• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.9 no.10
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• pp.3965-3982
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• 2015

Event detection is one of the key issues in many wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. The uncertainties that are derived from the instability of sensor node, measurement noise and incomplete sampling would influence the performance of event detection to a large degree. Many of the present researches described the sensor readings with crisp values, which cannot adequately handle the uncertainties inhered in the imprecise sensor readings. In this paper, a fault-tolerant event detection algorithm is proposed based on Dempster-Shafer (D-S) theory (also called evidence theory). Instead of crisp values, all possible states of the event are represented by the Basic Probability Assignment (BPA) functions, with which the output of each sensor node are characterized as weighted evidences. The combination rule was subsequently applied on each sensor node to fuse the evidences gathered from the neighboring nodes to make the final decision on whether the event occurs. Simulation results show that even 20% nodes are faulty, the accuracy of the proposed algorithm is around 80% for event region detection. Moreover, 97% of the error readings have been corrected, and an improved detection capability at the boundary of the event region is gained by 75%. The proposed algorithm can enhance the detection accuracy of the event region even in high error-rate environment, which reflects good reliability and robustness. The proposed algorithm is also applicable to boundary detection as it performs well at the boundary of the event.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.159-169
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• 2022

Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is a term that applies to symptoms such as persistent or recurring low back pain, paresthesia, sciatica, or numbness after spine surgery. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been reported to have excellent analgesic effects although there have been no systematic reviews on the effects of EA on FBSS. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of EA on FBSS was conducted. Eight databases were searched for studies that used EA for FBSS and 7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. RCTs of EA as combination therapy for FBSS compared with conventional treatment demonstrated improvement in the level of pain, lumbar functional scale scores, and quality of life. However, meta-analysis showed that reduction in pain was not statistically significant, while evaluation of lumbar function significantly improved, although the quality of evidence in the RCTs was generally low. RCTs comparing EA alone with conventional treatment demonstrated an improved level of pain, lumbar function, and effective rate of treatment. Meta-analysis showed that pain was significantly decreased in the EA alone group compared with the control group, although the quality of evidence was low. To improve the quality of evidence, high-quality RCTs are required in the future.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.523-538
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• 2009

Recently, there has been a keen demand for real-time automatic monitoring of VOCs not only in Korea but other developed countries. We carried out this study to evaluate and to optimize the performance of a continuous automatic monitoring system for hazardous VOCs (HVOCs) in the ambient atmosphere, using an on-line GC system. The online system normally consisted of a Nafion dryer prior to a cold trap of an automatic thermal desorption apparatus and a GC system equipped with two detectors, i.e. PID and ECD. Preliminary tests conducted to check out any contamination of the system revealed an evidence of significant artifact formation of benzene, and it was found that the Nafion dryer (even brand new one) is the source of the benzene artifact. Thus, all the subsequent experiments in this study was carried out inevitably by removing the Nafion dryer. The on-line GC method was investigated with a variety of QC/QA performance criteria such as repeatability, linearity, lower detection limits, and accuracy. In order to find out the best operating condition for the on-line GC system, three different types (in terms of adsorption strength) of cold trap combinations were tested, i.e. (i) Tenax-TA and Carbopack-B combination (weak and hydrophobic); (ii) Tenax-TA, Carbopack-X and Carboxen-1000 combination (strong and hydrophilic); and (iii) Tenax-TA and Carbopack-X combination (medium and hydrophobic/hydrophilic). The USEPA TO-17 manual method was selected as a reference method to evaluate the performance of the on-line method. A series of experiments revealed that the system performance was superior to others when a cold trap packed with hydrophilic adsorbents (Tenax-TA/Carbopack-X/Carboxen-1000 combination) was used and operated at $25^{\circ}C$. However, the system with a cold trap packed with a combination of Tenax-TA and Carbopack-X is more recommended for field applications since the carboxen-1000 adsorbent is too sensitive to water vapor, and hence the performance of the system might be very unstable to humid samples or during rainy days. Furthermore, the precision and accuracy criteria of the Tenax-TA/ Carbopack-X combination were generally compatible with the triple adsorbents cold trap. The continuous automatic monitoring method is, thus, considered very useful to real-time monitoring to understand the variations of VOCs concentrations in ambient air, as it adopts much simpler procedures in sampling, analysis, and data integration steps than manual monitoring methods. However, it should be noted that there is a high possibility of benzene artifacts formation through the Nafion dryer, which is often installed to remove water vapor in air samples before being adsorbed onto the cold trap. Therefore, if a Nafion dryer is used in any studies of monitoring VOCs, the benzene contamination should be carefully examined before carrying out obtaining the data.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2012

