• Title/Summary/Keyword: Traditional Oriental Medicine

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Strategic Direction and Road Map of Expanding Prevention of Winter Disease in the Summer (동병하치 확산을 위한 전략적 방향과 이행방안)

  • Song, Ho-Sueb
    • Journal of Acupuncture Research
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    • v.27 no.3
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    • pp.147-157
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    • 2010
  • Objectives : The purpose of this study was to propose appropriate strategic directions and road maps for successful achievement of programs preventing winter disease in the summer. Methods : Details on programs preventing winter disease in the summer such as clear concept, theoretical basis, current status, intervention or available prescriptions and indication/contraindication/caution were prepared through the related journal review, upon which an observational study was devised and done for simulation to find out even a trivial problem and to guarantee the safety beforehand. The experimental group was divided into 5 groups by the size of pill and the way ginger is treated; 1cm pill with ginger group, 3cm pill group without ginger, 3cm pill group dipped into ginger, 3cm pill group applying ginger to acupoints and 3cm pill group with ginger Results 1. program preventing winter disease in the summer was defined as representative winter diseases such as common cold, influenza, chronic asthma, chronic bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, emphysema, chronic gastritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and preventive care in the summer, reinforcing deficient yang qi of five viscera by using exuberant yang qi from summer heat. 2. It was based upon historically established theories which is 'nourishing yang qi in the spring and summer', 'long summer, namely rainy spell in the summer overwhelms the winter, because of earth winning water according to the five phases theory' and 'To replenish yang qi is major principle to treat winter diseases, which can be most appropriately and timely applied to the patient with deficient yang qi of five viscera inherently, especially in the three dog days of the summer, because of exuberant exterior yang qi and deficient interior yang qi in the five viscera'. 3. In the adjacent China and Taiwan, acupoint applying method in the three dog days named 'San Fu Tie' have been stirring a boom throughout the nation, in which Xiaochuan Gao was used as a basic prescription and it mainly was applied at bilateral $BL_{13}$, $_{15}$ and $_{17}$ for about 4 hours. As far as domestic current status, the necessity of adopting the above method prior to Herbal formula was also recognised, because not a few koreans have apprehension for the safety of it including medicinal herbs and are reluctant to take it any more due to negative advertisement of narrow minded doctors' association. 4. Indication of acupoint applying method in the three dog days included most of winter diseases such as common cold, influenza, chronic asthma, chronic bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, emphysema, chronic gastritis. contraindication was pregnant woman and the weak such as infants and the old. More attention was paid to grasp firmly the normal reaction following the treatment for preventing side effect and teasing blister. recommendation was also given to abstain from food inducing phlegm and dampness such as meat, shrimp and crab as well as cold drinks and foods 5. In the simulation observational study based upon the above findings following review the related articles, no blister was shown on the acupoints icluding bilateral $BL_{13}$, $_{15}$ and $_{17}$ in every experimental group during 24hr observation following the acupoint applying treatment with pills made by modified and devised prescription. At 4 hr, the effectiveness of it reached a peak showing redness and mild tenderness and there is little difference between groups 3cm pills groups regardless of the way ginger was treated. abdominal distention and growling was found in all the volunteers during the treatment at CV 8. Strategic directions and road maps : Through successful fulfillment of the program preventing winter disease in the summer, Korean traditional medicine should be integrated into mainstream national health care services. Cultural access was thought to be as important as Scientific EBM approach. First of all, To evoke potential cultural homogeneity from campaigns and press advertisement was needed for promoting public awareness about preventing winter disease in the summer by enhancing immunity via acupoint applying treatment in the three dog days, and then indigenous name as Sambokcheop, protocol, Clinical Research Form for data collection of it should be developed and prepared. Once the first step was taken this summer, through a thorough data collection and scrutinized scientific evaluation, drawbacks should be compensted for and the efficacy and safety should be substantiated.

