• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.195-198
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• 2007

In this paper, we introduce a digital cross-polarization and fluorescent color imaging system for quantitative evaluation of skin lesions. We describe the characterization of the imaging systems and the quantitative image analysis methods to show the feasibility for quantitative evaluation of skin lesions. The polarization color image was used to compute erythema and melanin index image which are useful for quantitative evaluation of pigmentation and vascular skin lesions, respectively. The fluorescent color image was used to quantitatively evaluate "sebum" and "vitiligo". In quantitative evaluation of various skin lesions, we confirmed the clinical efficacy of the imaging systems for dermatological applications. Finally, we sure that the imaging systems can be utilized as important assistant tools for the evaluation of skin lesions by providing reproducible quantitative result for widely distributed skin lesions.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.554-560
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• 2022

Background Hypertrophic scars cause aesthetic concerns and negatively affect the quality of life. A gold standard treatment for hypertrophic scars has not been established due to various responses of modalities. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is a noninvasive and affects scar remodeling by fibroblast regulation. This study investigated the effectiveness of ESWT for hypertrophic scars. Methods Twenty-nine patients were enrolled. All patients underwent ESWT once a week for 6 consecutive weeks. Their scars were assessed using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS), erythema index, melanin index, and scar pliability before treatment and again 4 weeks after treatment completion. Results Thirty-four hypertrophic scars in this study had persisted for between 6 months and 30 years. Most scars developed after surgical incision (55.88%). The chest and upper extremities were the predominant areas of occurrence (35.29% each). Most of the POSAS subscales and total scores were significantly improved 4 weeks after treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the pain, itching, and pigmentation subscale were improved. The pliability, melanin index, and erythema index were also improved, but without significance. The patients were satisfied with the results and symptoms alleviation, although subjective score changes were insignificant. No serious adverse events were found. The patients reported pruritus in 62.5% and good pain tolerance in 37.5%. Subgroup analyses found no differences in scar etiologies or properties at different parts of the body. Conclusion The ESWT is a modality for hypertrophic scar treatment with promising results. Most of POSAS subscales were significantly improved.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.126-135
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• 2017

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Sae-ssack(sprout) therapy on atrophic acne scars. Methods : Twenty patients had atrophic acne scars on the face were treated with Sae-ssack therapy. Sae-ssack therapy consists of a total of three treatments, a first-stage Sae-ssack acupuncture, a second-stage texture treatment, and a third-stage anti-pigmentation therapy. The evaluation of the treatment effect was made by the Korean medical doctor who did not participate in the procedure, and the PGA(Physician's Global Assessment), QGASC(Qualitative Global Acne Scarring Grade System) and patient satisfaction were used as the evaluation index. Results and Conclusions : According to the above indicates, the Sae-ssack therapy was evaluated to be effective in the repair of atrophic acne scars. There were no visible or consistent side effects and patient satisfaction was also very high.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.150-165
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• 2008

Objective : An adequate measurement for Atopic Dermatitis(AD) is essential for studies about the treatment of AD. To establish a new and adequate scoring system for AD in Korean medicine, we reviewed existing studies on AD outcome measurement in Korean medicine. Method : We searched for reviews on measurements of AD or studies which used an AD outcome measurement at the Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal from 1995 to June, 2008. And then we reviewed the pattern identification in AD patients and the outcome measurements for AD in each study. Results : 1. Among 25 studies, the most common measurement for AD was SCORAD(the severity SCORing of Atopic Dermatitis index), there were 16 studies. There was one study which used the Jakob T scoring system, one study which used ADSI(the Atopic Dermatitis Severity Index), and there were 7 studies which established or used a new severity scoring system for AD. 2. In Korean medicine, AD caused by Damp-Heat is accompanied by erythema, papulation, oozing and crust, Damp-Heat accompanied by Spleen-Gi deficiency is frequently found in pediatric patients, and in adults who have indigestion. Symptoms of AD caused by blood deficiency and Wind-Dryness include lichenification, dryness, scale and pigmentation. AD caused by toxic Heat in the blood system has symptoms similar to some Damp-Heat pattern along with symptoms of blood deficiency and Wind-Dryness. Conclusion : We need to establish a new severity scoring system which reflects pattern identifications and treatments with Korean medicine, and we should assess the validity, reliability, and sensitivity of the new scoring system.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.85-93
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• 2016

