Gastric cancer screening is common in countries with high prevalence rates of gastric cancer. However, data supporting the effectiveness of gastric cancer screening are lacking. Thus, the aim of this review was to examine the current evidence on gastric cancer screening. Herein, we reviewed radiographic and endoscopic tests as methods of gastric cancer screening. Previous cohort studies and case-control studies have demonstrated reduced gastric cancer mortality in study populations that had undergone gastric cancer screening with radiographic tests. Recently, a case-control study in Japan reported a 30% reduction in gastric cancer mortality when screening was undertaken via endoscopy. Also, endoscopic screening for gastric cancer exhibited higher sensitivity and specificity than radiographic screening. Moreover, most cost-effectiveness analyses on the best strategy for detecting early gastric cancer have generally concluded that endoscopy is more cost-effective than radiographic testing. Although data on the impact of endoscopy screening programs on gastric cancer mortality are limited, recent study results suggest that gastric cancer screening by endoscopy in average-risk populations performs better than radiography screening. Further evaluation of the impact of these screening methods should take into account cost and any associated reduction in gastric cancer mortality.
Case-Control Studies ; Cohort Studies ; Endoscopy* ; Japan ; Mass Screening* ; Mortality ; Prevalence ; Radiography ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stomach Neoplasms*

Background: Research has reported that atopic dermatitis degrades the quality of life of adults in their 20s and 30s. This study, therefore, explored factors associated with improvement of atopic dermatitis in adults in their 20s and 30s. Methods: Three hundred and forty-eight adults who had been diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (recovery group, 146; atopic group, 202) in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016–2018) were selected for this study. Complex sample descriptive, crosstab, and logistic analyses were used to identify significant factors associated with improvement of atopic dermatitis in adults in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, mental health, and physical activity. Results: Among several sociodemographic characteristics, the significant factors were age, sex, and marital status. When these factors were included as covariates in logistic regression models, adults were more likely to be in the recovery group if they thought positively about their health condition, if their stress recognition was low, and if they had enough sleep time during the week. Furthermore, adults were more likely to be in the recovery group if they were engaged in high- and moderate-intensity activities at work and leisure. Conclusion This study showed that positive mental health, sufficient sleep time, and high- and middle-intensity activities are important factors associated with improvement of atopic dermatitis in adults in their 20s and 30s. We expect that these findings will help improve the quality of life in young working adults who suffer from atopic dermatitis.

Absence seizures (AS) are generalized non-convulsive seizures characterized by a brief loss of consciousness and spike-and-wave discharges (SWD) in an electroencephalogram (EEG). A number of animal models have been developed to explain the mechanisms of AS, and thalamo-cortical networks are considered to be involved. However, the cortical foci have not been well described in mouse models of AS. This study aims to use a high density EEG in pathophysiologically different AS models to compare the spatiotemporal patterns of SWDs. We used two AS models: a pharmacologically induced model (gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, GHB model) and a transgenic model (phospholipase beta4 knock-out, PLCβ4 model). The occurrences of SWDs were confirmed by thalamic recordings. The topographical analysis of SWDs showed that the onset and propagation patterns were markedly distinguishable between the two models. In the PLCβ4 model, the foci were located within the somatosensory cortex followed by propagation to the frontal cortex, whereas in the GHB model, a majority of SWDs was initiated in the prefrontal cortex followed by propagation to the posterior cortex. In addition, in the GHB model, foci were also observed in other cortical areas. This observation indicates that different cortical networks are involved in the generation of SWDs across the two models.
Animals ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy, Absence ; Frontal Lobe ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Seizures ; Somatosensory Cortex ; Unconsciousness

