• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.826-842
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• 2024

As 5G and AI continue to develop, there has been a significant surge in the healthcare industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed immense challenges to the global health system. This study proposes an FL-supported edge computing model based on federated learning (FL) for predicting clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients during hospitalization. The model aims to address the challenges posed by the pandemic, such as the need for sophisticated predictive models, privacy concerns, and the non-IID nature of COVID-19 data. The model utilizes the FATE framework, known for its privacy-preserving technologies, to enhance predictive precision while ensuring data privacy and effectively managing data heterogeneity. The model's ability to generalize across diverse datasets and its adaptability in real-world clinical settings are highlighted by the use of SHAP values, which streamline the training process by identifying influential features, thus reducing computational overhead without compromising predictive precision. The study demonstrates that the proposed model achieves comparable precision to specific machine learning models when dataset sizes are identical and surpasses traditional models when larger training data volumes are employed. The model's performance is further improved when trained on datasets from diverse nodes, leading to superior generalization and overall performance, especially in scenarios with insufficient node features. The integration of FL with edge computing contributes significantly to the reliable prediction of COVID-19 patient outcomes with greater privacy. The research contributes to healthcare technology by providing a practical solution for early intervention and personalized treatment plans, leading to improved patient outcomes and efficient resource allocation during public health crises.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2010

Purpose: To evaluate the results and complications of antegrade intramedullary interlocking nailing in humerus shaft fractures. Materials and Methods: We evaluated the clinical outcomes, radiologic results and complications in 47 patients with humerus shaft fracture treated with antegrade intramedullary interlocking nailing, and followed up until bony union. Bony union was confirmed by serial plain radiographs and the clinical outcomes were assessed according to the ASES scoring system. Results: Bony union was confirmed in 41 (87.2%) out of a total 47 patients, and the mean union period was 14.5 weeks. Major complications were as follows: 6 non-union, 3 delayed union, 2 intraoperative posterior cortex fracture in the distal humerus and 2 permanent shoulder pain, including 1 case of adhesive capsulitis. The clinical outcomes were as follows: 29 excellent, 11 good, 4 fair and 3 poor. Satisfactory outcomes were demonstrated in 40 patients (85.1%). Conclusion: Anterograde intramedullary interlocking nailing as treatment for humerus shaft fracture showed satisfactory bony union and clinical outcomes. It is considered an efficacious treatment, especially in patients with associated injury, such as multiple fractures and segmental fracture.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2024

Purpose: Ankle fracture fixation is the gold standard of treatment but it does have its own complications. There is inadequate data regarding the comparative effectiveness of early vs. delayed fixation for open ankle fracture outcomes. This study compares the clinical and functional outcomes of open ankle fractures treated by early or delayed definitive fixation and identifies the limitations of both methods. Materials and Methods: All 73 patients enrolled in the study underwent surgical intervention within 24 hours of injury. The early fixation group (group A) consisting of 39 patients underwent definitive fixation as an index procedure, while the delayed fixation group (group B) consisted of 34 patients who underwent debridement and external fixator application as an index procedure and definitive fixation when soft tissue condition was conducive. All patients were evaluated at 2, 6, and 12 weeks postoperatively and then three monthly for a year. Results: Enneking and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society scores were markedly higher in the early fixation group at 6 months postoperatively (p-values <0.001 and 0.011, respectively). However, no discernible intergroup difference was evident at 12 months postoperatively. Between 6 and 12 months, group functional outcome scores were significantly different. At 6 months, there was a substantial difference in dorsiflexion between the two groups (p-values 0.001 and <0.001, respectively), but no difference was observed at 12 months postoperatively. At 6 and 12 months, group average plantar flexions were non-significantly different. Conclusion: Early definitive fixation of complex ankle fractures using a targeted approach produced promising results for lower grade open fractures (grades 1 and 2), and delayed definitive fixation, after initial external fixation to allow for soft tissue stabilization, produced promising results for higher grade open fractures (grades 3A and 3B). At 12-month follow-ups, clinical and functional outcomes achieved using these strategies were equivalent.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.43-49
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• 2021

Background/Aims: Colonic stenting as a bridge to elective surgery is an alternative for emergency surgery in patients with acute malignant colonic obstruction. However, since its benefits are uncertain, we aimed to establish whether it has better clinical outcomes. Methods: The patients with acute malignant left-sided colon obstruction enrolled from January 2009 to December 2018 in National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital. The patients were enrolled to undergo colonic stenting as a bridge to elective surgery or emergency surgery. The following oncological outcomes were assessed: incidence of complete remission, disease progression, local recurrence, and systemic recurrence. Results: Out of 40 patients, 33 received self-expanding metallic stent (SEMS) as a bridge-to-surgery, and 7 underwent emergency surgery. More stoma was made in case of emergency surgery with statistical significance (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in complete remission rate in curable left-sided malignant colonic obstruction between SEMS as a bridge-to-surgery and emergency surgery. Complete remission was achieved for 3 patients (42.9%) in the non-stent group and 27 patients (81.8%) in the stent group. There was no statistically significant difference in oncologic outcomes between the two groups (p = 0.069). According to multi-variate analysis, advanced TNM stage, Adjuvant chemotherapy, and SEMS bridge-to-surgery were significantly associated with disease-free survival. Disease-free survival rate differed significantly between the two groups (p = 0.024). Conclusions: SEMS as a bridge-to-surgery might be an effective strategy and reduce stoma formation in acute malignant left-sided colon obstruction.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.207-215
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• 2003

