• Clinical Pain
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.130-132
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• 2019

Acupuncture is generally regarded as a safe procedure and as a popular treatment for patients with musculoskeletal disorders. We report a case of a 47-year-old male patient with late-onset tetraplegia, developed after acupuncture. He had no trauma, medical, and social history relevant to tetraplegia. Right after the acupuncture, he felt discomfort in his right arm. After 6 days, all 4 extremity weakness developed. Whole-spine magnetic resonance imaging revealed the presence of spinal subdural hematoma extending from the C5 vertebra to the coccyx level. Hand coordination dysfunction, neurogenic bladder, and neuropathic pain were other symptoms. After the management, he recovered muscle strength, but incomplete bladder control and neuralgia were sustained. It is important to be aware of the possibilities of severe complications after acupuncture.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.39-46
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• 2023

Purpose: Korean medical services are not balanced across regions and social classes. To prevent mortality gaps, Korea must distribute its medical resources more efficiently. Patient factors affecting emergency room visits serve as basic data for determining best practices for public healthcare distribution. Methods: The data included 18 473 visits by 14 949 de-identified patients who visited a public emergency room over one year. The dependent variable was the number of emergency room visits. A Poisson regression was conducted with the independent variables, comprising sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and spatial accessibility factors and patient characteristics. Results: Older men with higher Korean Triage and Acuity Scale scores visited more frequently. Greater patient-hospital distance decreased visits; however, the presence of a hospital within 1 km of a patient's residence did not affect the number of visits. The use of 119 services was negatively correlated with the number of visits. Visits increased with more medical benefits. Conclusions: Patient age, distance to hospital, use of 119 services, and medical benefits should be considered when planning or managing public hospitals in Korea.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.47-58
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in Chungju City from July to December 2021. Methods: The authors processed and analyzed the epidemiological analysis report written by researcher. The estimated reproduction rate was analyzed using web-based software that calculates time-varying reproduction numbers. The results were analyzed through univariate multiple regression analysis, with a maximum significance level set at 0.05. Results: During the study period, a total of 1,188 patients were identified, with 7.9% of them progressing to a severe status. The maximum reproduction rate recorded was 3.48. Factors associated with the transition to a severe status included the presence of symptoms at the time of diagnosis, lack of vaccination, and belonging to the age group over 40. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it can be strongly supported that the measures implemented in Chungju City, such as social distancing, vaccination, and preemptive diagnostic tests, were appropriate. Furthermore, it demonstrates that Chungju City effectively managed the impact of COVID-19. Korean Medicine Doctors made significant contributions to the epidemiological investigations of COVID-19. To comprehensively manage infectious diseases, it is crucial to provide administrative and legal support and encourage active research to expand the role of Korean Medicine Doctors in this area.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.302-309
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• 2023

Wearable devices, attached to the human body, track and enhance users' activities, health, and communication. Therefore, considering ergonomic factors in product design is crucial. However, previous research has somewhat overlooked the importance of integrating ergonomic design elements into a broad spectrum of design factors. This study aims to examine the impact of physical attributes inherent in smart wristbands and smartwatches on the perceived functional value, specifically, perceived usefulness, ease of use, and fit. A survey was conducted among 289 US adults who had experience using smart wristbands or smartwatches. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, t-test, MANOVA, and regression analysis in SPSS version 29. The results showed that the shape of the front display significantly influenced perceived ease of use, and the product's weight had a substantial impact on both perceived ease of use and fit. Furthermore, distinct technical features on the front display had varied effects on perceived usefulness, ease of use, and fit. Notably, the presence of activity tracking, alarm, and calendar functionalities led to distinct differences in ease of use and fit. Features such as distance tracking, phone call, social media notifications, text messaging, and time display functions showed significant influences on the perception of fit. These findings provide insights into the physical values of smart wristbands and smartwatches as perceived by users.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.47-59
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• 2024

Purposes: The study aimed at examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the shift of online consumer purchasing behavior and whether the new behaviors would be maintained after the epidemic season. The study also aims to investigate how online customers change based on perceived risks. Research design and Methodology: The study investigated purchasing behavior of the same 377 online Vietnamese consumers during two periods: (1) during the period of social distancing and (2) one and half year after that, allowing data to be collected in real time, so that consumers do not have to recall their behavior. Results: Purchasing behavior appeared to be more influenced by gender, age and household size. Aged consumers are more concerned about risks than those in the younger group, who only worry about the risks during the pandemic. Consumers in households with two or more people are more concerned about the risks than those living alone. Female appeared to be more influential in both during and after pandemic than male. Conclusions: The findings contribute to clarify shift of online consumer purchasing behavior, which helps business to develop effective marketing strategies and enhance their presence in the e-commerce sector.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.110-118
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• 2024