Objectives: ：Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) was recently introduced to the treatment of the obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD). Major core components of ACT can be effectively applied to OCD treatment. Cognitive defusion can make to reduce anxiety related to obsessional thought by observing and flowing the thoughts in a nonjudgemental manner. Value-based commitment can be helpful to confront situations rather than experiential avoidance. Although several studies verified the effectiveness of ACT treatment on OCD, there is a lack of study in Korea. Methods: ：Forty-four patients with OCD were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups (22 patients per group). An eight-session, 90-minute ACT program was developed and conducted for 8 weeks for the treatment group. Symptoms were measured before and after 8 weeks, using Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ). Results: ：After eight-week program, the treatment group showed greater reductions in cognitive fusion score (p= 0.001) as well as obsessive-compulsive symptoms measured by both Y-BOCS and OCI (ps<0.001) compared to the control group. Moreover, changes in cognitive fusion score were significantly correlated with changes of Y-BOCS, OCI, and BDI scores (all ps<0.05). Conclusions ：To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first report to verify the effectiveness of a group based ACT program on OCD in Korea. Our ACT program was effective to reduce symptoms of OCD and related cognitive fusion. Future study with longitudinal design and large sample sizes are needed to investigate confirmatory and longterm effects of our ACT program for OCD.

Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly disrupted cancer screening services worldwide. We aimed to measure the impact of COVID-19 on gastric cancer screening rates based on age, sex, household income, and residential area. Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from the Korean National Cancer Screening Survey from 2017 to 2021 for adults aged 40–74 years. We evaluated the gastric cancer screening rate within two years in accordance with the National Cancer Screening Program protocol recommendations and that within the previous year. We compared the trends in the pre- and post-COVID-19 outbreak periods. Results: Before the COVID-19 outbreak, there was little change in the gastric cancer screening rates until 2019. After the COVID-19 outbreak, the screening rate as per recommendation decreased from 70.8% in 2019 to 68.9% in 2020 and that for one year decreased from 32.7% in 2019 to 27.2% in 2020. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued after 2020, both gastric cancer screening rates as per recommendations and for one year rebounded. Although a similar trend was observed for the upper endoscopy screening rate, the upper gastrointestinal series screening rate decreased from 7.8% in 2020 to 3.1% in 2021. During the pandemic, the screening rate decreased among younger adults (40–49), those residing in metropolitan regions, and those with high incomes. Conclusions Despite a decline in gastric cancer screening rate during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate surged in 2021. Further studies are needed to estimate the impact of cancer screening delays on future cancer-related mortalities.

Objective: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has been recently introduced for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Although there are data supporting the efficacy of ACT, only few studies have investigated the effectiveness of ACT against any obsessivecompulsive (OC) symptom dimension or a specific dimension alone. Methods: In total, 64 patients with OCD received an 8-session ACT group program. All measures were evaluated before and after treatment. The Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale was used to assess OCD severity across the four empirically supported symptom dimensions (i.e., contamination, responsibility for harm, unacceptable thoughts, and symmetry). ACT processes were evaluated using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Obsessions and Compulsions (AAQOC), and Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire. Results: After an 8-week program, there were significant reductions in all four OC symptom dimensions after ACT. The unacceptable thoughts and contamination domains had medium effect size. The responsibility for harm and symmetry dimensions had small effect size. The unacceptable thoughts dimension was significantly correlated with all ACT process measures. The symmetry dimension was significantly correlated with AAQ-OC and AAQ-II scores while the responsibility for harm dimension was correlated with AAQ-II alone. However, the contamination dimension was not associated with any process measures. Conclusion ACT may be effective for managing all four symptom dimensions with small to moderate effect size. Moreover, depending on the symptom dimension, there may be different relationship patterns between symptom reduction and changes in ACT processes.

Objective: Evidence suggests that acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) processes function as transdiagnostic factors in both major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) individually. However, few studies have directly compared these two clinical disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential transdiagnostic factors associated with ACT across MDD, OCD, and healthy control (HC) groups. Methods: A total of 34 MDD patients, 43 OCD patients, and 46 HCs were recruited through subway advertisements and outpatient services at a university hospital. Participants completed the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire, thought-action fusion (TAF) scale, and symptom severity scales. Results: Direct group comparisons revealed higher psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and likelihood of TAF in the clinical groups compared to the HCs, with no differences between the MDD and OCD groups. These three transdiagnostic factors were variously correlated with both depressive and obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms in all groups. Regression analyses demonstrated that the three transdiagnostic factors accounted for 26% of the depressive symptoms in the MDD group (R2=0.26, p=0.028) and 27% of the OC symptoms in the OCD group (R2=0.27, p=0.014). Conclusion These findings from the direct group comparisons of the three groups confirmed that psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and likelihood of TAF are potential transdiagnostic factors that moderately contribute to the primary symptoms of both MDD and OCD. From another perspective, these results also highlight the need to consider how ACT addresses disorder-specific variations beyond what is explained by these transdiagnostic factors in the future.

