• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.566-577
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: The left atrial appendage (LAA) can contribute significantly to LA mechanical contraction. Nevertheless, the preventive effect of LAA occlusion during the maze procedure against cerebral infarction remains controversial. In this study, we compared the surgical, cardiac hemodynamic, and neurologic outcomes between LAA preservation and occlusion performed during the maze procedure. Methods: Between January 2015 and August 2021, 252 patients underwent the maze procedure using cryoablation at our medical center. After excluding patients according to our exclusion criteria (i.e., mechanical prosthesis implantation, preexisting LAA thrombus), LAA was preserved in 113 patients (non-occlusion group) and occluded in 75 patients (occlusion group). Outcomes were compared using propensity score matching (PSM). Results: PSM did not reveal significant intergroup differences in baseline characteristics between the non-occlusion (n=53) and occlusion (n=53) groups. During a median follow-up of 44 months, 2 patients in the non-occlusion group (3.8%) experienced ischemic strokes. There was no significant difference in the rate of freedom from stroke (p=0.19) and major adverse cardiac events (p=0.43) between the 2 groups. Through echocardiography at 1-year follow-up, a statistically significant difference in LA mechanical contraction was observed between the non-occlusion group and occlusion group (24 of 33 [72.7%] vs. 18 of 37 [48.6%], respectively; p=0.04). Conclusions: In this study, preservation of the LAA during the maze procedure resulted in better LA function than LAA occlusion, with similar rates of stroke.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.97-121
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• 2024

As data usage grows in importance, ensuring individual control over personal information becomes critical. The emergence of the 'MyData' concept addresses this, particularly in financial services. Although the institutional and technological framework for financial MyData services is in place, there's a need to establish consumer understanding and perception of its usefulness and safety for successful activation. This study focuses on investigating the impact of trust on the intention to use the new mobile banking service, financial MyData. This study has three objectives. Firstly, to analyze whether trust in financial MyData services and trust in financial MyData service providers affect the intention to use financial MyData services. Secondly, to analyze the process of forming trust in financial MyData services based on the phenomenon of transferring trust in service providers to trust in services. Thirdly, to identify the process by which trust transfer occurs between service providers and financial MyData services. Ultimately, the goal of this study is to promote the intention to use financial MyData services based on the concept of trust and to activate these services. In summary, this study emphasizes the significance of trust in financial MyData services, exploring its impact on user intention and the transfer of trust from providers to services. By promoting consumer trust, the research aims to contribute to the activation of financial MyData services.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.5
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• pp.1304-1309
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• 2021

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) is a high-grade soft tissue sarcoma that arises from mesenchymal tissue. Primary UPS of the small intestine is extremely rare, and only a few cases have been reported in the literature. Its presentation is usually nonspecific; however, it may occasionally present as intussusception with intermittent abdominal pain. It is a highly aggressive tumor with a propensity for early distant metastasis to the peritoneum, lymph nodes, other abdominal organs, lungs and brain. To our knowledge, there are no reported cases of endobronchial metastasis from small intestine UPS. We report a rare case of UPS of the small intestine with endobronchial metastasis presenting as intussusception.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.155-166
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• 2024

Purpose : This study aims to identify key factors for predicting dropout risk at the university level and to provide a foundation for policy development aimed at dropout prevention. This study explores the optimal machine learning algorithm by comparing the performance of various algorithms using data on college students' dropout risks. Methods : We collected data on factors influencing dropout risk and propensity were collected from N University. The collected data were applied to several machine learning algorithms, including random forest, decision tree, artificial neural network, logistic regression, support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) classification, and Naive Bayes. The performance of these models was compared and evaluated, with a focus on predictive validity and the identification of significant dropout factors through the information gain index of machine learning. Results : The binary logistic regression analysis showed that the year of the program, department, grades, and year of entry had a statistically significant effect on the dropout risk. The performance of each machine learning algorithm showed that random forest performed the best. The results showed that the relative importance of the predictor variables was highest for department, age, grade, and residence, in the order of whether or not they matched the school location. Conclusion : Machine learning-based prediction of dropout risk focuses on the early identification of students at risk. The types and causes of dropout crises vary significantly among students. It is important to identify the types and causes of dropout crises so that appropriate actions and support can be taken to remove risk factors and increase protective factors. The relative importance of the factors affecting dropout risk found in this study will help guide educational prescriptions for preventing college student dropout.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.35.1-35.16
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• 2021

Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses (GWI) encompasses a broad range of unexplained symptomology specific to Veterans of the Persian Gulf War. Gastrointestinal (GI) distress is prominent in veterans with GWI and often presents as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Neurotoxins, including organophosphorus pesticides and sarin gas, are believed to have contributed to the development of GWI, at least in a subset of Veterans. However, the effects of such agents have not been extensively studied for their potential impact to GI disorders and immunological stability. Here we utilized an established murine model of GWI to investigate deleterious effects of diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) exposure on the mucosal epithelium in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, acute DFP exposure negatively impacts the mucosal epithelium by reducing tight junction proteins and antimicrobial peptides as well as altering intestinal microbiome composition. Furthermore, DFP treatment reduced the expression of IL-17 in the colonic epithelium. Conversely, both IL-17 and IL-17C treatment could combat the negative effects of DFP and other cholinesterase inhibitors in murine intestinal organoid cells. Our findings demonstrate that acute exposure to DFP can result in rapid deterioration of mechanisms protecting the GI tract from disease. These results are relevant to suspected GWI exposures and could help explain the propensity for GI disorders in GWI Veterans.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.59-65
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• 2024

This study sought to determine the influence of perceived benefits of subscription services on attitudes toward subscription services and continued use intention of them. For this purpose, the perceived benefits of the subscription service were composed of perceived enjoyment and perceived usefulness, and the personal variable, innovativeness, was set as a control variable to examine its influence. As a result of the study, perceived benefits, such as perceived enjoyment and perceived usefulness, both showed a positive influence on attitude toward subscription services and continued use intention of them. The moderating effect of innovativeness on perceived usefulness was also confirmed. The influence of perceived usefulness on attitudes toward subscription services was found to be greater in groups with low innovation propensity than in groups with high innovativeness. These results provide implications about the value of personal characteristics for the continued use of subscription services.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.210-219
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• 2024

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate real-world surgical outcomes of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for advanced gastric cancer using Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA)-led nationwide data. Materials and Methods: A nationwide survey of patients who underwent surgical treatment for gastric cancer in 2019 was conducted by the KGCA. A total of 14,076 patients from 68 institutions underwent surgery, and 4,953 patients diagnosed with pathological stages IB-III gastric cancer were included. Among them, 1,689 patients who underwent MIS (MIS group) and 1,689 who underwent the open approach (open group) were matched using propensity score in a 1:1 ratio. Surgical outcomes were compared, and multivariate analysis was performed to identify the independent factors for overall morbidity. Results: The MIS group had a lower proportion of D2 lymphadenectomy, total omentectomy, and combined resection. However, the number of harvested lymph nodes was higher in the MIS group. Better surgical outcomes, including less blood loss and shorter hospital stay, were observed in the MIS group, and the overall morbidity rate was significantly lower in the MIS group (17.5% vs. 21.9%, P=0.001). The mortality rates did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. In the multivariate analysis, the minimally invasive approach was a significant protective factor against overall morbidity (odds ratio, 0.799; P=0.006). Conclusions: Based on the Korean nationwide data, MIS for stage IB-III gastric cancer had better short-term outcomes than the open approach, including lower rates of wound complications, intra-abdominal abscesses, and cardiac problems.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.199-209
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• 2024

