• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.350-365
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• 2023

Backgrounds/Aims: Extra hepatic portal venous obstruction (EHPVO) is the most common cause of portal hypertension in Indian children. While endoscopy is the primary modality of management, a subset of patients require surgery. This study aims to report the short- and long-term outcomes of EHPVO patients managed surgically. Methods: All the patients with EHPVO who underwent surgery between August 2007 and December 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Postoperative complications were classified after Clavien-Dindo. Binary logistic regression in Wald methodology was used to determine the predictive factors responsible for unfavourable outcome. Results: Total of 202 patients with EHPVO were operated. Mean age of patients was 20.30 ± 9.96 years, and duration of illness, 90.05 ± 75.13 months. Most common indication for surgery was portal biliopathy (n = 59, 29.2%), followed by bleeding (n = 50, 24.8%). Total of 166 patients (82.2%) had shunt procedure. Splenectomy with esophagogastric devascularization was the second most common surgery (n = 20, 9.9%). Nine major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo > 3) were observed in 8 patients (4.0%), including 1 (0.5%) operative death. After a median follow-up of 56 months (15-156 months), 166 patients (82.2%) had favourable outcome. In multivariate analysis, associated splenic artery aneurysm (p = 0.007), isolated gastric varices (p = 0.004), preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and stenting (p = 0.015), and shunt occlusion (p < 0.001) were independent predictors of unfavourable long-term outcome. Conclusions: Surgery in EHPVO is safe, affords excellent short- and long-term outcome in patients with symptomatic EHPVO, and may be considered for secondary prophylaxis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7635-7638
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• 2013

Background: Sperm-associated antigen 9 (SPAG9) has been recently proposed as a novel biomarker for early diagnosis of several human tumors, including ovarian, cervical and breast cancers. Its clinical value remains to be clarified for endometrial cancer (EC). In this study, we investigated the utility of serum SPAG9 levels in diagnosis of EC and its association with important clinicopathological parameters. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed at a tertiary women's referral center in Ankara, Turkey. Preoperative serum samples were collected from patients surgically treated for endometrial cancer between June 2012-April 2013. Similar aged women with a biopsy proven benign endometrium were used as controls. Serum SPAG9 levels were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method and assessed for links with clinicopathological factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess power of SPAG9 levels for EC prediction. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 63 women with EC and 27 with benign endometrium were included in the study. Mean age in the EC group was $58.7{\pm}1.1$. Median SPAG9 levels in the EC and control groups were 18.3 (range, 12.7-53.8) and 14.1 (range, 4.3-65.3), respectively (p<0.001). A cut-off value of 17 ng/ml for SPAG9 predicted presence of malignant endometrium with 74% sensitivity and 83% specificity [Area under curve (AUC)=0.82, p<0.001]. SPAG9 levels did not demonstrate any significant association with histological type, FIGO stage, tumor grade, size, myometrial invasion, lymphovascular space invasion, cervical involvement, adnexal involvement, peritoneal cytology or lymph node status (all p>0.05). Conclusions: Testing for SPAG9 may be useful for early detection of EC in asymptomatic high-risk women. Its role in post-treatment follow-up and early detection of recurrence should be assessed in future trials.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7351-7355
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• 2014

Background: Laryngeal carcinogenesis is a multifactorial process that has not been fully elucidated. Despite extensive research, reliable markers with diagnostic and prognostic value are still lacking. It was recently reported that an elevated preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) may correlate with an increased risk of recurrence, tumor aggressiveness and poorer prognosis in various malignancies. The aim of this study was to examine whether NLR could be used as an inflammatory marker to differentiate laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients from benign laryngeal lesion (BLL) and precancerous laryngeal lesion (PLL) patients. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was performed on 209 patients admitted to a tertiary referral center with laryngeal lesions and undergoing biopsies to establish their histopathological diagnosis. We reviewed the patient files for their clinical, histopathological and laboratory data. The patients were divided into three groups according to their histopathological findings, as BLL, PLL and LSCC groups. The patients in the PLL group were also divided into three subgroups as mild, moderate and severe dysplasia/carcinoma in situ (CIS) subgroups. The groups were compared for NLR and the other laboratory data. Results: The mean NLRs of the BLL, PLL and the LSCC groups were $2.12{\pm}0.86$, $2.32{\pm}0.68$ and $3.46{\pm}1.51$, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.001). The mean NLRs of the patients with PLL and LSCC were significantly higher than the patients with BLL (p=0.031 and p=0.001, respectively). The mean NLRs were similar among mild dysplasia, moderate dysplasia and severe dysplasia / CIS groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating NLR in BLL, PLL and LSCC. NLR is an inexpensive, reproducible and widely available blood test, and could be a useful inflammatory marker to differentiate LSCC from BLL and PLL.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7793-7797
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• 2014

