• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.16-34
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• 2023

Herpes zoster (HZ) results from the reactivation of a varicella-zoster virus infection and is accompanied by moderate-to-severe pain in most patients. The most common treatment is medication; however, there are still limitations. Acupuncture reportedly has meaningful therapeutic effects and is a possible alternative option in HZ. However, no systematic reviews examining the use of acupuncture and electro-acupuncture (EA) alone have been published; in this study, we therefore aimed to systematically review those techniques. We searched for clinical trials of acupuncture and EA treatment for HZ up to October 2022. Trials that used acupuncture were included. Outcomes were visual analog scale (VAS) and effective rate. Secondary outcomes were time to pain relief, time to pain elimination, incrustation, decrustation, lastly incidence of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). In total, 22 randomized controlled trials were included in this research. Compared with conventional medication therapy, acupuncture was associated with a significant improvement in VAS, effective rate, and times to pain relief and elimination. Times to new blister cessation, incrustation, and decrustation (days) were significantly improved. Furthermore, the incidence rate of PHN was lower in acupuncture groups. The results suggest that acupuncture could be a reasonable treatment option for patients with HZ who suffer from pain and accompanying symptoms.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.154-172
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the clinical evidence supporting the use of acupuncture (AC) for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Methods: We searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used AC for PMS in 9 databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, CNKI, CiNii, SCIENCE ON, KoreaMed, OASIS) from their inception to July 2022. Results: We identified 1,168 studies, of which 15 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. The risk of bias in the included studies was relatively unclear or high. Meta-analysis of 3 RCTs showed that the AC group had a significantly higher effective rate than the Medroxyprogesterone group (RR 1.48, 95% CI (1.23, 1.78), p<0.0001). Meta-analysis of 2 RCTs showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the AC group and the Sham AC group in the effective rate (RR 4.72, 95% CI (0.88, 25.36), p=0.07). In a review of individual studies, the AC group was more effective than the control group in terms of the effective rate, symptom scale, quality of life, adverse events, and recurrence rate. Conclusions: The AC group was more effective than general treatments groups such as sham AC, western medicine, and dietary supplements, and there were no serious adverse events. However, the evidence on the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for PMS was inconclusive due to the small number of included studies and low quality. Therefore, systematic reviews based on more rigorously designed randomized clinical trials are needed in the future to properly evaluate the effect of AC on PMS.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.2-19
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• 2023

Purpose: Surgical techniques in orthodontics have received widespread attention in recent years. Meanwhile, biomaterials with high molecular content have been introduced, such as platelet concentrates (PCs), which may accelerate orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) and reduce periodontal damage. The present systematic review aimed to answer the following PICO question: "In patients in whom orthodontic surgical techniques are performed (P), what is the effectiveness of using PCs over the surgical site (I) when compared to not placing PCs (C) to achieve faster tooth movement (O)?" Methods: A search was performed in 6 databases. The criteria employed were those described in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses declaration. The present review included studies with a control group that provided information about the influence of PCs on the rate of OTM. Results: The electronic search identified 10 studies that met the established criteria. Conclusions: The included studies were very diverse, making it difficult to draw convincing conclusions. However, a tendency was observed for OTM to be accelerated when PCs were used as an adjuvant for canine distalization after premolar extraction when distalization was started in the same session. Likewise, studies seem to indicate an association between PC injection and the amount of canine retraction. However, it is not possible to affirm that the use of PCs in corticotomy shortens the overall treatment time, as this question has not been studied adequately.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.17-30
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• 2023

The human reproductive system can be affected by occupational exposure to many physical and chemical risk factors. This study was carried out to review the studies conducted on the issue of the pathophysiological effects of occupational physical and chemical risk factors on the reproductive system of females and males. In this systematic review, the databases such as "Google Scholar," "Pub-Med," "Scopus," and "Web of Science" were used. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020), the studies included in our study were published between 2000 and 2021. In order to extract the required data, all sections of the articles were reviewed. Out of 57 articles we reviewed, 34 articles were related to field studies and 23 articles to clinical studies. Among them, 43 studies dealt with the pathophysiological effects of chemical agents, six studies dealt with the pathophysiological effects of physical factors, and 8 studies dealt with the pathophysiological effects of physicochemical factors on the human reproductive system. Physical (noise, heat, and radiofrequency radiation) and chemical (such as carbamate and organophosphate pesticides, benzene, toluene, xylene, formaldehyde, NO2, CS2, manganese, lead, nickel, and n-hexane) risk factors had pathophysiological effects on the human reproductive system. The presence of these risk factors in the workplace caused damage to the human reproductive system. The rate of these negative pathophysiological effects can be reduced by performing appropriate managerial, technical, and engineering measures in work environments.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 2024

Objectives: The effectiveness and efficiency of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in reducing the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) relies on how widely it is adopted and adhered to, particularly among high-risk groups of MSM. The meta-analysis aimed to collect and analyze existing evidence on various factors related to PrEP adherence in MSM, including demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, substance use, and psychosocial factors. Methods: The meta-analysis followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The search included articles published between January 2018 and December 2022, obtained from the PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases. The studies that were included in the analysis reported the proportion of MSM who demonstrated adherence to PrEP and underwent quality appraisal using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: Of the 268 studies initially identified, only 12 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final meta-analysis. The findings indicated that education (odds ratio [OR], 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 to 2.40), number of sexual partners (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.31), engaging in sexual activities with an human immunodeficiency virus-positive partner (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.26), substance use (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.99), and lower levels of depression (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.82) were associated with higher rates of PrEP adherence among MSM. Conclusions: Despite these findings, further research is necessary to investigate PrEP adherence more comprehensively. The findings of this meta-analysis can be utilized to inform interventions aimed at improving PrEP adherence among MSM and provide directions for future research in this area.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.237-247
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• 2024

