• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.177-182
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• 2021

Background: Although prompt surgery after an orbital fracture is preferable, the actual timing of surgery in real-world settings varies. Therefore, this study investigated the outcomes of implant surgery for inferior orbital wall fractures by comparing three groups according to the time interval between the injury and surgery. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of patients' medical charts and initial computed tomography images from 2009 to 2020. The time to treatment was chosen by patients or their guardians based on the patients' comorbidities and the physician's explanation. The patients were divided into three groups according to the time of surgery (group 1: 3-7 days, group 2: 8-14 days, group 3: 15 or more days). Data were collected on age, the time interval until surgery, the dimensions of the defect, the operation time, the follow-up period, and the postoperative paresthesia score (ranging from 0 to 10). The outcomes were evaluated using a 4-point scale: 4=good (no complications), 3=fair (no subjective symptoms), 2=poor (remaining paresthesia), and 1=very poor (strabismus and/or enophthalmos). Results: The study included 85 patients with unilateral fractures who underwent surgery from 3 to 93 days after injury. The overall score distribution of the surgical outcomes was as follows: good=63, fair=7, poor=6, and very poor=9. The three groups showed no significant differences in the transverse dimension of the injury (p=0.110) or the anteroposterior dimension (p=0.144). In groups 1, 2, and 3, the postoperative outcome scores were 3.84±0.37, 3.63±0.87, and 2.93±1.33 (p=0.083), and the percentage of patients with good outcomes was 84%, 81.25%, and 57.14%, respectively. Conclusion: Performing surgery using an artificial implant within 2 weeks of the injury showed better outcomes and fewer postoperative complications than when treatment was delayed.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.729-757
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• 2009

This paper examines if China' each province.city manages its organization well after China's WTO affiliation; and on the ground, judges how much each province city needs to improve. China's each province city data from 2002 to 2006 is used to evaluate technical efficiency by using the input-oriented CCR model and the input-oriented BCC model. Analytical results show that only Shanghai gets continuously the highest efficiency score from 2002 to 2006 and so the other provinces cities need to benchmark Shanghai to elevate their efficiency. There can be regional, cultural and emotional differences among the provinces cities but Tibet, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang get low efficiency scores even after China's WTO affiliation. The Chinese government can make use of efficiency evaluation results by DEA as basic materials in making economic development schemes in order to reduce these deviations as various minority races constitutes China and there are regional deviations of degree of economic development in China.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.307-324
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• 2011

The global economic crisis made most of governments to overcome the economic depression as well as the challenging tasks for global warming. It is not easy political vision to harmonize these two rabbits race, and thus it needs to be developed new paradigm for the sustainable development. Unfortunately, the traditional cost-approach based productivity could not resolve this trade-off relation. Therefore, the paper is aimed to develop new approach on the green productivity index with the DEA models in the 1st stage, and then based on these green productivity scores, the paper is analyzed the determinants of these green productivity in the 2nd stage among the G 20 countries. The empirical result shows that the effect of GDP, carbon intensity, and capital and labor intensity toward the green growth is positive on the green productivity, while the level of government efforts is not significant on the green productivity.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.303-310
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• 2019

Background Prosthetic hands with a myoelectric interface have recently received interest within the broader category of hand prostheses, but their high cost is a major barrier to use. Modern three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has enabled more widespread development and cost-effectiveness in the field of prostheses. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the clinical impact of a low-cost 3D-printed myoelectric-interface prosthetic hand on patients' daily life. Methods A prospective review of all upper-arm transradial amputation amputees who used 3D-printed myoelectric interface prostheses (Mark V) between January 2016 and August 2017 was conducted. The functional outcomes of prosthesis usage over a 3-month follow-up period were measured using a validated method (Orthotics Prosthetics User Survey-Upper Extremity Functional Status [OPUS-UEFS]). In addition, the correlation between the length of the amputated radius and changes in OPUS-UEFS scores was analyzed. Results Ten patients were included in the study. After use of the 3D-printed myoelectric single electromyography channel prosthesis for 3 months, the average OPUS-UEFS score significantly increased from 45.50 to 60.10. The Spearman correlation coefficient (r) of the correlation between radius length and OPUS-UEFS at the 3rd month of prosthetic use was 0.815. Conclusions This low-cost 3D-printed myoelectric-interface prosthetic hand with a single reliable myoelectrical signal shows the potential to positively impact amputees' quality of life through daily usage. The emergence of a low-cost 3D-printed myoelectric prosthesis could lead to new market trends, with such a device gaining popularity via reduced production costs and increased market demand.

