• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.101-110
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• 2018

Purpose: Functional constipation (FC) is a common gastrointestinal (GI) problem affecting children's well-being and quality of life. Although polyethylene glycol (PEG) is recommended as the first line therapy, it is not always applicable in lower socioeconomic populations. Hence, this study aimed to compare clinical courses of FC in children treated with different medications in order to identify prognostic factors related to treatment outcomes. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients aged ${\leq}15$ years diagnosed with FC according to the Rome IV criteria from 2007 to 2015 at the GI clinic, Songklanagarind Hospital. Baseline characteristic, medical history, and treatment outcomes were collected at first and subsequent visits. Results: Exactly104 patients (median age at diagnosis, 2.8 years) were diagnosed with FC. The number of follow-up visits per patient ranged from 1 to 35. The median duration of follow-up was 18.0 months (range, 6.0-84.2 months). PEG was given to 21% of patients. During the follow up period, 76% of patients experienced first recovery with a median time to recovery of 9.8 months. There were no significant differences in time until first recovery and relapse between patients who received and those who did not receive PEG (p=0.99 and 0.06, respectively). Age >6 years, normal defecation frequency, no history of cow's milk protein allergy, and use of laxatives were associated with successful outcomes. Conclusion: Treatment outcomes between patients who had and never had PEG demonstrated no significant difference in our study. Hence, current practices in laxative prescriptive patterns may be effective.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.2101-2105
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• 2013

Background: Long-term survival is a problem with locally advanced and metastatic renal cell carcinomas. Sunitinib malate is an oral multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, but data on sunitinib use as a second line treatment in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) are limited. Prognostic and predictive value of peripheral blood markers has been shown for many cancers. Materials and Methods: Efficacy and safety profiles of sunitinib after interferon alpha (IFN-${\alpha}$) were evaluated based on retrospective data for 23 patients with mRCC. Hematological parameters (neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, mean platelet volume, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio) were recorded at the time of metastasis. It was evaluated whether hematological parameters were prognostic and predictive factors. Results: Median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 16.5 months (95%CI: 0-34.5). Median overall survival (OS) time was 25.7 months (95%CI: 10.8-40.0). Most common side effects were neutropenia (52.2%), stomatitis (26.1%) and hand-food syndrome (26.1%). PFS was found 3.13 vs 17.1 months in patients with neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio (NLR)>3 vs $NLR{\leq}3$ (p:0.012). Median OS was 6.96 vs 27.1 months in patients with NLR>3 vs $NLR{\leq}3$ (p:0.001).While 75% of patients who responded to sunitinib had $NLR{\leq}3$, in 72% of patients with no response to sunitinib NLR>3 was detected (p:0.036). The association between the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) criteria and NLR was statistically significant (p:0.022). Conclusions: Data on second line sunitinib treatment following cytokine in mRCC are limited. In our study, we observed second line sunitinib treatment following IFN-${\alpha}$ to be effective and tolerable. NLRappeared to have prognostic and predictive value.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.387-391
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• 2020

Background: Hydatidosis is a major health problem around the world, especially in the Mediterranean region. Cysts can break open or develop secondary bacterial infections, altering the clinical presentation. Methods: Patients who underwent hydatid cyst surgery at Al-Mouassat University Hospital in Damascus, Syria between January 2006 and December 2017 were evaluated. Cases involving isolated hepatic cysts were excluded. The patients were divided into those with perforated hydatid cysts (group 1) and those with intact hydatid cysts (group 2). Results: This study included 224 cases: 113 in group 1 (50.4%) and 111 in group 2 (49.6%). The median chest tube duration, hospitalization time, and postoperative complication rate were higher in group 1 than in group 2 (p=0.003, p=0.002, and p=0.006, respectively). In both groups, the most common symptom was cough (present in 178 patients in total [79.5%]), while chest pain (121 patients [54%]) and dyspnea (113 patients [50.4%]) were also common. Cough, hemoptysis, fever, and expectoration of cystic contents were significantly more frequent in group 1 than in group 2 (p<0.001). Conclusion: The early discovery and treatment of intact pulmonary hydatid cysts reduced the hospitalization time, chest tube duration, and postoperative complication rate. Relative to intact cysts, perforated cysts are more complex and are associated with more expensive and time-consuming surgical treatment.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.393-403
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• 2021