Objectives : This experimental study was designed to investigate the inhibitory effects of combination with Korean red ginseng and Gastrodia rhizoma on vascular dysfunction in high-fat/cholesterol diet-induced hyperlipidemia. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with 7.5% cocoa butter and 1.25% cholesterol for 10 weeks, with Panax ginseng (PG), and mixtures of Panax ginseng and Gastrodia rhizoma (PGM), respectively. Results : Chronic treatment with PG and PGM significantly decreased body weight. The aortic expression of cell adhesion molecules such as intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and E-selectin were markedly increased in hyperlipidemia rats. Interestingly, PGM significantly decreased cell adhesion molecules expression. However, there was no significant decrease in PG group. In addition, PG and PGM group inhibited high-fat/cholesterol diet-induced cytokine such as monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) mRNA expression. Furthermore, PG and PGM group significantly decreased c-reactive protein protein (CRP) level. Especially, PGM significantly accentuated the decrease of MCP-1 mRNA expression and CRP level. Conclusions : the present study provides an evidence that combination with Panax ginseng and Gastrodia rhizoma enhances anti-vascular protective effects through suppression of vascular inflammation in hyperlipidemic rats.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.90-108
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• 2020

Objectives The purpose of this study is to evaluate efficacy and safety of Mahaenggamsuktang for treating mycoplasma pneumonia in children based on the randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods Literatures were searched from OASIS, KISS, NDSL, CNKI, Cochrane, Embase and Pubmed, and the search was conducted on January 29, 2020. Only RCTs published since 2000 were included. Trials comparing Mahaenggamsuktang combined with antibiotics or antibiotics treatment alone for the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children were included. Results 17 trials, including 2,241 participants with mycoplasma pneumonia were included in this review. As a result of the meta-analysis, total effective rate of combination of Mahaggamsuktang and antibiotics was 1.24 times higher than that of the antibiotics alone, which was statistically significant. Symptoms with fever, lung sounds, cough, chest X-ray lesion findings, wheezing were also significantly reduced in the treatment group with Mahaenggamseoktang and antibiotics. Also, Serum CRP level was significantly lower with combination treatment. The incidence of adverse reactions was lower in the treatment group with Mahaenggamseoktang and antibiotics, but it was not statistically significant. Conclusions As a result of meta-analysis, combination treatment of Mahaenggamseoktang and antibiotics seems significantly effective for the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children. In order to have a higher level of evidence for efficacy and safety of Mahaenggamsuktang in treating mycoplasma pneumonia, additional RCTs with good qualities are required.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.188-202
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Brain aging is a major risk factor for severe neurodegenerative diseases. Conversely, L-histidine and L-carnosine are known to exhibit neuroprotective effects. The aim of this study was to examine the potential for L-histidine, L-carnosine, and their combination to mediate anti-brain aging effects in neuronal cells subjected to D-galactose-induced aging. MATERIALS/METHODS: The neuroprotective potential of L-histidine, L-carnosine, and their combination was examined in a retinoic acid-induced neuronal differentiated SH-SY5Y cell line exposed to D-galactose (200 mM) for 48 h. Neuronal cell proliferation, differentiation, and expression of anti-oxidant enzymes and apoptosis markers were subsequently evaluated. RESULTS: Treatment with L-histidine (1 mM), L-carnosine (10 mM), or both for 48 h efficiently improved the proliferation, neurogenesis, and senescence of D-galactose-treated SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, protein expression levels of both neuronal markers (β tubulin-III and neurofilament heavy protein) and anti-oxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase-1 and superoxide dismutase-1 were up-regulated. Conversely, protein expression levels of amyloid β (1-42) and cleaved caspase-3 were down-regulated. Levels of mRNA for the pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-8, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α were also down-regulated. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, we provide the first evidence that L-histidine, L-carnosine, and their combination mediate anti-aging effects in a neuronal cell line subjected to D-galactose-induced aging. These results suggest the potential benefits of L-histidine and L-carnosine as anti-brain aging agents and they support further research of these amino acid molecules.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a combined treatment regarding antimicrobial food ingredients and high pressure processing (HP) on the inactivation efficiency of Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes inoculated into ground pork. Ethanol extracted from garlic, leeks, onions, and ginger powder was prepared. Half of the prepared powder was irradiated at 5 kGy to see the effect of pasteurization before addition. The prepared food ingredients were added into radiation-sterilized ground pork (1%, w/w), and inoculated with E. coli and L. monocytogenes. The samples were vacuum-packed and applied with HP at 0.1 (control), 300, 450, and 600 MPa. Microbial log reduction increased with the increase of pressure up to 600 MPa. With minor exceptions, overall efficiency of HP treatment with regards to inactivation of pathogens increased. Inoculated microorganisms showed approximately 7-8 Log reductions by 600 MPa, except for L. monocytogenes treated with garlic (5.7 Log reductions). The E. coli reduction in ground pork mixed with ethanol extracted garlic showed the highest efficiency (1.86) compared to leeks (1.25-1.31), onions (1.17-1.44), and ginger (1.50-1.82) when treated at an HP of 450 MPa. There was no evidence for the advantage of pasteurization concerning the food ingredients before addition of antimicrobial food ingredients and HP. Results demonstrate that the combination of antimicrobial food ingredients and HP treatment may help improve the efficiency of sterilization in meat systems.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.304-312
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to assess the sedative effects of four kinds of medication for management in the uncooperative 64 children aged from 18 to 92 months(ASA class I) and weighting between 10 and 32 kg. They were given randomly a dose of chloral hydrate 75mg/kg and hydroxyzine 25mg orally(group 1), midazolam 0.1mg/kg intramuscularly and $N_2O$(group 2), group 1 with additional $N_2O$(group 3) and group 1 with additional midazolam 0.5cc intranasally(group 4), respectively. According to rating scale, sleep, crying, movement and overall behavior were checked for evaluation of the clinical sedative effects. They were restraind with Pediwrap and were monitored by pulse oximeter for safety during treatment period. The results were as follows : 1. In the evaluation of sleep, rating scale of chloral hydrate and hydroyzine combination group was superior to midazolam and $N_2O$ combination group(p<0.001), but there was no significant difference between chloral hydrate, hydroxyzine and $N_2O$ combination group and chloral hydrate, hydroxyzine and midazolam combination group. 2. In the evaluation of crying, movement and overall behavior, there were significant differences between chloral hydrate and hydroxyzine combination group and midazolam and $N_2O$ combination group(p<0.05), but no significant difference between chloral hydrate, hydroxyzine and $N_2O$ combination group and chloral hydrate, hydroxyzine and midazolam combination group. 3. In the evaluation of overall behavior, the mean score of chloral hydrate and hydroyzine combination group was 2.94, midazolam and $N_2O$ combination group 2.07, chloral hydrate, hydroxyzine and $N_2O$ combination group 2.47 and chloral hydrate, hydroxyzine and midazolam combination group 2.24, respectively. 4. Evidence of adverse effect was not detected or reported during and/or after dental treatment.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.599-610
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• 2023

