• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.172-178
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• 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has been reshaping the world by accelerating non-contact services and technologies in various domains. Hospitals as a healthcare system lie at the center of the dramatic change because of their fundamental roles: medical diagnosis and treatments. Leading experts in health, science, and technologies have predicted that robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) can drive such a hospital transformation. Accordingly, several government-led projects have been developed and started toward smarter hospitals, where robots and AI replace or support healthcare personnel, particularly in the diagnosis and non-surgical treatment procedures. This article inspects the remaining element of healthcare services, i.e., surgical treatment, focusing on evaluating whether or not currently available laparoscopic surgical robotic systems are sufficiently preparing for the era of post-COVID-19 when contactless is the new normal. Challenges and future directions towards an effective, fully non-contact surgery are identified and summarized, including remote surgery assistance, domain-expansion of robotic surgery, and seamless integration with smart operating rooms, followed by emphasis on robot tranining for surgical staff.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.111-117
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• 2004

Most of digital subtraction methods in dental radiography are based on registration using manual landmarks. We have developed an automatic registration method without using the manual selection of landmarks. By restricting a geometrical matching of images to a region of interest (ROl), we compare the cross-correlation coefficient only between the ROIs. The affine or perspective transform parameters satisfying maximum of cross-correlation between the local regions are searched iteratively by a fast searching strategy. The parameters are searched on the 1/4 scale image coarsely and then, the fine registration is performed on the original scale image. The developed method can match the images corrupted by Gaussian noise with the same accuracy for the images without any transform simulation. The registration accuracy of the perspective method shows a 17% improvement over the manual method. The application of the developed method to radiography of dental implants provides an automatic noise robust registration with high accuracy in almost real time.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.1 s.61
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• pp.123-133
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• 2005

Objective : We investigated the sasang constitutional difference of physiological and psychological response in various thermal environmental conditions. Methods: Among 210 volunteers, 30 healthy subjects were selected through the QSCC II (a questionnaire for constitutional discrimination) and the manual examination of a specialist in sasang constitution. Subjects consisted of 10 each Soyang(少陽), Soeum(少陰), and Taeum(太陽). Experimental environments were set by six different conditions to be $23^{\circ}C,\;50\%\;RH,\;0.lm/s;\;25^{\circ}C,\;25\%\;RH,\;0.lm/s;\;25^{\circ}C,\;50\%\;RH,\;0.lm/s;\;25^{\circ}C,\;50\%\;RH,\;0.4m/s;\;25^{\circ}C,\;75\%\;RH,\;0.1m/s;\;and\;27^{\circ}C,\;50\%\;RH,\;0.1m\s$ (respectively temperature, relative humidity, and wind velocity). Skin temperature, core temperature, heart rate variability (HRV), and galvanic skin response (GSR) were measured for each subject Additionally, subjects were asked about comfort through the questionnaire. Results: From the viewpoint of external temperature sensibility, in all experimental environments, generally the Taeum type feels hotter and the Soeum feels colder than other types. In relative comfort, Soeum types were most sensitive to wind velocity change. From the viewpoint of body temperature, Taeum type was lower and Soyang was higher than other types. The measurements of HRV and GSR showed no difference between the types. Conclusion : The four sasang constitution types showed different responses to various thermal environmental conditions. Accordingly, our research could provide basic data for building the optimal thermal conditions for individuals based on sasang constitution. Consequently, it will help to build a healthy environment for everyday life.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.402-410
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• 2023

Long-term administration of levodopa (L-DOPA) to patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) commonly results in involuntary dyskinetic movements, as is known for L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) has recently been shown to alleviate LID; however, no biochemical alterations to aberrant excitatory conditions have been revealed yet. In the present study, we aimed to confirm its anti-dyskinetic effect and to discover the unknown molecular mechanisms of action of 5-HTP in LID. We made an LID-induced mouse model through chronic L-DOPA treatment to 6-hydroxydopamine-induced hemi-parkinsonian mice and then administered 5-HTP 60 mg/kg for 15 days orally to LID-induced mice. In addition, we performed behavioral tests and analyzed the histological alterations in the lesioned part of the striatum (ST). Our results showed that 5-HTP significantly suppressed all types of dyskinetic movements (axial, limb, orolingual and locomotive) and its effects were similar to those of amantadine, the only approved drug by Food and Drug Administration. Moreover, 5-HTP did not affect the efficacy of L-DOPA on PD motor manifestations. From a molecular perspective, 5-HTP treatment significantly decreased phosphorylated CREB and ΔFosB expression, commonly known as downstream factors, increased in LID conditions. Furthermore, we found that the effects of 5-HTP were not mediated by dopamine1 receptor (D1)/DARPP32/ERK signaling, but regulated by AKT/mTOR/S6K signaling, which showed different mechanisms with amantadine in the denervated ST. Taken together, 5-HTP alleviates LID by regulating the hyperactivated striatal AKT/mTOR/S6K and CREB/ΔFosB signaling.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.2
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• pp.310-323
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• 2020