Recently, there is becoming larger interest in the public practice centers equipped with advanced manufacturing equipment of industries that is difficult to have in all vocational high schools for strengthening practical education and technical education tailored to the Fourth Industrial Revolution in vocational high schools. In this study, using spatial optimization approaches, we explored the optimal location sets of the public practice centers of vocational high schools in Seoul for an illustration. For the proposed optimial location methods, P-median Problem (PMP) and Maximal Coverage Location (MCLP) were used because, when the public practice centers located in priority of large vocational high schools based on the number of students, it showed that the result is not minimizing the travel distance and maximizing the demand of the vocational high school students. This study found that the PMP can find the optimal location sets that minimize the travel distance of whole students. In addition, all students can be captured through locating five public practice centers by MCLP. It should be noted that the optimal locations of this study are limited in Seoul. However, the frame of this methodology applied in this study can be utilized to locate the public practice centers in other regions based on the spatial decision making.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5541-5547
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• 2015

Background: The role of surgical resection for patients with single large (${\geq}5cm$) and/or multinodular (${\geq}2$) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still controversial. This systematic review was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of resection for patients with single large and/or multinodular HCC. Materials and Methods: Databases (the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane databases) were systematically searched to identify relevant studies exploring the safety and efficacy of resection for single large and/or multinodular HCC, published between January 2000 and December 2014. Perioperative morbidity and mortality, overall survival, and disease-free survival of the resection group were calculated. In addition, these outcome variables were also calculated for the control group in the included studies. Results: One randomized controlled trial and 42 nonrandomized studies involving 9,580 patients were eligible for analysis. Eight (1,594 patients) of the 43 studies also reported the outcomes of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Although 51.4% of patients featured cirrhosis, 90.7% of them demonstrated Child-Pugh A liver function in the resection group. The median rates of morbidity (24.5%) and mortality (2.5%) after resection were significantly higher than that of TACE (11.0%, P<0.001; 1.9%, P<0.001). However, patients who underwent resection had significantly higher median one-, three-, and five-year overall survival (76.1%, 51.7%, and 37.4%) than those who underwent TACE (68.3%, 31.5%, and 17.5%, all P<0.001). The median 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS rates after resection were 58.3%, 34.6%, and 24.0%, respectively. Conclusions: Although tumor recurrence after resection for patients with single large and/ or multinodular HCC continues to be a major problem, resection should be considered as a strategy to achieve long-term survival.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.148-159
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• 2021

This study focused on searching for optimal locations for general high schools by considering the minimum move distance and the maximum student capacity upon starting a common curriculum based on a high school credit system by taking Seoul as an illustration. The main results were as follows. First, the results from P-median showed that the students' average move distance was below 625m when more than 30% of general high schools offer the common curriculum courses. In addition, the results from MCLP indicated that it was possible to hold all the students. Second, although all the universities located in Seoul open the common curriculum courses, it would not be available to hold all students. On the other hand, when more than 20% of the universities open the courses, MCLP indicated that it was possible to hold the same capacity. In addition, the Office of Education should support moving to the universities offering courses for students affiliated with high schools located in the southeastern area of Seoul and in poor transportation areas. It is expected that by suggesting a problem solving framework regarding space with a spatial optimization method, the study results can be used as a basic data for selecting schools offering common curriculum courses.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2005

This paper proposes the heuristic algorithm for the generalized GT problems to consider the restrictions which are given the number of machine cell and maximum number of machines in machine cell as well as minimum number of machines in machine cell. This approach is split into two phase. In the first phase, we use the similarity coefficient which proposes and calculates the similarity values about each pair of all machines and sort these values descending order. If we have a machine pair which has the largest similarity coefficient and adheres strictly to the constraint about birds of a different feather (BODF) in a machine cell, then we assign the machine to the machine cell. In the second phase, we assign parts into machine cell with the smallest number of exceptional elements. The results give a machine-part grouping. The proposed algorithm is compared to the Modified p-median model for machine-part grouping.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.161-165
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• 2012

