• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.412-421
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• 2021

Objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly prevalent metabolic disease. Muscle is known to influence NAFLD development. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationships among low muscle mass, NAFLD, and hepatic fibrosis using various definitions of low muscle mass and NAFLD diagnostic methods, including magnetic resonance imaging-based proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 320 participants (107 males, 213 females) from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study on Atherosclerosis Risk of Rural Areas in the Korean General Population cohort. Muscle mass was assessed using whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and adjusted for the height squared, body weight, and body mass index (BMI). NAFLD was diagnosed using ultrasonography (US), MRI-PDFF, and the comprehensive NAFLD score (CNS). Hepatic fibrosis was assessed using magnetic resonance elastography. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to determine the aforementioned associations. Results: According to US, 183 participants (57.2%) had NAFLD. Muscle mass adjusted for body weight was associated with NAFLD diagnosed using US (odds ratio [OR], 3.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70 to 5.31), MRI-PDFF (OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.13 to 3.53), and CNS (OR, 3.39; 95% CI, 1.73 to 6.65) and hepatic fibrosis (males: β=-0.070, p<0.01; females: β=-0.037, p<0.04). Muscle mass adjusted for BMI was associated with NAFLD diagnosed by US (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.86) and CNS (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.04 to 3.65), whereas muscle mass adjusted for height was not associated with NAFLD. Conclusions: Low muscle mass was associated with NAFLD and liver fibrosis; therefore, maintaining sufficient muscle mass is important to prevent NAFLD. A prospective study and additional consideration of muscle quality are needed to strengthen the findings regarding this association.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.242-248
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• 2021

This study aims to compare nail-fold capillary blood velocity (CBV) according to the presence or absence of cold hypersensitivity in the hands (CHH) using nail-fold capillaroscopy under cold stress conditions. Eleven participants were taken from the cohort study for observing long-term health status of the faculty of Semyung university. Seven of the participants displayed CHH while four showed signs of non-CHH. CBV between 0 and 60 seconds (S1) and between 240 and 300 seconds (S2) was measured under cold stress for 5 minutes, respectively, and the average value was used to compare non-CHH group and CHH group. Body mass index, Nogung (PC8) temperature and temperature difference between Nogung (PC8) and Hyeopbaek (LU4) were significantly lower in CHH group compared to non-CHH group. The S2-S1 CBV difference was negatively correlated with PC8 temperature and PC8-LU4 temperature, and positively correlated with cold pattern score and cold hypersensitivity visual analog scale. The CHH group had a lower CBV overall than non-CHH group, and the S2-S1 CBV difference was significantly higher in the CHH group than in non-CHH group. This study suggests that CBV measured by nail-fold capillarosopy might be a useful indicator of cold hypersensitivity properties.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.22-31
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• 2021

Purpose : This study aimed to conduct a translation, backtranslation, and content validity test of the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) for Korean children. Methods : The translation and content validation process involved direct and backward translation; a test of equivalence between the two versions (the original SPM and the Korean version SPM; K-SPM) was performed using content-related evidence collected by a group of experts and a group of parents. Data analysis was carried out using Excel Content validity indices (CVI), mean, and standard deviation were used for the analysis of content validity. Results : The result of the comparison between the original SPM and K-SPM in the group of experts was 3.54 ± .74, the S-CVI/Avg for semanticity was .92, and the S-CVI/Avg for structure was .86. The results for the mean of the understanding test and the S-CVI/Avg were 3.48 ± .63 and .94, respectively. Conclusion : K-SPM will considerately be used as an assessment to identify sensory processing, praxis, and social participation issues for children in Korea. Further studies are suggested to increase the age range and the sample size for a more comprehensive applicability of the K-SPM to Korean children.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.145-152
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• 2022

Stroke results in balance disorders, these directly affect autonomy and gait ability. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the efficacy of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation on balance and gait. We included all randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation on balance and gait control in patients after stroke. This study was conducted according to the PRISMA guideline. Cochrane library, CINAHL, and PubMed were searched for studies published up to November 2021, and all randomized controlled trails(RCT) assessing PNF therapy were included. This analysis included only RCT. A total of 18 studies were selected from 1091 records obtained from the databases. The meta-analysis was performed using the R project for statistical computing version 4.0.2. The overall intervention effect was middle (standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.56) Additionally, berg balance scale (SMD: 0.48), functional reach test (SMD: 0.51), timed up and go test (SMD: 0.78), 10m walking test (SMD: 0.52), and dynamic gait index (SMD: 0.33) had medium effect sizes. The average Pedro scale was 6.63 out of 18, with a low risk of bias. These findings indicate that PNF is an effective therapy for improving balance gait in stroke patients.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.184-199
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• 2022

