for small HCCs, with survival and tumor recurrence rates similar to those of RFA.

Correlations Between Psychological Status and Perception of Facial Expression.

OBJECTIVE: Facial affect recognition is associated with neuropsychological status and psychiatric diseases. We hypothesized that facial affect recognition is associated with psychological status and perception of other affects. METHODS: A total of 80 images depicting facial affect, including 20 Neutral, 20 Angry, 20 Fear, and 20 Sad, were screened for use in our research. A total of 100 healthy individuals were asked to rate these images using a 10-point Likert scale and complete psychological scales assessing the emotional statuses and cognitive functions. RESULTS: The participants' emotional state of aggression, attention, and impulsivity may have been associated with their interpretation of the Angry facial expressions. The participants often rated the Angry facial expressions as Fear. The participants rated Fear images as Angry or Sad. In response to a Sad facial expression, the participants reported psychological statuses of attention and impulsivity which were associated with the facial expression rating. The participants rated the Sad expression as Angry or Fear. CONCLUSION: The psychological statuses of the participants were significantly correlated with their interpretation of facial affects. In particular, a psychological state of attention was often correlated with incorrect affect ratings. Attention and impulsivity could affect the rating of the sad facial expressions.

Future Prospects of Positron Emission Tomography-Magnetic Resonance Imaging Hybrid Systems and Applications in Psychiatric Disorders.

A positron emission tomography (PET)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) hybrid system has been developed to improve the accuracy of molecular imaging with structural imaging. However, the mismatch in spatial resolution between the two systems hinders the use of the hybrid system. As the magnetic field of the MRI increased up to 7.0 tesla in the commercial system, the performance of the MRI system largely improved. Several technical attempts in terms of the detector and the software used with the PET were made to improve the performance. As a result, the high resolution of the PET-MRI fusion system enables quantitation of metabolism and molecular information in the small substructures of the brainstem, hippocampus, and thalamus. Many studies on psychiatric disorders, which are difficult to diagnose with medical imaging, have been accomplished using various radioligands, but only a few studies have been conducted using the PET-MRI fusion system. To increase the clinical usefulness of medical imaging in psychiatric disorders, a high-resolution PET-MRI fusion system can play a key role by providing important information on both molecular and structural aspects in the fine structures of the brain. The development of high-resolution PET-MR systems and their potential roles in clinical studies of psychiatric disorders were reviewed as prospective views in future diagnostics.

Effect of Parental Perception on the Prevalence of Adolescent Internet Gaming Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, several studies have found that Internet usage and gaming times have increased among adolescents. Parents' Internet literacy and attitudes toward Internet gaming have been reported to affect children's Internet gaming disorder (IGD). We hypothesized that parents' attitudes toward Internet use and gaming would affect the prevalence of IGD among adolescents. METHODS: A total of 199 mothers of children who played Internet games were surveyed online to gather information regarding their demographic characteristics, children's Internet use patterns, psychological factors, and Internet gaming literacy. RESULTS: Among adolescents, increased Internet usage or gaming time was not associated with IGD, but the presence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was. Among parents, anxiety, depression, and family togetherness were not related to IGD, but a positive perception of gaming protected against the development of IGD, whereas a negative perception was a risk factor for IGD. CONCLUSION: Increased gaming time neither causes nor correlates with IGD in adolescents, even though ADHD may be a risk factor for IGD. Parents' positive or negative perceptions of gaming can be protective or present a risk factor, respectively, for their children's development of IGD.

Reappraisal of sepsis-3 and CLIF-SOFA as predictors of mortality in patients with cirrhosis and infection presenting to the emergency department: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Sepsis-3 criteria and quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) have been advocated to be used in defining sepsis in the general population. We aimed to compare the Sepsis-3 criteria and Chronic Liver Failure-SOFA (CLIF-SOFA) scores as predictors of in-hospital mortality in cirrhotic patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) for infections. METHODS: A total of 1,622 cirrhosis patients admitted at the ED for infections were assessed retrospectively. We analyzed their demographic, laboratory, and microbiological data upon diagnosis of the infection. The primary endpoint was inhospital mortality rate. The predictive performances of baseline CLIF-SOFA, Sepsis-3, and qSOFA scores for in-hospital mortality were evaluated. RESULTS: The CLIF-SOFA score proved to be significantly better in predicting in-hospital mortality (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC], 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-0.82) than the Sepsis-3 (AUROC, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.72-0.77, P<0.001) and qSOFA (AUROC, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.64-0.70; P<0.001) score. The CLIF-SOFA, CLIF-C-AD scores, Sepsis-3 criteria, septic shock, and qSOFA positivity were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.24; 95% CI, 1.19-1.28; aHR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.09-1.17; aHR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.15-1.24; aHR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.42-2.48; aHR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.55-2.72; respectively; all P<0.001). For CLIF-SOFA scores ≥6, in-hospital mortality was >10%; this is the cutoff point for the definition of sepsis. CONCLUSION: Among cirrhosis patients presenting with infections at the ED, CLIF-SOFA scores showed a better predictive performance for mortality than both Sepsis-3 criteria and qSOFA scores, and can be a useful tool of risk stratification in cirrhotic patients requiring timely intervention for infection.

Finding Cortical Subregions Regarding the Dorsal Language Pathway Based on the Structural Connectivity.