Screening of Personalized Immunostimulatory Activities of Saengsik Materials and Products Using Human Primary Immune Cell (사람 면역세포를 활용한 생식 원료 및 제품의 체질 맞춤형 면역 활성 탐색)

  • Oh, Seong-Yoon;Chung, Mi Ja;Choi, Jae-Ho;Oh, Deog-Hwan
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.43 no.9
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    • pp.1325-1333
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    • 2014
  • Sasang constitutional medicine is a Korean traditional medicine in which individuals are classified into four constitutional types, Taeyangin, Taeumin, Soyangin, and Soeumin. To develop new functional Saengsik products, we investigated the immunostimulatory activities of raw materials of Saengsik (milled rice, barley, Job's tears, soybean, adzuki bean, millet, eggplants, radish, carrot, Lentinus edodes, Agaricus bisporus, and Auricularia auricula-judae) and Saengsik products (Mix 1~6) in primary immune cells (lymphocytes and macrophages) isolated from blood of Taeumin, Soyangin, and Soeumin types. Increased cell proliferation as well as NO and TNF-${\alpha}$ protein production by immune cells treated with extracts of materials of Saengsik and Saengsik products were measured as immunostimulatory parameters. We chose milled rice, adzuki bean, radish, and Lentinus edodes to study the immunostimulatory activity of Teaumin, barley, soybean, eggplants, and Agaricus bisporus to study the immunostimulatory activity of Soyangin, as well as Job's tears, adzuki bean, carrot, and Auricularia auricula-judae to study the immunostimulatory activity of Soeumin. The mixtures (Mix 1~6) were made with different kinds and ratios of Saengsik materials based on the immunostimulatory activities of Saengsik materials. The immunostimulatory activity of Taeumin was highest in Mix 2 (rice 60%, adzuki bean 20%, radish 10%, and Lentinus edodes 10%) extract-treated immune cells among all six mixtures. The immunostimulatory activity of Soyangin responded best to Mix 4 (barley 60%, soybean 20%, eggplants 10%, and Agaricus bisporus 10%) among the six extracts (Mix 1~6). The increased immunostimulatory activity of Mix 6 (Job's tears 60%, adzuki bean 20%, carrot 10%, and Auricularia auricula-judae 10%)-treated immune cells was higher than the other five extracts (Mix 1~5). Accordingly, Mix 2, Mix 4, and Mix 6 may be useful as mixtures for Saengsik products having personalized immunostimulatory activities.

Effects of Herbal Complex on Blood Glucose in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats and in Mice Model of Metabolic Syndrome (생약복합제의 Streptozotocin 유발 당뇨 및 대사성증후군 모델 동물에서의 혈당에 미치는 효과)

  • Park, Han-Seok;Lee, Yeon-Sil;Choi, Se-Jin;Kim, Jin-Kyu;Lee, Yun-Lyul;Kim, Hyun-Gwen;Koo, Sam-Hoi;Ku, Dae-Hoy;Ki, Seung-Il;Lim, Soon-Sung
    • Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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    • v.40 no.3
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    • pp.196-204
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    • 2009
  • This study was carried out to investigate the in vivo and in vitro inhibitory effect of a traditional herbal complex (HC) extract prepared from a mixture of four oriental herbs (Dioscorea Rhizoma, Glycine soja Sieb. et Zucc, Bombycis corpus, Fermented Glycine soja) that have been widely used for the treatment and prevention of diabetes mellitus on hyperglycemia. The water extract of HC showed potent inhibitory effect on $\alpha$-glucosidase with $IC_{50}$ value of 1.24 mg/mL. Additionally, the ethanol extract of HC was also found to exhibit significant inhibitory effect against protein tyrosine phosphatase $1{\beta}$ ($PTP1{\beta}$), which is known as a major regulator of both insulin and leptin signaling. In the $PTP1{\beta}$ inhibitory assay, the most active n-hexane fraction obtained from the ethanol extract of HC, was identified as a mixture of fatty acid derivatives by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In high-fat diet-low dose streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat, the water extract of HC improved the oral glucose intolerance as compared with rosiglitazone. HC also caused a marked decrease of body weight and fasting blood glucose and a significant improvement on glucose tolerance in metabolic syndrome mice model. These findings support that this traditional HC may be useful in the control of blood glucose in diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.

