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Abstract The impact of resolving western boundary currents and mesoscale eddies on a carbon circulation simulation for the North Pacific Ocean is investigated to evaluate the merits of using high‐resolution ocean biogeochemical models for climate projections. Simulations by a 100‐km resolution global ocean biogeochemical model with and without embedding a 10‐km resolution model in the North Pacific Ocean are compared. The major improvement in the high‐resolution simulation is the representation of the Kuroshio, its extension current, and the recirculation gyres formed to its south and north, resulting in a proper representation of the North Pacific subtropical mode water (STMW) and an increase in storage of the anthropogenic CO2 (Canth) in STMW by about two‐thirds. The larger storage rate in STMW is caused by supply of a larger amount of warm surface water containing rich Canth to the formation region by the intensified Kuroshio. A huge buoyancy loss from this warm water results in the increased formation of STMW that occupies a vast area in the western subtropical gyre. The surface uptake of Canth in the formation region of STMW is slightly increased but is largely comparable to that of the low‐resolution model. Moreover, there is no structural difference in Canth uptake in other parts of the subtropical region. Thus, the improvement of Canth distribution can be understood as a redistribution of water mass in the subtropical gyre by the improved circulation. The present assessment motivates the use of a high horizontal resolution ocean model in next‐generation projection experiments with carbon cycles.

Most current databases for bodily emotion expression are created in Western countries, resulting in culturally skewed representations. To address the obvious risk this bias poses to academic comprehension, we attempted to expand the current repertoire of human bodily emotions by recruiting Asian professional performers to wear whole-body suits with 57 retroreflective markers attached to major joints and body segments, and express seven basic emotions with whole-body movements in a motion-capture lab. For each emotion, actors performed three self-created scenarios that covered a broad range of real-life events to elicit the target emotion within 2-5 seconds. Subsequently, a separate group of participants was invited to judge the perceived emotional category from the extracted biological motions (point-light displays with 18 or 57 markers). The results demonstrated that the emotion discrimination accuracy was comparable to Western databases containing standardized performance scenarios. The results provide a significant step toward establishing a database using a novel emotional induction approach based on personalized scenarios. This database will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of emotional expression across diverse contexts., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflicts of interest: The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose Competing interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article. Ethics approval: The University Human Research Ethics Committee of Tohoku University approved all the experimental procedures. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration. Consent to participate: All participants received instructions on the data collection and signed the informed consent form. Consent to publication: The authors affirm that human research participants provided informed consent for publication of all the data included in this research report., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: In the first-line treatment of elderly patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression (tumor proportion score ≥ 50%), this study aimed to determine whether pembrolizumab monotherapy (MONO) or pembrolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy (COMB) should be selected., Methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter study (sub-analysis of the HOT/NJLCG2001 trial) of 299 patients with NSCLC with high PD-L1 expression who received MONO or COMB as the first-line treatment between December 2018 and January 2020. We selected patients aged 75 years and older and assessed the clinical efficacy and toxicity., Results: In total, 81 (median age: 79 years) and 19 (median age: 76 years) patients received MONO and COMB, respectively. Twenty patients with a performance status (PS) score of 2-3 were enrolled in the MONO group. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.8 and 8.9 months in the MONO and COMB groups, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) was 14.6 and 20.3 months, and the 2-year survival rates were 38.8 and 49.9%, respectively. Furthermore, 29.6% and 26.3% of patients discontinued treatment due to adverse events, respectively. In MONO, patients with PS 0-1 had a longer PFS (10.5 months) and OS (21.7 months) than those with PS 2-3 (0.7 and 1.6 months, respectively)., Conclusion: Some elderly patients with NSCLC and high PD-L1 expression might benefit from COMB; however, MONO is considered the preferred treatment. MONO may not be an effective or feasible treatment for patients with PS 2-3, even with high PD-L1 expression., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Background: Yeast and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play an important part in the post-harvest fermentation of coffee. This study applied lab-scale fermentation to commercial green coffee beans using dry coffee pulp as the substrate, with the aim of modifying coffee-bean flavor. In addition to spontaneous fermentation, yeast and LAB isolated from coffee beans and dried coffee pulp were added during fermentation., Results: Co-inoculation of yeast and LAB showed a significant effect on the chlorogenic acid content after between 24 and 72 h of fermentation. Acetic, citric, malic, lactic, and quinic acids were shown to be affected significantly (P < 0.05) by fermentation and inoculation. Gas chromatography detected that esters, alcohols, aldehydes, furans, and pyrazines were the primary compounds in the coffee beans. Certain volatile groups were present in greater concentrations and broader varieties within the inoculated beans. The highest cupping scores were given to beans that had been co-inoculated with yeast and LAB., Conclusion: Overall, the use of yeasts and LAB starters showed potential to create coffee beverages with desirable characteristics by standardized fermentation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Nondestructive spectroscopic analysis is widely used to evaluate food composition. However, distinguishing analytes of interest from other compounds remains challenging. Since most foods are heterogeneous when viewed under a microscope, we hypothesized that spectra measured at microscopic points would be "purer" than spectra acquired from a larger area. By coupling this data with nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF), the analytes of interest can be separated. This preliminary study discusses the quantification of glucose in mixtures of different sugars. Samples were made by mixing glucose with other powders in different ratios and Raman spectra were measured at 200 micro-points for each sample. NMF was applied to factorize the mixed spectra into spectra of pure compounds and their concentrations, leading to the accurate quantification of glucose, while eliminating the effects of other compounds. While this study targets simple powders, separation of analytes using microscale heterogeneity is applicable for measuring more complex foods., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The EF-14 clinical trial demonstrated the safety and efficacy of tumor-treating fields (TTFields) for newly diagnosed glioblastoma. This study aimed to clarify the current status, safety, and efficacy of TTFields in Japanese patients who meet the EF-14 inclusion criteria., Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study. Background, treatment, and outcome data of patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria of the EF-14 trial were collected from 45 institutions across Japan. The rate, determinants, and current status of TTField use, including its safety and efficacy in terms of progression and survival, were retrospectively investigated. This study was conducted in accordance with the STROBE checklist., Results: Among the 607 patients enrolled, 70 were excluded due to progressive disease during radiation and temozolomide therapy, age > 80 years old, and Karnofsky Performance Status score of <70. Among the remaining 537 patients, 210 (39%) underwent TTField treatment. Multivariate analysis revealed younger age and spouse as a caregiver as significant factors for TTField use. The compliance rate of TTField use exceeded 75% in 60% of patients, with a median TTField usage duration of 11 months. Skin disorders requiring medical treatment occurred in 56% of patients. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis in the whole series and propensity score-matched analysis revealed that TTField use was not a prognostic factor for progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS)., Conclusions: TTField use did not have a substantial effect on either PFS or OS in Japanese patients with glioblastoma, despite compliance rates comparable to those observed in the EF-14., Competing Interests: M.Ka. received honoraria from Novocure and Eisai and research funding from Eisai. K.S. received honoraria from Novocure and Eisai and research funding from Eisai and Nippon Kayaku. S.Y. received honoraria from Novocure. M.N. received honoraria from Novocure and Eisai. T.M. received honoraria from Novocure and Eisai. M.N. received honoraria from Novocure, Eisai, and Nippon Kayaku and research funding from Eisai and MSD. K.Y. received honoraria from Novocure. H.Y. received honoraria from Novocure and Eisai. Y.Nakahara received honoraria from Novocure and Eisai. Y.H. received honoraria from Novocure and Eisai and research funding from Eisai. M.Ki. received honoraria from Novocure and Eisai. A.Y. received research funding from Eisai. Y.K. received honoraria from Novocure and Eisai. M.T. received research funding for clinical trial from Eisai. Y.A. received honoraria from Novocure, Eisai, and Nippon Kayaku. Y.Narita received honoraria from Novocure and Eisai and research funding from Eisai. All remaining authors have declared no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press, the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology.)

