• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.276-284
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• 2021

Purpose: The aim of this randomized clinical trial was to assess whether chemical cleansing using a sulfonic/sulfuric acid gel solution (HBX) as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) resulted in a decrease in residual plaque and calculus in deep periodontal pockets compared to SRP alone. Methods: Fifty-six patients with 56 hopeless posterior teeth, scheduled for extraction due to severe periodontitis, were enrolled in this study. Each tooth was randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 experimental procedures. The test teeth were subjected to the irrigation of the subgingival area with HBX for 2 minutes, followed by SRP with hand and ultrasonic instruments for 14 minutes, and then extracted. The control teeth received only mechanical instrumentation before extraction. Residual biofilm was evaluated on photographs and measured as total area and percentage of root surface covered by remaining plaque (RP) or calculus (RC) after treatment. Results: The initial pocket depth (PD) and total subgingival root surface area were similar between the 2 treatment groups. After treatment, the total subgingival root area covered by RP and RC was statistically significantly larger (P<0.001) in the control group than in the test group. The test teeth showed a lower percentage of RP, but a higher percentage of RC than the control teeth (both P<0.001). Complete calculus removal was achieved in 42% of the control teeth surfaces and in 25% of the test teeth surfaces for a PD of 4 mm. Conclusions: The additional chemical cleansing with HBX resulted in a statistically significant improvement in bacterial plaque removal during SRP of deep pockets, but it was not effective in reducing calculus deposits.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.199-206
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• 2021

Objectives : This study aimed to compare the characteristics of suicide attempts among Korean patients with mixed and non-mixed depression. Methods : Patients who visited the emergency room due to a suicide attempt and participated in the Korean Cohort for the Model Predicting a Suicide and Suicide-related Behavior study were included. Using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), 111 patients were classified into the mixed depression (n=46) and non-mixed depression groups (n=65). The Koukopoulos Mixed Depression Rating Scale (KMDRS) score was calculated using the MADRS and YMRS scores. Suicide attempt characteristics were evaluated using the Columbia Suicidal Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) and Suicide Intent Scale (SIS). Results : In the mixed depression group, the reason item among the ideation intensity score of the C-SSRS was higher, and the deterrent item score was lower. Scores on the timing and suicide note items of the SIS were higher, and scores for overt communication items were lower in the mixed depression group. The KMDRS score was positively correlated with the C-SSRS ideation intensity and total SIS score. After adjusting for additional variables, the KMDRS scores had a significant effect on the C-SSRS ideation intensity and total SIS scores. Conclusions : The mixed depression group showed a difference in the intensity of suicidal ideation and suicidal intention compared to those in the non-mixed depression group. The overall suicidal ideation intensity and suicidal intention increased according to the degree of mixed depression.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.411-417
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• 2018

Last year, the elderly population aged 65 years and over exceeded 14.2 percent of the total population, and Korea has entered the ageing society. At the same time, social interest in improving the health level and quality of life in the elderly has also increased. In particular, pain is one of the most common diseases experienced by middle-aged and elderly people and is one of the factors that closely affect the quality of life. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors affecting the pain level and pain region of Korean medicine users and the use of Korean medicine in the Korean middle aged and elderly using the 6th Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA) panel. As a result, the main influencing factors of Korean medical care were subjective factors such as gender, subjective health status, and education level. In particular, half of the middle-aged and elderly who used Korean medicine experienced back and knee pain, and generally complained of low level of pain. This study suggests the need for research and development of Korean medicine that can control and relieve the pain of the middle-aged and elderly.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.196-205
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• 2019