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate predictive role of risk of malignancy index in discriminating between benign and malignant adnexal masses preoperatively. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted with a total of 569 patients with adnexal masses/ovarian cysts managed surgically at our clinic between January 2006 and January 2012. Obtained data from patient files were age, gravidity, parity, menopause status, ultrasound findings and CA125 levels. For all patients ultrasound scans were performed. For the assessment of risk of malignancy index (RMI) Jacobs' model was used. Histopathologic results of all patients were recorded postoperatively. Malignancy status of the surgically removed adnexal mass was the gold standard. Results: Of the total masses, 245 (43.1%) were malignant, 316 (55.5%) were benign and 8 (1.4%) were borderline. The mean age of benign cases was lower than malign cases ($35.2{\pm}10.9$ versus $50.8{\pm}13.4$, p<0.001). Four hundred and five of them (71.2%) were in premenopausal period. Malignant tumors were more frequent in postmenopausal women (81% versus 29%, p<0.001). All ultrasound parameters of RMI were statistically significantly favorable for malignant masses. In our study ROC curve analysis for RMI provided maximum Youden index at level of 163.85. When we based on cutoff level for RMI as 163.85 sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV was calculated 74.7%, 96.2%, 94% and 82.6%, respectively. Conclusions: RMI was found to be a significant marker in preoperative evaluation and management of patients with an adnexal mass, and was useful for referring patients to tertiary care centers. Although utilization of RMI provides increased diagnostic accuracy in preoperative evaluation of patient with an adnexal mass, new diagnostic tools with higher sensitivity and specificity are needed to discriminate ovarian cancer from benign masses.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.176-189
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of clinical nutrition services at various medical centers in Seoul, Korea. A questionnaire was distributed to the departments of nutrition at 44 hospitals in Seoul on July 2009. Nutritional screening carried out at a rate of 59.1% at the medical centers, and a significant difference was found according to the type of center, from 100% in tertiary hospitals to 18.8% in normal hospitals. On annual average, the numbers of inpatients, inpatients for malnutritional screening, inpatients with malnutrition, and inpatients for malnutrition management were 15,169.5, 10,870.9, 2,224.8, and 1,546.2, respectively. On average the group nutrition education was done 36.1 times/year for diabetes, 8.2 times/year for cancer, and 1.9 times/year for renal disease, and the numbers of participants 423.1, 95.1, and 31.5, respectively. On average the individual nutrition education of inpatients with diabetes was done 135.4 times/year for ordered-type, and 119.3 times/year for unordered-type, 106.2 times/year for paid-type, and 148.5 times/year for unpaid-type. The mean fee for education and counseling was the highest for peritoneal dialysis (73,090.9 won) but the lowest for heart disease (23,609.1 won). On average the individual nutrition education of outpatients with diabetes was done 234.6 times/year for ordered-type, and 2.5 times/year for unordered-type, 204.4 times/year for paid-type, and 32.7 times/year for unpaid-type. The mean fee for education and counseling was also the highest for peritoneal dialysis (63,500.0 won) but the lowest for heart disease (21,336.4 won). To implement more effective clinical nutrition service, a national medical insurance imbursement policy should be urgently instituted such that diseases left as unpaid are covered by health insurance, including all nutrition-related disease.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.181-186
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the adherence to diabetes control recommendations (blood glucose testing, medication, diet, exercise) in patients with type 2 diabetes at home and to analyse the correlation between adherence and blood glucose level. Method: Participants, numbering 214, were recruited from the endocrinology outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in an urban city. The data were collected by a self report adherence questionnaire. Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was determined by the high-performance liquid chromatography technique and fasting blood glucose was analyzed by the glucose oxidase method. Result: Medication adherence was higher than diet or exercise adherence. The frequency of blood glucose testing was lower for middle school graduates than college graduates. Diet adherence was significantly lower for participants who were obese, who did not have a spouse, and who had hyperglycemia. Medication and diet adherence were negatively correlated with HbA1c. Conclusion: A diet education program should be developed for patients with type 2 diabetes who are obese, who do not have a spouse, and who have hyperglycemia.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 1994

