• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.12
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• pp.869-883
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• 2019

Interleukin (IL)-15 is an essential immune-modulator with high potential for use in cancer treatment. Natural IL-15 has a low biological potency because of its short half-life and difficulties in mass-production. IL-15Rα, a member of the IL-15 receptor complex, is famous for its high affinity to IL-15 and its ability to lengthen the half-life of IL-15. We have double-transfected IL-15 and its truncated receptor IL-15Rα into CT26 colon cancer cells to target them for intracellular assembly. The secreted IL-15:IL-15Rα complexes were confirmed in ELISA and Co-IP experiments. IL-15:IL-15Rα secreting clones showed a higher anti-tumor effect than IL-15 secreting clones. Furthermore, we also evaluated the vaccine and therapeutic efficacy of the whole cancer-cell vaccine using mitomycin C (MMC)-treated IL-15:IL-15Rα secreting CT26 clones. Three sets of experiments were evaluated; (1) therapeutics, (2) vaccination, and (3) long-term protection. Wild-type CT26-bearing mice treated with a single dose of MMC-inactivated secreted IL-15:IL-15Rα clones prolonged survival compared to the control group. Survival of MMC-inactivated IL-15:IL-15Rα clone-vaccinated mice (without any further adjuvant) exceeded up to 100%. This protection effect even lasted for at least three months after the immunization. Secreted IL-15:IL-15Rα clones challenging trigger anti-tumor response via CD4⁺ T, CD8⁺ T, and natural killer (NK) cell-dependent cytotoxicity. Our result suggested that cell-based vaccine secreting IL-15:IL-15Rα, may offer the new tools for immunotherapy to treat cancer.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.295-304
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• 2015

We assessed reading-related skills in children with reading comprehension difficulties ("Poor comprehenders"), word decoding difficulties ("Poor decoders") and normal readers, matched for age and nonverbal IQ. The reading-related skill tests used in our study are phonological processing, visual processing test, and receptive vocabulary test. The authors argue that children who had difficulty in reading comprehension had lower scores only on the phonological short-term memory test compared with normal readers, although their performance on receptive vocabulary and visual processing tests are comparable to normal readers. The results of our study revealed that poor decoders had lower scores on the phonological processing, visual processing, and receptive vocabulary tests.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.287-295
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• 2007

As a general treatment modality of subgingival tooth defect in aethetic area, implant or crown and bridge therapy after extraction of affected tooth can be used. But as more conservative treatment, crown lengthening can be considered and not to lose periodontal attachment and impair aethetic appearance, surgical extrusion can be considered as a treatment of choice. In this case report, 3 cases of surgical extrusion was represented and appropriate time for initiation of endodontic treatment according to the post-surgical tooth mobility was investigated. In 8 patient who has subgingival tooth defect in aethetic area, intracrevicular incision is performed and flap was reflected with care not to injure interproximal papillae. With forcep or periotome, tooth was luxated and sutured in properely extruded position according to biologic width with or without $180^{\circ}$ rotation. 8 cases show favorable short and long term results. In some cases, surgical extrusion with $180^{\circ}$ rotation can minimized extent of extrusion and semi-rigid fixation without apical bone graft seems to secure good prognosis. In 8 cases, endodontic treatment started about 3 weeks after surgery. This time corresponds with the moment when mobility of extruded tooth became 1 degree and this results concide with other previous reports. If it is done on adequate case selection and surgical technique, surgical extrusion seems to be a good treatment modalilty to replace the implant restoration in aethetic area.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.217-228
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• 2021