Background: Osteoarthritis of the thumb carpometacarpal joint often presents pain and affects activity of daily life. There is no consensus regarding prevalence of primary radiographic osteoarthritis and symptomatic osteoarthritis of the thumb carpometacarpal joint, and their associated factors are not well investigated. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and associated factors of primary radiographic and symptomatic osteoarthritis of the thumb carpometacarpal joint in a resident cohort., Methods: A total of 1297 residents aged 50 to 89 were randomly sampled from a small rural town in Japan, and their demographic data and questionnaire regarding lifestyle and job were obtained. All participants underwent posteroanterior radiographs of the bilateral hands. Participants with thumb carpometacarpal joint radiographic osteoarthritis were diagnosed if one of their thumb carpometacarpal joints was Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2, 3, or 4. Symptomatic osteoarthritis was diagnosed by tenderness or positive motion pain at the thumb base. Associated factors for the thumb carpometacarpal joint radiographic osteoarthritis were statistically analyzed., Results: A total of 646 thumbs with 323 participants (153 male and 170 female) were investigated. The mean age was 69.1 (range 50-89) years, The prevalence of thumb carpometacarpal joint radiographic osteoarthritis was 17.3 % (13.7 % males and 20.6 % females) and that of thumb carpometacarpal joint symptomatic osteoarthritis was 3.1 %. Associated factors for thumb carpometacarpal joint radiographic osteoarthritis were presence of finger joint radiographic osteoarthritis in the ipsilateral hand, increasing age, and female in order of degree of relevance. Dominant hand, body mass index, smoking history, heavy manual or agriculture work, use of vibrating tools, racket or bat sports, or scaphotapeziotrapezoidal joint radiographic osteoarthritis were not associated factors for thumb carpometacarpal joint radiographic osteoarthritis., Conclusions: The prevalence of thumb carpometacarpal joint primary radiographic osteoarthritis in general Japanese elderly aged 50-89 years was 17.3 %, most of carpometacarpal joint radiographic osteoarthritis was asymptomatic., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Spontaneous anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) palsy is characterized by the sudden onset of upper limb pain followed by weakness of muscles mainly innervated by the AIN. Although this palsy is conventionally treated conservatively, interfascicular neurolysis to release hourglass-like fascicular constrictions has been recommended. The present study aimed to establish the clinical characteristics and treatment strategy for this condition., Methods: One hundred limbs with spontaneous AIN palsy from 24 Japanese institutions were treated either conservatively or with interfascicular neurolysis according to the patient's intention. Patients were followed periodically from 3 months to either recovery or ≥36 months after onset. Limbs recovering to manual muscle testing grade 4 or better in both the flexor pollicis longus and flexor digitorum profundus of the index finger were rated as Good recovery, with all other results classified as Poor recovery. We performed logistic regression analysis to determine the independent factors associated with Good recovery., Results: Good recovery was achieved in 39 of 49 limbs treated conservatively and 44 of 51 limbs by interfascicular neurolysis. All 26 limbs with conservative treatment displaying ≥1 grade of manual muscle testing improvement within 6 months after onset achieved Good recovery. All 23 limbs with Group I palsy, in which weakness was recognized only in muscles innervated by the AIN, obtained Good recovery with interfascicular neurolysis regardless of when it was performed. In the 59 limbs with no recovery at 6 months by conservative treatment, Good recovery was achieved in 30 of 36 limbs by subsequent interfascicular neurolysis and 13 of 23 limbs continuing conservative treatment. In these 59 limbs, interfascicular neurolysis and Group I palsy were significantly associated with Good recovery., Conclusions: Conservative treatment is recommended within 6 months following symptom onset, after which time interfascicular neurolysis is advisable for cases of no improvement., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare that there is no conflict of interest associated with this study., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In the current model, the auto-negative feedback action of Period (Per) and Cryptochrome (Cry) on their own transcription is the hallmark mechanism driving cell-autonomous circadian rhythms. Although this model likely makes sense even if Per and Cry undertake this action in a mutually independent manner, many studies have suggested the functional significance of direct physical interaction between Per and Cry. However, even though the interaction is a biochemical process that pertains to the fundamentals of the circadian oscillator, its in vivo contribution to circadian rhythm generation remains undefined. To answer this question, we focused on zinc coordination between Per and Cry, whose contribution to circadian rhythm generation remains undefined. Specifically, we aimed to impair endogenous Per-Cry association by introducing an amino acid substitution to zinc-coordinating residues located at the Per1 and Per2 C-terminal facing Cry in mice. These mice did not show severe impairment in the Per-Cry physical interaction, but rather a shortened period and decreased robustness in circadian rhythms at the tissue-autonomous and whole-body levels. Furthermore, these mice also showed a decrease in Per half-life, suggesting that impaired fine-tuning of Per half-life caused abnormal circadian period and robustness in vivo. We also found a minor but significant impact of a reindeer-specific Per2 mutation located in the Per-Cry interface on circadian rhythms in vivo. These lines of evidence indicate that only partial impairment of the Per-Cry physical interaction produces a substantial effect on circadian period and robustness, supporting the in vivo functional significance of the interaction., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of National Academy of Sciences.)

