• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.101-107
• /
• 2022

In Korea, the military has been conducting counseling forthe preemptive detection of psychologically unstable soldiers to prevent unexpected accidents and to help them adapt to military life. However, several soldiers feel anxious about face-to-face counseling with military officers and they have difficulty expressing themselves. Video See-Through HMD is a state-of-the-art mixed reality device that converts the user's real view into a digital view, which leads users to feel the actual situation as the virtual. To validate its usefulness as a new psychological counseling aid, we investigated 11 army soldiers who are under the counseling program in barracks. During the counseling conversation, participants were asked to wear or take off the Video See-Through HMD repeatedly. All conversations were recorded for behavioral observation. As a result, 80% of the soldiers showed a relatively stable state of mind when wearing the Video See-Through HMD, which leads them to be innocent and frank about their concerns. This method could improve the effectiveness of counseling to prevent unexpected accidents caused by unnoticeable psychological instabilities of the clients.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.234-243
• /
• 2023

The recent advances in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) enable to precisely edit the desired bases in hPSCs to be used for the establishment of isogenic disease models and autologous ex vivo cell therapy. The knock-in approach based on the homologous directed repair with Cas9 endonuclease, causing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), produces not only insertion and deletion (indel) mutations but also deleterious large deletions. On the contrary, due to the lack of Cas9 endonuclease activity, base editors (BEs) such as adenine base editor (ABE) and cytosine base editor (CBE) allow precise base substitution by conjugated deaminase activity, free from DSB formation. Despite the limitation of BEs in transition substitution, precise base editing by BEs with no massive off-targets is suggested to be a prospective alternative in hPSCs for clinical applications. Considering the unique cellular characteristics of hPSCs, a few points should be considered. Herein, we describe an updated and optimized protocol for base editing in hPSCs. We also describe an improved methodology for CBE-based C to T substitutions, which are generally lower than A to G substitutions in hPSCs.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.17-29
• /
• 2022

Background and Purpose: Verbal and nonverbal fluency tests are the conventional methods for examining executive function in the elderly population. However, differences in impairments result in fluency tests in patients with mild cognitive impairments (MCIs) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in neural correlates underlying the tests still necessitate concrete evidence. Methods: We compared the test performances in 27 normal controls, 28 patients with MCI, and 20 with AD, and investigated morphological changes in association with the test performances using structural magnetic imaging. Results: Patients with AD performed poorly across all the fluency tests, and a receiver operating characteristics curve analysis revealed that only category fluency test discriminated all the 3 groups. Association, category, and design fluency tests involved temporal and frontal regions, while letter fluency involved the cerebellum and caudate. Conclusions: Category fluency is a reliable measure for screening patients with AD and MCI, and this efficacy might be related to morphological correlates that underlie semantic and executive processing.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.190-198
• /
• 2024

Background: Biopuncture is a described technique that consists in subcutaneous injection of antihomotoxic drugs (homeopathic compounds) mixed with other substances such as local anesthetics or dextrose; This has been proposed as a treatment option to reduce musculoskeletal pain in various locations, including knee osteoarthritis. Objectives: The objective of this manuscript was to carry out a comprehensive review of the published information on the use of Biopuncture in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: A scientific search was performed using online databases following the terms (Biopuncture) and (Knee Osteoarthritis) to identify scientific manuscripts that were related to the use of Biopuncture in the treatment of individuals with knee osteoarthritis. Results: With the information found, a theoretical framework was integrated that describes the components of Biopuncture, its mechanism of action and practical topics for the application of the technique. Conclusion: Biopuncture appears to be a potential, simple and low-risk therapeutic strategy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, which is applied through periarticular subcutaneous injections, with multitarget mechanisms of action at various physiopathological levels such as the modulation of the inflammatory process, decreased peripheral sensitization, and stimulation of antidegenerative and trophic mechanisms. Perhaps it can be part of the integrative treatments for knee osteoarthritis.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.1-16
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in the accuracy and range of produced pitch in children with cochlear implants (CI) after an interval-based singing program. A total of three children with CIs aged 5 received twelve 35-minute individual sessions two to three times per week. The interval-based singing program was composed with third, fifth, and eighth intervals and implemented pitch discrimination, pitch imitation, and singing songs with target intervals in a sequence. At pretest and posttest, the changes in accuracy of pitch production during pitch imitation and singing were measured. The results demonstrated that all participants showed improvement in pitch accuracy and produced the target notes with great similarity to the expected pitches in the original song. The range of produced pitch also increased after the program. The results indicate that sequential trials to imitate pitches in a multisensory environment to facilitate the processing of pitch information may reflect how this population perceives pitch information and assist children with CIs to improve their pitch accuracy.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
• /
• v.30 no.1_2
• /
• pp.139-151
• /
• 2018

Objectives : A self-made "Tomotherapy couch device" capable of correcting the Yaw direction was fabricated and evaluated for its usefulness. Materials and Methods : "Tomotherapy couch device" capable of correcting the Yaw direction is made of rigid fibreboard with a flexural strength of $200kg/cm^2$. CBCT Image from Novalis Tx and Iso-Align Phantom from MED-TEC were used to evaluate the physical accuracy. The treatment plan was designed using Accuray $Precision^{TM}$ and In House Head and Phantom. Accuray $PrecisionART^{TM}$ and $Precision^{TM}$ was used to evaluate dose. Results : Evaluation results, the self-fabricated device accurately corrected the setup error, Target dose was within 95 %~107 % of all. In order to directly evaluate the OAR dose according to the Yaw change, the absolute dose was measured. As a result, when the error in the Yaw direction was $3^{\circ}$, the specific OAR showed a maximum difference of 18.4 %. Conclusion : "Tomotherapy couch device" capable of correcting the Yaw direction can be manufactured at a lower cost compared to the effect, and it can prevent the patient's MVCT image dose for re-imaging. Accurate radiation therapy without errors can be performed.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.47-72
• /
• 2019