According to recent evidence, ferroptosis is a major cell death mechanism in the pathogenesis of kidney injury and fibrosis. Despite the renoprotective effects of classical ferroptosis inhibitors, therapeutic approaches targeting kidney ferroptosis remain limited. In this study, we assessed the renoprotective effects of melatonin and zileuton as a novel therapeutic strategy against ferroptosis-mediated kidney injury and fibrosis. First, we identified RSL3-induced ferroptosis in renal tubular epithelial HK-2 and HKC-8 cells. Lipid peroxidation and cell death induced by RSL3 were synergistically mitigated by the combination of melatonin and zileuton. Combination treatment significantly downregulated the expression of ferroptosis-associated proteins, 4-HNE and HO-1, and upregulated the expression of GPX4. The expression levels of p-AKT and p-mTOR also increased, in addition to that of NRF2 in renal tubular epithelial cells. When melatonin (20 mg/kg) and zileuton (20 mg/kg) were administered to a unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mouse model, the combination significantly reduced tubular injury and fibrosis by decreasing the expression of profibrotic markers, such as α-SMA and fibronectin. More importantly, the combination ameliorated the increase in 4-HNE levels and decreased GPX4 expression in UUO mice. Overall, the combination of melatonin and zileuton was found to effectively ameliorate ferroptosis-related kidney injury by upregulating the AKT/mTOR/ NRF2 signaling pathway, suggesting a promising therapeutic strategy for protection against ferroptosis-mediated kidney injury and fibrosis.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.121-123
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• 1997

Stellate ganglion block(SGB) is frequently performed to relieve a patient from headache of various. We experienced a rare case of subarachnoid hemorrhage by aneurysmal rupture after SGB. A 46-year-old female patient diagnosed with tension headache, and normal MRI finding consulted our pain clinic. We performed right SGB in combination with greater occipital nerve block. The next day, we performed left SGB with 6 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine. She had no evidence of subarachnoid block or intravascular injection. 15 minutes after injection, she abruptly developed convulsion and loss of consciousness. She was given artificial respiration with oxygen. The diagnosis of ruptured left posterior communicating aneurysm was confirmed by 4-vessels angiography.