Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form. Data were collected on 86 items, including patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes. The results of the 2023 survey were compared with those of previous surveys. Results: Data from 12,751 cases were collected from 66 institutions. The mean patient age was 64.6 years, and the proportion of patients aged ≥71 years increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 31.7% in 2023. The proportion of upper-third tumors slightly decreased to 16.8% compared to 20.9% in 2019. Early gastric cancer accounted for 63.1% of cases in 2023.Regarding operative procedures, a totally laparoscopic approach was most frequently applied (63.2%) in 2023, while robotic gastrectomy steadily increased to 9.5% from 2.1% in 2014.The most common anastomotic method was the Billroth II procedure (48.8%) after distal gastrectomy and double-tract reconstruction (51.9%) after proximal gastrectomy in 2023.However, the proportion of esophago-gastrostomy with anti-reflux procedures increased to 30.9%. The rates of post-operative mortality and overall complications were 1.0% and 15.3%, respectively. Conclusions The results of the 2023 nationwide survey demonstrate the current status of gastric cancer treatment in Korea. This information will provide a basis for future gastric cancer research.

Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form. Data were collected on 86 items, including patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes. The results of the 2023 survey were compared with those of previous surveys. Results: Data from 12,751 cases were collected from 66 institutions. The mean patient age was 64.6 years, and the proportion of patients aged ≥71 years increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 31.7% in 2023. The proportion of upper-third tumors slightly decreased to 16.8% compared to 20.9% in 2019. Early gastric cancer accounted for 63.1% of cases in 2023.Regarding operative procedures, a totally laparoscopic approach was most frequently applied (63.2%) in 2023, while robotic gastrectomy steadily increased to 9.5% from 2.1% in 2014.The most common anastomotic method was the Billroth II procedure (48.8%) after distal gastrectomy and double-tract reconstruction (51.9%) after proximal gastrectomy in 2023.However, the proportion of esophago-gastrostomy with anti-reflux procedures increased to 30.9%. The rates of post-operative mortality and overall complications were 1.0% and 15.3%, respectively. Conclusions The results of the 2023 nationwide survey demonstrate the current status of gastric cancer treatment in Korea. This information will provide a basis for future gastric cancer research.

Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form. Data were collected on 86 items, including patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes. The results of the 2023 survey were compared with those of previous surveys. Results: Data from 12,751 cases were collected from 66 institutions. The mean patient age was 64.6 years, and the proportion of patients aged ≥71 years increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 31.7% in 2023. The proportion of upper-third tumors slightly decreased to 16.8% compared to 20.9% in 2019. Early gastric cancer accounted for 63.1% of cases in 2023.Regarding operative procedures, a totally laparoscopic approach was most frequently applied (63.2%) in 2023, while robotic gastrectomy steadily increased to 9.5% from 2.1% in 2014.The most common anastomotic method was the Billroth II procedure (48.8%) after distal gastrectomy and double-tract reconstruction (51.9%) after proximal gastrectomy in 2023.However, the proportion of esophago-gastrostomy with anti-reflux procedures increased to 30.9%. The rates of post-operative mortality and overall complications were 1.0% and 15.3%, respectively. Conclusions The results of the 2023 nationwide survey demonstrate the current status of gastric cancer treatment in Korea. This information will provide a basis for future gastric cancer research.

Major depressive disorder(MDD)is a prevalent con-dition associated with substantial impairment and low remission rates.Traditional antidepressants demonstrate delayed effects,low cure rate,and inadequate therapeutic effectiveness for man-aging treatment-resistant depression(TRD).Several studies have shown that ketamine,a non-selective N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor(NMDAR)antagonist,can produce rapid and sustained antidepressant effects.Ketamine has demonstrated efficacy for reducing suicidality in TRD patients.However,the pharmaco-logical mechanism for ketamine's antidepressant effects remains incompletely understood.Previous research suggests that the an-tidepressant effects of ketamine may involve the monoaminergic,glutamatergic and dopaminergic systems.This paper provides an overview of the pharmacological mechanism for ketamine's anti-depressant effects and discuss the potential directions for future research.

Glutamate,norepinephrine,and their receptors com-prise the glutamatergic and norepinephrine systems,which mu-tually affect each other and play essential roles in mediating vari-ous neuropsychiatric diseases.This paper reviews the functions of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor(NMDA-R)and α2-adrenergic receptor(α2-AR)and their functional crosstalk at the molecular level in brain in common neuropsychiatric diseases,which would benefit our understanding of neuropathophysiology of psychiatric diseases,drug development and optimization of clinical neuro-psychopharmacology.

Relevant literature on TCM diagnostic and treatment equipment from January 1994 to May 2023 was collected with three Chinese databases,namely,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,Wanfang and Wipu.CiteSpace software was used for the analyses of the trend of annual publication volume,co-occurrence of publication institutions,co-occurrence of keywords,cluster and burst and the generation of corresponding knowledge graphs.It's pointed out TCM diagnostic and treatment equipment had problems in low publication volume and collaboration between research institutions,hotspots of Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment,diagnosis and treatment equipment,diagnosis device,Chinese medicine diagnosis,diagnosis and treatment technology and traditional Chinese medicine,and research frontiers of artificial intelligence,medical alliance,curriculum design and innovation and entrepreneurship.References were provided for relevant research in China.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(3):76-80]

Purpose: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols advocate reduced fasting and early nutrition to improve recovery in surgical patients. However, data on ERAS implementation among Korean surgeons performing major abdominal surgeries remain sparse. Methods: A survey conducted by the External Relation Committee of the Korean Society of Surgical Metabolism and Nutrition assessed perioperative nutritional practices among 389 Korean general surgeons from February to September 2023. The survey covered preoperative fasting, carbohydrate drinks, nasogastric tube use, postoperative dietary progression, parenteral nutrition (PN), and oral supplements, yielding 551 responses stratified by specialty. Results: More than 80% of respondents practiced “midnight NPO (Nil Per Os)” fasting, often at the anesthesiology department’s request, while 70%–80% reported no use of preoperative carbohydrate drinks. Most surgeons began dietary progression with water on postoperative day one, advancing to a liquid or soft diet by day two. PN was routinely prescribed by 49% of respondents, with a common dosage of 1,000–1,500 kcal/d. Oral supplements were selectively provided, with 21% of surgeons prescribing them universally. Conclusion The results reveal significant variability in perioperative nutrition practices across Korean surgical specialties, with many adhering to traditional practices despite ERAS guidelines. These findings highlight a need for standardized guidelines in Korea to optimize perioperative nutritional support and improve patient recovery outcomes following major abdominal surgeries.