Although the language-related fiber pathways in the human brain, such as the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and arcuate fasciculus (AF), are already well-known, understanding more sophisticated cortical regions connected by the fiber tracts is essential to scrutinize the structural connectivity of language circuits. With the regions of interest that were selected based on the Brainnetome atlas, the fiber orientation distribution estimation method for tractography was used to produce further elaborate connectivity information. The results indicated that both fiber bundles had two distinct connections with the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The SLF-II and dorsal AF are mainly connected to the rostrodorsal part of the inferior parietal cortex (IPC) and lateral part of the fusiform gyrus with the inferior frontal junction (IFJ), respectively. In contrast, the SLF-III and ventral AF were primarily linked to the anterior part of the supramarginal gyrus and superior part of the temporal cortex with the inferior frontal cortex, including the Broca's area. Moreover, the IFJ in the PFC, which has rarely been emphasized as a language-related subregion, also had the strongest connectivity with the previously known language-related subregions among the PFC; consequently, we proposed that these specific regions are interconnected via the SLF and AF within the PFC, IPC, and temporal cortex as language-related circuitry.

Timing of endoscopy in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

The optimal timing of endoscopy in patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) remains controversial. In this study, we investigated the clinical outcomes of urgent endoscopy in patients with UGIB compared with elective endoscopy. From January 2016 to December 2018, consecutive patients who visited the emergency department and underwent endoscopy for clinical manifestations of acute UGIB, including variceal bleeding, were eligible. Urgent endoscopy (within 6 h) and elective endoscopy (after 6 h) were defined as the time taken to perform endoscopy after presentation to the emergency department. The primary outcome was mortality rate within 30 days. A total of 572 patients were included in the analysis. Urgent endoscopy was performed in 490 patients (85.7%). The 30-day mortality rate did not differ between the urgent and elective endoscopy groups (5.3% and 6.1%, p = 0.791). There was no difference regarding the recurrent bleeding rate, total amount of transfusion, or length of hospital between the groups. In multivariate analysis, age and the amount of transfusion were associated with mortality. Urgent endoscopy was not associated with a lower 30-day mortality rate compared with elective endoscopy in patients with acute UGIB.

Efficacy of Twice a Day Bismuth Quadruple Therapy for Second-Line Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection.

Bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) is an effective treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection. However, frequent dosing schedules of BQT regimen often compromise drug adherence and may affect treatment outcomes. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the efficacy of twice-daily BQT compared to that of four times a day therapy. From August 2018 to November 2020, adult patients who failed first-line standard triple therapy and underwent BQT were eligible. Patients were categorized into two groups according to dosing schedule: (i) the BQT group (n = 213) who received standard BQT administered four times a day; and (ii) the BQTb group (n = 141) who received proton pump inhibitor, bismuth 600 mg, metronidazole 500 mg, and tetracycline 1 g twice a day. The eradication rate did not differ between the BQT (92.5%) and the BQTb groups (90.1%) (p = 0.441). Adherence and adverse event rate were similar between the two groups. Multivariate analysis showed that current smoking was associated with eradication failure; however, dosing frequency was not associated with the efficacy of eradication therapy. This study suggested that twice a day BQT is as effective as four times a day therapy for second-line treatment of H. pylori infection.

Eradication Rate Using a First-line Triple Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Infection in Yeongdong, Gangwon Province, Korea

Background/Aims@#The eradication success rate of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection with a first-line standard triple therapy (STT) has been decreasing in Korea. However, treatment outcomes of H. pylori infection in Yeongdong, Gangwon Province have been scarcely reported. This study aimed to investigate the treatment outcomes of H. pylori infection in a single tertiary care hospital with regional characteristics. @*Materials and Methods@#From July 2018 to June 2019, a total of 592 patients who underwent STT consisting of a proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin for 7 to 14 days as a first-line H. pylori eradication therapy were included. Demographic data and treatment outcomes were retrospectively reviewed using medical records. @*Results@#The median age of 592 patients was 58 years (range 23 to 86) and 329 patients (55.6%) were men. The indication for eradication therapy included chronic atrophic gastritis (57.9%), peptic ulcer disease (19.6%), and gastric neoplasm after endoscopic resection (5.9%). Most patients (92.2%) received a 7-day course of STT. Eradication rate of STT was 64.0% (379/592). Rescue therapy was performed in 146 patients, and the final eradication rate reached 85.6% (507/592). @*Conclusions@#Eradication rate of STT in Yeongdong area of Gangwon Province was unsatisfactory, warranting the consideration of a first-line eradication regimen other than STT.

Correlations Between Psychological Status and Perception of Facial Expression

Objective@#Facial affect recognition is associated with neuropsychological status and psychiatric diseases. We hypothesized that facial affect recognition is associated with psychological status and perception of other affects. @*Methods@#A total of 80 images depicting facial affect, including 20 Neutral, 20 Angry, 20 Fear, and 20 Sad, were screened for use in our research. A total of 100 healthy individuals were asked to rate these images using a 10-point Likert scale and complete psychological scales assessing the emotional statuses and cognitive functions. @*Results@#The participants’ emotional state of aggression, attention, and impulsivity may have been associated with their interpretation of the Angry facial expressions. The participants often rated the Angry facial expressions as Fear. The participants rated Fear images as Angry or Sad. In response to a Sad facial expression, the participants reported psychological statuses of attention and impulsivity which were associated with the facial expression rating. The participants rated the Sad expression as Angry or Fear. @*Conclusion@#The psychological statuses of the participants were significantly correlated with their interpretation of facial affects. In particular, a psychological state of attention was often correlated with incorrect affect ratings. Attention and impulsivity could affect the rating of the sad facial expressions.