• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2012

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and the efficacy of Korean herbal, western and combination medicine use in patients with abnormal liver function tests. Methods: We investigated nerve disease patients with abnormal liver function tests who were treated with Korean herbal, western and combination medicine at Dong-Eui University Oriental Hospital from January 2011 to August 2011. We compared aspartic aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin (T-bil) levels before and after taking medicine and excluded patients who had liver-related disease when admitted. Results: AST and ALT were decreased significantly in patients who had taken herbal, western medicine. AST, ALT and ALP were decreased significantly in patients who had taken combination medicine. Compare to herbal medicine, AST, ALT and ALP were decreased significantly in patients who had taken western medicine, and ALT and ALP were decreased significantly in patients who had taken combination medicine. There were no significant differences between western and combination medicine. Conclusions: This study suggests that prescribed Korean herbal medicine, at least, does not injure liver function for patients', moreover, it was shown to be effective in patients with abnormal liver function tests.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.176-182
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• 2017

Background: Current evidence suggests that intravenous magnesium sulfate might be effective for reducing migraine pain. In a recent pilot study, we showed that intravenous caffeine citrate could reduce the severity of migraine headache. The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of intravenous caffeine citrate vs. magnesium sulfate for management of acute migraine headache. Methods: We conducted a prospective quasi-experimental study from January until May 2016 in two educational medical centers of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Shoahadaye Tajrish Hospital and Imam Hossein Hospital), Tehran, Iran. The study included patients who were referred to the emergency department and met the migraine diagnosis criteria of the International Headache Society. Patients were allocated into 2 groups receiving either 60 mg intravenous caffeine or 2 g intravenous magnesium sulfate. The pain scores, based on the visual analog scale, were recorded on admission, as well as one and two hours after receiving the drug. A Chi-Square test and student t-test were used for analysis of baseline characteristics. A Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon singed rank test were used to analyze differences in the visual analogue scale (VAS) score between and within the groups respectively. Results: In total, 70 patients (35 patients in each group) with the mean age of $33.1{\pm}11.3years$ were included (64.3% female). For the Caffeine citrate group, the median pain score decreased from 9.0 (2.0) to 5.0 (4.0) after one hour and to 3.0 (4.0) after two hours. For the magnesium sulfate group, the pain score decreased from 8.0 (2.0) to 2.0 (2.0) after one hour and to 0.0 (1.0) after two hours. Both intravenous caffeine citrate and intravenous magnesium sulfate reduced pain scores significantly but the magnesium sulfate group showed more improvement than the Caffeine citrate group after one hour (P < 0.001) and after two hours (P < 0.001). Conclusions: It is likely that both intravenous caffeine and intravenous magnesium sulfate can reduce the severity of migraine headache. Moreover, intravenous magnesium sulfate at a dose of 2 g might be superior to intravenous caffeine citrate 60 mg for the short term management of migraine headache in emergency departments.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.147-157
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• 2023

This paper investigates the financial factors affecting angel investors' investment decisions for 818 firms from 2009 to 2018 in the Korean venture investment market. We construct a quasi-experimental design using propensity scoring matching and compare the investment determinants between investment firms and matching firms. The main empirical findings are as follows. First, we find that angel investors are more likely to choose firms based on a firm's growth such as profit and assets rather than profitability or financial stability. In addition, we identify that they prefer the firm not only higher intangible assets but also higher R&D expenditures. Second, we find that angel investors consider both growth and activity ratios in the firms for over three years and have entered the mid-stage of startups. Overall, we confirm that the investment decision of angel investors mainly focuses on the venture startups' growth trend or future growth potential rather than the realized profitability or financial stability. We also infer that the possibility of performance creation is an important investment factor along with growth for the mid-stage startup.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.102-124
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• 2002