Objective: Evidence suggests that acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) processes function as transdiagnostic factors in both major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) individually. However, few studies have directly compared these two clinical disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential transdiagnostic factors associated with ACT across MDD, OCD, and healthy control (HC) groups. Methods: A total of 34 MDD patients, 43 OCD patients, and 46 HCs were recruited through subway advertisements and outpatient services at a university hospital. Participants completed the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire, thought-action fusion (TAF) scale, and symptom severity scales. Results: Direct group comparisons revealed higher psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and likelihood of TAF in the clinical groups compared to the HCs, with no differences between the MDD and OCD groups. These three transdiagnostic factors were variously correlated with both depressive and obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms in all groups. Regression analyses demonstrated that the three transdiagnostic factors accounted for 26% of the depressive symptoms in the MDD group (R2=0.26, p=0.028) and 27% of the OC symptoms in the OCD group (R2=0.27, p=0.014). Conclusion These findings from the direct group comparisons of the three groups confirmed that psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and likelihood of TAF are potential transdiagnostic factors that moderately contribute to the primary symptoms of both MDD and OCD. From another perspective, these results also highlight the need to consider how ACT addresses disorder-specific variations beyond what is explained by these transdiagnostic factors in the future.

Objective: Evidence suggests that acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) processes function as transdiagnostic factors in both major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) individually. However, few studies have directly compared these two clinical disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential transdiagnostic factors associated with ACT across MDD, OCD, and healthy control (HC) groups. Methods: A total of 34 MDD patients, 43 OCD patients, and 46 HCs were recruited through subway advertisements and outpatient services at a university hospital. Participants completed the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire, thought-action fusion (TAF) scale, and symptom severity scales. Results: Direct group comparisons revealed higher psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and likelihood of TAF in the clinical groups compared to the HCs, with no differences between the MDD and OCD groups. These three transdiagnostic factors were variously correlated with both depressive and obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms in all groups. Regression analyses demonstrated that the three transdiagnostic factors accounted for 26% of the depressive symptoms in the MDD group (R2=0.26, p=0.028) and 27% of the OC symptoms in the OCD group (R2=0.27, p=0.014). Conclusion These findings from the direct group comparisons of the three groups confirmed that psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and likelihood of TAF are potential transdiagnostic factors that moderately contribute to the primary symptoms of both MDD and OCD. From another perspective, these results also highlight the need to consider how ACT addresses disorder-specific variations beyond what is explained by these transdiagnostic factors in the future.

Objective: Evidence suggests that acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) processes function as transdiagnostic factors in both major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) individually. However, few studies have directly compared these two clinical disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential transdiagnostic factors associated with ACT across MDD, OCD, and healthy control (HC) groups. Methods: A total of 34 MDD patients, 43 OCD patients, and 46 HCs were recruited through subway advertisements and outpatient services at a university hospital. Participants completed the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire, thought-action fusion (TAF) scale, and symptom severity scales. Results: Direct group comparisons revealed higher psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and likelihood of TAF in the clinical groups compared to the HCs, with no differences between the MDD and OCD groups. These three transdiagnostic factors were variously correlated with both depressive and obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms in all groups. Regression analyses demonstrated that the three transdiagnostic factors accounted for 26% of the depressive symptoms in the MDD group (R2=0.26, p=0.028) and 27% of the OC symptoms in the OCD group (R2=0.27, p=0.014). Conclusion These findings from the direct group comparisons of the three groups confirmed that psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and likelihood of TAF are potential transdiagnostic factors that moderately contribute to the primary symptoms of both MDD and OCD. From another perspective, these results also highlight the need to consider how ACT addresses disorder-specific variations beyond what is explained by these transdiagnostic factors in the future.