• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.183-191
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• 2010

Dry mouth is easily neglected if not associated with oral diseases. Consequently, xerostomatic patients often use unconventional therapies. In traditional Korean medicine, Korean red ginseng (KRG) has long been used to relieve dry mouth. However, no clinical trials have investigated whether KRG actually has an effect on dry mouth. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of KRG for dry mouth. We enrolled 100 volunteers with no obvious oral or salivary gland diseases and divided them into KRG and placebo groups. Each group was divided into six subgroups according to age and gender. The subjects received 6 g/day of KRG or placebo for 8 weeks. The dry mouth visual analog scale (VAS), salivary flow rate, and a dry mouth-related symptom questionnaire were evaluated at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks. KRG treatment did not show any significant differences for any of the variables. However, KRG improved the dry mouth VAS at 4 weeks and dry mouthrelated symptoms at 8 weeks in women, but not in men. Subgroup analyses revealed that KRG markedly improved the dry mouth VAS in women of menopausal age (40 to 59 years) at 4 and 8 weeks. KRG may have beneficial effects for dry mouth in women, especially those of menopausal age, but not in men. Further investigation in post- and perimenopausal women is required to elaborate on these findings.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.212-218
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• 2010

Korean red ginseng (KRG) has been shown to enhance endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in experimental animals; however, little is known about its pharmacological effects on vascular stiffness in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial was carried out to determine whether KRG has beneficial effects on arterial stiffness, cardiovascular risk factors such as plasma lipid profiles and blood pressure (BP), and Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) activity. Twenty patients (mean age, 62.5 years) with stable angina pectoris were given KRG (2.7 g/day) and a placebo alternatively for 10 weeks. Blood biochemical analysis and pulse wave velocity (PWV) recording were performed on day 0 and after the completion of each treatment. ROCK activity was assessed based on the level of phospho-$Thr^{853}$ in the myosin-binding subunit of myosin light chain phosphatase, determined by Western blot analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. KRG significantly decreased the systolic BP, brachial ankle PWV, and heart femoral PWV in the patients (all p<0.05), but did not significantly alter the serum lipid profiles, including triglycerides and total, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The ROCK activity tended to decrease (p=0.068) following KRG treatment. The placebo did not significantly alter any of the variables. In conclusion, KRG decreased systolic BP and arterial stiffness, probably via the inhibition of ROCK activity, in patients with CAD, but had a neutral effect on serum lipid profiles. Our data suggest that KRG has a therapeutic effect on CAD.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.209-219
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• 2004

Objective : This study was designed to compare acupuncture sensation index among three different acupuncture devices. Methods : A, B and C acupuncture devices were inserted into Quchi(LI 11) of the subjects. After 5 minutes the subjects completed a questionnaire rating the intensity of 21 kinds of acupuncture sensation; hurting, penetrating, sharp, aching, intense, spreading, radiating, tingling, pricking, stinging, pulling, heavy, dull, numb, electric, shocking, hot, burning, cool, pulsing, and throbbing. We compared subjective evaluations of acupuncture sensation among the groups. Results : The acupuncture sensation index when administrated among three different acupuncture devices(A, B and C) was not significantly different. The acupuncture sensation of B acupuncture devices showed significant difference than A or C in Spreading, Dull, Numb item. But, the other items of acupuncture sensation were not significantly different among three acupuncture devices. Conclusions : We found that acupuncture sensation index when administrated among three different acupuncture devices. Further study is needed to know different acupuncture sensation among acupuncture devices.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.76-85
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of $21^{\circ}C\;CO_2$ and $37^{\circ}C\;CO_2$ pneumoperitoneum on body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and acid-base balance. Methods: Data were collected at a 1300-bed university hospital in Incheon, from February through September 2012. A total of 74 patients who underwent laparoscopic colectomy under general anesthesia with desflurane were randomly allocated to either a control group or an experimental group. The control group received $21^{\circ}C\;CO_2$ pneumoperitoneum; the experimental group received $37^{\circ}C\;CO_2$ pneumoperitoneum. The pneumoperitoneum of the two groups was under abdominal pressure 15 mmHg. Body temperature, systolic blood pressure, heart rate and acid-base balance were assessed at 30 minutes and 90 minutes after pneumoperitoneum, and again at 30 minutes after arriving at the Post Anesthesia Care Unit. Results: Body temperature in the $37^{\circ}C\;CO_2$ pneumoperitoneum group was significantly higher (F= 9.43, p< .001) compared to the $21^{\circ}C\;CO_2$ group. However, there were no statistically significant differences in systolic blood pressure (p= .895), heart rate (p= .340), pH (p= .231), PaCO2 (p= .490) and HCO3- (p= .768) between the two groups. Conclusion: Pneumoperitoneum of $37^{\circ}C\;CO_2$ is effective for the increase of body temperature compared to pneumoperitonium of $21^{\circ}C\;CO_2$, and it does not result in a decrease of blood pressure, heart rate or acid-base imbalance.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.376-382
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• 2011

