• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.188-200
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• 2023

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) disease is a condition in which the stomach contents return to the larynx and pharynx via the esophagus, causing mucosal injury. While conventional treatments, such as proton pump inhibitors, have limitations, acupuncture has been shown to reduce LPR symptoms. However, its effectiveness has not been systematically assessed. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating LPR. We review 10 electronic databases with a consistent search strategy, and 2 independent reviewers screened the articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. This study selected and analyzed 7 randomized controlled trials after the screening to assess primary outcomes, including reflux symptom index and reflux finding score, and secondary outcomes, including upper and lower esophageal sphincter pressure. The results revealed the statistically significant effectiveness of acupuncture in combination with conventional treatment in reducing LPR symptoms compared with conventional treatment alone. The most commonly used acupuncture points were CV22, ST36, and LR3. However, the meta-analysis demonstrated low reliability, as assessed using the GRADE Tool. Further research is needed to improve the evidence and draw clear conclusions regarding the clinical use of acupuncture for treating LPR.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.201-213
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• 2023

This study reviewed clinical papers reported on hemifacial spasm (HFS). Six online databases were searched for clinical papers published between January 2000 and December 2022. This study reviewed 14 studies, including 13 case reports and 1 combination of case reports and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The most frequently used acupoints were ST7 and TE17, and the stomach meridian was the most frequently selected. Herbal medicine, pharmacopuncture, thread embedding acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, and physical therapy were combined with acupuncture. The most frequently used evaluation method is Scott's scale. Out of 95 cases, 82 reported improved HFS symptoms after treatment. Our findings indicated the effectiveness of Korean Medicine treatment in treating HFS. However, evidence of efficacy and safety remains insufficient. Large-scale and well-designed investigations will be required in the future to corroborate these results. We believe that this paper will serve as the foundation for future RCTs.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.370-379
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• 2022

Abusive head trauma (AHT) is the most severe form of physical abuse in children. Such injury involves traumatic damage to the head and/or spine of infants and young children. The term AHT was introduced to include a wider range of injury mechanisms, such as intentional direct blow, throw, and even penetrating trauma by perpetuator(s). Currently, it is recommended to replace the former term, shaken baby syndrome, which implicates shaking as the only mechanism, with AHT to include diverse clinical and radiological manifestations. The consequences of AHT cause devastating medical, social and financial burdens on families, communities, and victims. The potential harm of AHT to the developing brain and spinal cord of the victims is tremendous. Many studies have reported that the adverse effects of AHT are various and serious, such as blindness, mental retardation, physical limitation of daily activities and even psychological problems. Therefore, appropriate vigilance for the early recognition and diagnosis of AHT is highly recommended to stop and prevent further injuries. The aim of this review is to summarize the relevant evidence concerning the early recognition and diagnosis of AHT. To recognize this severe type of child abuse early, all health care providers maintain a high index of suspicion and vigilance. Such suspicion can be initiated with careful and thorough history taking and physical examinations. Previously developed clinical prediction rules can be helpful for decision-making regarding starting an investigation when considering meaningful findings. Even the combination of biochemical markers may be useful to predict AHT. For a more confirmative evaluation, neuroradiological imaging is required to find AHT-specific findings. Moreover, timely consultation with ophthalmologists is needed to find a very specific finding, retinal hemorrhage.

• Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.235-243
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• 2018

Treatment of schizophrenia has as its ultimate goals, the functional recovery of the patients and improvement of their quality of life. While antipsychotic medication is the fundamental method for treating schizophrenia, it has certain limitations in terms of treating the illness beyond its positive symptoms. Therefore, psychosocial intervention should be used in tandem with pharmacological methods in treating schizophrenia. The efficacy of several modes of psychosocial intervention for improving outcomes in schizophrenia is well attested. Approximately 10 modes of psychosocial intervention have been recommended based on existing evidence, including family intervention, cognitive behavioral therapy, supported employment, early intervention services, lifestyle intervention for physical health enhancement, treatment of comorbid substance abuse, assertive community treatment, cognitive remediation, social skills training, and peer support. Ideally, these interventions are offered to patients in combination with one another. Over the last decade, increased emphasis has been placed on early detection and intervention, with particular focus on long-term recovery. Early intervention with comprehensive psychosocial interventions should be enacted promptly from the initial detection of schizophrenia.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.9-19
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• 2023

Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides are crucial functional starters and predominant isolates in a wide range of fermented foods, particularly kimchi, whose constituents exhibit bioactive properties. We previously developed a methodology using anion exchange resins to purify peptidyl compounds from Lb. plantarum LBP-K10. Antibacterial cultures of Lb. plantarum LBP-K10 were obtained from the respective cultures' supernatants and filtrates. However, conclusive evidence of the efficacy of kimchi filtrates in eradicating pathogenic bacteria is lacking. We aimed to simulate the potential effects of antibacterial filtrates that contained antibacterial compounds which were derived from cultures of Lb. plantarum LBP-K10. We acquired the kimchi filtrates using a combination of centrifugation and filtration methodologies, without the requirement for inoculation. The filtered liquid from Chinese cabbage kimchi, inoculated with Lb. plantarum LBP-K10 as a starter culture, and the non-inoculated liquid from Chinese cabbage kimchi (referred to as CCK and CCKRef, respectively) were were examined. CCK demonstrated greater inhibitory activity and a more significant bactericidal effect against the bacterial indicator strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration demonstrated comparable outcomes in tests against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This research offers a groundbreaking examination that displays the effectiveness of profiling peptidyl compounds within kimchi filtrates for curing bacterial infections.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.3-15
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• 2024

The prevalence of intrabony defects in patients with advanced periodontitis stages III and IV is high. These patients usually need both periodontal treatment and orthodontic therapy, including tooth movement through bone defects, to improve masticatory function, aesthetics, and overall quality of life. Clinical practice guidelines recommend periodontal regenerative surgical interventions to resolve these defects and propose initiating orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) once periodontal therapy goals have been met. Surgical interventions using various regenerative technologies like barrier membranes and enamel matrix proteins, combined or not with bone replacement grafts, have proven effective in regenerating lost periodontal tissues. However, the combination of periodontal and orthodontic treatments requires consideration of how periodontal regenerative therapies influence OTM. Studies suggest that regenerated bone may differ in density, composition, vascularity, and cellular activity, potentially affecting the speed and efficiency of OTM, and potential root resorption of moved teeth. Understanding the sequence and timing of implementing OTM after regenerative periodontal interventions is crucial due to their interlinked processes of bone resorption and formation. This narrative review aims to uncover scientific evidence regarding these combined treatments, examining the impacts of different regenerative technologies on OTM and delineating their advantages, limitations, and best practices.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.5.1-5.22
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• 2022

The approval of immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), adoptive cell therapies and cancer vaccines has revolutionized the way cancer treatment is approached. While immunotherapies have improved clinical outcome in a variety of tumor types, some cancers have proven harder to combat using single agents, underscoring the need for multi-targeted immunotherapy approaches. Efficacy of CPIs and cancer vaccines requires patients to have a competent immune system with adequate cell numbers while the efficacy of adoptive cellular therapy is limited by the expansion and persistence of cells after infusion. A promising strategy to overcome these challenges is combination treatment with common gamma-chain cytokines. Gamma-chain cytokines play a critical role in the survival, proliferation, differentiation and function of multiple immune cell types, including CD8 T-cells and NK cells, which are at the center of the anti-tumor response. While the short halflife of recombinant cytokines initially limited their application in the clinic, advancements in protein engineering have led to the development of several next-generation drug candidates with dramatically increased half-life and bioactivity. When combining these cytokines with other immunotherapies, strong evidence of synergy has been observed in preclinical and clinical cancer settings. This promising data has led to the initiation of 70 ongoing clinical trials including IL-2, IL-7, IL-15 and IL-21. This review summarizes the recent advancements of common gamma-chain cytokines and their potential as a cancer immunotherapy.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2012