• Integrative Medicine Research
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.317-324
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• 2017

Background: Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang (BZYQT) has long been used for the treatment of severe weakness caused by general fatigue, loss of appetite, or indigestion. The aim of this feasibility study is to assess the effectiveness and safety of BZYQT for the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD) with spleen qi deficiency. Methods: This study will be conducted at a single center as a prospective, nonrandomized, nonblinded, single-arm feasibility study. A total of 30 participants diagnosed with FD in accordance with the Rome III criteria will be enrolled. All patients will receive BZYQT for 4 weeks. The primary outcome is the change in the Nepean Dyspepsia Index-Korean version (NDI-K) scores between the baseline and 4-week images. The secondary outcomes include the tongue coating thickness, blood parameters, and BZYQT Questionnaire score. The NDI-K score will be acquired four times, at Weeks 0 (baseline), 2 (during treatment), 4 (after treatment), and 8 (after follow-up). Written informed consent will be obtained from all study participants prior to enrollment. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital. This study protocol is registered with the national clinical trial registry of the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. Results will be published in a journal and will be disseminated both electronically and in print. Discussion: The results of this study may serve as a guide for researchers seeking to effectively evaluate the effects of BZYQT.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.119-132
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• 2019

Purpose: This study was conducted to collect and analyze real world data to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of comprehensive traditional Korean Medicine treatment on quality of life, anorexia and cachexia of cancer patients. Methods: We analyzed medical records of 62 cancer patients admitted to O-I Dang Korean Medicine Hospital from February 2018 to February 2019. The primary outcome was a change score in the Anorexia/Cachexia Subscale of Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT). The secondary outcomes were Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), Trial Outcome Index(TOI) of FAACT, 11 point Pain Intensity Numeric Rating Score (11 PI-NRS) and Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) and adverse event. Results: Cachexia and quality of life in cancer patients assessed by FAACT, increased by $5.59{\pm}14.83$ (p=0.004) after treatment. PI-NRS was reduced by $2.10{\pm}1.81$ (p<0.001) and TOI and FACT-G total scores were increased by $5.17{\pm}11.70$ (p=0.001) and $3.59{\pm}10.94$ (p=0.012), respectively. These results were also clinically meaningful assessed via minimal clinically important difference (MCID). There was no severe adverse event. Conclusion: These findings suggest that comprehensive traditional Korean Medicine treatment might be effective and safe strategy for improving quality of life, anorexia, cachexia and pain of cancer patients. Further advanced studies with controlled group and more participants with rigorous design are needed to ensure these findings.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.59-67
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• 2019

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of traditional korean medicine treatment on patients with olfactory disorder who did not respond to steroid treatment. Methods : A retrospective chart review was conducted on 16 patients who visited the outpatient clinic with olfactory disorder for over 1 month. The patients were treated with Herbal medicine, acupuncture, electronic moxibustion, intranasal pharmacopuncture, and olfactory training. The treatment effect was evaluated by KVSS I test. Results : There was no significant difference in KVSS I test score according to sex, age, duration of treatment, number of treatment, the days after onset. There was no significant difference in the KVSS I test scores before and after the treatment for the cases of sinonasal disease, head trauma, and idiopathic cases. However, there was a significant difference in cases of post-viral olfactory disorder. Conclusion : Traditional korean medicine may be effective for patients with post-viral olfactory disorder that did not show improvement in steroid treatment.