Freshwater soundness can be broadly divided into the health of river ecosystems and social services for human water use, that is, water welfare. In this study the ecological soundness and water welfare index of rivers were calculated, and the freshwater comprehensive soundness was analyzed using the quadrant model for 14 basins in the Geum River basin. As for the ecological soundness of the river, the area upstream of the dam (based on Daecheong Dam) was evaluated as 'good', and the area downstream of the dam was evaluated as 'bad'. On the other hand as for water welfare, the area downstream of the dam with a large population was in a relatively 'good' condition, and the area upstream of the dam had a relatively 'poor' level of water welfare. In terms of freshwater comprehensive soundness, it was found that the basins of Mujunamdaecheon, Bocheongcheon and Daecheongdam showed good ecological soundness and water welfare, and the Geumganggongju, Nonsancheon and Geumganhagueon basins were all poor. The Gapcheon basin showed good results in 2014 due to continuous investment and systematic management. Therefore, it is necessary to find ways to utilize it for other watersheds through benchmarking.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.628-635
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• 2022

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is the large intestine disease that results in chronic inflammation and ulcers in the colon. Rg3-enriched Korean Red Ginseng extract (Rg3-RGE) is known for its pharmacological activities. Persicaria tinctoria (PT) is also used in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the attenuating effects of Rg3-RGE with PT on oxazolone (OXA)-induced UC in mice. Methods: A total of six groups of mice including control group, OXA (as model group, 1.5%) group, sulfasalazine (75 mg/kg) group, Rg3-RGE (20 mg/kg) group, PT (300 mg/kg) group, and Rg3-RGE (10 mg/kg) with PT (150 mg/kg) group. Data on the colon length, body weight, disease activity index (DAI), histological changes, nitric oxide (NO) assay, Real-time PCR of inflammatory factors, ELISA of inflammatory factors, Western blot, and flow cytometry analysis were obtained. Results: Overall, the combination treatment of Rg3-RGE and PT significantly improved the colon length and body weight and decreased the DAI in mice compared with the treatment with OXA. Additionally, the histological injury was also reduced by the combination treatment. Moreover, the NO production level and inflammatory mediators and cytokines were significantly downregulated in the Rg3-RGE with the PT group compared with the model group. Also, NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-𝛋B) were suppressed in the combination treatment group compared with the OXA group. Furthermore, the number of immune cell subtypes of CD4⁺ T-helper cells, CD19⁺ B-cells, and CD4⁺ and CD25⁺ regulatory T-cells (Tregs) was improved in the Rg3-RGE with the PT group compared with the OXA group. Conclusion: Overall, the mixture of Rg3-RGE and PT is an effective therapeutic treatment for UC.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.65-81
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• 2022

Objectives This study aimed to assess the effects of oral administration of deer antler extracts on an osteoporosis-induced animal model. We analyzed the results of using deer antler single extracts on animal models with osteoporosis through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods We included osteoporosis studies in animal experiments that administrated deer antler extracts orally. We searched the following 13 databases without a language restriction: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Korean Medical Database (KMbase), National Digital Science Library (NDSL), Korean Traditional Knowledge (Koreantk), Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), and Koreanstudies Information Service System (KISS). We used Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation's risk of bias tool for assessing the methodological quality of the included studies. Results A total of 299 potentially relevant studies were searched and 11 were included for a systematic review. Nine studies used a single deer antler extract. A study compared the effects of single extracts of deer antler and antler glue, while another study compared the effects of three single extracts of deer antler, old antler, and antler glue. For evaluating the intervention effect, bone mineral density (BMD) was measured as the primary outcome, while the histomorphometric indicators of the bone and serum alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin levels were used as the secondary outcome variables. On conducting a meta-analysis of studies on single deer antler extract, BMD was observed to be significantly increased compared to that in control group (standardized mean difference [SMD]=2.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.58~2.65; Z=7.75; p<0.00001; I²=56%). As a result of meta-analysis, according to the concentration of deer antler, the group with high concentration showed statistically significantly higher BMD than the group with low concentration (SMD=1.28; 95% CI=0.74~1.82; Z=4.63; p<0.00001; I²=9%). Conclusions The research shows that the deer antler extracts have significant anti-osteoporotic effects on the osteoporosis-induced animal model. However the studies included in this research had a high methodological risk of bias. This indicates the requirement of considerable attention in the interpretation of the study results.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.834-840
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• 2022