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in chronic low back pain and neuropathic pain. Methods: Seventy-four patients aged 18-65 with chronic low back pain were included in the study. Baseline measurements were performed, and patients were randomized into three groups. The first group received burst TENS (bTENS), the second group conventional TENS (cTENS), and the third group placebo TENS (pTENS), all over 15 sessions. Patients' visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were evaluated before treatment (preT), immediately after treatment (postT), and in the third month after treatment (postT3). Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questions (DN4), the Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (MOS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and sympathetic skin response (SSR) values were also evaluated preT and postT3. Results: A statistically significant improvement was observed in mean VAS scores postT compared to preT in all three groups. Intergroup comparison revealed a significant difference between preT and postT values, that difference being assessed in favor of bTENS at multiple comparison analysis. Although significant improvement was determined in neuropathic pain DN4 scores measured at postT3 compared to preT in all groups, there was no significant difference between the groups. No statistically significant difference was also observed between the groups in terms of MOS, BDI, or SSR values at postT3 (P > 0.05). Conclusions: bTENS therapy in patients with low back pain is an effective and safe method that can be employed in short-term pain control.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.295-306
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of robot-assisted gait training on the active ranges of motion, gait abilities, and biomechanical characteristics of gait in patients who underwent lower extremity surgery, and to verify the effectiveness and clinical usefulness of robot-assisted gait training. Methods: This study was conducted on 14 subjects who underwent lower extremity surgery. The subjects participated in robot-assisted gait training for 2 weeks. The active ranges of motion of the lower extremities were evaluated, and gait abilities were assessed using 10-m and 2-min walk tests. An STT Systems Inertial Measurement Unit was used to collect data on biomechanical characteristics during gait. Spatiotemporal parameters were used to measure cadence, step length, and velocity, and kinematic parameters were used to measure hip and knee joint movement during gait. Results: Significant improvements in the active ranges of motion of the hip and knee joints (flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction) and in the 10-m and 2-min walk test results were observed after robot-assisted gait training (p < 0.05). In addition, biomechanical characteristics of gait, spatiotemporal factors (cadence, step length, and velocity), and kinematic factors (gait hip flexion-extension, internal rotation-external rotation angle, and knee joint flexion-extension) were also significantly improved (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study are of clinical importance as they demonstrate that robot-assisted gait training can be used as an effective intervention method for patients who have undergone lower extremity surgery. Furthermore, the findings of this study are clinically meaningful as they expand the scope of robot-assisted gait training, which is currently mainly applied to patients with central nervous system conditions.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.213-234
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• 2023

Objectives: To investigate current status of randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) registration for suicide attempters. Methods: The World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO-ICTRP) was used to search for data using 'suicide' as a search term. All registration information of RCTs registered up to April 2023 were collected. Results: Among a total of 68 RCTs registered, the United States ranked the highest in terms of quantity in this field (n=30, 46.15%), whereas Asia had only six (8.82%). A total of 62 (91.18%) RCTs involved individual interventions, while nine (13.24%) RCTs involved group interventions. Among individual interventions, 11 (16.18%) and 54 (79.41%) RCTs were on pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, respectively. Within psychotherapy, there were a total of 17 (25%) studies utilizing digital media, with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) via phone being the most common approach. Among non-digital media-based studies, CBT was used the most frequently (n=11, 16.18%), followed by attempted suicide short intervention program (n=6, 8.82%). There were no studies using interventions from East Asian traditional medicine, including Korean medicine (KM). The most frequently used main outcome was the Beck scale for suicidal ideation. Conclusions: Studies on suicide attempts in Asia, especially in South Korea, are very scarce. Despite vigorous psychotherapeutic research in this field, KM psychotherapy has not been used. Thus, KM clinical trial for suicide attempters might be planned in the future based on our findings.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.68-74
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• 2023

Objectives: Drug holidays are suggested to reduce the formation of osteonecrosis in patients under intravenous (IV) bisphosphonates (BPs) therapy. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the incidence of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) following tooth extraction in cancer patients using IV BP, and to assess the effect of drug holiday on the development of MRONJ. Patients and Methods: A manuel search of the patient folders of Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Hacettepe University was undertaken to identify cancer patients who used IV BPs and had at least one tooth extraction between 2012 and 2022. Patents' age, sex, systemic condition, the type of BP used, duration of BP used, number of tooth extraction, duration of drug holiday, localization of tooth extraction and incidence of MRONJ were recorded. Results: One hundred nine teeth were removed from 57 jaws in 51 patients. All tooth extractions were performed under perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis and with primary wound closure. The incidence of MRONJ was 5.3%. Stage 1 MRONJ developed in 3 patients (only one had a drug holiday). The median duration of drug holiday was 2 months. No significant difference between the patients with and without a drug holiday and MRONJ development was found (P=0.315). The mean age of patients developed MRONJ was 40.33±8.08 years. A statistically significant difference was found between age and MRONJ development (P=0.002). Conclusion: The effect of a short-term drug holiday on the development of MRONJ may be limited because BPs remain in bone tissue for a long time. Drug holidays should be applied with the approval of an oncologist with other preventive measurements.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.197-204
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• 2009