• Journal of Minimally Invasive Surgery
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.148-153
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• 2018

Purpose: Single incision laparoscopic appendectomy (SILA) is a widely used surgical procedure for treatment of appendicitis with better cosmesis. However, many surgeons generally tend to choose conventional multiport laparoscopic appendectomy regarding with complicated appendicitis. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the safety and feasibility of SILA for treatment of complicated appendicitis by comparison with 3-ports conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (CLA). Methods: Retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed appendicitis at single hospital during January 2015 to May 2017 collected 500 patients. Among 134 patients with complicated appendicitis, we compared outcomes for 29 patients who got SILA and 105 patients who got CLA. Results: 179 and 321 patients were treated by SILA and CLA, respectively. 134 (26.8%) patients were treated for complicated appendicitis, 29 patients by SILA and 105 patients by CLA, respectively. There was no case converted to open or added additional trocar in both groups. There were no differences in demographics with regard to age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and American society of anesthesiologists (ASA) scores. There was no difference in mean operating time ($58.97{\pm}18.53$ (SILA) vs. $57.57{\pm}21.48$ (CLA), p=0.751). The drain insertion rate (6.9% vs 37.1%, p=0.001) and the length of hospital stay ($2.76{\pm}1.41$ vs. $3.97{\pm}2.97$, p=0.035) were lower in SILA group with significance. There was no significant difference in the rate of surgical site infection (6.9% vs. 6.7%, p=1.000). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that SILA is a feasible and safe procedure for treatment of complicated appendicitis.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2021

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the pre-emptive analgesic efficacy of injected ketorolac to that of other agents for impacted third molar surgical removal in a healthy population. PubMed, Ovid SP, Cochrane databases were filtered from 1980 to July 2020 for potential papers using relevant MeSH terms and pre-specified inclusion and exclusion criteria independently by reviewers. Studies that compared pre-emptive intramuscular or intravenous administration of ketorolac to other agents were evaluated. The outcomes sought were self-reported postoperative pain (patient-perceived pain), median duration for rescue analgesic medication, total number of analgesics consumed in the recovery period, and global assessment (overall patient satisfaction) after the recovery period. Six studies were included in the final evaluation. The outcome of pain perception and the number of analgesics taken were significantly lower in the ketorolac group (intramuscular or intravenous) in most of the studies (n=5) than in the group of other drugs. The mean time for rescue analgesia intake was higher for the ketorolac group, and global assessment scores were also better in the ketorolac group. Although the included studies show significantly better outcomes such as postoperative pain, median time taken for rescue medication, total number of analgesics taken, and overall patient satisfaction with injected ketorolac group in comparison to injected diclofenac, dexamethasone, and tramadol, definitive conclusions cannot be made regarding the superiority of injected Ketorolac as a pre-emptive agent. A greater number of randomized control trials with a proper protocol are needed to make definitive conclusions.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1119-1140
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study was to review Chinese clinical studies of the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with herbal medicine including Pinellia ternata. Methods: We searched the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database for clinical studies on herbal treatments including Pinellia ternata for GERD, from January 1st, 2015 to September 30th, 2019. We evaluated the risk of bias using Cochrane's risk of bias to confirm the quality of the 37 selected documents. Results: The 37 papers included high-dose and middle-dose Pinellia ternata groups. The outcome measures included treatment effectiveness rate, symptom comparisons, and endoscopy effectiveness rates or scores. In both groups, most studies showed significant improvement in the treatment group compared with the control group. The meta-analysis revealed a higher treatment effectiveness rate and a lower recurrence rate in the treatment group than in the control group. Conclusions: Comparing the treatment effect between the two groups was difficult due to the low quality of most studies. However, the results suggest that herbal remedies including Pinellia ternata showed statistically significant improvement in GERD compared to control groups.