• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.24-36
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• 2014

Objectives : This study was performed to evaluate the effects of moxibustion on cerebral blood flow, peripheral blood flow and blood pressure. Methods : We designed a randomized, cross-over study that included 20 healthy, male volunteers who were randomly assigned to one of two groups (the moxibustion group or the control group). The initial trial was followed by a washout period of one week before the groups were switched and the trial repeated. The cerebral blood flow and peripheral blood flow of the volunteers in both groups were measured by mean velocity (Vm), peak systolic velocity (Vs), pulsatility index (PI), perfusion units (PU) and mean blood pressure (BP) before the intervention (baseline), 30 minutes after the intervention, and again 60 minutes after the intervention. Results : 1. The Vm increased significantly in the moxibustion group. The Vs also constantly increased in moxibustion group, but there was no significant difference. 2. The PI decreased significantly in the control group at 0-30 minutes and in the moxibustion group at 30-60 minutes. 3. The PU constantly decreased in moxibustion group. In control group, the PU decreased at 30 minutes and increased slightly at 60 minutes. 4. The mean blood pressure did not show any significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions : This study shows that moxibustion at CV12 increased the cerebral blood flow. Based on this result, we can suggest that moxibustion at CV12 might be helpful in improving the functional recovery of stroke patients. However, further research needs to be conducted on a larger numbers of subjects in order to confirm these effects.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.341-352
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• 2012

It is well established that excessive sodium intake is related to a higher incidence of chronic diseases such as hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease and gastric cancer. Although the upper limit of the current sodium intake guideline by WHO is set at 2,000 mg/day for adults, sodium intake of Koreans is well over 4,700 mg/capita/day implying an urgent need to develop and implement sodium intake reduction policy at the national level. This study investigated the cost-effectiveness of the sodium intake reduction policy, for the first time, in Korea. Analyses were performed using most recent and representative data on national health insurance statistics, healthcare utilization, employment information, disease morbidity/mortality, etc. The socioeconomic benefits of the policy, resulting from reduced morbidity of those relevant diseases, included lower medical expenditures, transportation costs, caregiver cost for inpatients and income losses. The socioeconomic benefits from diminished mortality included reductions in earning losses and welfare losses caused by early deaths. It is estimated that the amount of total benefits of reducing sodium intake from 4.7 g to 3.0 g is 12.6 trillion Korean Won; and the size of its cost is 149 billion Won. Assuming that the effect of sodium intake reduction would become gradually evident over a 5-year period, the implied rate of average return to the sodium reduction policy is 7,790% for the following 25 years, suggesting a very high cost-effectiveness. Accordingly, development and implementation of a mid-to-long term plan for a consistent sodium intake reduction policy is extremely beneficial and well warranted.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to prepare improved education guideline by grasping parts and items felt difficult to apply instruments by the students of the dental hygiene department in the practice of oral prophylaxis using manikin and analyzing factors influencing the satisfaction at the oral prophylaxis subject. To achieve this purpose, 285 senior students of the dental hygiene department located in the Kwangju. Jeonnam area who took theory and practice courses of oral prophylaxis but only practiced the manikin from the second semester of 1st year were selected as the subjects. The following results were obtained. 1. In the manikin, the most difficult part was maxillary anterior lingual in the use of explorer, sickle scaler, and universal curet, and maxillary right posterior lingual was in the use of gracey curet. In the dentiform, the most difficult item was instrument stroke in the use of explorer, sickle scaler, universal curet and gracey curet. 2. The highest stressor was the lack of knowledge and skill in practice of oral prophylaxis, followed by the lack of confidence, and difference between theory and practice in oral prophylaxis. The overall practice satisfaction was 3.23 at oral prophylaxis. The highest satisfaction was found in patient and operator position(3.51), followed by basic skill(3.34), the way to use hand instrumentation(3.16), and the way to use oral examination instrumentation(3.01). 3. According to school records, satisfaction at oral prophylaxis practice satisfaction was 3.36 of good, 3.24 of fair, and 3.06 of poor, suggesting significant difference(p<0.05). Students who participated just in practice during a school term showed 3.47 of satisfaction. The highest satisfaction was found in a full-time professor as a professor in charge(3.24) and there was significant difference(p<0.05). 4. The highest correlated factor between oral prophylaxis theory and practice satisfaction was curriculum satisfaction. The use of hand instrumentation was found to have the greatest effect on the practice satisfaction at oral prophylaxis, followed by basic skill, the way of basic instrumentation, and position. There was statistically significant difference(p<0.01).

