• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.151-161
• /
• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of acupuncture and medial branch block(collaborative treatment) with just medial branch block regarding acute low back pain. Methods : Forty inpatients who received treatment between January 2012 and February 2013 were divided into 2 groups. The East-West treatment group(EW group, n=20) received one treatment of medial branch block and then acupuncture afterwards. The Western treatment group(W group, n=20) received one treatment of medial branch block. Both groups continued to receive manual therapy 3 times a week. Evaluations were made before medial branch block, 7 days after, and 14 days after using the Numerical Rating Scale(NRS). Results : Compared to before treatment, the NRS score of both EW and W groups after 7 and 14 days of treatment significantly decreased(p=0.0001). But only the EW group showed additional improvement between days 7 and 14(p=0.005). Regarding group comparison, the NRS score of the EW group was significantly lower than the W group at 7 days(p=0.037), and even more at 14 days(p<0.0001). Conclusions : Although medial branch block alone significantly improved acute low back pain, collaborative treatment with acupuncture was even more effective, with increased efficacy as time passed. Further research is recommended regarding the effects of collaborative treatment with acupuncture on acute low back pain.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.87-96
• /
• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Chuna treatment for neck pain patients caused by traffic accident. Methods : 64 patients were divided into two groups, experimental group and control group, of 32 patients each. Control group was treated with general korean medical treatment three times per week for 2 weeks. Experimental group was treated with Chuna treatment and general korean medical treatment three times per week for 2 weeks. We evaluated the treatment effect of each group with the visual analog scale(VAS) and neck disability index(NDI). Results : 1. In both two groups, VAS were decreased significantly in statistics after treatment. 2. In both two groups, NDI were decreased significantly in statistics after treatment. 3. There were significant reduction of the VAS in experimental group than control group, but, there were not significant reduction of the NDI in experimental group than control group. Conclusions : We suggest that Chuna treatment could be recommended as a useful therapy to neck pain patients caused by traffic accident.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.3153-3157
• /
• 2015

Background: Incidence and mortality rates for cancer have increased dramatically in the recent 30 years in Taiwan. However, not all patients receive treatment. Treatment refusal might impair patient survival and life quality. In order to improve this situation, we proposed this study to evaluate factors that are related to refusal of treatment in cancer patients via a cancer case manager system. Materials and Methods: This study analysed data from a case management system during the period from 2010 to 2012 at a medical center in Northern Taiwan. We enrolled a total of 14,974 patients who were diagnosed with cancer. Using the PRECEDE Model as a framework, we conducted logistic regression analysis to identify independent variables that are significantly associated with refusal of therapy in cancer patients. A multivariate logistic regression model was also applied to estimate adjusted the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: A total of 253 patients (1.69%) refused treatment. The multivariate logistic regression result showed that the high risk factors for refusal of treatment in cancer patient included: concerns about adverse effects (p<0.001), poor performance(p<0.001), changes in medical condition (p<0.001), timing of case manager contact (p=.026), the methods by which case manager contact patients (p<0.001) and the frequency that case managers contact patients (${\geq}10times$) (p=0.016). Conclusions: Cancer patients who refuse treatment have poor survival. The present study provides evidence of factors that are related to refusal of therapy and might be helpful for further application and improvement of cancer care.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.99 no.2
• /
• pp.220-225
• /
• 2010

This study was conducted to examine the effects of wound dressing with thiophanate-methyl paste on the compartmentalization of pruning wounds in Acer palmatum. A total of thirty field-grown trees were used for three different treatments, such as no dressing, dressing once right after pruning cut, and dressing twice, one more dressing treatment one year after initial dressing. Wound closure rate (WCR) and discolored/wound area ratio (D/W ratio) two years after treatment were measured. Variations of extractives, holocellulose and lignin at the treated branch unions were also examined. The WCR of no dressing treatment of 70.9% was significantly lower than those of the two dressing treatments (85.4% and 82.7%, respectively), while the difference between dressing once and twice was not significant. The D/W ratio of no dressing treatment (39.3%) was significantly higher than those of the two dressing treatments (around 30%). Generally, at the branch core of the treated union, contents of extractives and lignin were higher and holocellulose contents were lower than the branch core of the union with living branch. Among the branch core of treated union, no dressing treatment showed a relatively lower holocellulose (63.5%), and relatively higher extractives (2.8%) and lignin (26.6%) than dressing once (66.2%, 1.7%, 26.1%, respectively).

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.98 no.5
• /
• pp.618-629
• /
• 2009

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of pruning (P treatment) and transplanting (T treatment) of Acer palmatum on cambial growth and compartmentalization of pruning wounds for one year after treatments. Changes of cambial electrical resistance (CER), sizes of pruning wounds, cambial growth of trunks and stems near the wounds, and total phenols at branch unions during the period were examined using a total of 49 trees. After harvesting, areas of discolored wood behind the wounds, relative proportions of extractives, holocellulose and lignin at branch unions were also determined. CER and the cambial growth of trunk at 30 cm above the ground (TGR) were inversely correlated, and differences of CER and TGR among three treatments were significant. TGRs of control, P treatment and P+T treatment after the treatments were 112.2%, 72.4% and 52.5% of the annual growth for the year before the treatments, respectively. The cambial growth rate of stem (SGR) at 1.5 cm above the branch bark ridge and the closure rate of pruning wound (WCR) for one year after treatments were positively correlated, and WCR of P treatment of 39.8% was significantly higher than that of P+T treatment of 31.8%. Wounds of P+T treatment formed greater discolored area per unit area of pruning wound (D/W Ratio) than those of P treatment significantly. Lower WCR and higher D/W Ratio of P+T treatment suggested less ability of compartmentalizing the wounds than P treatment. Total phenols at branch core of pruning wound for both treatments heightened a month after treatment, and then lowered. The contents at below core of the wound were higher than those at control ones continuously, while they became similar each other at above core. Relatively high phenol contents of the extractives at P+T treatment implied that trees with P+T treatment allocated more energy to compartmentalize their wounds. Holocellulose and lignin contents at the branch core of treated branch unions of both treatments were lower and higher, respectively, than at the same part of the union with living branch, as results of the tree reaction to protection from wounding and microbial invasion.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.203-208
• /
• 2020