To find out more efficient ways of implementing health promotion programs and to determine the factors affecting the results of various interventions, we reviewed 73 articles un the effectiveness of health promotion programs. These include the papers on the smoking, alcohol, drug abuse, nutrition(obesity) and stress management etc. Specific interventions evaluated in this review are education based on the lecture or video shows, health-related event activities, modifications of policy or the environment, health risk appraisal etc. By using KIHASA Line of Korea Institute of Health and Social Affairs, National Congress Library Database MEDLINE, we identified 201 articles published from 1980 to Jun. 1979 and finally selected 73 papers which contain the implementation process, and result of each program. The factors used in the analysis of the programs are (1) characteristics of participants (2) interventions evaluated (3) research design (4) length of programs and evacuation point (7) outcome indices (6) effect of program evaluated by each author. The study results did not prove positive effect of education based on lectures or video shows etc. Rather, it was suggested that lecture-based education has negative effect on the result. Event activity such as contest or health festivals has positive effect, and policy change or environmental change is closely related to the event activity. Also, the result shows that the overall effect of programs fur the students is less than that of the programs for the others. The programs conducted over, 1-year are mere likely to have positive outcomes than shorter ones. And, the outcomes of the programs with controlled research design such as experimental or quasi-experimental study tend to be evaluated inferiorly to those with non-experimental design.

• CELLMED
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.2.1-2.17
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• 2014

The plant kingdom is considered to be a repository of modern medicine, attributable to their rich source of bio-active molecules and secondary metabolites. It is indeed the Nutraceuticals that enhance immunity and ensure a healthier life because of their prophylactic and therapeutic values. Over centuries, papaya [Caricaceae; (Carica papaya Linn.)] is a renowned nutritious and medicinal plant. Each part of the papaya like root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit, seed, rinds, and latex has its own nutraceutical properties. It serves as food, cooking aid, and Ethnomedicine to prevent and treat wide-range of diseases and disorders. It has also been traditionally used as appetite enhancer, meat tenderizer, purgative, medicinal acne, abortifacient and vermifuge. Over decades, a series of scientific attempts were made to authenticate the nutraceutical properties of papaya. These studies validated that the papaya has antiplasmodial, antitrichochramal, antitrichomonal, antidengue, and anti-cancer activities. They have also exhibited that papaya possesses antiseptic, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and contraceptive features, and it helps in the management of sickle-cell anaemia, HIV, heart diseases and digestional disorders too. Nevertheless, the responsible bio-active molecules and their mode of actions remain indistinct and imprecise, and this calls for further pharmacological and clinical research on them. Conclusively, papaya is one of the naturally gifted plants; though its nutraceutical properties as a food or as a quasi-drug are poorly understood or undervalued by people. Accordingly, this scrutiny, demand for instigation of public health awareness campaigns to promote papaya consumption, so that the society shall acquire optimal benefits of papaya and in turn prevent and alleviate various diseases and illness.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.102-113
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of long term osteoporosis management education consist of exercise, drug therapy, and nutrition on bone mineral density (BMD) and medication compliance among postmenopausal women who have just been diagnosed with osteoporosis. Methods: The research design consisted of a pre-and post-test quasi-experimental design through a nonequivalent control group. The participants in this study were 60 individuals with osteoporosis, and who were classified according to two groups; the control group (n=30) who were given general clinical guidelines, and the experimental group (n=30) who received management education once for 60 minutes every three months using a standardized educational sheet. After one year, BMD was assessed using band dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and medication possession ratio (MPR) for medication compliance. Analysis of collected data was performed using descriptive statistics t-test, chi-test, and paired t-test. Results: No significant difference in BMD (t=-1.02, p=.311) and MPR (t=-0.77, p=.440) was observed between the two groups. However, a significant increase in femur neck BMD was observed in the experimental group compared with the control group (t=-2.18, p=.033). Conclusion: Conduct of further study will be needed for examination of the effect of long-term osteoporosis management education on BMD Level and Medication Compliance in Postmenopausal Women.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.472-485
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an adapted health literacy self-management intervention for elderly cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: The intervention in this study was systematically developed through the six stages of Intervention Mapping Protocol and was based on Fransen et al's causal pathway model. A quasi-experimental trial was conducted on a total of 52 elderly patients (26 in an experimental group and 26 in a control group) undergoing chemotherapy in Korea. The intervention consisted of seven sessions over 5 weeks. The experimental tool for this study was an adapted health literacy self-management intervention, which was designed to promote a reduction in the symptom experience and distress of elderly cancer patients through the promotion of self-management behavior. To develop efficient educational materials, the participants' health literacy was measured. To educate participants, clear communication and the teach-back method were used. In addition, for the improvement of self-efficacy, four sources were utilized. For the promotion of self-management behavior, five self-management skills were strengthened. Data were collected before and after the intervention from June 4 to September 14, 2018. The data were analyzed with SPSS/WIN 21.0. Results: Following the intervention, self-management knowledge and behavior and, self-efficacy significantly improved in experimental group. Symptom experience and distress decreased in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The self-management intervention presented in this study was found to be effective in increasing self-management knowledge and behavior and, self-efficacy, and ultimately in reducing symptom experience and distress for elderly patients undergoing chemotherapy.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.64-71
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• 2021