To treat congenital heart disease, it is important to understand the anatomical structure correctly. Three-dimensional (3D) printed models of the heart effectively demonstrate the structural features of congenital heart disease. Occasionally, the exact characteristics of complex cardiac malformations are difficult to identify on conventional computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and echocardiography, and the use of 3D printed models can help overcome their limitations. Recently, 3D printed models have been used for congenital heart disease education, preoperative simulation, and decision-making processes. In addition, we will pave the way for the development of this technology in the future and discuss various aspects of its use, such as the development of surgical techniques and training of cardiac surgeons.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1990

This paper discusses a new perspective in health approach and the effect of health life on health status, and suggests some points to be improved in the establishment of health policies hereafter. Today's health problems changed from the acute epidemic diseases caused by simple factor to the multifactorial chronic diseases. Therefore, the health approach tries the holistic health approach, that is, the integrative approach by the interdisciplinary cooperation. With the advent of holistic health and holistic medicine in 1970's, the behavioral medicine was born in 1977, which is the interdisciplinary field concerned with the development and integration of behavioral and biomedical science knowledge and techniques relevent to prevention, diagnosis and treatment. As a means to the reducement of the unnecessary medical utilization and medical expense, the medical self care and self-help movement is well under way in the countries of America, England, and Canada, in which lay persons are encouraged to actively function for themselves to prevent, detect and treat common illnesses and to promote positive health habits through the health activation programs such as The Course for Activated Patients and The Health Activated Person. This study shows that the individual health life gives great positive effect to his health status with the reducement of medical expense. These above facts suggest that the preventive health programs such as health education should be developed and strengthened instead of medical care-oriented health policy.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2005

3D virtual endoscopy has been used as an alternative non-invasive procedure for visualization of hollow organs. However, due to computational complexity, this is a time-consuming procedure. In this paper, we propose a fast volume rendering algorithm based on perspective ray casting for virtual endoscopy. As a pre-processing step, the algorithm divides a volume into hierarchical blocks and classifies them into opaque or transparent blocks. Then, in the first step, we perform ray casting only for sub-sampled pixels on the image plane, and determine their pixel values and depth information. In the next step, by reducing the sub-sampling factor by half, we repeat ray casting for newly added pixels, and their pixel values and depth information are determined. Here, the previously obtained depth information is utilized to reduce the processing time. This step is recursively performed until a full-size rendering image is acquired. Experiments conducted on a PC show that the proposed algorithm can reduce the rendering time by 70- 80% for bronchus and colon endoscopy, compared with the brute-force ray casting scheme. Using the proposed algorithm, interactive volume rendering becomes more realizable in a PC environment without any specific hardware.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.160-169
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• 2022

This qualitative study aimed to investigate ways to improve effective cooperative learning from students' perspective by understanding and analyzing the learning experiences of nursing students who participated in a collaborative problem-solving learning model. Data were collected through focus group interviews and reflection journals of six second-year nursing students from G-university in J-city who participated in a collaborative problem-solving learning model course. The interview data were analyzed and divided into 3 categories and 10 subcategories according to the six-step thematic analysis method proposed by Braun and Clarke. The results of analyzing the interviews were considered based on three areas: preparation before learning, the process of collaborating as a cooperative learning experience, and solutions and expectations after learning. The participants felt frustrated because collaborative problem-solving took more time for individual learning than traditional methods did and would not allow them to check the correct answers immediately. However, they gained new experiences by solving problems and engaging in discussions within their learning community. The participants' expectations included material that could help their learning, measures to prevent free-riders, and consideration of the learning process in evaluation factors. Although this study has sample limitations by targeting nursing students in only one region, it can be used to help operate collaborative problem-solving classes, as it reflects the real experiences and opinions of students.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2005

The following conclusions are drawn from the review on the frequent urination of old people in perspective of Hyungsang medicine: Frequent urination is a difficulty in urination that is often common to old people. Frequent urination is one of the symptoms occurred when the nine body orifices do not operate normally because Jung(精) and Blood(血) are exhausted with ages. Frequent urination is brought by the deficiency of kidney, bladder and lung's Ki. In six meridian type persons, Yangmyung meridian type persons are most often afflicted with frequent urination because earth checks water(土克水). Persons with big cheek bones are easy to be caught by frequent urination due to the consumption of Jung(精) and Blood(血). Frequent urination is the source of geriatric diseases so that it should be treated preferentially. Frequent urination of old people should be treated with tonic prescription(補劑).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.13
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• pp.5111-5116
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• 2014

Computed Tomography Colonography (CTC) is a medical imaging technology used in identifying polyps and colon cancer masses in the large intestine. The technique has evolved a great deal since its invention and has become a routine diagnostic procedure in Western countries due to its non invasiveness and ease of use. The objective of our study was to explore the possibility of CTC application in Indian hospitals. This paper gives an overview of the procedure and its commercial viability. The explanation begins with the domain aspects from gastroenterologist perspective, the new way of thinking in polyp classification, the technical components of CTC procedure, and how engineering solutions have helped clinicians in solving the complexities involved in colon diagnosis. The colon cancer statistics in India and the results of single institution study we carried out with retrospective data is explained. By considering the increasing number of patients developing colon malignancies, the practicality of CTC in Indian hospitals is discussed. This paper does not reveal any technical aspects (algorithms) of engineering solutions implemented in CTC.