Production of a hypothetical polyene substance by activating a cryptic fungal PKS-NRPS hybrid gene in Monascus purpureus (홍국Monascus purpureus에서 진균 PKS-NRPS 하이브리드 유전자의 발현 유도를 통한 미지 polyene 화합물의 생성)

  • Suh, Jae-Won;Balakrishnan, Bijinu;Lim, Yoon Ji;Lee, Doh Won;Choi, Jeong Ju;Park, Si-Hyung;Kwon, Hyung-Jin
    • Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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    • v.61 no.1
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    • pp.83-91
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    • 2018
  • Advances in bacterial and fungal genome mining uncover a plethora of cryptic secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. Guided by the genome information, targeted transcriptional derepression could be employed to determine the product of a cryptic gene cluster and to explore its biological role. Monascus spp. are food grade filamentous fungi popular in eastern Asia and several genome data belong to them are now available. We achieved transcription activation of a cryptic fungal polyketide synthase-nonribosomal peptide synthase gene Mpfus1 in Monascus purpureus ${\Delta}MpPKS5$ by inserting Aspergillus gpdA promoter at the upstream of Mpfus1 through double crossover gene replacement. The gene cluster with Mpfus1 show a high similarity to those for the biosynthesis of conjugated polyene derivatives with 2-pyrrolidone ring and the mycotoxin fusarin is the representative member of this group. The ${\Delta}MpPKS5$ is incapable of producing azaphilone pigment, providing an excellent background to identify chromogenic and UV-absorbing compounds. Activation of Mpfus1 resulted in a yellow hue on mycelia and its methanol extract exhibit a maximum absorption at 365 nm. HPLC analysis of the organic extracts indicated the presence of a variety of yellow compounds in the extract. This implies that the product of MpFus1 is metabolically or chemically unstable. LC-MS analysis guided us to predict the MpFus1 product and to propose that the Mpfus1-containing gene cluster encode the biosynthesis of a desmethyl analogue of fusarin. This study showcases the genome mining in Monascus and the possibility to unveil new biological activities embedded in it.

Clinical Observation on The Left and Right Facial Palsy (${\cdot}$右側 口眼와斜 患者에 對한 臨床的 考察)

  • Lim, Jin-Ki;Lim, Gyu-Sang;Hwang, Choong-Yeon
    • The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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    • v.10 no.1
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    • pp.383-402
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    • 1997
  • The author analyzed 155 cases of Facial Palsy, excluding lesions caused by cerebrovascular attacks, who were treated in the Kwang-ju Oriental Medical Hospital of Wonkwang University from March 1996 to September 1996. I've examined the 155 cases in the view of the etiologic distributions, the age, the relationship of the sex and paralytic side, attended symptoms and analyzed 95 cases who were treated over ten times in the view of the ratio of recovery according to the age, anatomic focus, the relations of sex and paralytic side. The following results are obtained. 1. The ratio of punghan(風寒) was $20.64\%$(32 cases), overwork was $18.70\%$(29 cases), stress was $6.44\%$(10 cases), excessive drinking was $3.23\%$(5 cases), teeth pain was $1.93\%$(3 cases), and idiopathy was $38.05\%$(59) and etc. 2. The ratio of stylomastoid pain was $15.48\%$(24 cases), auricular pain was $10.32\%$(16 cases), headache was $4.51\%$(7 cases), eyedried was $4.51\%$(7 cases), taste paralysis was $2.57\%$(4 cases), tinnitus was $2.57\%$(4 cases) and non-significant symptoms was $50.97\%$(79) and etc. 3. The ratio of 2th and 5th decade were $20.00\%$(31 cases), 4th decade was $18.71\%$(29 cases), 3th decade was $16.71\%$(26 cases), 6th decade was $11.61\%$(18 cases), teenagers in $5.81\%$(9 cases), over seventy and under teenagers were $3.23\%$(5 cases), and infant was $0.65\%$(1 case). 4. The ratio of the male-right was $28.39\%$(44 cases), female-right was $25.82\%$(40 cases), male-left was $23.23\%$(36 cases), female-left was $20.65\%$(32 cases) and male-both side was $1.94\%$(3 cases) in order. 5. Topographically, The ratio of the infrachordal lesion was $72.90\%$(113 cases), transgeniculate lesion was $16.13\%$(25 cases), suprageniculate lesion was $5.81\%$(9 cases), infrastapedial lesion was $3.87\%$(6 cases) and suprastapedial lesion was $1.29\%$(2 cases) in order. 6. When we examined the degree of recovery about the 95 patients who were treated over ten times after on attack, normal improvement was seen in $46.32\%$(44 cases), excellent in $7.37\%$(7 cases), good in $12.63\%$(12 cases), fair in $13.68\%$(13 cases), poor in $20.00\%$(19 cases). The total remedial value of the 95 patients who were treated over ten times was revealed $61.58\%$. 7. When we examined the 95 patients who were treated over ten times, the remedial value of the infant was $50.00\%$, under teenagers $43.75\%$, teenagers $37.50\%$, 2th decade $56.82\%$, 3th decade $64.06\%$, 4th decade $55.00\%$, 5th decade $73.53\%$, 6th decade $77.50\%$, over seventieth $68.75\%$. The remedial value of 3th decade, 5th decade, 6th decade, 7th decade and over seventieth were higher than the total remedial value($61.58\%$) 8. In the point of topographical lesion, when we examined the 95 patients who were treated over ten times, the remedial value of infrachordal lesion was $66.78\%$, infrastapedial lesion $58.33\%$, suprastapedial lesion $50.00\%$, transgeniculate lesion $48.44\%$, suprageniculate lesion $31.25\%$, in order. Only the remedial value of Infrachordal($66.78\%$) was higher than the total remedial value($61.58\%$). 9. In the point of the relationship of the sex and the paralytic side, when we examined the 95 patients who were treated over ten times, the remedial value of male-left was $57.29\%$, male-right $61.54\%$, male-both side $58.33\$%, female-left $57.81\%$ and female-right $68.27\%$. Only the remedial value of female-right($68.27\%$) was higher than the total remedial value($61.58\%$). These results demonstrated that in the point of prognostic view there was more concerned with the topographical lesion, body condition than the traditional rule of sex-paralytic relationship that man is awed left paralysis and woman right paralysis.