Background: Hypertonic saline (HS) injections for decompressive neuroplasty (DN) can cause pain. We assessed whether a continuous infusion of HS through an infusion pump would reduce injection-related pain compared with repeated bolus administrations. Methods: Fifty patients scheduled for DN were randomized to either the bolus injection or the continuous infusion group. After appropriately placing the epidural catheter, 4 mL of 5% NaCl was injected as four boluses of 1 mL each at 15-minute intervals or infused over 1 hour using an infusion pump. The severity of pain induced by HS injection, as measured by the 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS), was the primary outcome. The severity of low back or lower extremity pain, as measured by the 11-point NRS and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), 3 months following the procedure, was the secondary outcome. Results: Data from 21 patients in the bolus group and 23 in the continuous infusion group were analyzed. No statistically significant difference in injection-related pain was identified between the two groups during the initial HS administration (P = 0.846). However, there was a statistically significant reduction in injection-related pain in the continuous infusion group compared to the bolus injection group from the second assessment onwards (P = 0.001, < 0.001, and < 0.001, respectively). No significant between-group differences in the NRS and ODI scores 3 months post-procedure were noted (P = 0.614 and 0.949, respectively). Conclusions: Our study suggests that administering HS through a continuous infusion is a useful modality for reducing HS injection-related pain during DN.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.74-78
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• 2019

Objective: Myofascial release (MFR) is used to restore tissue extensibility of the fascia tissue and is considered to be useful in a number of clinical settings, such as low back pain (LBP). Dynamic myofascial release (DMFR) is the manual therapy, which combined the conventional MFR with the joint mobilization. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the DMFR on trunk mobility, and furthermore, whether the increase of trunk mobility can carry over the improvement of dynamic standing balance in persons with chronic nonspecific LBP. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Thirty persons with chronic non-specific LBP participated in the study and were randomly assigned to the DMFR group (n=15) or the control group (n=15). DMFR was performed for two sessions (15 minutes/session) per week for four weeks for the treatment group. Both the DMFR and control groups were allowed to perform low-intensity physical activities during the treatment period. The Modified-modified $Sch{\ddot{o}}ber$ test (MMST) for trunk mobility and the Functional Reach Test (FRT) for dynamic standing balance were measured before and after the treatment period in both the DMFR group and the control group. Results: The MMST value of DMFR group increased significantly in all trunk range of motion (flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation) after treatment, compared with the control group (p<0.05). Additionally, the FRT value of the DMFR group improved significantly after treatment, compared with the control group (p<0.05). Conclusions: We suggest that DMFR have a positive effect on trunk mobility and standing balance in persons with chronic LBP.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.75-83
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• 2019

Objectives Previous animal studies have shown that mixtures of Cynanchum wilfordii and Phlomis umbrosa extract (IPLUS-CWPU) increases femur length and insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) secretion. IPLUS-CWPU may thus be a promising ingredient in functional foods aimed at growing child's height. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of IPLUS-CWPU on height growth in children with short stature. Methods For this purpose, we recruited 90 children aged 4 to 12 years who had heights ranging from the 5th to 25th percentiles of Korean children's growth curve and randomized to either the IPLUS-CWPU or the placebo group. Results The IPLUS-CWPU group showed a significant increase in the change of the height growth compared to the placebo group after 20 weeks of administration (p=0.02). The height growth velosity also showed a statistically significant difference in the test group compared to the placebo group at 10 weeks (p=0.04). The IGF-1 levels showed a tendency to increase in the IPLUS-CWPU group (p=0.08). Moreover, the IPLUS-CWPU significantly increased IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio (p=0.02). However, there were no significant differences in blood biochemical parameters including growth hormone, bone age, thyroid stimulating hormone, and osteocalcin levels. Conclusions In conclusion, the data of this trial indicate that IPLUS-CWPU is effective and safe, generally well-tolerated without severe adverse events, in the treatment of children with short stature over a 20 weeks period.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.162-170
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• 2019

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of probiotics and zinc supplements on the mean duration and frequency of acute diarrhea in children aged 6 months to 2 years. Methods: In this clinical trial of infants aged between 6 months and 2 years, eligible patients were divided into 3 groups: Zinc Receiving Group (ZRG), Probiotic Receiving Group (PRG), and a control group receiving supportive care alone. The frequency of diarrhea was evaluated in the test groups during the first 24 hours and 48-72 hours, along with the duration of hospitalization and diarrhea persistence for 3-7 days. Results: Diarrhea persisted for until the third day of admission in 100% of the infants in PRG compared with only 76.1% in ZRG. The relative risk of diarrhea persistence in the PRG was 1.31 times more than in ZRG until the third day. Also, 80% of diarrhea cases in the PRG persisted until the fourth day of admission, compared with 47.8% in the ZRG group, and this value was significant. The relative incidence of diarrhea persistence in the PRG was 36.4 times greater than in the ZRG until the day 4. Also, the percentage of post-treatment complications was 35.5% in the PRG and 2.6% in the ZRG, which was significant. Conclusion: In our study, the effectiveness of zinc at a dose of 20 mg was higher than that of probiotics. The complications associated with zinc supplementation were lower than those of probiotics.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.9-22
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• 2019

