Purpose: To evaluate whether extended pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) improves survival outcomes compared with standard PLND in patients with bladder cancer (BCa) undergoing radical cystectomy (RC), and to assess its potential benefits in patients with prior or concurrent radical nephroureterectomy (p/cRNU). Materials and Methods: A multicenter analysis included 2202 patients with BCa undergoing RC with standard or extended PLND at 11 tertiary centers from 2003 to 2023. Following propensity score matching, 659 pairs (n=1,318), including 128 patients with p/cRNU, were analyzed. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was the primary outcome, while overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and readmission rates were secondary outcomes. Survival analyses performed using Kaplan-Meier methods and clustered Cox models. Results: Extended PLND yielded significantly more lymph nodes than standard PLND (median: 27.0 vs. 17.0, p<0.001) but did not improve RFS, CSS, or OS in the overall cohort (all p>0.05). Extended PLND increased readmission rates (28.4% vs. 20.2%, p=0.001) and readmission risk (odds ratio, 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–2.16, p=0.005). However, subgroup analysis revealed extended PLND significantly improved RFS in patients with p/cRNU (hazard ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.38–0.77; p<0.001). Conclusion Extended PLND does not provide survival benefits for overall patient population and increases readmission risk but significantly improves RFS in patients with p/cRNU. Tailoring PLND extent based on upper tract disease status is recommended.

Purpose: To report the results of a 2021 questionnaire survey assessing the current trends and practice patterns in the treatment of uveitis, conducted by the Korean Uveitis Society (KUS). Methods: To understand the current treatment and trends for uveitis in Korea, a total of 11 questions were surveyed in November 2021 among 300 members of the KUS. This survey comprised 11 multiple choice and dichotomy questions. Results: Of 300 participants, 179 responded, and the response rate was 59.7%. Among the respondents, 92.7% were retina specialists and 66.9% reported less than 10% of uveitis patients among outpatients. As imaging tests performed in patients with anterior uveitis, fundus photography and optical coherence tomography were typically performed (83.8% vs. 73.2%, respectively). The frequently performed blood tests for general screening were complete blood count, blood chemistry test, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein (89.9% vs. 86.2% vs. 85.5% vs. 82.4%, respectively). Regarding local steroid treatment, subtenon injection was the most preferred (74.9%). Regarding systemic oral corticosteroids, 83.7% of respondents commonly used initial doses of 0.5-1 mg/kg. Cyclosporine, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, and azathioprine were used for steroid-refractory uveitis patients in that order (36.2% vs. 34.8% vs. 21.7% vs. 7.3%, respectively). Concerning the currently used biologic agent, adalimumab was the most preferred, at 96.7%. Conclusions This survey highlights the recent trends and practice patterns in the treatment of uveitis in Korea.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical and radiological outcomes at skeletal maturity after a calcaneo-cuboid-cuneiform osteotomy (triple C osteotomy) for symptomatic flatfoot deformity compared with healthy young adult controls. Methods: Nineteen patients (30 feet) who undergone a triple C osteotomy for idiopathic symptomatic flatfeet from July 2006 to April 2013 were compared with 19 controls (38 feet). Radiographic measurements at preoperative examination, 1-year postoperative follow-up, and follow-up at skeletal maturity were evaluated. Functional outcomes were assessed by using the validated visual analog scale foot and ankle (VAS-FA) and the modified American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgery (AOFAS) score. Results: In the triple C osteotomy group, 11 of 12 radiographic measurements were significantly improved at 1 year postoperatively and the last follow-up (p < 0.001). There was no recurrence at skeletal maturity (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences in nine of 12 radiographic measurements between the triple C osteotomy group at maturity and the control group (p > 0.05). Average VAS-FA and AOFAS scores were significantly improved at the time of skeletal maturity (p < 0.001). Conclusions Surgical correction of symptomatic flatfoot deformity in childhood resulted in favorable outcomes after the triple C osteotomy. Deformity correction was also maintained during follow-up at skeletal maturity.

OBJECTIVES: In patients with schizophrenia, the prevalence of smoking is significantly higher than that of the general population. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between cigarette smoking and socio-demographic and clinical characteristics in patients with schizophrenia in South Korea. METHODS: Post analysis of 2008-2009 three multi-center studies on the paliperidone extended-release switching was performed. A total of 509 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were recruited and interviewed regarding socio-demographic variables, smoking characteristics. Krawiecka Scale, Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia-Severity, Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia-Improvement, and Personal and Social Performance Scale were used to evaluate psychological disturbance. Safety assessments included adverse events, evaluation of extrapyramidal symptoms using the Drug Induced Extra Pyramidal Symptoms Scale, and laboratory tests. RESULTS: The results revealed that the prevalence of smoking in Korean patients with schizophrenia is significantly higher than that of the general population. Male, patients with occupation, and paranoid type showed higher rate of smoking and smokers with schizophrenia had higher rates of overweight, thick waist, high blood pressure than non-smokers with schizophrenia. The results revealed that smokers with schizophrenia had higher rating scales of negative and cognitive symptoms. CONCLUSION: From this study, we reported significant relationships between cigarette smoking and socio-demographic and clinical characteristics in patients with schizophrenia in South Korea. More studies will be needed to evaluate the association between cigarette consumption and schizophrenia, effect of smoking according to the antipsychotics, mechanism of nicotine on schizophrenia.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Isoxazoles ; Male ; Neurobehavioral Manifestations ; Nicotine ; Occupations ; Overweight ; Prevalence ; Pyrimidines ; Republic of Korea ; Schizophrenia ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products ; Weights and Measures

