• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.53 no.12
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• pp.829-839
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: There is limited data on the impact of type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from January 2019 to December 2020 was queried to identify T2MI hospitalizations based on the appropriate International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision-Clinical Modification codes. Monthly trends of COVID-19 and T2MI hospitalizations were evaluated using Joinpoint regression analysis. In addition, the multivariate logistic and linear regression analysis was used to compare inhospital mortality, coronary angiography use, and resource utilization between 2019 and 2020. Results: A total of 743,535 patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of T2MI were identified in the years 2019 (n=331,180) and 2020 (n=412,355). There was an increasing trend in T2MI hospitalizations throughout the study period corresponding to the increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in 2020. The adjusted odds of in-hospital mortality associated with T2MI hospitalizations were significantly higher in 2020 compared with 2019 (11.1% vs. 8.1%: adjusted odds ratio, 1.19 [1.13-1.26]; p<0.01). In addition, T2MI hospitalizations were associated with lower odds of coronary angiography and higher total hospitalization charges, with no difference in the length of stay in 2020 compared with 2019. Conclusions: We found a significant increase in T2MI hospitalizations with higher in-hospital mortality, total hospitalization costs, and lower coronary angiography use during the early COVID-19 pandemic corresponding to the trends in the rise of COVID-19 hospitalizations. Further research into the factors associated with increased mortality can increase our preparedness for future pandemics.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.158-167
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• 2024

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of vertebral fracture (VF) in children with chronic liver disease (CLD) with and without liver transplantation (LT) and to determine the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Patients aged 3-21 years with CLD both before and after LT were enrolled in the study. Lateral thoracolumbar spine radiographs were obtained and assessed for VF using Mäkitie's method. Clinical and biochemical data were collected. Results: We enrolled 147 patients (80 females; median age 8.8 years [interquartile range 6.0-11.8]; 110 [74.8%] in the LT group and 37 [25.2%] in the non-LT group). VF was identified in 21 patients (14.3%): 17/110 (15.5%) in the LT group and 4/37 (10.8%) in the non-LT group (p=0.54). Back pain was noted in only three patients with VF. In the univariate analysis, a height z-score below -2.0 (p=0.010), pre-LT hepatopulmonary syndrome (p=0.014), elevated serum direct and total bilirubin levels (p=0.037 and p=0.049, respectively), and vitamin D deficiency at 1-year post-LT (p=0.048) were associated with VF in the LT group. In multivariate analysis, height z-score below -2.0 was the only significant associated factor (odds ratio, 5.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.49-23.76; p=0.012) for VF. All VFs in the non-LT group were reported in males. Conclusion: In children with CLD, VF is common before and after LT. Most patients with VF are asymptomatic. Screening for VF should be considered in patients with a height z-score below -2.0 after LT.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.107-113
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• 2023

Background/Aims: Immune checkpoint blockade has recently been reported to be effective in treating microsatellite instability (MSI)-high tumors. Therefore, sufficient sampling of histological specimens is necessary in cases of unresectable pancreatic cancer (UR-PC). This multicenter study investigated the efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) using a Franseen needle for MSI evaluation in patients with UR-PC. Methods: A total of 89 patients with UR-PC who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) or EUS-FNB using 22-G needles at three hospitals in Japan (2018-2021) were enrolled. Fifty-six of these patients (FNB 23 and FNA 33) were followed up or evaluated for MSI. Patient characteristics, UR-PC data, and procedural outcomes were compared between patients who underwent EUS-FNB and those who underwent EUS-FNA. Results: No significant difference in terms of sufficient tissue acquisition for histology was observed between patients who underwent EUS-FNB and those who underwent EUS-FNA. MSI evaluation was possible significantly more with tissue samples obtained using EUS-FNB than with tissue samples obtained using EUS-FNA (82.6% [19/23] vs. 45.5% [15/33], respectively; p<0.01). In the multivariate analysis, EUS-FNB was the only significant factor influencing the possibility of MSI evaluation. Conclusions: EUS-FNB using a Franseen needle is desirable for ensuring sufficient tissue acquisition for MSI evaluation.