Objective : C-reactive protein (CRP) level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and white blood cell (WBC) count are inflammatory markers used to evaluate postoperative infections. Although these markers are non-specific, understanding their normal kinetics after surgery may be helpful in the early detection of postoperative infections. To compliment the recent trend of reducing the duration of antibiotic use, this retrospective study investigated the inflammatory markers of patients who had received antibiotics within 24 hours after surgery according to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service guidelines and compared them with those of patients who had received antibiotics for 5 days, which was proven to be non-infectious. Methods : We enrolled 74 patients, divided into two groups. Patients underwent posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) at a single institution between 2019 and 2020. Group A included 37 patients who received antibiotics within 24 hours after the PLIF procedure, and group B comprised 37 patients who had used antibiotics for 5 days. A 1 : 1 nearest-neighbor propensity-matched analysis was used. The clinical variables included age, sex, medical history, body mass index, estimated blood loss, and operation time. Laboratory data included CRP, ESR, and WBC, which were measured preoperatively and on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, 5, and 7. Results : CRP dynamics tended to decrease after peaking on POD 3, with a similar trend in both groups. The average CRP level in group B was slightly higher than that in group A; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed operation time, number of fused levels, and estimated blood loss as significant predictors of a greater CRP peak value (r²=0.473, p<0.001) in patients. No trend (a tendency to decrease from the peak value) could be determined for ESR and WBC count on POD 7. Conclusion : Although slight differences were observed in numerical values and kinetics, sequential changes in inflammatory markers according to the duration of antibiotic administration showed similar patterns. Knowledge of CRP kinetics allows the assessment of the degree of difference between the clinical and expected values.

• Journal of Naturopathy
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 2022

Background: Research is necessary to enhance the mental health of psychiatric unit nurses and the quality of nurse services. Purpose: This study was to obtain primary data for enhancing the psychological well-being of psychiatric nurses by investigating the factors that affect them. Methods: This study was conducted as a descriptive research study. The study period was from February 18 to March 31, 2019, with the subjects being 150 psychiatric nurses working in the ward of a psychiatric hospital in Gyeongnam. We used questionnaires on job stress measurement, the Korean version of the interpersonal response index, resilience scale, and psychological well-being. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS program. Results: The subjects' levels of the job stress, empathy, resilience, and psychological well-being ranged from 2.34 to 3.33 points. The level of recovery resilience and well-being according to the subject's characteristics is 40 years or older, married, religious, ten years of nurse experience, above average economic level, psychiatric qualifications, senior nurse or higher, resilience education. All participants were significantly (p < .001). Conclusions: In this study, psychological well-being increased as the job stress was low and empathy and resilience were high. Therefore, it should make a proper education program to improve the strength and well-being of psychiatric nurses.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.77-100
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• 2022

In the era of low growth, many provincial cities are experiencing population decline and aging. Population decline phenomena such as reduction of productive manpower, reduction of finances, deterioration of quality of life, and collapse of the community base are occurring in a chain and are being pushed to the brink of extinction of the cities. This study aims to propose a methodology to objectively estimate the employment creation centers and setting the basic unit of industrial-centered zoning by applying spatial statistical techniques and GIS for the application of the compact city plan as an efficient spatial management policy in a city with a declining population. In details, based on reviewing previous studies on compact city, 'employment complex index(ECI)' were defined considering the number of workers, the number of settlers, and the area of development land, the employment creation center was estimated by applying the 'Local Moran's I' and 'Getis-Ord's Hot-Spot Analysis'. As a case study, changes in the four years of 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019 were compared and analyzed for Changwon City. As a result, it was confirmed that the employment creation center is becoming compacted and polycentric, which is a significant result that reflects the actual situation well. This results provide the basic data for functional and institutional territorial governance for the regional revitalization platform, and provide meaningful information necessary for spatial policy decision-making, such as population reduction, regional gross domestic product, and public facility arrangement that can respond to energy savings, transportation plans, and medical and health plans.