The frequencies of multiple synchronous carcinomas of the colon and the rectum have been reported to range from 2.1 to 6.3%. Currently, the frequency is higher in colorectal cancer patients, and the diagnosis is better due to the many diagnostic tools that have been developed. There are a few reported cases of five cancers in a patient at the same time. We report here on the case of five synchronous cancers arising from the colon and the rectum in a patient without a familial history of colon cancer or of genetic predisposing factor. The patient was a 62-yr-old woman who presented with frequently loose stool for six months and intermittent abdominal pain for two months. Colonoscopic examination revealed two adenocarcinomas, one each at the sigmoid colon and the rectum; the cancer in the sigmoid colon was obstructed at nearly 40 cm above the anal verge. Computed tomographic colonoscopy revealed many other polyps and masses in the colon and a metastatic mass at segment 8 in the liver. A total proctocolectomy and ileostomy were performed. Histologic evaluation revealed the five lesions to be adenocarcinomas invading the pericolic fat; 1 out of 30 lymph nodes was invaded by the cancer cells.
Abdominal Pain ; Adenocarcinoma ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Ileostomy ; Liver ; Lymph Nodes ; Polyps ; Rectum

PURPOSE: Fitz-Hugh-Curtis (FHC) syndrome has been described as perihepatitis associated with pelvic inflammatory disease during surgery. Recently, on computerized tomography a linear enhancement of the liver capsule was detected in a patient with FHC syndrome. We studied to evaluate the clinical course of the disease. METHODS: Sixteen patients diagnosed with FHC syndrome from CT findings were retrospectively studied from April, 2006 to June, 2008. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 25.9 (19~35) years and mean duration of abdominal pain was 3.9 (1~14) days. The most common complaint was right upper quadrant area pain (11 cases, 68.8%). 12 patients showed leukocytosis and all the patients had elevated serum C-reative protein levels. All the patients had normal liver function. Among the 9 patients which had polymerase chain reaction test for sexually transmitted disease (Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Neisseria gonorrheae, Mycoplasma hominis), all showed more than one positive results (Chlamydia trachomatis 6 cases, Ureaplasma urealyticum 6 cases, Mycoplasma hominis 2 cases). On simple abdomen X-ray, 7 cases (43.8%) showed paralytic ileus. 14 cases received only antibiotic treatment, but 1 case had to take operation (laparoscopic-assisted adhesiolysis) due to constant abdominal pain and prolonged ileus. CONCLUSION: It is important to rule out FHC syndrome by using CT findings, especially young women with right upper abdominal pain and PID. Usually, FHC syndrome can be treated easily with proper antibiotics.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Chlamydia Infections ; Female ; Gonorrhea ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Ileus ; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction ; Leukocytosis ; Liver ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma hominis ; Neisseria ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; Peritonitis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Retrospective Studies ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Ureaplasma urealyticum

Finishing is the most time-consuming step in sequencing, and many genome projects are left unfinished due to complex repeat regions. Here, we have developed BACContigEditor, a prototype shotgun sequence finishing tool. It is essentially an editor that visualizes assemblies of shotgun sequence fragment reads as gapped multiple alignments. The program offers some flexibility that is needed to rapidly resolve complex regions within a working session. The sole purpose of the release is to promote collaborative creation of extensible software for fragment assembly editors, foster collaborative development, and reduce barriers to initial tool development effort. We describe our software architecture and identify current challenges. The program is available under an Open Source license.
Genome ; Indonesia ; Pliability ; Sequence Alignment

We have released five Java Application Programming Interface (API) packages for viewing three-dimensional structures of proteins from the Protein Data Bank. To this end, the user interface of an earlier version has been refactored in an object-oriented fashion, in which refactoring is the process of changing a software system to improve its internal structure, without altering the external behavior. Various GUI design and features have been provided conveniently thanks to the Model-View-Control (MVC)model, which is an architectural pattern used in software engineering. Availability: The source code and API specification can be downloaded from https://sourceforge.net/projects/j3dpsv/.
Computational Biology ; Databases, Protein ; Indonesia ; Proteins ; Software

We have released five Java Application Programming Interface (API) packages for viewing three-dimensional structures of proteins from the Protein Data Bank. To this end, the user interface of an earlier version has been refactored in an object-oriented fashion, in which refactoring is the process of changing a software system to improve its internal structure, without altering the external behavior. Various GUI design and features have been provided conveniently thanks to the Model-View-Control (MVC)model, which is an architectural pattern used in software engineering. Availability: The source code and API specification can be downloaded from https://sourceforge.net/projects/j3dpsv/.
Computational Biology ; Databases, Protein ; Indonesia ; Proteins ; Software

The static approach of representing metabolic pathway diagrams offers no flexibility. Thus, many systems adopt automatic graph layout techniques to visualize the topological architecture of pathways. There are weaknesses, however, because automatically drawn figures are generally difficult to understand. The problem becomes even more serious when we attempt to visualize all of the information in a single, big picture, which usually results in a confusing diagram. To provide a partial solution to this thorny issue, we propose J2dpathway, a metabolic pathway atlas viewer that has node-abstracting features.
Metabolic Networks and Pathways ; Pliability