To evaluate the effects of n-3 and n-9 fatty acid combination on broiler chicks, diets containing the combinations of five different fat sources including flaxseed oil, fish oil, EPA, DHA and olive oil were provided, and all chicks were processed at 4 weeks of growth. Liver, breast and thigh samples were collected and fatty acid composition and/or CIE $L^*$, $a^*$ and $b^*$ measurement were measured. Also, live chick and liver weights were weighed and the ratio was provided as an evidence of fat accumulation in liver. No significant difference was determined in both live and liver weight ratio and liver color. EPA was low in FHO as compared to livers from others. In contrast, DHA was significantly high in FHO. In broiler breasts derived from FDO, AA and n-3 fatty acid content was high, but only numerical differences of EPA and DHA were determined in breasts from FDO. The thighs from FHO showed high in EPA, DHA and n-3 fatty acid content but had low in AA and n-6 to n-3 ratio. Therefore, the results indicate that broiler chicken diets containing either FDO or FHO may be possible combination diets increasing n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in broiler chicks.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.185-189
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• 2001

Background: Cervical metastasis of unknown origin is defined as histologic evidence of malignancy in the cervical lymph nodes with no apparent primary site of origin for the metastatic tumor. Patients and Methods: A retrospective review of 20 cervical metastasis of unknown origin diagnosed and managed between january 1989 and December 1999 at the Korea University was undertaken to determine outcome. Patient age ranged 46 to 78 years (mean 60). There were 17 men and 3 women. The aim of this study is to ananlyze the diagnostic approach and the result of treatment of the cervical metastasis of unknown origin. Result: Histopathologically, squamous cell carcinoma (15 case, 75%) were the most common, followed by adenocarcinoma (4 case, 20%), undifferentiated carcinoma (1 case, 5%) According to the criteria of the AJCC on staging, N1 was 2 cases, N2a 2 cases, N2b 5 cases, N2c 1 cases, N3 10 cases. Overall survival rate for all patients at 2 years was 45% and 5 years 25%, and in the combination therapy(surgery and radiotherapy group (12 cases)) it was 67% and 34% respectively, high compared with other treatment modality such as surgery or radiotherapy alone. In extracapsular spread positive group, 5 year survival rate was 12%, but was 33% in the extracapsular spread negative group. Conclusion: With no stastatical significance, extracapsular spread group was poor outcome in our study. Combination of radiotherapy and surgery was more effective treatment result than surgery alone or radiotherapy alone in our study. But, overall prognosis of cervical metastasis of unknown origin was very poor despite aggressive treatment (5 year survival rate: 25%).

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2015

Purpose: There is a fair amount of evidence indicating that increased risk of obesity and insulin resistance is associated with postmenopausal state, but can be modulated by diet and exercise. In this study, we explored whether a Pueraria lobata root-based supplement containing Rehmannia glutinosa (PR) and/or aerobic treadmill exercise can modify the metabolic changes associated with estrogen deficiency. Methods: Seventy rats were randomly assigned to the following groups for 8 weeks (n=10 per group): SHAM, sham-operated; PR0, ovariectomized (OVX) control; PR200, OVX with PR200 mg/kg B.W; PR400, OVX with PR400 mg/kg B.W; EPR0, OVX with exercise; EPR200, OVX with exercise and PR200 mg/kg B.W; EPR400, OVX with exercise and PR400 mg/kg B.W. Results: OVX induced significant increases in body weight, food intake, fat mass, LDL-cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose, confirming induction of menopausal symptoms. PR supplementation or exercise significantly suppressed the above mentioned changes through different regulatory elements in adipose tissue: PR supplement upregulated adiponectin gene expression and aerobic exercise upregulated adiponectin and insulin receptor gene expression and a combination of PR supplement and aerobic exercise showed an additive effect on adiponectin gene expression. Conclusion: Taken together, the results of this study suggest that PR supplement has a potential to provide health benefits in OVX rats through leptin and adiponectin secretion. In addition, the data suggest that combination of exercise and PR would have additive effects on metabolic dysfunction associated with estrogen deficiency.