• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.974-982
• /
• 2019

Objective: Modern medicine offers no efficient way to clear colonization by vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). However, VRE decolonization needs to be cleared as soon as possible to prevent VRE transmission. This study reports six cases in which the duration of vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization was reduced by Bojungikki-tang-gami. Methods: Six inpatients with VRE colonization were administered Bojungikki-tang-gami and continuously followed up with cultures. After three negative stool cultures, the patients were declared cleared of VRE colonization. We recorded the duration of VRE colonization. Results: The duration of VRE colonization in the six patients was a mean of 58 days and a median of 45 days. This was shorter than the duration reported in most previous studies. No side effects were noted. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that Bojungikki-tang-gami might be effective in shortening the duration of VRE colonization.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.231-244
• /
• 2020

Objectives : This study was conducted to introduce the types and contents of books related to acupuncture published in North Korea that can be identified in South Korea, and to understand the general characteristics of North Korean acupuncture. Methods : Firstly, we identified books related to acupuncture in the Information Center on North Korea of the National Library of Korea. Specialized books on treatment interventions such as acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, electrotherapy, and manual therapy including acupressure which stimulate acupoints were included in the study. Two authors reviewed the title, table of contents, and contents of each book in the order of publication year for the searched books. Based on this, the characteristics and trends of North Korean acupuncture were comprehensively examined. Results : The included 18 books were published between 1964 and 2018. One of them was considered a Chinese book translated into Korean and published in China, and another was a North Korean book republished by a South Korean publisher. Except for these, all were published in North Korea, two of which were translations of Chinese books. Most of them were books on the theory and clinical applications of acupuncture, but some of them focused on specific treatment interventions such as auricular acupuncture, fire needling, manual therapy, cupping, or electrotherapy. Also, there was a book about the mechanism of acupuncture analgesia in a neurophysiological way. Conclusions : Since the mid-1960s, North Korea has been steadily attempting to combine acupuncture and Western medicine by applying the disease name and classification system of Western medicine, using modern diagnostic technique, and explaining the mechanism of acupuncture based on the latest research. After the 2000s, the standard international acupuncture nomenclature by World Health Organization was used. In recent years, there has been a tendency to publish and widely disseminate specialized books on non-pharmacological treatment such as cupping, electrotherapy, and fire needling.

• CELLMED
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.1.1-1.4
• /
• 2021

Background: Amavata is a disease that occurs as a result of the error of metabolism. Poor dietary habits and faulty Dincharya (daily regimen) and ritucharya (seasonal regimen) leading to deranged metabolism and Agni (metabolic fire) which results in the formation of Ama(undigested product of metabolism). When Amaconceals with Vata(subtle energy associated with movement) and circulates in the body under the influence of Vyana Vayu (omnipresent air)it clogs the srotasas (microchannels) and initiates the inflammatory cascade. Amavata is commonly correlated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) while other forms of auto-immune disorders can also be included in Amavata.Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota (GM) has been connected to the onset of diverse autoimmune diseases. In this study, it was hypothesized that Panchakarma (bio-purificatory methods) based intervention such as Virechana Karma (therapeutic purgation) may influence microbiota. Materials and Methods: Various Ayurvedic literature were reviewed for the etiopathogenesis of Amavata. Different databases were searched with research papers related to Gut Dysbiosis and autoimmunity and management of RA. A connecting link between Intestinal Dysbiosis with the autoimmune mechanisms was established and it was also found that the bowel cleansing introduced a change to the GM. Conclusion: It was concluded that Virechana karma is effective in gut flora Dysbiosis. This study aims to correlate the ancient Ayurvedic principles related to Agni Bala(metabolic energy) and biopurificatory treatment modalities like Virechana karma (therapeutic purgation)with the modern concept of gut microbiota and its role in the pathogenesis of various autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. The article creates an understanding about principles of Ayurveda and its rationality in today's scientific world and thereby opens newer vistas of research in therapeutics from Ayurveda, which may be helpful in the management of various immune-mediated Diseases through Ayurveda.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.332-339
• /
• 2020

