• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 2011

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease and is led to physical disability. Yet the development of effective disease-modifying treatments has lagged. In this study, I examined the effect of physical therapeutic intervention through microcurrent stimulation and attempt to find which degree of intensity, either 25 ${\mu}A$ or 500 ${\mu}A$ with a regular 5 pps pulse, is more effective in the osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis was induced with a mixture of 2% carrageenan and 2% kaolin in 26 male Sprague-Dawley rats. The mixture (0.1 $m{\ell}$) was injected into the intra-articular capsule of knee joint once a week for three weeks. Five animals did not show degenerative changes by radiological findings and excluded in the following experiment. Osteoarthritic animals were randomly divided into 3 groups ($n_1$, $n_2$, $n_3$=7/each): untreated, treated with 25 ${\mu}A$, treated with 500 ${\mu}A$. All experimental groups received microcurrent stimulation for four weeks (15 min/day, 5 days/week). The ethological inspection of foot print analysis on the walking corridor was accomplished every week. Histological preparations and immunohistochemical staining with insulin-like growth factor-1 were also done in the articular cartilages. All of these parameters were compared with those of osteoarthritic control group (n=7). The ethological inspection of foot print analysis revealed that changes of walking track (paw width) and stride length was significantly increased in both experimental groups. The better results were observed in experimental group treated with 25 ${\mu}A$ intensity without significance than group treated with 500 ${\mu}A$. Histological preparations disclosed that routine hyaline cartilage of articular surface were altered to fibrous cartilage in untreated group and experimental group treated with 500 ${\mu}A$ intensity. But a little changes were seen in experimental group treated with 25 ${\mu}A$ intensity. Immunolocalization of insulin-like growth factor-1 was simultaneously decreased according to the duration of osteoarthritis, and did not show significant difference among the groups. In this study discovered that the microcurrent stimulation, especially 25 ${\mu}A$ intensity, had a positive effect by the ethological inspection, histological and immunohistochemical stainings. These results suggest that microcurrent stimulation with low-intensity might be effective in the promotion of healing process for the osteoarthritis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.806-813
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• 2020

Objective : Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common disease, and lumbar discectomy (LD) is a common neurosurgical procedure. However, there is little previous data on return to work (RTW) after LD. This study investigated the period until the RTW after LD prospectively. Clinically, the pain state at the time of RTW also checked. RTW failure rate 6 months after surgery also investigated. Methods : Patients with daily/regular jobs undergoing LD between September 2014 and December 2018 were enrolled. Pain was assessed by the Oswestri Disability Index (ODI) and the Numeric Rate Scale (NRS). Employment type was divided into self-employed, regular and contracted. Monthly telephone interviews were conducted to check RTW status and self-estimated work capability after surgery. Results : Sixty-seven patients enrolled in this study. Three patients failed to RTW, and three others resigned within 6 months after surgery. The preoperative NRS and ODI were 7.2±1.2 and 22.1±7.9, respectively. The average time to RTW was 5.1±6.0 weeks. At RTW, NRS was 1.5±1.8 and ODI was 6.3±3.9. Amongst patients that successfully returned to work were 16 self-employed workers, 42 regular employees, and three contracted workers. The time to RTW of self-employed, regular, and contracted workers were 5.9±8.8, 4.2±4.3 and 13.3±2.3 weeks, respectively (p=0.011). Thirty-six of the patients that returned to work self-reported a 22.8±15.6% reduction in work capability at 6 months. Conclusion : RTW may vary depending on the employment status. In this study, we found that while employment type may affect the length to RTW, most patients were able to RTW and >40% of patients reported no loss of work capabilities 6 months postoperatively, hopefully alleviating some patient hesitation towards LD.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.155-179
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• 2004

This study is about the effectiveness and activation strategies of vacational training programme for the disabled guided by the Ministry of Labour and the Korea Employment Promotion Agency for the Disabled(KEPAD). This research employed quantitative approach. The quantitative research used the samples of 853 disabled people who had finished vocational training programme during recent 3 years. In this research the effectiveness is categorized into two ; product effectiveness and employment effectiveness. Product effectiveness is influenced by the kind of train-center, train-area, train-length. The KEPAD, non-IT job area and train-period over 6 month are more effective. Employment effectiveness is significantly influenced by demo-sociological factor rather than disability factor. Especially the kind of train-center is very important to be employed for the disabled. This implicates that choice of train-center by the disabled and effective management of it by the public sector is very important in developing employment. Effective management, stated above, includes reengineering programmes and functions accountable to the need form the trainee, bridging the gap among train-centers in terms of performance, differentiation of financial support according to the product to save the public fund, encouraging one special programme in one train-center.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.51-75
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• 2024

This case study aimed to develop a therapeutic rap protocol based on narrative components for improving discourse skills of adolescents with mild intellectual disability (ID) and to explore its applicability. The protocol matched narrative elements (background, initiating event, internal response, attempts, and reaction) with rap components (verse, hook, and interjections), guiding participants to narrate their experiences in a connected discourse form. The protocol was also structured to gradually increase in difficulty, considering the developmental levels of adolescents with ID and it included steps for understanding discourse structures, applying narrative elements to content creation, and expanding narratives. Post-intervention analysis of the stories and rap lyrics created by participants to express their real-life experiences showed that participants increased the length of their stories and rap compositions, with notable improvements in rhythmicity and the inclusion of narrative elements. These findings suggest that, instead of constructing rap from random utterances, providing a structured framework reflecting discourse structure enhanced participants' understanding of event context and logical connections. Furthermore, the various elements and rhythmic features of rap can strengthen motivation and organization in discourse. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of rap in addressing the unique developmental needs of adolescents with mild ID, thereby diversifying and systematizing music therapy interventions for this population.