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Sasang Herb medicine, IRCT (InfraRed Computer Thermography), Yakchim (Korean herb-acupuncture) remedy (체통환자(體痛患者)의 사상의학적(四象醫學的) 사초(四焦)와 이목구비(耳目口鼻)를 중심(中心)으로 한 체열(體熱) 분석(分析))

  • Kim, Su-Beom;Song, Il-Byung
    • Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.377-393
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    • 1996
  • Lumbago is the common disease in the human, many people have been sicked the Lumbago. As the traditional methods of Lumbago treatment, acupuncture, moxibustion, herb medicines have been applied to a patient, nowadays, new methods have been applied physical remedy, Yakchim (Korean herb acupuncture) remedy, Chuna remedy to. This report was collected 73 Lumbago patients by name, sex, age, motive, symptoms, X-ray, CT, MRI, lRCT, Sasang constitution type, Sasang herb medicine, Yakchim, Chuna, period of remedy, satisfaction of remedy, at the "WooRee Korean Medical Clinic" during 21 months from Sep. 14, 1994 to May 25, 1996. And this report was studied about the distribution of the Sasang constitution type, the Sasang herb medicine, the effect, the period. The results were as follows: 1. Lumbago patients were distributed like that; Taeum-ln (太陰人) 47 (66.3 %), Soyang-In 16 (21.9 %), Soum-In (13.7 %), Taeyang-In (太陽人) 0. This was different from distribution of Donguisuseibowon (東醫壽世保元), Taeum-In (太陰人) 50%, Soyang-In (少陽人) 30 %, Soum-In (少陰人) 20 %, Taeyang-In (太陽人) little, this report shows that the number of Taeum-In (太陰人) is more than that of Donguisuseibowon and the number of Soum-In is less than that of Donguisuseibowon. 2. The average satisfaction of remedy was 60.3 %, Taeum-In's satisfaction was 66.0 %, Soum-In's satisfaction was 56.3 %, Soyang-In's satisfaction was 60.0 %. 3. The effective herb medicines were as follows, Soyang-In used the Hyong Bang Ji Hwang Tang (荊防地黃湯), Yuk Mi Ji Hwang Tang (六味地黃樓), Soum-In used the Sib Yi Mi Goan Jung Tang (十二味寬中湯), Taeum-In used the Chung Sim Yon Ja Tang (淸心蓮子陽), Chung Pae Sa Gan Tang (淸師爾肝湯), Yeol Da Han So Tang (熱多寒少湯). 4. The period of remedy was about 6 weeks. The period of remedy of each types was as follows, Taeum-In was about 5.7 weeks, Soum-In was about 6.8 weeks, Soyang-In was about 4.2 weeks. 5. The method of Lumbago remedy is divided three types, sprain Lumbago, Pyobyong (表病 : outside Syndromes) Libyong (裡病 : inside symdromes). Soum-In's methods are Pyobyong's ascending the Yang (陽), adding the Gi (氣) [升陽益氣], and Libyong's descending the inside Yim (裡陰) [裡陰降氣], Soyang-In's methods are Pyobyongs's decending the outside-Yim [表陰降氣], and Libyong's ascending the cool Yang (濟陽) [淸陽上升]. Taeum-In's methods are Pyobyong's ascending the Lung's Yang (肺陽升氣), and Libyong's colding the dried hot liver (淸肝燥熱). Taeyang's methods are strong the liver and making Yim. (補r肝生陰) 6. There are two methods for using the YakChim (Korean herb-acupuncture) by Sasang constitution medicine, one is to select the Yakchim, the other is to choice the point for appling the Yakchim. The first, to select the Yakchim, the other is follows; Soum-In can select the bee Venom, Soyang-In can select the H.O. (Hong Whoa 紅花), Taeum-In can select the I (Hodo 胡挑), V, O.K. (Ungdarn, 薦膽), Uwhang 牛黃, Sa-Hyang 麝香, etc., Palgang Yakchim (eight principles Korean herb-acupuncture (八剛藥鐵)) could made by abstracted Sasang herb medicine. The second, to choice the points for applying the Yakchim are used in the TaeGiuk Acupuncture method (太梗針法), Sacho (四焦, four warmer) by Sasang constritutional physiology and pathology.