Background: The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of topical fluoride gel application on dental caries prevention in the permanent teeth of children and adolescents. Methods: We searched the EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of self-applied or professionally applied topical fluoride gels in patients <18 years of age; the search was completed on April 1, 2018. All included trials involved an experimental group (fluoride gel application) and a control group (placebo or no treatment). The outcome measures were the D(M)FS and D(M)FT indices, which were compared between the two groups. Review Manager software was used for quantitative synthesis of the final selected articles, and a forest plot was generated via a meta-analysis conducted using a random effects model. Results: The results showed that the D(M)FS and D(M)FT indices were lower in the fluoride application group than in the control group, thus indicating that fluoride gel application was effective in dental caries prevention. We also performed a subgroup analysis to determine whether the effects of fluoride application differed if patients received oral prophylaxis (self or professional) before fluoride gel application. Therefore, the two groups showed slightly larger differences when studies without oral prophylaxis before fluoride gel application were considered; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: These findings should be utilized to raise awareness about the caries-prevention effects of topical fluoride application among patients and guardians. Further RCTs should evaluate the effects of fluoride application with or without preceding oral prophylaxis, and appropriate fluoride application guidelines should be developed to maximize the effects of fluoride application in clinical practice.

• The Korean journal of helicobacter and upper gastrointestinal research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.150-156
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• 2018

Precision medicine stands for 4Ps - precise, preventive, participatory, and personal; in which "precision" is important because the current modern medicine starts from "trial and error," and "one does not fit all". Current targeted therapies for cancer have changed treatment approaches and led the precision medicine; however, clinical use of liquid biopsy, using blood or other liquid specimens to characterize circulating tumor cells (CTC) or tumor genes instead of biopsies of tumor tissues, still awaits availability of more information regarding non-invasive cancer detection and characterization, prediction of treatment response, monitoring the disease course and relapse possibilities, identification of mechanisms of drug resistance, and newer pathogenesis. In this review, we will introduce the basic concept of CTC, circulating cell free DNA, and exosomes and their possible application for gastric cancer relevant with Helicobacter pylori infection.

• Korean Journal of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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• v.61 no.12
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• pp.658-662
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• 2018

Background and Objectives The early assessment of treatment is not done for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) since the well-known phenomenon of fatigability after a repeated positional test can mimic successful treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical implication of 'fatigability' after Epley maneuver and to identify the therapeutic efficacy of Epley maneuver in posterior canal BPPV (PC-BPPV). Subjects and Method This study was prospectively conducted by two dizziness clinics on 51 consecutive patients diagnosed with PC-BPPV. All patients included in the study received Epley maneuver treatment. The therapeutic results were reassessed immediately after a single trial of Epley maneuver. After 30 minutes, results were reassessed repeatedly to confirm the fatigability of diagnostic procedure immediately after treatment. If the treatment was not successful after 30 minutes, Epley maneuver was repeatedly performed until complete resolution. Results Immediately after the first maneuver, 45 of 51 (88.2%) patients had neither vertigo nor nystagmus during the positional test. All patients demonstrated complete resolution after receiving one to three Epley maneuvers on the day of diagnosis. 'Fatigability (false negative result)' was confirmed for only one case (1 of 6 patients, 16.7%), in which nystagmus was observed after 30 minutes but not identified immediately after the first Epley maneuver. Conclusion The therapeutic efficacy of Epley maneuver is very high in PC-BPPV. Considering the possibility of fatigability when reassessment is performed immediately after therapeutic maneuver, clinicians should avoid assessing the outcome immediately after treatment in patients with PC-BPPV.