We already reported that genetically engineered resveratrol-enriched rice (RR) showed to down-regulate skin melanogenesis. To be developed to increase the bioactivity of RR using calli from plants, RR was adopted for mass production using plant tissue culture technologies. In addition, high-pressure homogenization (HPH) was used to increase the biocompatibility and penetration of the calli from RR into the skin. We aimed to develop anti-melanogenic agents incorporating calli of RR (cRR) and nanoparticles by high-pressure homogenization, examining the synergistic effects on the inhibition of UVB-induced hyperpigmentation. Depigmentation was observed following topical application of micro-cRR, nano-calli of normal rice (cNR), and nano-cRR to ultraviolet B (UVB)-stimulated hyperpigmented guinea pig dorsal skin. Colorimetric analysis, tyrosinase immunostaining, and Fontana-Masson staining for UVB-promoted melanin were performed. Nano-cRR inhibited changes in the melanin color index caused by UVB-promoted hyperpigmentation, and demonstrated stronger anti-melanogenic potential than micro-cRR. In epidermal skin, nano-cRR repressed UVB-promoted melanin granules, thereby suppressing hyperpigmentation. The UVB-enhanced, highly expressed tyrosinase in the basal layer of the epidermis was inhibited by nano-cRR more prominently than by micro-cRR and nano-cNR. The anti-melanogenic potency of nano-cRR also depended on pH and particle size. Nano-cRR shows promising potential to regulate skin pigmentation following UVB exposure.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2024

Vitiligo is a condition characterized by the destruction or dysfunction of melanin-producing cells in the skin, resulting in a loss of skin pigmentation. Facial vitiligo, specifically affecting the face, significantly impacts patients' appearance, thereby diminishing their quality of life. Evaluating the efficacy of facial vitiligo treatment typically relies on subjective assessments, such as the Facial Vitiligo Area Scoring Index (F-VASI), which can be time-consuming and subjective due to its reliance on clinical observations like lesion shape and distribution. Various machine learning and deep learning methods have been proposed for segmenting vitiligo areas in facial images, showing promising results. However, these methods often struggle to accurately segment vitiligo lesions irregularly distributed across the face. Therefore, our study introduces a framework aimed at improving the segmentation of vitiligo lesions on the face and providing an evaluation of vitiligo lesions. Our framework for facial vitiligo segmentation and lesion evaluation consists of three main steps. Firstly, we perform face detection to minimize background areas and identify the face area of interest using high-quality ultraviolet photographs. Secondly, we extract facial area masks and vitiligo lesion masks using a semantic segmentation network-based approach with the generated dataset. Thirdly, we automatically calculate the vitiligo area relative to the facial area. We evaluated the performance of facial and vitiligo lesion segmentation using an independent test dataset that was not included in the training and validation, showing excellent results. The framework proposed in this study can serve as a useful tool for evaluating the diagnosis and treatment efficacy of vitiligo.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.197-203
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• 1992

During the study of the distribution of cellular slime molds in Halla mountain of Korea, a new yellow-pigmented Dictyostelium was isloated. This exibited several distinctive features which differed from the published species, and was designated as a new species, Dictyostelium jlavidum sp. n. Hong et Chang (Type strain HL-1). It was cultivated at $20-22^{\circ}C$ on weak nutrient agar media, 0.1 L-P in association with Escherichia coli. Sorocarps were 4-10 mm or more in length, conspicuously yellow throughout or with sori, typically solitary, unbranched or sparsely and irregularly branched. Sorophores were strongly tapered from bases to tips. Bases were typically well-formed disks in form or conically expanded. Sori were yellow to yellowish in color, and the pigmentation intensified with age. Spores were long and thin elliptical, mostly $4.8-9.6{\times}1.9-3.8\;(ave.\;7.3{\times}2.8)\;\mu\textrm{m}$, L/B index about 2.4-2.8, without polar granules.anules.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.151-163
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• 2019