Objective: To compare the pregnancy outcomes after in vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF-ICSI) between obstrucvtive and non-obstrucvtive azoospermia. Methods: From January 1994 to December 2002, 524 patients with obstructive azoospermia (886 cycles) and 163 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (277 cycles) were included in this study. Microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) or testicular sperm extraction (TESE) in obstructive azoospermia and TESE in non-obstructive azoospermia were perfomed to retrieve sperm, which was used for ICSI and then fertilized embryos were transferred. The results of ICSI - fertlization rate (FR), clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), clinical abortion rate (CAR) and delivery rate (DR) - were statistically analysed in obstructive versus non-obstructive azoospermia. Results: There were no differences in the number of retrieved oocytes, injected oocytes for ICSI and oocyte maturation rate. FR was significantly higher in obstructive than non-obstructive azoospermia (71.7% vs. 61.1%, p<0.001). There was no difference in CPR per embryo transfer cycle. After pregnancy was established, however, CAR was significantly higher in non-obstructive than obstructive azoospermia (25.6% vs. 12.5%, p=0.004). DR per clinical pregnancy cycle was significantly higher in obstructive than non-obstructive azoospermia (78.0% vs. 64.4%, p=0.012). In the karyotype ananlysis of abortus, abnormal karyotypes were found in 75.0% (6/8) of obstructive and 55.6% (5/9) of non-obstructive azoospermia. Conclusion: Our data show significantly higher FR in obstructive than non-obstructive azoospermia. Though there was no differrence in CPR, CAR was significantly higher in non-obstructive than obstructive azoospermia. The abortion may be related to the abnormal karyotype of embryo, but further investigations are necessary to elucidate the cause of clinical abortion in azoospermia.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 2014

Purpose: Clinical decision-making carried out by nurses is a complex process that influences the quality of care provided and various patient outcomes. This study examined the relationship between critical thinking disposition and clinical decision-making abilities in home health advanced practice nurses. Method: The study had a non-experimental correlational design. Data were collected from 100 home health advanced practice nurses in 20 hospitals. Results: The mean critical thinking disposition score was $3.69{\pm}.39$ out of 5 and the mean score for clinical decision-making abilities was $3.48{\pm}.22$ out of 5. In this correlation analysis, a significant positive correlation (r=.58, p<.001) was found between critical thinking disposition and clinical decision-making abilities of home health advanced practice nurses. Conclusion: In order to improve the clinical decision-making ability of home health advanced practice nurses, we need to improve their critical thinking disposition. In order to make this change, appropriate training program are needed to increase the critical thinking disposition and clinical decision-making abilities of home health advanced practice nurses.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2533-2540
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• 2013

Background: Although screening is necessary where gastric cancer is particularly common in Asia, the performance outcomes of mass screening programs have remained unclear. This study was conducted to evaluate cost-effectiveness outcomes of the national cancer screening program (NCSP) for gastric cancer in South Korea. Materials and Methods: People aged 40 years or over during 2002-2003 (baseline) were the target population. Screening recipients and patients diagnosed with gastric cancers were identified using the NCSP and Korea Central Cancer Registry databases. Clinical outcomes were measured in terms of mortality and life-years saved (LYS) of gastric cancer patients during 7 years based on merged data from the Korean National Health Insurance Corporation and National Statistical Office. We considered direct, indirect, and productivity-loss costs associated with screening attendance. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) estimates were produced according to screening method, sex, and age group compared to non-screening. Results: The age-adjusted ICER for survival was 260,201,000-371,011,000 Korean Won (KW; 1USD=1,088 KW) for the upper-gastrointestinal (UGI) tract over non-screening. Endoscopy ICERs were lower (119,099,000-178,700,000 KW/survival) than UGI. To increase 1 life-year, additional costs of approximately 14,466,000-15,014,000 KW and 8,817,000-9,755,000 KW were required for UGI and endoscopy, respectively. Endoscopy was the most cost-effective strategy for males and females. With regard to sensitivity analyses varying based on the upper age limit, endoscopy NCSP was dominant for both males and females. For males, an upper limit of age 75 or 80 years could be considered. ICER estimates for LYS indicate that the gastric cancer screening program in Korea is cost-effective. Conclusion: Endoscopy should be recommended as a first-line method in Korea because it is beneficial among the Korean population.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.144-154
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• 2023