The results from eight clinical studies demonstrate that citalopram and escitalopram could be an effective option in the treatment of hot flashes with tolerable adverse effects. However, there are limitations in the above studies. The inclusion criteria of 2 studies reviewed in this paper was breast cancer patients, so it's hard to apply the results to the general population in clinical practice. Also 4 studies had less than 50 subjects included, and the duration of study was 8 weeks or less in 7 studies reviewed in this paper. Moreover, only 4 studies were randomized, placebo-controlled trials (3 for citalopram and 1 for escitalopram). Therefore, further randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies with the general population should be needed to use citalopram and escitalopram for the treatment of hot flashes in clinical practice.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.117-120
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• 2013

Background: Desflurane has very short induction time because its physical characteristics. But its pungent odor and tendency to irritate the upper airway make it unsuitable for induction of anesthesia. This study was performed to determine what time is prefer to start the desflurane inhalation. Methods: Forty adults (17-45 years) were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind study. Twenty start desflurane inhalation just after loss of consciousness, and the others received desflurane after intubation. We monitored vital signs, BIS, desflurane concentration, rocuronium injection pain response, and airway irritation signs. Results: The demographic data were not different two groups. Early inhalation group showed more stable cardiovascular response than that of late inhalation group. But rocuronium injection pain response and airway irritation sings were not different between two groups. Conclusions: Early inhalation of desflurane (6 vol%) just after loss of consciousness attenuates cardiovascular responses during intubation.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.377-388
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• 1998

This double-blind controlled clinical and microbiological study was carried out to determine the effects of mouthwash preparation containing the mixture of herbal extract on developing plaque and gingivitis in the experimental gingivitis model. Following a 2-week normalization period, 34 dental students were distributed randomly into 1 of 3 treatment groups. They rinsed, under supervision, two times daily for 3 weeks with either normal saline(CT), 0.1% chlorhexidine(CH), or the mixture of herbal extract (HT), but refrained from any oral hygiene measures. The Plaque Index(PlI), the Gingival Index(GI), and the amount of Gingival Crevicular Fluid(GCF) were measured at week 0,1,2, and 3 of the experimental period, while the assessment of total wet weight of plaque and the phase contrast microscopic examination of plaque were performed at the end of experimental period(3 weeks). Subjects using mouthrinse preparation containing the mixture of herbal extract demonstrated negligible, if any, changes in the accumulation and microbial composition of plaque compared to those using normal saline, while the reduction of gingival inflammation by this mixture was highly significant and comparable to that of chlorhexidine. The results of this study indicate that the preparation containing the mixture of herbal extract do not provide any antiplaque benefits but is very effective in inhibiting the development of and in reducing existing experimental gingivitis when used as mouthrinse. Further research is needed to determine whether a significant reduction of gingival inflammation without a concomitant decrease in plaque accumulation is of clinical importance.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.134-140
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• 2014