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of herbal medicine for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in cases and to find the general tendency of herbal medicine treatment and to establish the primary treatment direction of Atopic dermatitis. Methods : In the domestic databases, Oriental medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System(OASIS), Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal(KTKP), National Discovery for Science Leader(NDSL), Research Information Sharing Service(RISS), we selected among the papers published in the last 20 years using search terms related to "Atopic dermatitis & Cases". Reports based on Sasang constitutional medicine and Six meridian pattern identification were excluded and a total of 21 papers were finally selected. Results : 113 herbal medicines were retrieved from 21 papers. The most commonly used herbs are Scutellariae Radix(黃芩), Rehmanniae Radix(地黃), and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma(甘草). Atractylodis Rhizoma(蒼朮), Akebiae Caulis(木通), Smilacis Rhizoma(土茯?), Paeoniae Radix(芍藥) used mostly when Oozing exists, Trichosanthis Radix (瓜蔞), Asparagi Radix(天門冬), Persicae Semen(桃仁), Carthami Flos(紅花) used mostly when Dryness, Lichenification, and Pigmentation exist. The average score of SCORAD index was improved after Herbal medicine treatment. Conclusion : Through this study, we could find out the tendency of herbal medicine to treat Atopic dermatitis along with Symptoms.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.69-82
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• 2024

The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate and compare the effects of 640 nm LED irradiation and aromatherapy on the skin condition of the neck. Twenty female participants were divided into Group A (640 nm LED irradiation + aromatherapy) and Group B (640 nm LED irradiation only). Total of 8 experiments were conducted on the 2 groups twice a week. As a result of the experiment, moisture content was significantly improved in both group A (p<0.01) and group B (p<0.001), and wrinkle index was significantly improved in both group A (p<0.01) and group B (p<0.05). Additionally, the change in skin density was significantly improved in both group A (p<0.001) and group B (p<0.05), and the change in elasticity was significantly improved in both group A (p<0.001) and group B (p<0.001) as well. However, the change in skin tone was not significant in group A (p>0.05), but the change was drastically improved in group B (p<0.05). Blemishes and pigmentation changes were significantly improved in group A (p<0.05), but was not significant in group B (p>0.05). These results conclude that combining aromatherapy with 640 nm LED irradiation can be highly effective in improving skin condition of the neck.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.252-263
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• 2013

Objectives : Skin color deformation by cupping has been widely used as a diagnostic parameter in Traditional Korean Medicine(TKM). Skin color deformation such as ecchymoses and purpura is induced by local vacuum in a suction cup. Since existing studies have relied on a visual diagnostic method, there is a need to use the quantitative measurement method. Methods : We conducted an analysis of cross-polarization photographic images to assess the changes in skin color deformation. The skin color variation was analyzed using $L^*a^*b^*$ space and the skin erythema index(E.I.). The meridian theory in TKM indicates that the condition of primary internal organs is closely related to the skin color deformation at special acupoints. Before conducting these studies, it is necessary to evaluate whether or not skin color deformation is influenced by muscle condition. Hence, we applied cupping at BL13, BL15, BL18, BL20 and BL23 at Bladder Meridian(BL) and measured blood lactate at every acupoint. Results : We confirmed the high system measurement accuracy, and observed the diverse skin color deformations. Moreover, we confirmed that the $L^*$, $a^*$ and E.I. had not changed after 40 minutes(p>0.05). The distribution of blood lactate levels at each part was observed differently. Blood lactate level and skin color deformation at each part was independent of each other. Conclusions : The negative pressure produced by the suction cup induces a reduction in the volumetric fraction of melanosomes and subsequent reduction in epidermal thickness. The relationship between variations of tissue and skin properties and skin color deformation degree must be investigated prior to considering the relationship between internal organ dysfunction and skin color deformation.