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.371-380
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the caregiving stress and depression of spouses who support adults with physical disabilities, calculate the activity of daily living (ADL) of the disabled and determine the correlation of each area and the influence of their ADL on the caregiving stress and depression of spouses. This study was performed on 86 spouses of the disabled who were receiving rehabilitation treatment in two hospitals located in S and K cities from July to August 2016. According to the results, the total caregiving stress scores were $71.43{\pm}17.78$ and the economic and psychological stresses among low items were higher than the other items. The total depression score was $50.34{\pm}26.41$, which was slightly higher than the average of normal adults. The caregiving stress and depression were high for aged women, for cases of high caregiving expense and time, for young disabled and for stroke disease. Factors that affected the caregiving stress were the age of the disabled and the duration of their disability; their ADL had no influence on the caregiving stress. The result showed that the depression affected their age, disabled type and grade, and ADL. Actual policy support capable of giving economic, physical, and psychological assistance should be prepared to reduce caregiving stress and depression.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.421-431
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of depression, social isolation, and meaning in life on the swallowing related quality of life in patients with dysphagia. In this study, 87 the dysphagia patients diagnosed with stroke, degenerative disease, and neurological disorder in a general or rehabilitation hospital in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon were assessed. The data were collected between February and April, 2015 using CES-D, RULS, PIL, SWAL-QOL. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise multiple regression with SPSS 22.0. Of the participants, 20.7% reported having had depression, 92.0% middle-high social isolation and 64.4% existential vacuum. The mean scores were SWAL- QOL 158.89(35.97). Stepwise multiple regression revealed that tube feeding to have the greatest effect on SWAL-QOL(${\beta}=-0.57$, p<.001), followed in order by age (${\beta}=0.26$, p=.001), lower MIL (${\beta}=0.19$ p=.014), and education (${\beta}=0.17$, p=.032). The most influential factor to SWAL-QOL was tube feeding. These variables accounted for 50.7% of SWAL-QOL in dysphagia patients (F=28.84 p=.031). Therefore, it is essential to develop the intervention that can improve the meaning in life in patients with dysphagia. In addition there is a need to study the psychological factors and quality of life of tube feeding.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.47-64
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• 2016

Objectives: In the present study, a genetic analysis was conducted to investigate the association of the expression of SNPs of EDN1 gene polymorphism with the clinical phenotype in bronchial asthma patients with either excess or deficiency syndrome.Methods: Ninety-four healthy control subjects and 52 asthma patients were included in this study. The asthma patients were divided into two groups: those with deficiency syndrome and those with excess syndrome. We searched the exonic and promoter areas of the EDN1 gene in the NCBI website SNPs with <0.01 minor allele frequency (MAF) and <0.01 heterozygosity. Pro programs were performed to obtain the odds ratio, 95% confidence interval, and p-value. Multiple logistic regression models were conducted to analyze the genetic data.Results: In our genotype and allele analyses, there were significant differences in the codominant 2 model of the rs3087459 SNP genotype and also in the CGG haplotype between the control group and the asthma group. Genotype and allele analyses were conducted between the deficiency and excess syndrome group. There were significant differences in the dominant and log-additive model and also in the frequency of C-alleles of rs3087459 SNP genotype. There were significant differences in codominant 1, dominant and log-additive model and T-allele of rs5370 SNP genotype. The AGG haplotype also revealed significant differences.Conclusions: EDN1 SNPs (rs3087459, rs5370) showed a significant association with symptomatic excess syndrome in Korean asthmatic patients.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.243-256
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• 2012

Objectives : This clinical study was done to examine metabolic syndrome (MS) and plasma homocysteine (HCY) level in patients with silent lacunar infarction (SLI) and in normal controls. Methods : A total of 154 patients, who were over 20 years of age and visited the stroke prevention check-up center of a university hospital from December 2006 to December 2010, were examined by brain CT or brain MRI, and classified into two groups. We compared the components of MS and HCY levels between patients with SLI (n=74) and normal controls (n=80). Modified ATP III definition was used for diagnosis of MS while Korean standard for waist circumference was used. Results : Prevalence of MS was significantly higher in the SLI group than the normal group. HCY was also significantly higher in the SLI group than the noraml, and the odds ratio (OR) for SLI, comparing high HCY level (${\geq}10{\mu}mol/L$) with low HCY level ($<10{\mu}mol/L$), was 3.64 (95% confidence interval (CI); 1.81-7.29, p<.0001). However, there was no correlation between MS and HCY in the SLI group. Prevalence of diabetes and hypertension (HT) was higher in the SLI group than the normal group, but there was no significant difference in blood lipids level between the SLI and normal groups. Of note, HT itself was enough to be an independent risk factor for SLI (OR; 4.58, 95% CI; 1.91-11.01, p=0.001). Body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio and visceral fat area were significantly higher in the SLI than normal group, and visceral fat area was enough to be an independent risk factor for SLI (OR; 2.41, 95% CI; 1.04-5.59, p=0.040). Conclusions : SLI is shown to have significant correlation with HCY and prevalence of MS, however there is no relationship between HCY and prevalence of MS in patients with SLI.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2010