Purpose: Triphala is a combination of three medicinal plants, extensively used in Ayurveda since ancient times. Triphala mouthwash is used in the treatment of periodontal diseases because of its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of triphala mouthwash with 0.2% chlorhexidine in hospitalized periodontal disease patients. Methods: In this double-blind, randomized, multicenter clinical trial, 120 patients were equally divided into three groups. Patients in group A were advised to rinse their mouths with 10 mL of distilled water, group B with 0.2% chlorhexidine, and group C with triphala mouthwash for 1 minute twice daily for two weeks. The plaque index (PI) and the gingival index (GI) were recorded on the first and the fifteenth day. Results: There was no significant difference when the efficacy of triphala was compared with 0.2% chlorhexidine in hospitalized patients with periodontal disease. However, a statistically significant difference was observed in PI and GI when both group B and group C were compared with group A and also within groups B and C, after 15 days (P<0.05). Conclusions: The triphala mouthwash (herbal) is an effective antiplaque agent like 0.2% chlorhexidine. It is significantly useful in reducing plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation, thereby controlling periodontal diseases in every patient. It is also cost effective, easily available, and well tolerable with no reported side effects.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.47-59
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• 2018

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical and microbiological effects of the local use of egg yolk immunoglobulin against Porphyromonas gingivalis (anti-P.g. IgY) as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) in the treatment of moderate to severe chronic periodontitis. Methods: This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial involving 60 systematically healthy patients with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis. Subjects (n=20/group) were randomly assigned to receive SRP combined with subgingival irrigation of anti-P.g. IgY and anti-P.g. IgY mouthwash, subgingival irrigation of 0.2% chlorhexidine and 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash, or subgingival irrigation of placebo and placebo mouthwash for 4 weeks. Probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing, and the plaque index were evaluated at baseline and at 4 weeks. Subgingival plaque, gingival crevicular fluid, and saliva were simultaneously collected for microbiological analysis. Results: Our results showed that anti-P.g. IgY mouthwash was as effective as chlorhexidine at improving clinical parameters over a 4-week period. All the groups showed a significant reduction in levels of P.g. at 4 weeks. No significant difference was observed in the test group when compared to placebo regarding the reduction in the levels of P.g. Anti-P.g. IgY significantly suppressed the numbers of red complex bacteria (RCB) in subgingival plaque and saliva in comparison with placebo. No adverse effects were reported in any of the subjects. Conclusions: Within the limitations of the study, the present investigation showed that passive immunization with anti-P.g. IgY may prove to be effective in the treatment of chronic periodontitis due to its ability to improve clinical parameters and to reduce RCB. No significant differences were found between the anti-P.g. IgY and placebo groups in the reduction of P.g.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.56.2-56.2
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• 2016

We present a multi-aperture photometry pipeline for DEEP-South (Deep Ecliptic Patrol of the Southern Sky) time-series data, written in C. The pipeline is designed to do robust high-precision photometry and calibration of non-crowded fields with a varying point-spread function, allowing for the wholesale search and characterization of both temporal and spatial variabilities. Our time-series photometry method consists of three parts: (i) extracting all point sources with several pixel/blind parameters, (ii) determining the optimized aperture for each source where we consider whether the measured flux within the aperture is contaminated by unwanted artifacts, and (iii) correcting position-dependent variations in the PSF shape across the mosaic CCD. In order to provide faster access to the resultant catalogs, we also utilize an efficient indexing technique using compressed bitmap indices (FastBit). Lastly, we focus on the development and application of catalog-based searches that aid the identification of high-probable single events from the indexed database. This catalog-based approach is still useful to identify new point-sources or moving objects in non-crowded fields. The performance of the pipeline is being tested on various sets of time-series data available in several archives: DEEP-South asteroid survey and HAT-South/MMT exoplanet survey data sets.