Lentinus edodes (LE) is the first medicinal macrofungus to enter the realm of modern biotechnology. Lentinus edodes is well-known to have anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. In this study, osteoporosis was induced by ovariectomy in female rats, and the prevention and treatment efficacy of the climacteric disease the postmenopausal type I pattern was examined using the experimental substance. Female rats were either sham-operated (sham; n = 5) or surgically ovariectomized (OVX; five animals per group) and then administered to OVX control, raloxifene hydrochloride 1 mg/kg/day, or LE (20 and 200 mg/kg/day) for 12 weeks. LE treatment suppressed the ovariectomy-induced reduction of bone mineral density in the entire tibia as well as its metaphysis with a decrease of serum osteocalcin and interleukin-6 levels. In addition, LE is suggested to elevate the serum levels of progesterone hormones and prevent bone loss in ovariectomized rats. In conclusion, LE 200 mg/kg/day may have inhibitory effects on osteoporosis in OVX rats.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.67-79
• /
• 2022

Currently, there is no treatment to reverse or cure heart failure caused by ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction despite the remarkable advances in modern medicine. In addition, there is a lack of evidence regarding the existence of stem cells involved in the proliferation and regeneration of cardiomyocytes in adult hearts. As an alternative solution to overcome this problem, protocols for differentiating human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) into cardiomyocyte have been established, which further led to the development of cell therapy in major leading countries in this field. Recently, clinical studies have confirmed the safety of hPSC-derived cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs). Although several institutions have shown progress in their research on cell therapy using hPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, the functions of cardiomyocytes used for transplantation remain to be those of immature cardiomyocytes, which poses a risk of graft-induced arrhythmias in the early stage of transplantation. Over the last decade, research aimed at achieving maturation of immature cardiomyocytes, showing same characteristics as those of mature cardiomyocytes, has been actively conducted using various approaches at leading research institutes worldwide. However, challenges remain in technological development for effective generation of mature cardiomyocytes with the same properties as those present in the adult hearts. Therefore, in this review, we provide an overview of the technological development status for maturation methods of hPSC-derived cardiomyocytes and present a direction for future development of maturation techniques.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.375-381
• /
• 2022

The purpose of this study is to find out the spatial expression characteristics of Philipstock from a heterotopic perspective in the background of the times of modern people struggling to live in the era of an infectious disease called COVID-19 along with the era of the 4th industrial revolution. As for the research method, a total of 11 places were selected, focusing on the completed works of interior space from 2015 to the present, when they are more active after retirement, to find out the characteristics of spatial expression through literature and case studies. As a result, the spatial expression characteristics of narrative that only space has were the most frequent, and it was found that the characteristics of imaginary space and fantasy, which are the form of overlapping time to express a place, were interrelated. Philip Stock's design method, which uses narrative, fantasy, and imaginary spatial characteristics, can be seen as sufficiently representing heterotopic characteristics and can be used as another design methodology when designing a new space.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.37 no.6
• /
• pp.9-17
• /
• 2022

Objective : In modern society, liver diseases such as liver fibrosis are on the rise as inflammation and wound healing processes of the liver are repeated due to factors such as drinking, smoking, and stress. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Saenggangeonbi-tang (SGGBT) on thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver fibrosis. Methods : The mice were divided into 4 groups for examination (n=6): Normal group (Nor), distilled water-treated liver fibrosis mice (Con), silymarin 50 mg/kg-treated liver fibrosis mice (Sily), SGGBT 200 mg/kg-treated liver fibrosis mice (S200). Liver fibrosis was established in the mice via TAA for 8 weeks (1 week 100 mg/kg, 2,3 weeks 200 mg/kg, 4-8 weeks 400 mg/kg, three times a week, intraperitoneal injection) and they were administered silymarin and SGGBT (every day, oral administration) with the TAA. Results : SGGBT significantly decreased the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferanse, ammonia, and myeloperoxidase in serum increased by liver fibrosis. As a result of confirming H&E and MT staining, it was confirmed that SGGBT reduced damage and inflammatory cell infiltration in liver tissue, and alleviated changes in collagen fiber deposition and histological fibrosis. Also, it was confirmed through PAS staining that it reduced glycogen deposition in liver tissue. In addition, SGGBT significantly decreased the NADPH oxidases as well as significantly modulated the expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2. Conclusions : These results suggest that SGGBT regulates the expression of MMP/TIMP protein through inhibition of oxidative stress and alleviates liver fibrosis by reducing collagen and glycogen deposition in liver tissue.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.39-44
• /
• 2022

