• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.260-275
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• 2022

Sterile alpha motif (SAM) domains bind to various proteins, lipids, and RNAs. However, these domains have not yet been analyzed as prognostic biomarkers. In this study, SAM domain containing 13 (SAMD13), a member of the SAM domain, was evaluated to identify a novel prognostic biomarker in various human cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Moreover, we identified a correlation between SAMD13 expression and immune cell infiltration in HCC. We performed bioinformatics analysis using online databases, such as Tumor Immune Estimation Resource, UALCAN, Kaplan-Meier plotter, LinkedOmics, and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis2. SAMD13 expression in HCC samples was significantly higher than that in normal liver tissue; additionally, SAMD13 was higher in primary tumors, various stages of cancer and grades of tumor, and status of nodal metastasis. Higher SAMD13 expression was also associated with poorer prognosis. SAMD13 expression positively correlated with CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, B cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells. In the analysis of SAMD13 co-expression networks, positively related genes of SAMD13 were associated with a high hazard ratio in different types of cancer, including HCC. In biological function of SAMD13, SAMD13 mainly include spliceosome, ribosome biogenesis in eukaryote, ribosome, etc. These results suggest that SAMD13 may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker for HCC diagnosis and provide novel insights into tumor immunology in HCC.

• Asian Spine Journal
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.981-986
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• 2018

Study Design: Retrospective case series. Purpose: Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is associated with etiologies such as lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and lumbar canal stenosis (LCS). CES has a prevalence of 2% among patients with LDH and exhibits variable outcomes, even with early surgery. Few studies have explored the factors influencing the prognosis in terms of bladder function. Therefore, we aimed to assess the factors contributing to bladder recovery and propose a simplified bladder recovery classification. Overview of Literature: Few reports have described the prognostic clinical factors for bladder recovery following CES. Moreover, limited data are available regarding a meaningful bladder recovery status classification useful in clinical settings. Methods: A single-center retrospective study was conducted (April 2012 to April 2015). Patients with CES secondary to LDH or LCS were included. The retrieved data were evaluated for variables such as demographics, symptom duration, neurological symptoms, bladder symptoms, and surgery duration. The variable bladder function outcome during discharge and at follow-up was recorded. All subjects were followed up for at least 2 years. A simplified bladder recovery classification was proposed. Statistical analyses were performed to study the correlation between patient variables and bladder function outcome. Results: Overall, 39 patients were included in the study. Majority of the subjects were males (79.8%) with an average age of 44.4 years. CES secondary to LDH was most commonly seen (89.7%). Perianal sensation (PAS) showed a significant correlation with neurological recovery. In the absence of PAS, bladder function did not recover. Voluntary anal contraction (VAC) was affected in all study subjects. Conclusions: Intactness of PAS was the only significant prognostic variable. Decreased or absent VAC was the most sensitive diagnostic marker of CES. We also proposed a simplified bladder recovery classification for recovery prognosis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.78-85
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• 2013

Since the basic built-in-test, prognostic health management (PHM) has evolved into more sophisticated and complex systems with advanced warning and failure detection devices. Aerospace and military systems, manufacturing equipment, structural monitoring, automotive electronic systems and telecommunication systems are examples of fields in which PHM has been fully utilized. Nowadays, the automotive electronic system has become more sophisticated and increasingly dependent on accurate sensors and reliable microprocessors to perform vehicle control functions which help to detect faults and to predict the remaining useful life of automotive parts. As the complication of automotive system increases, the need for intelligent PHM becomes more significant. Given enormous potential to be developed lays ahead, this paper presents findings and discussions on the trends of automotive PHM research with the expectation to offer opportunity for further improving the current technologies and methods to be applied into more advanced applications.

• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.285-296
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• 2014

The quantile residual life function has been effectively used to interpret results from the analysis of the proportional hazards model for censored survival data; however, the quantile residual life function is not always estimable with currently available semi-parametric regression methods in the presence of heavy censoring. A parametric regression approach may circumvent the difficulty of heavy censoring, but parametric assumptions on a baseline hazard function can cause a potential bias. This article proposes a Bayesian semi-parametric regression approach for inference on an unknown baseline hazard function while adjusting for available covariates. We consider a model-based approach but the proposed method does not suffer from strong parametric assumptions, enjoying a closed-form specification of the parametric regression approach without sacrificing the flexibility of the semi-parametric regression approach. The proposed method is applied to simulated data and heavily censored survival data to estimate various quantile residual lifetimes and adjust for important prognostic factors.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 1998

Purpose : Radiotherapy has been the mainstay of the treatment of brain metastases. We evaluated the response rate, survival and prognostic factors of patients with brain metastases treated with radiotherapy for palliative purpose. Materials and Methods : From January 1994 through April 1997, in all 42 patients, a retrospective analysis was undertaken. Of these, 33 patients received whole brain irradiation with 30Gy in 10 daily fractions with or without a boost of 10Gy in 5 daily fractions to the site of solitary lesion. Nine patients failed to complete the planned treatment Results : Of 33 patients who finished radiotherapy, complete and partial response were observed in $4(12\%)$ patients and $22(67\%)$ ones, respectively. Overall response rate was $79\%$ and median survival was 4 months. In univariate analysis, prognostic factors affecting survival were initial neurologic function class(p=0.0136), extracranial tumor activity(p=0.042), and response after radiotherapy(p=0.001). Conclusion : We confirmed that whole brain irradiation is the effective means for treating the patient with brain metastases. initial neurologic function class, extracranial tumor activity, and response alter radiotherapy were identified as prognostic factors affecting survival.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.200-207
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• 2022

Background: The oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) is the most important index for accurately measuring cardiopulmonary function in patients with acute ischemic heart disease. However, the relationship between the OUES variables and important cardiopulmonary function parameters remain unelucidated for patients with acute ischemic heart disease, which accounts for the largest proportion of heart disease. Objects: The present cross sectional clinical study aimed to determine the multiple relationships among the cardiopulmonary function variables mentioned above in adults with acute ischemic heart disease. Methods: A convenience sample of 110 adult inpatients with ischemic heart disease (age: 57.4 ± 11.3 y; 95 males, 15 females) was enrolled at the hospital cardiac rehabilitation center. The correlation between the important cardiopulmonary function indicators including peak oxygen uptake (VO₂ peak), minute ventilation (VE)/carbon dioxide production (VCO₂) slope, heart rate recovery (HRR), and ejection fraction (EF) and OUES was confirmed. Results: This study showed that OUES was highly correlated with VO₂ peak, VE/VCO₂ slope, and HRR parameters. Conclusion: The OUES can be used as an accurate indicator for cardiopulmonary function. There are other factors that influence aerobic capacity besides EF, so there is no correlation with EF. Effective cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programs can be designed based on OUES during submaximal exercise in patients with acute ischemic heart disease.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.125-135
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• 2001

Purpose : Efforts to predict long-term outcome of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis(FSCS) have been made but have yielded conflicting results. Reports are rare especially in Pediatric patients. In this study, we reviewed the predictable prognostic factors in patients of FSGS Method : Fifty children who diagnosed as biopsy-proven FSGS at department of pediatrics at Yonsei university were studied retrospectively. Based on medical records, response to treatment and pathologic slides, we compared normal renal function group and decreased renal function group, assessed the factors affecting renal survival and progression to renal failure. Results : The mean age at onset was 8 1/12 years, sex ratio was 2.3 : 1, and the mean duration of follow-up was 7 1/12 years. The overall renal survival rate was $34\%$ at 5 years, $8\%$ at 10 years Five-year survival rate was $74\%$ in normal renal function group and $27\%$ in decreased renal function group. Between the two groups, there were no significant differences in age at onset, sex ratio, amount of proteinuria, incidence of hematuria and hypertension, mesangial hypercellularity. Decreased renal function group showed higher serum creatinine level, poor response to treatment, higher percent of glomeruli with sclerosis, moderate to severe tubulointerstitial change and vascular change(P<0.05). The prognostic factors of renal survival rate were same as above and incidence of hypertension also affected renal survival( P<0.05). The progression rate to renal failure did not show statistically significant factor. Conclusion : We reviewed the factors affecting long-term outcome of FSGS. Serum creatinine level, steroid responsiveness, and the degree of glomerulosclerosis were significant prognostic factors. (J Korean Soc Pediatr Nephrol 2001 ;5 : 125-35)

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.127-134
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• 2012