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Analytical Study on the Jehotang in Literature in Terms of Cooking Science (문헌 속 제호탕의 조리학적 분석 연구)

  • Ji, Myoung-Soon;Kim, Jong-Goon
    • Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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    • v.18 no.4
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    • pp.446-454
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    • 2008
  • The traditional Korean drink "Jehotang", which is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for treatment of the heat stroke accompanied by high fever, severe sweat and thirst, it is effective far quenching thirst strengthening the stomach, stopping diarrhea and regulating intestinal function. It is also known to play a role in activating the growth of useful microbes in the intestine and in multiplying intestinal immune cells. Thus, this study investigated all aspects of the drink in an effort to develop a new functional beverage. In the course of this study, the analytical research into the literature concerning Jehotang an error in the secrets of preparing the drink. The Japanese apricot, which was given the botanical name, "Prunusmume", should only be used with the flesh (scientifically referred to as "Fructusmume"), which is fumigated with straw fire before drying. and the seed should be thrown away. The honey should only be used after it is heated with a gentle fire, before removing the white foam that farms on its surface to make the "Yeonmil". Two kinds of cooking processes were found in the ancient literature. One procedure boiling down the powered Fructus mume mixed with the Yeonmil, while the other procedure involved preparing the Fructus mume's water by adding water to it and blending the water with the Yeonmil and the rest of the raw ingredient before boiling them down. The current procedure, in which the cooking is done in a double boiler, has been widely adopted to its simplicity. The finished Jehotang is put in porcelain, kept at room temperature, and consumed after mixing with cold water.

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Antioxidant Activity and in vitro for Anticancer Effects of Manufactured Fermented Mulberry Leaf Tea (뽕잎발효차 제조에 따른 항산화 및 in vitro 항암활성)

  • Bae, Man-Jong;Ye, Eun-Ju
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.39 no.6
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    • pp.796-804
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    • 2010
  • This study was conducted to compare and analyze the qualitative property of MLT (mulberry leaf tea) and FMLT (fermented mulberry leaf tea) based on the antioxidant, anticancer activities of various extracts. When the antioxidant activity of MLT and FMLT extracts was evaluated, the electron donating activity was found to increase proportionally as the concentration of each extract increased. In addition, the extract of FMLT showed a higher electron donating activity than that of MLT. Furthermore, the ethanol extracts showed the highest electron donating ability. When the SOD activity was evaluated, it was also found to increase proportionally with the concentration of each extract. Furthermore, the SOD activity of the ethanol extract group was the highest, whereas the SOD like activities of both MLT and FMLT were similar. When nitrite decomposition was evaluated for each pH, the highest value was observed at pH 1.2. Finally, the nitrite deleting ability was the highest for the ethanol extracts. When each extract of MLT and FMLT was analyzed in vitro for anticancer effects, they were found to decrease the number of cancer cells proportionally as the concentration of extract increased for both HeLa cells and MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, FMLT was found to exert a greater inhibition of cancer cells than MLT. Among the extract groups, the ethanol extract induced the greatest inhibition of the development of cancer cells, and these effects were greater against MCF-7 cells than HeLa cells.