The advent, course, and possible consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are now the focus of global attention. From whichever side the geopolitical centers of influence might view it, the problem of the coronavirus concerns all world leaders and the representatives of all branches of science, especially physicians, economists, and politicians - virtually the entire population of the planet. The uniqueness of the COVID-19 phenomenon lies in the uncertainty of the problem itself, the peculiarities and specifics of the course of the biological processes in modern conditions, as well as the sharp confrontation of the main political players on the world stage. Based on an analysis of scientific research, the article describes the profile of the emotional concept of "anxiety" in Russian linguoculture. Through monitoring the headlines of Russian media reports in the "COVID-19" section of Google News and Mail News news aggregators dated August 4-6, 2021, the study establishes the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the alarm-generating news products on coronavirus in the Russian segment of the Internet and interprets the specifics of media information about COVID-19. The level of mass media criticism in Russia is determined through a phone survey. It is concluded that coronavirus reports in online media conceptualize anxiety about the SARS virus and the COVID-19 disease as a complex cognitive structure. The media abuse the trick of "magic numbers" and emotionally expressive words in news headlines, which are perceived by mass information consumers first and typically uncritically.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.105-121
• /
• 2022

Modern seaweed farming relies heavily on seedlings from natural beds or vegetative cuttings from previous harvests. However, this farming method has some disadvantages, such as physiological variation in the seed stock and decreased genetic variability, which reduces the growth rate, carrageenan yield, and gel strength of the seaweeds. A new method of seedling production that is sustainable, scalable, and produces a large number of high-quality plantlets is needed to support the seaweed farming industry. Recent use of tissue culture and micropropagation techniques in eucheumatoid seaweed production has yielded promising results in increasing seed supply and growing uniform seedlings in large numbers in a shorter time. Several seaweed species have been successfully cultured and regenerated into new plantlets in laboratories using direct regeneration, callus culture, and protoplast culture. The use of biostimulants and plant growth regulators in culture media increases the seedling quality even further. Seedlings produced by micropropagation grew faster and had better biochemical properties than conventionally cultivated seedlings. Before being transferred to a land-based grow-out system or ocean nets for farming, tissue-cultured seedlings were recommended to undergo an acclimatization process to increase their survival rate. Regular monitoring is needed to prevent disease and pest infestations and grazing by herbivorous fish and turtles during the farming process. The current review discusses recent techniques for producing eucheumatoid and other valuable seaweed farming materials, emphasizing the efficiency of micropropagation and the transition from laboratory culture to cultivation in land-based or open-sea grow-out systems to elucidate optimal conditions for sustainable seaweed production.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
• /
• v.57 no.3
• /
• pp.119-141
• /
• 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the landscape of knowledge and information services that public libraries around the world have been providing since modern times. In particular, as social distancing has become routine, the contraction of cultural activities and the shift to online platforms have negatively impacted library visitation and use services, greatly reducing borrowing and reading, use of spaces and facilities, interlibrary loan services, program operations, and outreach services. Therefore, this study investigated and analyzed the current status of services provided by public libraries in Korea and abroad in response to COVID-19, and proposed practical ways to improve and expand services in response to COVID-19 based on the results of a survey of librarians' perceptions. Specifically, these include improving the online reservation system for reading and borrowing services and developing and providing various outreach services, acquiring and expanding electronic resources, expanding online program services (reading, culture, lifelong learning, etc.), strengthening library services for vulnerable populations, providing information portal services related to new infectious diseases, strengthening facilities and space provision services, preparing infectious disease response guidelines, and providing education and training to strengthen librarians' capabilities.