Background and Objectives: The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea. Methods: A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D. Results: From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Conclusions Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.

Background and Objectives: The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea. Methods: A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D. Results: From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Conclusions Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.

Background and Objectives: The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea. Methods: A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D. Results: From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Conclusions Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.

Background and Objectives: The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea. Methods: A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D. Results: From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Conclusions Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.

Purpose: Children with comorbidities have a higher risk of severe, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study investigated the clinical features and outcomes of COVID-19 in children and adolescents with diabetes between January and March 2022. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 123 children and adolescents (73 with type 1 diabetes and 50 with type 2 diabetes, 59 males and 64 females) aged <18 years who had been diagnosed with diabetes. Data were collected from 7 academic medical centers in Daegu, South Korea. Results: Thirty-five children with diabetes were diagnosed with COVID-19 (18 with type 1 and 17 with type 2 diabetes). Eighteen of the 35 children with diabetes and COVID-19 and 50 of the 88 children with diabetes alone received a COVID-19 vaccination. No significant differences were observed between patients with diabetes and COVID-19 and patients with diabetes alone in the type of diabetes diagnosed, sex, age, body mass index, hemoglobin A1c, or vaccination status. All children with diabetes and COVID-19 had mild clinical features and were safely managed in their homes. Fourteen children had a fever of 38℃ or higher that lasted for more than 2 days, 11 of whom were not vaccinated (p=0.004). None experienced post-COVID-19 conditions. Conclusion All children and adolescents with pre-existing diabetes had mild symptoms of COVID-19 due to low disease severity, high vaccination rates, uninterrupted access to medical care, and continuous glucose monitoring. Unvaccinated children with diabetes who experienced COVID-19 presented with higher and more frequent fevers compared to vaccinated children.

The Committee of Clinical Practice Guidelines of the Korean Diabetes Association (KDA) updated the previous clinical practice guidelines for Korean adults with diabetes and prediabetes and published the seventh edition in May 2021. We performed a comprehensive systematic review of recent clinical trials and evidence that could be applicable in real-world practice and suitable for the Korean population. The guideline is provided for all healthcare providers including physicians, diabetes experts, and certified diabetes educators across the country who manage patients with diabetes or the individuals at the risk of developing diabetes mellitus. The recommendations for screening diabetes and glucose-lowering agents have been revised and updated. New sections for continuous glucose monitoring, insulin pump use, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with diabetes mellitus have been added. The KDA recommends active vaccination for coronavirus disease 2019 in patients with diabetes during the pandemic. An abridgement that contains practical information for patient education and systematic management in the clinic was published separately.

Background: Hip fracture surgery is associated with blood loss, which may lead to adverse patient outcomes. The hemoglobin level declines gradually in most hip fracture cases involving femoral neck fractures and intertrochanteric fractures. It decreases further after hip fracture surgery due to perioperative bleeding. We developed a protocol, which avoids transfusion in hip fracture surgery, and reviewed the hemodynamic outcomes of patients with hemoglobin less than 10 g/dL without transfusion. Methods: From 2014 to 2019, we retrospectively recruited 34 patients with hip fractures and a hemoglobin level less than 10 g/dL, who refused to undergo transfusion. There were 19 patients with femoral neck fractures and 15 patients with intertrochanteric fractures. Our patient blood management (PBM) protocol involving 4,000 U erythropoietin (3 times a week) and 100 mg iron supplement (every day) was applied to all included patients. Intraoperatively, a cell saver and tranexamic acid were used. Postoperatively, the protocol was maintained until the patients’ hemoglobin level reached 10 g/dL. We evaluated the feasibility of our protocol, perioperative complications, and hemodynamic changes. Results: Nineteen patients with femoral neck fractures underwent bipolar hemiarthroplasty and 15 patients with intertrochanteric frac tures underwent internal fixation with a cephalomedullary nail. The mean hemoglobin level was 8.9 g/dL (range, 7.3–9.9 g/dL) pre operatively, 7.9 g/dL (range, 6.5–9.3 g/dL) immediately postoperatively, 7.7 g/dL (range, 4.3–9.5 g/dL) on postoperative day 1, 7.4 g/dL (range, 4.2–9.4 g/dL) on postoperative day 3, 8.1 g/dL (range, 4.4–9.7 g/dL) on postoperative day 5, 8.5 g/dL (range, 4.5–9.9 g/dL) on post­operative day 7, and 9.9 g/dL (range, 5.7–11.1 g/dL) on postoperative day 14. The average intraoperative bleeding was 206.2 ± 78.7 mL. There was no case associated with complications of anemia. Conclusions Hip fracture surgery in patients with hemoglobin less than 10 g/dL was feasible without the need for transfusion using our PBM protocol in 34 patients. Using this protocol, the operation was conducted safely despite the anemic condition of patients with fractures whose hemoglobin was less than 10 g/dL.

The Committee of Clinical Practice Guidelines of the Korean Diabetes Association (KDA) updated the previous clinical practice guidelines for Korean adults with diabetes and prediabetes and published the seventh edition in May 2021. We performed a comprehensive systematic review of recent clinical trials and evidence that could be applicable in real-world practice and suitable for the Korean population. The guideline is provided for all healthcare providers including physicians, diabetes experts, and certified diabetes educators across the country who manage patients with diabetes or the individuals at the risk of developing diabetes mellitus. The recommendations for screening diabetes and glucose-lowering agents have been revised and updated. New sections for continuous glucose monitoring, insulin pump use, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with diabetes mellitus have been added. The KDA recommends active vaccination for coronavirus disease 2019 in patients with diabetes during the pandemic. An abridgement that contains practical information for patient education and systematic management in the clinic was published separately.

Immunoreactive dynamics of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) within the tumor microenvironment in breast cancer are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the spatiotemporal cellular dynamics of TILs in breast cancer models. Breast cancer cells were implanted into the dorsal skinfold chamber of BALB/c nude mice, and T lymphocytes were adoptively transferred. Longitudinal intravital imaging was performed, and the spatiotemporal dynamics of TILs were assessed. In the 4T1 model, TILs progressively exhibited increased motility, and their motility inside the tumor was significantly higher than that outside the tumor. In the MDA-MB-231 model, the motility of TILs progressively decreased after an initial increase. TIL motility in the MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 models differed significantly, suggesting an association between programmed death-ligand 1 expression levels and TIL motility, which warrants further investigation. Furthermore, intravital imaging of TILs can be a useful method for addressing dynamic interactions between TILs and breast cancer cells.

This paper describes a community effort to improve earlier versions of the full-text corpus of Genomics & Informatics by semi-automatically detecting and correcting PDF-to-text conversion errors and optical character recognition errors during the first hackathon of Genomics & Informatics Annotation Hackathon (GIAH) event. Extracting text from multi-column biomedical documents such as Genomics & Informatics is known to be notoriously difficult. The hackathon was piloted as part of a coding competition of the ELTEC College of Engineering at Ewha Womans University in order to enable researchers and students to create or annotate their own versions of the Genomics & Informatics corpus, to gain and create knowledge about corpus linguistics, and simultaneously to acquire tangible and transferable skills. The proposed projects during the hackathon harness an internal database containing different versions of the corpus and annotations.