Objective : Stroke caused from large vessel occlusion (LVO) has emerged as the most common stroke subtype worldwide. Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator administration (IV-tPA) and additional intraarterial thrombectomy (IA-Tx) is regarded as standard treatment. In this study, the authors try to find the early recanalization rate of IV-tPA in LVO stroke patients. Methods : Total 300 patients undertook IA-Tx with confirmed anterior circulation LVO, were analyzed retrospectively. Brain computed tomography angiography (CTA) was the initial imaging study and acute stroke magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) followed after finished IV-tPA. Early recanalization rate was evaluated by acute stroke MRA within 2 hours after the IV-tPA. In 167 patients undertook IV-tPA only and 133 non-recanalized patients by IV-tPA, additional IA-Tx tried (IV-tPA + IA-Tx group). And 131 patients, non-recanalized by IV-tPA (IV-tPA group) additional IA-Tx recommend and tried according to the patient condition and compliance. Results : Early recanalization rate of LVO after IV-tPA was 12.0% (36/300). In recanalized patients, favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale, 0-2) was 69.4% (25/36) while it was 32.1% (42/131, p<0.001) in non-recanalized patients. Among 133 patients, non-recanalized after intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and undertook additional IA-Tx, the clinical outcome was better than not undertaken additional IA-Tx (favorable outcome was 42.9% vs. 32.1%, p=0.046). Analysis according to the perfusion/diffusion (P/D)-mismatching or not, in patient with IV-tPA with IA-Tx (133 patients), favorable outcome was higher in P/D-mismatching patient (52/104; 50.0%) than P/D-matching patients (5/29; 17.2%; p=0.001). Which treatment tired, P/D-mismatching was favored in clinical outcome (iv-tPA only, p=0.008 and IV-tPA with IA-Tx, p=0.001). Conclusion : The P/D-mismatching influences on the recanalization and clinical outcomes of IV-tPA and IA-Tx. The authors would like to propose that we had better prepare IA-Tx when LVO is diagnosed on initial diagnostic imaging. Furthermore, if the patient shows P/D-mismatching on MRA after IV-tPA, additional IA-Tx improves treatment results and lessen the futile recanalization.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.26.1-26.18
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• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to systematically review the pain and flare-up effects of calcium hydroxide (CH) as intracanal medication (ICM) in non-vital mature teeth. Materials and Methods: Electronic-databases searching for published and grey literature and manual searching were conducted. Only randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were included comparing CH to other ICMs in non-vital mature teeth. The risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2.0 Cochrane tool. The main outcomes were pain and flare-up. Qualitative and quantitative analysis, wherever applicable, was performed. The certainty of evidence (CoE) was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Results: Sixteen articles were included in 6 comparisons at different time points for different outcomes. CH reduced pain risk than no ICM within the 1-14-days interval (p < 0.05) and than triple-antibiotic paste within the first day (p < 0.05) and was similar to corticosteroid/antibiotics combination (p > 0.05). Chlorhexidine (CHX) or CH/CHX, however, reduced pain levels than CH alone (p < 0.05). CH showed higher flare-up risk than CHX (p < 0.05). CoE, however, ranged from very low to moderate. Conclusion: Most comparisons for different outcomes are based on very few studies, mostly low-powered, with an overall low CoE. Thus, the available evidence is considered insufficient to either support or refute CH effectiveness or to recommend one ICM over another. Therefore, further well-designed, larger RCTs are required.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.42-64
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• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the non-surgical treatment of peripheral facial paralysis sequelae such as bell's palsy and Ramsay-hunt syndrome during last 10 years. Methods : We searched articles in the RISS, MEDLINE, CAJ from January, 2008 to June, 2018. Articles on the non-surgical treatment of bell's palsy and Ramsay-hunt syndrome sequelae were included. We extracted data about treatments, characteristics of intervention, outcomes from the included studies and classified in to 4 categories such as case studies, RCTs, nRCTs, literature reviews. Results : 132 potentially relevant studies were identified, of which 60 studies met our inclusion criteria. Of 60 included studies, 30 were case reports, 22 were RCTs, 4 were nRCTs, and 4 were reviews. China (81.8%) were the most common by country, bell's palsy(81.7%) by disease, and case reports(50%) by study type were the most common. Symptoms were lagophthalmos, asymmetry, contracture, spasm, dacryorrhea, synkinesis, paresthesia, crocodile tears mostly in the order of frequency, and these symptoms occurred at least one month after the onset of symptoms. The most common method of treatment was acupuncture, which was used in 49 studies. As the evaluation variables, the effective rate was the highest in 25, House-Brakmann grading system in 17, and Sunnybrook facial grading system in 7. In 95% of the studies, after-treatment was reported to be cured, but objectivity is low. Conclusions : This study suggests that Korean medicine such as acupuncture can play a valid role in the non-surgical treatment of peripheral facial paralysis sequelae. In the future, a systematic and well-designed clinical study is needed for treatment of peripheral facial paralysis sequelae.