• Hip & pelvis
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.183-192
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aims to determine which intertrochanteric (IT) hip fracture and patient characteristics predict the necessity for adjunct reduction aides prior to prep and drape aiming for a more efficient surgery. Materials and Methods: Institutional fracture registries from two academic medical centers from 2017-2022 were analyzed. Data on patient demographics, comorbidities, fracture patterns identified on radiographs including displacement of the lesser trochanter (LT), thin lateral wall (LW), reverse obliquity (RO), subtrochanteric extension (STE), and number of fracture parts were collected, and the need for additional aides following traction on fracture table were collected. Fractures were classified using the AO/OTA classification. Regression analyses identified significant risk factors for needing extra reduction aides. Results: Of the 166 patients included, the average age was 80.84±12.7 years and BMI was 24.37±5.3 kg/m². Univariate regression revealed increased irreducibility risk associated with RO (odds ratio [OR] 27.917, P≤0.001), LW (OR 24.882, P<0.001), and STE (OR 5.255, P=0.005). Multivariate analysis significantly correlated RO (OR 120.74, P<0.001) and thin LW (OR 131.14, P<0.001) with increased risk. However, STE (P=0.36) and LT displacement (P=0.77) weren't significant. Fracture types 2.2, 3.2, and 3.3 displayed elevated risk (P<0.001), while no other factors increased risk. Conclusion: Elderly patients with IT fractures with RO and/or thin LW are at higher risk of irreducibility, necessitating adjunct reduction aides. Other parameters showed no significant association, suggesting most fracture patterns can be achieved with traction manipulation alone.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.3-14
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• 2023

Recently, the effect of using social media on psychological well-being has been highlighted. However, studies exploring factors that may predict the quality of social media relationships are relatively rare. The present study investigated whether social media activity and psychological states, such as loneliness and depression, can predict the quality of social media relationships during the COVID-19 quarantine period using a machine learning technique. Ninety-five participants completed a self-report survey on loneliness, Instagram activity, quality of social media relationships, and depression at different time points (during the self-isolation and after the release of self-isolation). Similarity analyses, including multidimensional scaling (MDS), representational similarity analysis (RSA), and classification analyses, were conducted separately at each point in time. The results of MDS revealed that time spent on social media and depression were distinguished from others in the first dimension, and loneliness and passive use were distinguished from others in the second dimension. We divided the data into two groups based on the quality of social media relationships (high and low), and we conducted RSA on each group. Findings indicated an interaction between the quality of the social media relationships and the situation. Specifically, the effect of self-isolation on the high-quality social media relationship group is more pronounced than that on the low-quality group. The classification results also revealed that the predictors of social media relationships depend on whether or not they are isolated. Overall, the results of this study imply that social media relationship could be well predicted when people are not in isolated situations.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.1007-1017
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose of our study was to investigate the predictive abilities of clinical and computed tomography (CT) features for outcome prediction in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Materials and Methods: The clinical and CT data of 238 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in our two hospitals were retrospectively analyzed. One hundred sixty-six patients (103 males; age 43.8 ± 12.3 years) were allocated in the training cohort and 72 patients (38 males; age 45.1 ± 15.8 years) from another independent hospital were assigned in the validation cohort. The primary composite endpoint was admission to an intensive care unit, use of mechanical ventilation, or death. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses were performed to identify independent predictors. A nomogram was constructed based on the combination of clinical and CT features, and its prognostic performance was externally tested in the validation group. The predictive value of the combined model was compared with models built on the clinical and radiological attributes alone. Results: Overall, 35 infected patients (21.1%) in the training cohort and 10 patients (13.9%) in the validation cohort experienced adverse outcomes. Underlying comorbidity (hazard ratio [HR], 3.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.67-6.71; p < 0.001), lymphocyte count (HR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.04-0.38; p < 0.001) and crazy-paving sign (HR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.03-4.48; p = 0.042) were the independent factors. The nomogram displayed a concordance index (C-index) of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.76-0.88), and its prognostic value was confirmed in the validation cohort with a C-index of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.82-0.96). The combined model provided the best performance over the clinical or radiological model (p < 0.050). Conclusion: Underlying comorbidity, lymphocyte count and crazy-paving sign were independent predictors of adverse outcomes. The prognostic nomogram based on the combination of clinical and CT features could be a useful tool for predicting adverse outcomes of patients with COVID-19.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.670-683
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• 2020