Alanine dosemeters are widely used as solid dosemeters; however, evaluating doses in the mGy order of radiation is difficult because of their lower sensitivity for low doses. We applied the electron spin resonance dosimetry technique to investigate whether hydroxyapatite, the main component of teeth, is a suitable material for a new dosemeter to detect radiation from mGy to Gy. Commercially available synthetic hydroxyapatite possesses the essential characteristics required for a dosemeter material and has been demonstrated to accurately measure doses in the mGy to Gy range., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Introduction: The link between DNA repair gene polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility has gained significant attention. Thus, we investigated the impact of base excision repair (BER) gene polymorphisms on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) risk and pathogenesis., Methods: In total, 106 patients with AML and 191 healthy controls were included in the study, wherein polymorphisms in four BER genes (APEX1, MUTYH, OGG1, and XRCC1) were examined., Results: Notably, the APEX1-656 T>G polymorphism exhibited a significant association with AML risk in the recessive (TT vs. TG + GG) (p = 0.046) and co-dominant models (TT vs. GG) (p = 0.02). Assessing APEX1 expression levels, APEX1 expression was elevated in the bone marrow of patients with AML compared with that in controls (p = 0.02). Subsequently, we compared the percentages of CD34+ cells between the APEX1 high or low expression groups, revealing a significant difference (high vs. low = 29.9% vs. 11.5%, p = 0.01). Additionally, we observed reduced APEX1 expression in HL60 cells differentiated with all-trans retinoic acid (p < 0.001). We hypothesized that APEX1 expression could correlate with stemness and analyzed its expression in stem and differentiated cells., Conclusions: In the GSE48558 dataset, AML cells and normal CD34+ cells expressed APEX1 at higher levels than did granulocytes (p < 0.01). Functional experiments revealed that APEX1 knockdown led to a reduction in AML cell proliferation. These findings indicated that APEX1 polymorphisms were a potential risk factor for AML and highlighted the important role of APEX1 in regulating AML cell differentiation and proliferation., (© 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Laboratory Hematology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: The impact of cGAS/STING tumor expression on PD-1/L1 inhibitor efficacy and the tumor microenvironment remain to be elucidated., Methods: In a post-hoc analysis of a prospective biomarker study with 106 advanced NSCLC patients treated with PD-1/L1 inhibitors from December 2015 to September 2018, tumor tissue before treatment from 68 patients was analyzed. cGAS and STING expression were measured using immunohistochemical staining and H-scores. Additionally, 40 serum proteins were quantified before and 4-6 weeks after treatment initiation., Results: Median cGAS and STING H-scores were 220 (range, 5-300) and 190 (range, 0-300), respectively. There were no differences in cGAS or STING H-scores between the high (tumor proportion score [TPS] ≥ 50) and low (TPS < 50) PD-L1groups (p = 0.990 and 0.283, respectively). Unexpectedly, patients with high cGAS (H-score ≥ 220) demonstrated significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) of PD-1/L1 inhibitors when the PD-L1 TPS was high (median PFS: 143 days vs. not reached; p = 0.028); PFS at 18 months was 7% and 53% in the high and low cGAS groups, respectively while STING expression did not impact PFS. In serum protein analyses, high cGAS H-score was associated with significantly higher TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 before PD-1/L1 inhibition (47.5 vs. 22.3 ng/l, p = 0.023; 2118 vs. 882 pg/ml, p = 0.037); additionally, the cGAS H-score significantly correlated with TGF-β1 (r = 0.451, p = 0.009) and TGF-β2 (r = 0.375, p = 0.031) basal levels., Conclusion: cGAS expression, but not STING, predicts poor PD-1/L1 inhibitor efficacy in NSCLC with high PD-L1, potentially due to a TGF-β-mediated immunosuppressive environment (UMIN000024414)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the impact of preoperative gallbladder drainage and the specific drainage method used on surgical outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for acute cholecystitis., Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study included 221 patients who underwent early cholecystectomy between January 2016 and December 2020. Clinical data and outcomes of 140 patients who did not undergo drainage, 22 patients who underwent preoperative percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD), and 59 patients who underwent preoperative endoscopic naso-gallbladder drainage (ENGBD) were compared., Results: There was no difference in the operation time, blood loss, postoperative complications, or length of postoperative hospital stay between patients who did and did not undergo drainage. Among patients who underwent drainage, there was no difference between the ENGBD and PTGBD groups in operation time, blood loss, or postoperative complications; however, more patients in the PTGBD group underwent laparotomy and had a significantly longer postoperative hospital stay. The presence and type of drainage were not risk factors for postoperative complications., Conclusion: The presence or absence of preoperative gallbladder drainage for acute cholecystitis and the type of drainage may not significantly affect surgical outcomes., (Copyright © 2024 Asian Surgical Association and Taiwan Society of Coloproctology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: We previously investigated methods for separating mutagenic contaminants from aqueous solutions using cellulose-bearing covalently bound trisulfo-Cu-phthalocyanine (blue cotton and blue rayon). Mutagenic contaminants with three or more fused aromatic rings in their structures were adsorbed onto blue cotton and rayon. Since Cu-phthalocyanine is considered an unsuitable absorption ligand for byproducts of water chlorination, such as 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (Mutagen X or MX), we investigated the development of a new material for the elimination of MX from aqueous solvents., Results: We selected green cellulose powder bearing ferrous phthalocyanine (FePh), hereafter referred to as green cellulose or GP, as the candidate material. GP is composed of cationized cellulose (white cellulose, WP) and FePh tetracarboxylic acid. The mutagenicity of MX dissolved in buffer or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution significantly decreased after treatment with GP. The effects of GP on the elimination of MX from the solvent were very close to being expired after 70 cycles of repeated adsorption of the same GP, and the capacity of GP for MX removal was estimated to be exhausted after 120 cycles of repeated adsorption based on the extrapolation of the obtained result; thus, the interacting ligands on GP may be saturated after complete MX adsorption. The mutagenicity of MX dissolved in aqueous buffer significantly decreased after treatment at pH7.4 but not at pH 4.0. Since MX is dissociated to be the anionic form at pH 6 or higher, the negative charge of MX in the buffer at pH 7.4 may interact with the positive charge of ferrous ions in GP to create a linkage between MX and GP. After GP adsorbed MX, mutagenicity was extracted with water or acetonitrile and recovered in the eluent. Thus, the reversible interaction between MX and FePh may have caused adsorption of MX onto GP., Conclusion: GP could be used as a new eliminator and recovery agent for MX in chlorinated drinking water. Developing new materials for the removal and recovery of agents for the detection of mutagenic contaminant-related chlorination in water is beneficial for environmental health., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To enhance the pore structure of green coffee beans (GCB) and detect the sorption capacity and extraction characteristics of flavor compounds before roasting, this study employed several methods: hot air drying (HD), freeze-drying (FD), 3-levels short-time heating with puffing (SH 1 P, SH 2 P, and SH 3 P), and 3-levels microwave with puffing (MW 45 P, MW 60 P, and MW 75 P). These methods were applied to GCBs pre-soaked in water for different times. The effects of these treatments on color change, porosity, microstructure, citric acid sorption capacity, and caffeine and chlorogenic acid extraction yield were investigated. Results indicated that, except for GCBs treated with SH 1 P, SH 2 P, SH 3 P, and MW 75 P, all other modified GCBs showed minimal color change. GCBs treated with MW 60 P exhibited favorable pore structures. MW 60 P treatments significantly improved the extraction yield of caffeine and chlorogenic acid. Furthermore, the increased porosity and improved pore size distribution of GCB after MW 60 P resulted in a significant increase in the sorption of citric acid onto modified GCB. The rate of the sorption reaction followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics. In conclusion, MW 60 P are effective treatments for enhancing the microstructure of GCB, improving sorption capacity, and improving the extraction yield of flavor compounds.