Incidence and magnitude of out-of-pocket payment and factors influencing them in Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance (산재환자의 진료비 본인부담 발생 및 크기와 이에 영향을 미치는 요인)

  • Park, Bo-Hyun;Lee, Tae-Jin;Lim, Wha-Young
    • Health Policy and Management
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    • v.20 no.1
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    • pp.103-124
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    • 2010
  • Objectives: The out-of-pocket payment (OOP) of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance (IACI) in Korea was investigated empirically in terms of its incidence, magnitude and factors influencing them. Methods: The subjects were sampled with stratified, randomized methods among medical institutions of which the number of monthly IACI claims exceeded its median as of May 2008. Out of 204 institutions selected, 118 institutions (57.8%) responded to this survey. A total of 24,826 episodes(2,457 inpatient and 22,369 outpatient episodes) were included in this analysis. The incidence and magnitude of OOP of IACI were calculated by characteristics of institution as well as patient. Factors that affected the incidence and magnitude of OOP were investigated through multi-level analysis. Results: The overall incidence of OOP of IACI was 9.9% (25.6% for inpatient and 8.2% for outpatient) and the percentage of OOP among total expenditures was 8.3% on average (7.6% for inpatient and 26.8% for outpatient); 25.2% at traditional oriental medicine hospitals, 9.5% at general hospitals and 2.5% at the industrial-accident-designated medical institutions. The incidence of OOP of IACI was influenced by hospital size, ownership, longer duration of designation (over 5 years) and length of stay. On the other hand, its magnitude was influenced by medium-sized hospital, public hospital, location of large city and length of stay. Extra charges for upper grade room which accommodates less than 4 patients and treatment by specialists were the leading contributors to the magnitude of OOP of IACI. Conclusion: The incidence and magnitude OOP of IACI varied in institution type and were influenced by both institutional and patient's factors. In order to achieve the goal of Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance, appropriate level of compensation, that is, no incidence of OOP, for accident and disease of workers, it is necessary to take measures to reduce incidence and magnitude of OOP.

Inhibitory Effect of the Hexane Extract of Saussurea lappa on the Growth of LNCaP Human Prostate Cancer Cells (목향 헥산추출물의 LNCaP 전립선암세포 증식 억제 효과)

  • Park, So-Young;Kim, Eun-Ji;Lim, Do-Young;Kim, Jong-Sang;Lim, Soon-Sung;Shin, Hyun-Kyung;Yoon Park, Jung-Han
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.37 no.1
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    • pp.8-15
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    • 2008
  • Saussurea lappa (SL) has been used to reduce abdominal pain and tenesmus in traditional oriental medicine. SL and major compounds of SL, sesquiterpene lactones, have been suggested to possess various biological effects, including anti-tumor, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and cardiotonic activities. Recently, it has been reported that ethanol extracts from roots of SL have antiproliferative effects on gastric cancer cells. To explore the possibility that SL has chemopreventive effects on prostate cancer, we examined whether the hexane extract of SL (HESL) inhibits the growth of LNCaP human prostate cancer cells. Cells were incubated with various concentrations ($0{\sim}4$ mg/L) of HESL in DMEM/F12 containing 5% charcoal stripped fetal bovine serum. HESL substantially decreased viable cell numbers and induced apoptosis of LNCaP cells in dose-dependent manners. HESL increased the levels of cleaved caspase-8, -9, -7 and -3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. HESL increased the levels of the pro-apoptotic Bak and truncated-Bid proteins whereas it had no effect on the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, or Mcl-1. The present results indicate that HESL inhibits the growth of human prostate cancer cells by inducing apoptosis, which involves the activation of the caspase cascades.