This study reviewed and analyzed English-written studies using a rhythmic tapping task for motor control of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Inclusion criteria for the participants were children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children. The keywords used for the outcome variables included rhythmic tapping, timed movement, and synchronization. Ten studies were included in the final analysis. The included studies were analyzed in terms of target variables, auditory stimuli, and measurements. A meta-analysis was also conducted to examine how children with ASD performed rhythmic tapping tasks compared to children with TD. In the identified studies, five variables were used: timed movement control, timing reproduction, bimanual coordination, synchronization, and interpersonal synchronization. It was found that rhythmic tapping performance was analyzed in terms of accuracy and precision of the movement and reported as significantly correlated to social skills measures. The meta-analysis results showed that there were no significant differences between the ASD and TD groups in continuing rhythmic movements when the presented auditory stimuli ended, whereas there were significant group differences in their ability to maintain their motor performance consistently and to synchronize with auditory cue or with others. These results support the rhythmic tapping task as an effective measure for not only motor control but also social skills development in children with ASD.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.73-88
• /
• 2019

This research was conducted to compare the rhythm reproduction abilities between older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and analyze the abilities depending on the rhythm idiom. Participants between 60-85 years of age were recruited from senior community centers, dementia prevention centers, and senior welfare centers. A total of 57 participants were included in this study: 27 diagnosed with MCI and 30 healthy older adults (HOA). The experiment was conducted individually in a private room in which a participant was given random binary time rhythm idioms and instructed to reproduce the rhythmic idioms with finger tapping. Each participant's beat production was recorded with the Beat Processing Device (BPD) for iPad. BPD calculated rhythm reproduction as measured through rhythm ratio and error among beats. Results showed marginal differences between the two groups in terms of mean scores of rhythm reproduction abilities. In terms of the rhythm ratio among beats, both groups' highest rhythm reproduction rate was for <♩ ♩>, and their lowest reproduction rate was for <♩. ♪>. In conclusion, there was no significant difference in rhythm reproduction ability between the HOA and MCI groups. However, the study found an interesting result related to performance level of rhythmic idioms. This result provides therapeutic insight for formulating rhythm tasks for older adults.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.51 no.3
• /
• pp.95-106
• /
• 2023

Korean healing research has developed over the past 20 years along with the growing social interest in healing. The field of healing research is diverse and includes legislated natural-based healing. In this study, abstracts of 2,202 academic journals, master's, and doctoral dissertations published in KCI and RISS were collected and analyzed. As for the research method, LDA topic modeling used to classify research topics, and time-series publication trends were examined. As a result of the study, it identified that the topic of Korean healing research was connected with 5 types and 4 mediators. The five were "Healing Tourism," "Mind and Art Healing," "Forest Therapy," "Healing Space," and "Youth Restoration and Healing," and the four mediators were "Forest," "Nature," "Culture", and "Education". In addition, only legalized healing studies extracted from Korean healing research and the topics were analyzed. As a result, legalized healing research classified into four. The four types were "Healing Spatial Environment Plan", "Healing Therapy Experiment", "Agricultural Education Experiential Healing", and "Healing Tourism Factor". Forest Therapy, which has the largest amount of research in legalized healing, Agro Healing and Garden Healing which operate similar programs through plants, and Marine Healing using marine resources also analyzed. As a result, topics that show the unique characteristics of individual healing studies and topics that are considered universal in all healing studies derived. This study is significant in that it identified the overall trend of research on Korean healing facilities and programs by utilizing LDA topic modeling.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.191-203
• /
• 2024

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated medical service model for a fibromyalgia patient and their caregiver, focusing on reducing pain and improving quality of life. Methods: A single-case study design was employed, involving a fibromyalgia patient and their primary caregiver treated at W University Hospital. The integrated medical service program, based on the Ministry of Health and Welfare's model, included medical consultations and complementary therapies such as psychological counseling, art therapy, music therapy, horticultural therapy, yoga, and meditation. The program was conducted weekly for 8 weeks, with each session lasting up to 100 minutes. Data collection involved both quantitative and qualitative assessments. Quantitative data included demographic surveys, psychological tests, health-related quality of life measures, pain indices, and sleep quality indices. Qualitative data were gathered through feedback evaluations and emotional assessments. Results: The patient showed improvements in mobility, self-care, daily activities, and anxiety/depression, with EQ-VAS scores increasing from 20 to 40 and pain perception decreasing from 67.41 to 42.58. The caregiver reported reduced anxiety/depression and an increase in EQ-VAS scores from 95 to 98. Both patient and caregiver exhibited emotional changes, with decreased depression and increased happiness. However, the patient showed an increase in fear and anger. Conclusions: The integrated medical service model positively impacted the emotional and psychological well-being of the fibromyalgia patient and their caregiver. Despite the limitations of a small sample size and a single-case study design, the findings suggest that an integrated approach can be beneficial. Larger-scale studies are needed to confirm and generalize these results.