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the effects of an educational program based on mobile SMS and counseling for colonoscopy in elderly people. Methods: The study utilized a non-equivalent control group with a non-synchronized design as a quasi-experimental research. The study subjects consisted of 72 elderly people (36 elderly people in the experimental group and 36 in the control group). Among the subjects, 49 were male (68.1%) and 23 were female (31.9%), and the age was 69.04±6.14 years. Forty-five subjects (62.5%) answered that they had underlying diseases, eight subjects (11.1%) had a family history of colon disease, and 61 subjects (84.7%) had undergone a colonoscopy. The experimental group was provided with an educational program based on mobile SMS and counseling when three days and one day before the test. The control group received verbal explanations using information sheet. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Chi-squares test, and the independent t-test with SPSS/WIN 21.0. Results: Significant differences were found in bowel cleanliness scores (t= 3.60, p= .003) between the groups. No significant differences were seen between the groups in the sedation drug dosage (propofol (t= 1.02, p= .730), midazolam (t= 0.66, p= .380)) and time for colonoscopy (t= 1.08, p= .235). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, an educational program based on mobile SMS and counseling for colonoscopy was proposed as an educational program before colonoscopy.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.16-29
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• 2024

Purpose: This scoping review aimed to synthesize the characteristics and effects of interventions designed to prevent unintentional home injuries in older adults in Korea. Methods: The review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute protocol. A literature search was performed for studies published between 2001 and 2022 in the DBPia, RISS, KMBase, and NDSL databases. A total of 1,620 studies were identified, and 27 studies were included in the final analysis. Data were analyzed for characteristics of the literature, intervention-related unintentional injury mechanisms, and safety areas. Results: Most selected studies utilized a quasi-experimental design and targeted elderly women. In terms of injury mechanisms, 21 of 27 studies focused on falls, 2 on fire/disaster, 3 on drugs, and 1 on food. The most common preventive intervention for falls was exercise, and its effectiveness was verified using physical safety variables. Interventions in the fire/disaster, drug, and food domains were all educational, and changes in knowledge, behavior, and attitude were verified. Conclusion: This study confirmed the effectiveness of interventions for preventing unintentional injuries in the homes of community-dwelling older adults. These findings can serve as a foundation for developing and implementing unintentional injury prevention interventions at home for community-dwelling older adults. Multidisciplinary research is needed to address multifaceted safety issues by considering the home environment and injury risk factors.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.99-105
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• 2013

To identify oxidative hair dyes in hair-coloring products, the thin-layer chromatography (TLC) screening method was used in accordance with Korean Quasi-drug Codex. However, the TLC method is not reliable when there are very small amount of materials to be tested or when $R_f$ values of several components are similar. In this study, Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) with a rapid sample preparation method was developed for the reliable and sensitive identification of active components contained in oxidative hair-coloring products. Hexane-distilled water was used for the extraction of active components contained in the products prior to UPLC analysis. The limit of detection of active components was 6.7-77.9 ${\mu}g/L$, and the limit of quantitation was 22.3-259.7 ${\mu}g/L$. Except for ${\alpha}$-naphthol, the range of recovery ratio was 96.2-101.5%. From this study, we demonstrated that oxidative active hair-coloring components can easily be analyzed by rapid extraction method followed by UPLC analysis.