Purpose : This study aimed to systematically review the effectiveness of nursing interventions for patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). As the use of ECMO increases in critical care settings, it is important to understand how nursing interventions affect patient outcomes, survival, and complication rates. Methods : This systematic review followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines. A literature search was performed using terms related to ECMO and nursing interventions in several international electronic databases including CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, and Web of Science. Studies were screened and selected according to predefined eligibility criteria, focusing on those that evaluated the impact of nursing interventions on adult. Data extraction and risk-of-bias assessment were independently performed by two researchers. Results : A total of 647 studies were identified, and seven met the inclusion criteria for qualitative analysis. The included studies demonstrated that high-quality nursing care significantly improves clinical outcomes and reduces complications in patients receiving ECMO. Effective nursing interventions included prone positioning combined with ECMO for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, meticulous infection control, comprehensive and continuous nursing protocols, skilled nursing, and multidisciplinary management. These interventions have been shown to improve oxygenation, reduce complications, such as bleeding, manage blood pressure, and enhance overall clinical outcomes. Conclusion : High-quality nursing interventions are critical to improve survival and reduce complications in patients receiving ECMO. Implementing a multidisciplinary approach and comprehensive nursing protocols, including infection control and psychological support, is essential for the effective management of these patients. The findings of this study provide a foundation for the development of practical guidelines and educational programs to improve the quality of care for patients undergoing ECMO, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of ECMO treatment and patient outcomes.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.57-84
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• 2023

With the development of information and communications technology (ICT) and big data technology, anyone can easily obtain and utilize vast amounts of data through the Internet. Therefore, the capability of selecting high-quality data from a large amount of information is becoming more important than the capability of just collecting them. This trend continues in academia; literature reviews, such as systematic and non-systematic reviews, have been conducted in various research fields to construct a healthy knowledge structure by selecting high-quality research from accumulated research materials. Meanwhile, after the COVID-19 pandemic, remote healthcare services, which have not been agreed upon, are allowed to a limited extent, and new healthcare services such as health recommender systems (HRS) equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) and big data technologies are in the spotlight. Although, in practice, HRS are considered one of the most important technologies to lead the future healthcare industry, literature review on HRS is relatively rare compared to other fields. In addition, although HRS are fields of convergence with a strong interdisciplinary nature, prior literature review studies have mainly applied either systematic or non-systematic review methods; hence, there are limitations in analyzing interactions or dynamic relationships with other research fields. Therefore, in this study, the overall network structure of HRS and surrounding research fields were identified using citation network analysis (CNA). Additionally, in this process, in order to address the problem that the latest papers are underestimated in their citation relationships, the GraphSAGE algorithm was applied. As a result, this study identified 'recommender system', 'wireless & IoT', 'computer vision', and 'text mining' as increasingly important research fields related to HRS research, and confirmed that 'personalization' and 'privacy' are emerging issues in HRS research. The study findings would provide both academic and practical insights into identifying the structure of the HRS research community, examining related research trends, and designing future HRS research directions.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.179-202
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• 2013

Bisphenol A and other alkylphenols are widely used in plastic and other industrial consumer products. Release of these compounds into the aquatic environment during their manufacture, use and disposal has been a great scientific and public concern due to their toxicity at high concentrations and endocrine disrupting effects at low concentration on aquatic wildlife and human beings. This paper reviews the published data and researches on the environmental occurrence, distribution, health effects and analytical techniques of bisphenol A and alkylphenols. The aim is to provide an overview of the current understanding about bisphenol A and alkylphenols in the environment and the difficulties faced today in order to establish standard and systematic environmental analysis and assessment process for these endocrine disruptor compounds.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.911-920
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• 2010

This paper presents a method of designing hybrid analog/asymmetrical square-root (SR) FIR filters. In addition to the conventional frequency domain constraints, the proposed method considers time-domain constraints as well, including the inter-symbol interference (ISI) and the opening of the eye pattern at the receiver output. This paper also reviews a systematic way to find the discrete-time equivalence of analog parts in a band-limited digital communication system. Thus, a phase equalizer can be easily realized to compensate for the nonlinear phase responses of the analog components. With the hybrid analog/SR FIR filter co-design, examples show that using the proposed method can result in a more robust ISI performance in the presence of the receiver clock jitter.

• 한국방재학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.02a
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• pp.152-155
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• 2007

Efficiency and limitations of HAZUS-MH, a GIS based systematic and informative system developed by FEMA and NIBS for natural hazard loss estimations, are discussed by means of a pilot study in the Korean Peninsular. Gyeongsang-do has been selected for the test after careful reviews of previous studies including historical and modern seismicity in the peninsular. A ShakeMap for the selected scenario earthquake with magnitude 6.7 in Gyeongju area is prepared. Then, any losses due to the scenario event have been estimated using HAZUS. Results of the pilot test show that the study area may experience significant physical, economic and social damages. Detailed study in the future will provide efficient and crucial information to the decision makers and emergency agents to mitigate any disaster posed by natural hazards.