Purpose: Long-term outcomes of patients with positive lateral margins (pLMs) after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC). This study aimed to evaluate the remnant cancer and survival rates of patients with pLMs compared with those who underwent curative resection. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on consecutive patients with pLMs as the only non-curative factor of expanded indication who underwent ESD for EGC with a follow-up duration of 5 years or more. The rates of remnant cancer, recurrence, and survival were analyzed and compared to those of control patients who underwent curative resection by propensity score matching. Results: Among 3,515 patients treated with ESD between 2005 and 2018, 123 non-curative EGCs were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 108 patients were followed up without endoscopic or surgical resection for 8.2 years. The control group was matched in a 1:1 ratio with patients with EGC who underwent curative resection after ESD. The observation group with pLMs had a higher incidence of remnant cancer (25.9%; 28/108) compared to that in the curative resection group (0/108; P=0.000). The remaining tumors were treated with surgical or endoscopic resection, and no additional recurrences were observed. The overall survival analysis demonstrated no significant difference between the observation and curative resection groups (P=0.577). Conclusions: No difference was observed in the overall survival rate between observation and curative resection groups. Therefore, observation may be a possible option for incomplete ESD with pLMs if continuous follow-up is performed.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.56-62
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• 2023

Backgrounds/Aims: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-guided gallbladder drainage (ERGD) is an alternative to percutaneous cholecystostomy (PTC) for hospitalized acute cholecystitis (AC) patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed propensity score matched (PSM) AC hospitalizations using the National Inpatient Sample database between 2016 and 2019 to compare the outcomes of ERGD and PTC. Results: After PSM, there were 3,360 AC hospitalizations, with 48.8% undergoing PTC and 51.2% undergoing ERGD. There was no difference in median length of stay between the PTC and ERGD cohorts (p = 0.110). There was a higher median hospitalization cost in the ERGD cohort, $62,562 (interquartile range [IQR] $40,707-97,978) compared to PTC, $40,413 (IQR $25,244-65,608; p < 0.001). The 30-day inpatient mortality was significantly lower in hospitalizations with ERGD compared to PTC (adjusted hazard ratio 0.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.1-0.41; p < 0.001). There was no difference in association with blood transfusions, acute renal failure, ileus, small bowel obstruction, and open cholecystectomy conversion (p > 0.05) between hospitalizations with ERGD and PTC. There was lower association of acute hypoxic respiratory failure (adjusted ratio [AOR] 0.46, 95% CI: 0.29-0.72; p = 0.001), hypovolemia (AOR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.49-0.82; p = 0.009) and higher association of lower gastrointestinal bleed (AOR 1.94, 95% CI: 1.48-2.54; p < 0.001) with ERGD compared to PTC. Conclusions: ERGD is a safer alternative to PTC in patients with AC. The risk complications are lower in ERGD compared to PTC but no difference exists based on mortality or conversion to open cholecystectomy.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.267-280
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• 2024

Apoptosis, programmed cell death pathway, is a vital physiological mechanism that ensures cellular homeostasis and overall cellular well-being. In the context of cancer, where evasion of apoptosis is a hallmark, the overexpression of anti-apoptotic proteins like Bcl2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 has been documented. Consequently, these proteins have emerged as promising targets for therapeutic interventions. The BCL-2 protein family is central to apoptosis and plays a significant importance in determining cellular fate serving as a critical determinant in this biological process. This review offers a comprehensive exploration of the BCL-2 protein family, emphasizing its dual nature. Specifically, certain members of this family promote cell survival (known as anti-apoptotic proteins), while others are involved in facilitating cell death (referred to as pro-apoptotic and BH3-only proteins). The potential of directly targeting these proteins is examined, particularly due to their involvement in conferring resistance to traditional cancer therapies. The effectiveness of such targeting strategies is also discussed, considering the tumor's propensity for anti-apoptotic pathways. Furthermore, the review highlights emerging research on combination therapies, where BCL-2 inhibitors are used synergistically with other treatments to enhance therapeutic outcomes. By understanding and manipulating the BCL-2 family and its associated pathways, we open doors to innovative and more effective cancer treatments, offering hope for resistant and aggressive cases.