Purpose: Growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) are the most common cause of acromegaly. The endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach (EEA) is commonly employed to remove them. Although morphological differences in the nasal cavity exist between acromegaly patients and those with other types of PitNET, few quantitative studies have been performed. This study aimed to evaluate the anatomical features of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses in patients with acromegaly., Methods: Preoperative computed tomography images of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses were compared between 20 patients with a GH-secreting PitNET (acromegaly group) and 22 with a non-functioning PitNET (control group). In the acromegaly group, the relationships between preoperative GH and/or insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and anatomical characteristics were assessed., Results: In the acromegaly group, the distance between the nostril and dorsum sellae was significantly longer and the distance between the parasellar internal carotid arteries was significantly shorter (p = 0.0022 and 0.0092, respectively). Pneumatization volume in the nasal cavity did not differ between the groups. Nasal mucosa and bony hypertrophy were observed in the acromegaly group. Preoperative GH level was correlated with the width of the piriform aperture (p = 0.0171)., Conclusion: The nasal and paranasal changes associated with acromegaly can make EEA challenging to perform. Widening the surgical corridor anterior to the sphenoid sinus is important in these patients., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: This randomized controlled trial compared the outcomes of recombinant human fibroblast growth factor (rhFGF)-2 plus carbonate apatite (CO 3 Ap) granules with rhFGF-2 alone in the treatment of intrabony periodontal defects., Materials and Methods: Patients with Stage III Grade B/C periodontitis who had completed initial periodontal therapy and had intrabony defects with a depth of ≥ 3 mm were included. Defects were treated solely with rhFGF-2 (control) or rhFGF-2 plus CO 3 Ap (test). Periodontal parameters and a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) were assessed at baseline, at 6, 9 and 12 months postoperatively. The primary outcome was the change in clinical attachment level (CAL) from baseline to 12 months postoperatively. Using the Friedman test with Dunn's post-test, intragroup data were compared over time, and Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess intergroup data at each time point., Results: Forty-eight sites in 38 patients were subjected to analysis. At 12 months postoperatively, CAL in both groups showed a significant improvement from baseline (p < 0.001). CAL gain was 3.4 ± 1.3 mm in the test group and 3.2 ± 1.2 mm in the control group, with no significant intergroup difference (p = 0.567). Radiographic bone fill in the test group (67.2%) was significantly greater than in the control group (32.4%) (p < 0.001). PROM scores showed no difference between groups., Conclusions: At 12 months, the outcomes including CAL gain and PROM showed no significant differences between groups, although the combination treatment enhanced radiographic bone fill., Clinical Relevance: The use of rhFGF-2 (with/without CO 3 Ap) could lead to significant improvement in clinical parameters in the treatment of intrabony periodontal defects. The benefit of adding CO 3 Ap to rhFGF-2 therapy needs further evaluation., Clinical Trial Registration Number: The University Hospital Medical Information Network-Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) : UMIN000040783., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background/aim: Many glioma patients struggle to return to work after surgery because of higher brain dysfunction. Although the right frontal lobe has historically been considered functionally silent, reports of performing awake surgery to evaluate higher brain functions in patients with tumors in this area have increased. We present two cases of patients who underwent awake surgery for malignant glioma in the right frontal lobe to preserve emotional recognition and facilitate an early return to work., Case Report: Case 1 was a 48-year-old right-handed woman employed as a nursery school teacher and case 2 was a 21-year-old right-handed man employed in sales. Both had contrast-enhancing right frontal lobe tumors exhibiting high signal intensity on fluid attenuated inversion recovery imaging and underwent awake surgery. During the operation, cortical mapping was performed using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes, calculation, and motor tasks. Resection of sites involved in motor and emotional recognition functions was avoided. In case 1, all regions of high signal intensity were completely resected; in case 2, all regions exhibiting enhancement were resected. Both patients were discharged home without neurological deficits and returned to work within 21 days after surgery., Conclusion: It may be important to focus not only on overall survival and progression-free survival in glioma patients, but also on factors associated with life satisfaction, such as time to return to work after surgery and time until work becomes difficult. Awake surgery aimed at preserving higher brain functions is useful and may also improve life satisfaction., (Copyright © 2024 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background: Repeat endoscopic submucosal dissection for metachronous recurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma close to previous endoscopic submucosal dissection scars is challenging. Therefore, this study evaluated the efficacy and safety of repeat endoscopic submucosal dissection for recurrent esophageal squamous cell carcinoma., Methods: The study included 1680 patients. After propensity score matching, esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection-related outcomes were compared between the post-endoscopic submucosal dissection scar group (n = 91) and first endoscopic submucosal dissection group (n = 910). The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests were used to compare both groups' survival and local recurrence curves., Results: After propensity score matching, the two groups showed no significant difference in en bloc resection rate (97.80% vs. 99.56%, p = 0.096), treatment time (64.75 min vs 61.33 min, p = 0.448), recurrence rate (3.30% vs. 2.20%, p = 0.458), and stricture rate (7.69% vs. 4.07%, p = 0.110). However, the perforation rate was higher in the post-endoscopic submucosal dissection scar group than in the first endoscopic submucosal dissection group (4.40% vs. 1.10%, p = 0.031). The 5-year overall survival rates in the post-endoscopic submucosal dissection scar and first endoscopic submucosal dissection groups were 88.6% and 89.0%, respectively., Conclusions: Repeated esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection for recurrent esophageal squamous cell carcinoma yielded satisfactory clinical outcomes and survival rates. Therefore, repeat endoscopic submucosal dissection may effectively treat esophageal squamous cell carcinoma recurrence close to the initial endoscopic submucosal dissection scars., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Japan Esophageal Society.)