Background: Median sternotomy can weaken the upper abdominal wall and result in subxiphoid incisional hernia. We evaluated risk factors associated with the development of subxiphoid incisional hernias after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Materials and Methods: Of 1,656 isolated CABGs performed between January 2001 and July 2010, 1,599 patients who were completely followed up were analyzed. The mean follow-up duration was $49.5{\pm}34.3$ months. Subxiphoid incisional hernia requiring surgical repair developed in 13 patients (0.8%). The hernia was diagnosed $16.3{\pm}10.3$ months postoperatively, and hernia repair was performed $25.0{\pm}26.1$ months after the initial operation. Risk factors associated with the development of subxiphoid incisional hernia were analyzed with the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: Five-year freedom from the hernia was 99.0%. Univariate analysis revealed that female sex (p=0.019), height (p=0.019), body surface area (p=0.046), redo operation (p=0.012), off-pump CABG (p=0.049), a postoperative wound problem (p=0.041), postoperative bleeding (p=0.046), and low cardiac output syndrome (p<0.001) were risk factors for the development of the hernia. Multivariable analysis showed that female sex (p=0.01) and low cardiac output syndrome (p<0.001) were associated with subxiphoid hernia formation. Conclusion: Female sex and postoperative low cardiac output syndrome were risk factors of subxiphoid hernia. Therefore, special attention is needed for patients with high-risk factors.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.100-105
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• 2000

Eleven children with gastroesophageal reflux disease underwent fundoplication. Eight had neurological impairment, two had hiatal hernias and one had a history of esophageal repair for esophageal atresia. The most common and significant symptom was vomiting(81.8 %), followed by recurrent respiratory infections(72.7 %) and failure to thrive(72.7 %). The most common diagnostic tool was 24 hour esophageal pH study, which showed pH less than 4 for more than 10 % of the total recorded time in 6 of 9 patients. Nissen fundoplication was performed in 10 patients. Thal fundoplication was carried out in one patient with esophageal atresia. Stamm gastrostomy was added for nutritional and/or swallowing problem in all 8 patients with neurological impairment. The median follow up period was 13 months. There was one late death of unrelated cause and one recurrence. The quality of life after antireflux surgery was greatly improved. Antireflux surgery should be done if indicated, and a simultaneous gastrostomy considered in a patient with neurological impairment.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.4 s.249
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• pp.277-283
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• 2005

Arterial oxygen saturation $(SaO_2)$ instability frequently takes place after systemic-pulmonary shunt without shunt occlusion. We analyzed actual incidence and risk factors for $SaO_2$ instability after shunt operations, and possible mechanisms were speculated on. Material and Method: Ninety three patients, who underwent modified Blalock-Taussig shunt from January 1996 to December 2000, were enrolled in this study. Adequacy of shunt was verified in all patients, either by ensuing one ventricle or biventricular repair later on or by appropriate pulmonary artery growth on postoperative angiogram. Age, body weight, hemoglobin level at operation were 3 day to 36 years (median: 1.8 months), 2.5kg to 51kg (median: 4.1kg) and $10.7\~24.3$ gm/dL (median: 15.2 gm/dL) respectively. Preoperative diagnoses were functional single ventricle with pulmonary stenosis or atresia in 39, tetralogy of Fallot in 38 and pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum in 16. Pulmonary blood flow (PBF) was maintained pre-operatively by patent ductus or previous shunt in 64 and by forward flow through stenotic right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) in 29. $SaO_2$ instability was defined as $SaO_2$ less than $50\%$ for more than 1 hour with neither anatomic obstruction of shunt nor respiratory problem. Result: 10 patients $(10.7\%)$ showed $SaO_2$ instability after shunt operation. After shunt occlusion was ruled out by echocardiogram, they received measures to lower pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), which worked within a few hours in all patients. Risk factors for $SaO_2$ instability included older age at operation (p=0.039), lower preoperative $SaO_2$ (p=0.0001) and emergency operation (p=0.001). PBF through stenotic RVOT showed marginal statistical significance (p=0.065). Conclusion: $SaO_2$ instability occurs frequently after shunt operation, especially in patients with severe hypoxia pre-operatively or unstable clinical condition necessitating emergency operation. Temporary elevation of pulmonary vascular resistance is a possible mechanism in this specific clinical setting.