Objectives : Since there are complex associations between diseases/symptoms and acupoints, one-to-one correspondence may not be the proper approach. Pattern identification has been being used as a clinical framework to make treatment decisions by extracting and synthesizing clinical data including patients' signs and symptoms. In this article, we propose two different models explaining the relationships between diseases and acupoints based on the branch treatment [Zhibiaofa] and the root treatment [Zhibenfa]. Methods : We explained the relationships between diseases/symptoms and acupoints from the example data from our previous study on traditional acupuncture point selection patterns for pain control. Diseases include low back pain, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, osteoarthritis, ankle sprain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and dysmenorrhea, and acupoints included LI4, BL23, BL25, SP6, BL60, TE5, and CV4. Results : The relationships between diseases/symptoms and acupoints can be explained directly based on the branch treatment, and also can be explained indirectly through pattern identification based on the root treatment. Pattern identifications included both meridian-based pattern identification based on the spatial information of diseases and visceral organ-based pattern identification based on the characteristics of diseases. Conclusions : In the East Asian traditional medicine, Korean medicine doctors choose the most appropriate acupoints based either on the diseases/symptoms (i.e., branch treatment) or on the results of pattern identifications (i.e., root treatment). It is necessary to understand the two different approaches to choose specific acupoints for the targeted diseases.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.100 no.3
• /
• pp.432-440
• /
• 2011

The objective of this study was to investigate growth and fruiting characteristics (e.g., nut qualities) of chestnut (Castanea cerenata) after applying various fertilizer treatments at the cultivation site in Suncheon. Fertilizer treatments were designed as follow: liquid fertilizer, chemical fertilizer, organic fertilizer, and control. Both liquid and chemical fertilizer treatments provided the best growth in height and basal diameter. In addition, these two treatments were very effective for crown width of the trees between both east-west and north-south orientation. The liquid fertilizer treatment was effective on total length of the fruiting branch and length of the bearing to terminate part. Both liquid and chemical fertilizer treatments produced the longest length of basal to bearing part compared to the other two treatments. The liquid fertilizer treatment showed the most thickened basal diameter of the fruiting branch and the greatest diameter of above and below the bearing burr part. Elongation Index of the fruiting branch (EI) was the highest with liquid fertilizer treatment and the remaining four indices (Production Index of fruiting branch, PI; Ratio of Diameter between below and above bearing burr part, RD; Growth Index of fruiting branch diameter, GI; Thickness Index of fruiting branch or dormant branch, TI) were the highest with the chemical fertilizer treatment. Total number of produced branch per fruiting mother branch and number of small and weak branches per fruiting mother branch were highest on the control and liquid fertilizer treatment; however, all treatments produced similar numbers. The chemical and organic fertilizer treatments produced a high number of fruiting branches per fruiting mother branch, while organic and liquid fertilizer treatments produced a high number of burr per fruiting branch. The rate of commercializing on the basis of nut weight and quantity was higher on control (87.5%) than chemical fertilizer treatment (84.6%); however, the rate was even lower on liquid fertilizer treatment (84.3%) and organic fertilizer treatment (82.7%). The liquid fertilizer treatment showed the highest average of nut weight, while chemical fertilizer treatment showed the highest average number of fruiting burr. There was no significant difference in average number of normal nuts per burr among treatments. The yield per tree was high on chemical (8.2 kg) and liquid (8.0 kg) fertilizer treatments, but there was no significant difference among treatments. In the rate of nut grade on the basis of nut weight and quantity, the liquid fertilizer treatment, 43.5% and 34.3% more than large nut respectively, produced higher value chestnuts compared to other treatments.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.618-622
• /
• 2010

Cost-effective purification methods of silicon were carried out in order to replace the conventional Siemens method for solar grade silicon. Firstly, acid leaching which is a hydrometallurgical process was preceded with grinded silicon powders of metallurgical grade (~99% purity) to remove metallic impurities. Then, plasma treatments were performed with the leached silicon powders of 99.94% purity by argon plasma at 30 kW power under atmospheric pressure. Plasma treatment was specifically efficient for removing Zr, Y, and P but not for Al and B. Another purification step by EB treatment was also studied for the 99.92% silicon lump which resulted in the fast removal of boron and aluminum. That means the two methods are effective alternative tools for removing the doping elements like boron and phosphor.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.112-116
• /
• 2024

Complete left bundle branch block (CLBBB) is a significant cardiac conduction abnormality often associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This case report highlights the improvement in CLBBB and symptom relief through reverse cardiac remodeling in a patient diagnosed with DCM following an optimized heart failure treatment regimen consisting of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, beta-blocker, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist. This case highlights the potential of electrical remodeling and conduction system improvement in patients with DCM receiving optimized medical therapy.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.189-194
• /
• 2011

Metallurgical grade silicon was recovered from slurry waste for ingot sawing process by acid leaching and thermal treatment. SiC abrasive was removed by gravity concentration and centrifugation. Metal impurities were removed by the acid leaching using HF/HCl. The remaining SiC was separated by the thermal treatment at $1600^{\circ}C$ in an inert atmosphere by the difference in melting points. The purity of the obtained silicon was found to be around 99.7%.