The annual income (gross margin) in 1989/90 of a sample of 274 farmers in seven milk cooperatives was analyzed in the sugar cane, cassava, and horticulture areas in East Java. On average dairying contributed 42%, crops 29% and off-farm revenue 29%. Dairy income was highest in the cassava area, where it compensated for the low crop income, and lowest in the sugar cane area. Farm area and average milk yield per day per cow correlated positively with farmer's income, whereas crop income increase significantly with farm area and with the number of cows. The level of total cost per cow had a negative impact on dairy and with the number of cows. The level of total cost per cow had a negative impact on dairy and on total income. Government officials and other professionals engaged in dairying had a significantly higher total income than those with their main occupation in dairying, cropping or working as farm labourers. Uneducated farmers obtained a significantly larger income through crops, whereas farmers with tertiary education obtained more income through off-farm work, This study suggests that more attention must be paid to the actual use of labour and the improvement of the dairy output/cost ratio.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.12
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• pp.877-884
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• 2020

The main aim of the present study is to investigate the factors that are considered affecting the adoption of Activity-Based Costing (ABC) in the autonomous public universities in Vietnam. A quantitative research was carried out. The data was collected through an online questionnaire survey between June 2020 and September 2020 addressed to the target respondents comprising 168 managers and accountants from 23 autonomous public universities in Vietnam, which participated in the resolution project No. 77/NQ-CP of the Vietnamese government on the pilot renovation of operational mechanisms of public tertiary education institutions during the period of four years, from 2014 to 2017. The findings resulted from hypothesis testing by a binary regression analysis based on the SPSS 20.0 software show that training, competition, support of top manager, and university size are the four main factors that positively affect the adoption of Activity-Based Costing (ABC) in studied universities. On the other hand, no statistically significant impact was found on two other variables, namely the variety of services provided and the usefulness of cost information factors. From the research results, discussions and policy recommendations have been presented to promote the adoption of Activity-Based Costing (ABC) in Vietnamese autonomous public universities in the coming time.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.5-16
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• 2007

Purpose: This study is to verify the validity and reliability of classified items and criteria of the patient classification system(PCS) based on Park's definition of nursing intensity. Methods: An expert group of 8 persons verified the content validity of the tools. The 1817 inpatients at a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea were classified into 4 groups according to two tools for verifying concurrent validity and interraters' reliability. These verifications were performed from September to October, 2004. Results: Nursing domains of the tools have been divided into 12 items: hygiene, nutrition, elimination, exercise & activity, education & counseling, emotional support, communication & consciousness, treatment & examination, medication, measurement & observation, coordination of multidisciplinary team, admission & discharge & transfer management. Content validity was verified by the content validity index(above 0.75 in all 12 areas). Interraters' reliability was no significant difference in the results of the patient classification between the two raters(A group 93.75%. B group 88.24%). Concurrent validity was also verified by the agreement of two tools(73.7%). Conclusion: These results showed that the reliability and validity of the PCS based on the nursing intensity were verified. These will use an data for nursing productivity in the future.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.3-9
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the difference between prevalence and risk factors of the metabolic syndrome(MS) by gender in type2 diabetic patients. Method: 108 participants(males 69, females 39) were recruited from the endocrinology outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in an urban city. MS was defined by a third report of the national cholesterol education program (NCEP) expert panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults(Adult Treatment Panel III)(ATP III), and abdominal obesity was determined by Asia-Pacific criteria in waist circumference. Results: The prevalence of MS by definition of NCEP-ATP III and the Asia-Pacific criteria in waist circumference was 39.3% in males and 66.7% in females type2 diabetic patients. The abdominal obesity prevalence was seen in 44.9% of males and in 79.5% of females patients. The prevalence of low HDL-cholesterolemia in serum was 26.2% in male, 52.8% in female type2 diabetic patients. Conclusion: These results show that nurses should focus on female diabetic patients for preventing MS.