Purpose: Obesity is the major risk factor of the heart disease and the metabolic disease. And many obese women have dysfunction of the endocrine system. There are many reports about oriental obesity treatment program. In clinics, the electroacupuncture with exercise is believed more effective. But the difference of weight loss as exercise and women was not studied. Methods: The subjects were 75 young women who visited Kangnam Kyunghee hospital for obesity management from March 2006 to July 2008. Six treatments had performed, the weight loss checked at every treatment. 52 women treated by oriental obesity treatment with exercise, 23 women treated therapy without exercise. As the exercise and the age, the weight loss was compared. Results: The weight loss of electroacupuncture with exercise was higher than that of electroacupuncture without exercise, but was not significant. The weight loss of perimenopausal women was significantly low. Conclusion: The comparison of electroacupuncture with exercise and electroacupuncture without exercise was not significantly different. The weight loss of the older women would be less than the weight loss of the younger.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.269-277
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• 2019

This study aims to see what changes flower arrangement programs bring to the stress index of elderly people with chronic diseases and its correlation with cognition. Furthermore, seniors from a day care center and a nursing home were compared for the purpose of identifying the effectiveness of flower arrangement activities as a supplementary remedy designed to relieve the symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients with chronic diseases. In this study, 24 seniors with chronic diseases were divided into two groups: Group A consists of 15 seniors from a day care center and Group B consists of nine seniors from a nursing home. Both groups participated in simple flower arrangement activities in 10 sessions. In each session, red and green cut flowers that were preferred by the elderly were provided to elicit and develop their thoughts and behaviors. The results showed that the overall average stress index was significantly reduced from 58.0±11.6 before the program to 50.6±17.1 after the program (p = .037). This study examined that the program was more effective for Group A (p = .021) than for Group B (p = .678). Results of the correlation analysis showed that there was no correlation between cognitive function and stress index (p = .569), but that the activity was more effective for Group A. This study shows that arranging flowers effectively lowers the stress index of elderly people with chronic diseases. Also, sharing the outcomes of such activities with others or continuously caring for the flowers even after the activity can maximize the effectiveness of the therapy and rehabilitation. Thus, the study concluded that the program needs to be applied continuously, not in the short-term, in order to relieve or treat the symptoms of elderly patients with chronic diseases.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.474-479
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• 2024

The introduction of nonabsorbable barbed sutures in plastic surgery has allowed the achievement of significant results in terms of efficacy and short- and long-term outcomes. However, a nonabsorbable material with no antibacterial coating could act as a substrate for subclinical bacterial colonization and thereby determine recurrent subacute and chronic infective-inflammatory processes. The authors report a clinical experience of subacute infectious complications after two cases of diastasis recti surgical correction. The authors present a two-case series in which a nonabsorbable barbed suture was used for the repair of diastasis recti. The postoperative course was complicated by surgical site infection. The origin of the infectious process was clearly localized in the fascial suture used for diastasis correction. The suture was colonized by bacteria resulting in the formation of multiple granulomas of the abdominal wall a few months postoperatively. In both the reported cases, the patients partially responded to the antibiotic targeted therapy and reoperation was required. The microbiological analyses confirmed the colonization of sutures by Staphylococcus aureus. Barbed nonabsorbable sutures should be avoided for diastasis recti surgical correction to minimize the risk of infectious suture-related complications. The paper's main novel aspect is that this is the first clinical report describing infectious complications after surgical correction of diastasis recti with barbed polypropylene sutures. The risk of microbiological subclinical colonization of polypropylene suture untreated with antibacterial coating, therefore, should be taken into account.