To develop effective training methods for strengthening a weakened quadriceps femoris muscle in hemiplegic patients, we examined the effects of maximal isometric contraction of the nonparalyzed knee joint on the electromyographic activities of the paralytic muscle. An electromyogram (EMG) was used to record the electromyographic activities of the paralytic quadriceps femoris muscle in 27 hemiplegic patients. The maximal isometric contraction was measured for each subject to normalize the electromyographic activities. The maximal isometric extension and flexion exercises were randomly conducted when the knee joint angles of the nonparalyzed knees were $0^{\circ}$, $45^{\circ}$, and $90^{\circ}$. The patients were encouraged to maintain maximal isometric contractions in both knee joints during each measurement, and three measurements were taken. A one-minute rest interval was given between each measurement to minimize the effects of muscle fatigue. An average from the three values was taken as being the root mean square of the EMG and was recorded as being the maximal isometric contraction. The electromyographic activity obtained for each measurement was expressed as a percentage of the reference voluntary contraction, which was determined using the values obtained during the maximal isometric contraction. The results of this study are summarized as follows: First, when the knee joint angle of the nonparalyzed knee was $0^{\circ}$, the electromyographic activities of the paralytic medial aspect of rectus femoris were related to measurement by a maximal isometric flexion exercise than by an extension exercise (p<.05). Second, when the knee joint angle of the nonparalyzed knee was $90^{\circ}$, the electromyographic activities of the paralytic lateral aspect of rectus femoris were related to measurement by a maximal isometric flexion exercise than by an extension exercise (p<.05). The results show that myoelectrical activities of paralytic quardriceps were not related to measurement angles and exercise directions of the nonparalized knee joint. Studies on various indirect intervention to improve muscular strength of patients with nervous system disorders of the weakened muscle should be constantly conducted.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.77-87
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• 2009

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of purgation therapy with Natrii sulfas, an oriental medical therapy for stroke patients with constipation, on physiological indexes and the brain edema of rats. Methods: Brain edema was induced by the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO); Natrii sulfas was administered once after the MCAO. At 3, 6, 15, 24, 48 hours after reperfusion, physiological indexes such as fecal weight, urine volume and water content in stool were assessed, and at 48 hours after reperfusion the edema index was measured. Results: 1. Purgation therapy with Natrii sulfas significantly improved the reduction of fecal weight caused by ischemic insult (P<0.05). 2. Purgation therapy with Natrii sulfas significantly improved the reduction of urine volume caused by ischemic insult (P<0.05). 3. Purgation therapy with Natrii sulfas significantly improved the reduction of water content in stool caused by ischemic insult (P<0.05). 4. Purgation therapy with Natrii sulfas did not improve the neurological symptom caused by ischemic insult. 5. Purgation therapy with Natrii sulfas did not attenuate the total infarct volume caused by ischemic insult. 6. Purgation therapy with Natrii sulfas attenuated the brain edema caused by ischemic insult (P<0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that purgation therapy with Natrii sulfas improves some important symptoms and has a protective effect on the brain edema caused by ischemic insult.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.258-265
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• 2010

The purposes of this study was to determine the effects of limited hyperextension at knee joint using Limited Motion Knee Brace on balance and walking in patients with hemiplegia. The subjects of this study were 20 post-stroke hemiplegic patients admitted. Subjects were randomly assigned to either experimental group (Limited Motion Knee Brace group) or control group (manual restriction group). Both groups received traditional physical therapy intervention. The effects of each therapeutic method were evaluated by measurements of gait ability assesment, Berg balance scale (BBS), 10-meter walk speed (10MWS), Timed Up & Go (TUG) Test. The results of this research were as followings: (1) After treatment, there were significant BBS scores differences in both experimental and control group compared with pre-treatment(p<0.05). (2) After treatment, there were significant TUG test scores differences in both experimental and control group compared with pre-treatment (p<0.05). (3) After treatment, there were significant 10MWS differences in both experimental and control group compared with pre-treatment (p<0.05). (4) There were significant BBS scores differences in third and fourth week between experimental and control group (p<0.05). It was concluded that Limited Motion Knee Brace was effective for improving balance and for reducing fatigue for experimental group. Therefore, further studies are required to investigate the effect of knee orthosis for improving balance and walking in patients with hemiplegia.