Objective: To analyze the prognostic factors thought to be related with survival time after a spinal metastasis operation. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 217 patients who underwent spinal metastasis operations in our hospital from 2001 to 2009. Hematological malignancies, such as multiple myeloma and lymphoma, were excluded. The factors thought to be related with postoperative survival time were gender, age (below 55, above 56), primary tumor growth rate (slow, moderate, rapid group), spinal location (cervical, thoracic, and lumbo-sacral spine), the timing of radiation therapy (preoperative, postoperative, no radiation), operation type (decompressive laminectomy with or without posterior fixation, corpectomy with anterior fusion, corpectomy with posterior fixation), preoperative systemic condition (below 5 points, above 6 points classified by Tomita scoring), pre- and postoperative ambulatory function (ambulatory, non-ambulatory), number of spinal metastases (single, multiple), time to spinal metastasis from the primary cancer diagnosis (below 21 months, above 22 months), and postoperative complication. Results: The study cohort mean age at the time of surgery was 55.5 years. The median survival time after spinal operation and spinal metastasis diagnosis were 6.0 and 9.0 months. In univariate analysis, factors such as gender, primary tumor growth rate, preoperative systemic condition, and preoperative and postoperative ambulatory status were shown to be related to postoperative survival. In multivariate analysis, statistically significant factors were preoperative systemic condition (p=0.048) and postoperative ambulatory status (p<0.001). The other factors had no statistical significance. Conclusion: The factors predictive for postoperative survival time should be considered in the surgery of spinal metastasis patients.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.22.1-22.15
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• 2023

Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is one of the most aggressive cancer type of the urinary system. Metastatic KIRC patients have poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Ankyrin 3 (ANK3) is a scaffold protein that plays important roles in maintaining physiological function of the kidney and its alteration is implicated in many cancers. In this study, we investigated differential expression of ANK3 in KIRC using GEPIA2, UALCAN, and HPA databases. Survival analysis was performed by GEPIA2, Kaplan-Meier plotter, and OS-kirc databases. Genetic alterations of ANK3 in KIRC were assessed using cBioPortal database. Interaction network and functional enrichment analyses of ANK3-correlated genes in KIRC were performed using GeneMANIA and Shiny GO, respectively. Finally, the TIMER2.0 database was used to assess correlation between ANK3 expression and immune infiltration in KIRC. We found that ANK3 expression was significantly decreased in KIRC compared to normal tissues. The KIRC patients with low ANK3 expression had poorer survival outcomes than those with high ANK3 expression. ANK3 mutations were found in 2.4% of KIRC patients and were frequently co-mutated with several genes with a prognostic significance. ANK3-correlated genes were significantly enriched in various biological processes, mainly involved in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway, in which positive correlations of ANK3 with PPARA and PPARG expressions were confirmed. Expression of ANK3 in KIRC was significantly correlated with infiltration level of B cell, CD8+ T cell, macrophage, and neutrophil. These findings suggested that ANK3 could serve as a prognostic biomarker and promising therapeutic target for KIRC.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.228-234
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• 2013

Objective : We have limited understanding on the presentation and survival of primary spinal sarcomas. The survival, recurrence rate, and related prognostic factors were investigated after treatment for primary sarcomas of the spine. Methods : Retrospective analysis of medical records and radiological data was done for 29 patients in whom treatment was performed due to primary sarcoma of the spine from 2000 to 2010. As for treatment method, non-radical operation, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy were simultaneously or sequentially combined. Overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), ambulatory function, and pain status were analyzed. In addition, factors affecting survival and recurrence were analyzed : age (${\leq}42$ or ${\geq}43$), gender, tumor histologic type, lesion location (mobile spine or rigid spine), weakness at diagnosis, pain at diagnosis, ambulation at diagnosis, initial treatment, radiation therapy, kind of irradiation, surgery, chemotherapy and distant metastasis. Results : Median OS was 60 months, the recurrence rate was 79.3% and median PFS was 26 months. Patients with distant metastasis showed significantly shorter survival than those without metastasis. No factors were found to be significant relating to recurrence. Prognostic factor associated with walking ability was the presence of weakness at diagnosis. Conclusion : Primary spinal sarcomas are difficult to cure and show high recurrence rate. However, the development of new treatment methods is improving survival.