This study was conducted to analyze the metaverse usage behavior of college students through in-depth interviews and to explore the characteristics of the major metaverse platforms with a focus on keywords. This study derived elements such as metaverse participation activities, real-world order, metaverse system, presence, and self-expression from previous research. This study examined how college students who use the metaverse perceive these variables. We present the following research results: First, the college students who participated in the study showed interest in content with many interactive elements on the metaverse platform and appeared to participate more actively in such content. Second, college students cited the ability to engage in economic activities in the metaverse as their greatest strength. It was expected that social norms applied in the real world would also be applied in the metaverse. Third, the Metaverse system, such as the Metaverse UI, UX, and servers, was found to be a factor that needs to meet users' expectations and hinders immersion. In this study, the characteristics of the metaverse platform were analyzed, focusing on essential keywords from in-depth interviews. The analysis results are as follows: It was expressed with keywords such as Zepeto has 'avatar' and 'personality expression,' Ifland has 'free decoration' and 'communication convenience,' Gathertown has 'movement convenience' and 'video chat.' Roblox has 'game-based' and 'dynamic.'

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.7.1-7.11
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• 2020

Cancer immunotherapy, in the form of vaccination, adoptive cellular transfer, or immune checkpoint inhibitors, has emerged as a promising practice within the field of oncology. However, despite the developing field's potential to revolutionize cancer treatment, the presence of immunotherapeutic-resistant tumor cells in many patients present a challenge and limitation to these immunotherapies. These cells not only indicate immunotherapeutic resistance, but also show multi-modal resistance to conventional therapies, abnormal metabolism, stemness, and metastasis. How can immunotherapeutic-resistant tumor cells render multi-malignant phenotypes? We reasoned that the immune-refractory phenotype could be associated with multi-malignant phenotypes and that these phenotypes are linked together by a factor that acts as the master regulator. In this review, we discussed the role of the embryonic transcription factor NANOG as a crucial master regulator we named "common factor" in multi-malignant phenotypes and presented strategies to overcome multi-malignancy in immunotherapeutic-resistant cancer by restraining the NANOG-mediated multi-malignant signaling axis. Strategies that blunt the NANOG axis could improve the clinical management of therapy-refractory cancer.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.304-314
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: Ear cartilage malformations are commonly encountered problems in reconstructive surgery, since cartilage has low self-regenerating capacity. Malformations that impose psychological and social burden on one's life are currently treated using ear prosthesis, synthetic implants or autologous flaps from rib cartilage. These approaches are challenging because not only they request high surgical expertise, but also they lack flexibility and induce severe donor-site morbidity. Through the last decade, tissue engineering gained attention where it aims at regenerating human tissues or organs in order to restore normal functions. This technique consists of three main elements, cells, growth factors, and above all, a scaffold that supports cells and guides their behavior. Several studies have investigated different scaffolds prepared from both synthetic or natural materials and their effects on cellular differentiation and behavior. Methods and Results: In this study, we investigated a natural scaffold (alginate) as tridimensional hydrogel seeded with progenitors from different origins such as bone marrow, perichondrium and dental pulp. In contact with the scaffold, these cells remained viable and were able to differentiate into chondrocytes when cultured in vitro. Quantitative and qualitative results show the presence of different chondrogenic markers as well as elastic ones for the purpose of ear cartilage, upon different culture conditions. Conclusions: We confirmed that auricular perichondrial cells outperform other cells to produce chondrogenic tissue in normal oxygen levels and we report for the first time the effect of hypoxia on these cells. Our results provide updates for cartilage engineering for future clinical applications.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.163-171
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• 2024

In the last decade, melatonin has gained recognition as a potent scavenger and an effective antioxidant capable of neutralizing free radicals, including reactive oxygen species. Additionally, it exhibits anti-apoptotic properties. In this review, we will examine a compilation of articles that explore the cellular signaling function of melatonin on spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and adjacent cells such as Sertoli and Leydig cells. These cells play a crucial role in the proliferation of SSCs both in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we analyze the function of melatonin in the proliferation of SSCs from other aspects. For this purpose, we examine the articles based on the presence of melatonin on SSCs in four groups: As a supplement in SSCs medium culture, SSCs three-dimensional culture system, SSCs freezing medium, and as a therapeutic factor in vivo. Mechanisms of growth and proliferation of SSCs were considered. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential effects of melatonin as a powerful antioxidant or growth stimulant for SSCs, both in vivo and in vitro.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.77-89
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• 2024

This study investigated central and peripheral route factors to assess the impact of Google Advertisements on how these factors contribute to users' call-to-action (CTA) and electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) behaviors. We explored the persuasive effects of Google Advertisements on consumers by using a dataset of 483 valid empirical samples from Taiwan. We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the hypotheses. The empirical results of this study indicate that both peripheral (image appeal) and central (information completeness) routes positively lead to the persuasion effect. This finding confirms that the peripheral and central routes increase the persuasion effect. The empirical results indicate that the most effective pathway was image appeal to the persuasion effect and, ultimately, to call to action. Image appeal was also determined to be a secondary pathway that enhances the persuasion effect, ultimately leading to e-WOM. These findings have valuable implications for companies seeking to attract customers to purchase electronic products through the Google search engine. The novelty of our study is that it includes the peripheral route. Our study findings were derived from the symbolic value lens, rather than the central route based solely on the utilitarian and hedonistic value perspective.