Objective: The presence of coagulative necrosis (CN) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) indicates a poor prognosis, while the absence of CN indicates a good prognosis. The purpose of this study was to build and validate a radiomics signature based on preoperative CT imaging data to estimate CN status in ccRCC. Materials and Methods: Altogether, 105 patients with pathologically confirmed ccRCC were retrospectively enrolled in this study and then divided into training (n = 72) and validation (n = 33) sets. Thereafter, 385 radiomics features were extracted from the three-dimensional volumes of interest of each tumor, and 10 traditional features were assessed by two experienced radiologists using triple-phase CT-enhanced images. A multivariate logistic regression algorithm was used to build the radiomics score and traditional predictors in the training set, and their performance was assessed and then tested in the validation set. The radiomics signature to distinguish CN status was then developed by incorporating the radiomics score and the selected traditional predictors. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to evaluate the predictive performance. Results: The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the radiomics score, which consisted of 7 radiomics features, was 0.855 in the training set and 0.885 in the validation set. The AUC of the traditional predictor, which consisted of 2 traditional features, was 0.843 in the training set and 0.858 in the validation set. The radiomics signature showed the best performance with an AUC of 0.942 in the training set, which was then confirmed with an AUC of 0.969 in the validation set. Conclusion: The CT-based radiomics signature that incorporated radiomics and traditional features has the potential to be used as a non-invasive tool for preoperative prediction of CN in ccRCC.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.68 no.4
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• pp.343-370
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• 2023

Developing improved wheat varieties is vital for global food security to meet the rising demand for food. Therefore, assessing the genetic diversity across wheat genotypes is crucial. This study examined the diversity of 168 durum wheat and 47 common wheat collections from 54 different countries using twelve agro-morphological parameters. Geumgang, a prominent Korean common wheat variety, was used as a control. Both qualitative and quantitative agronomical characteristics showed wide variations. Most durum wheats were shown to possess dense spikes (90%), while common wheats showed dense (40%) or loose (38%) spikes, with yellowish-white being the dominant spike color. The majority of the accessions were awned regardless of wheat type, yellowish-white being the main awn color. White or red kernels were produced, with white kernels dominating in both common (74%) and durum (79%) wheats. Days to heading (DH) and days to maturity (DM) were in the ranges of 166-215 and 208-250 days, respectively, while the culm length (CL), spike length (SL), and awn length (AL) were in the ranges of 53.67-163, 5.33-18.67, and 0.50-19.00 cm, respectively. Durum wheats possessed the shortest average DH, DM, and SL, while common wheat had the longest CL and AL (p < 0.05). Common wheats also exhibited the highest average one-thousand-kernel weight. Hierarchical cluster analysis, aided by principal component analysis, grouped the population into seven clusters with significant differences in their quantitative variables (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this research revealed diversity among common and durum wheat genotypes. Notably, 26 durum wheat and 17 common wheat accessions outperformed the control, offering the potential for developing early-maturing, high-yielding, and lodging-resistant wheat varieties.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.484-491
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• 2023

Maize is one of the major crops consumed in worldwide, which nutrients accounts for a large amount of starch, but also functional components, and phenolic acid is known to have a high content. Maize is divided into waxy maize, sweet maize, and normal maize with its shape and use, therefore there is also a difference in nutritional composition. This study was conducted to analyze the content of functional components according to the type of maize and to produce natural variation data in consideration of environmental factors. 3 shapes of maize (waxy maize, sweet maize, and normal maize) samples cultivated in 3 regions (Suwon, Daegu, and Hongcheon) were analyzed using HPLC and GC-TOF-MS. Comparing with type through ANOVA, multivariate statistical analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, 28 components, including carotenoids and tocopherols, showed significant differences among a total of 32 components (p <0.05), 15 of them showed very significant differences (p <0.001). When comparing with regions, 15 components showed significant differences and only vanillate, syringate, C23-ol of them showed most significant differences (p <0.001). As a result of principal component analysis, cluster classification was distinguished by shape than by region, with α-carotene, cholesterol for waxy maize, vanillate and stigmasterol for sweet maize, lutein and β-carotene for normal maize had a great effect on cluster formation. It suggests that the content of functional components is more affected by genetic factors than environmental factors.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.107-134
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• 2024

This study aims to classify the semantic words commonly used to evaluate sound quality and to analyze their differences in reflecting the level of musical stimuli. Participants were thirty-one music majors in their 20s and 30s, with an average of 9.4 years of professional training. Each participant listened to nine pieces of music with variations in texture and instrument type and evaluated them using 18 pairs of semantic words describing sound quality. A factor analysis was conducted to group words influenced by the same latent factor, and a multivariate ANOVA determined the differences in ratings based on texture and instrument type. Radar charts were also drawn based on the identified sets of semantic words. The results showed that four factors were identified, and the word pairs 'soft-hard,' 'dull-sharp,' 'muddy-clean' and 'low-high' showed significant differences based on the level of musical stimuli. The radar charts effectively distinguished the sound quality evaluations for each music. These results indicate that developing Korean semantic words for sound quality evaluation requires a structure different from the previous categories used in Western countries and that linguistic and cultural factors are crucial. This study will provide foundational data for developing a verbal sound quality evaluation framework suited to the Korean context, while reflecting acoustic attributes in music listening.