• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.108-117
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• 2022

Background: The efficacy of telemedicine among cancer survivors is uncertain. The Smart After-Care Program (SAP), which is an interactive, smartphone-based remote health monitoring system, was developed to help patients manage their health after leaving the hospital. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of our remote health care program for lung cancer patients. Methods: We enrolled 50 patients with lung cancer. Self-monitoring devices were supplied to all patients, who were instructed to enter their daily vital signs and subjective symptoms to the Smart After-Care app. The app also provided information about rehabilitation exercises and a healthy diet for lung cancer patients. All patients received health counseling via telephone once a week and visited an outpatient clinic during weeks 6 and 12 to assess satisfaction with the SAP and changes in quality of life and physical performance. Results: Overall satisfaction with the SAP was very high (very good, 61.9%; good, 26.2%). In the multivariate analysis to identify factors affecting satisfaction, the distance between the patient's residence and the hospital was the only significant independent factor (p=0.013). Quality of life improved along all functional scales (p<0.05). Muscle strength significantly improved in the lower limbs (p=0.012). Two-minute walk distance also significantly improved (p=0.028). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the SAP was acceptable for and supportive of patients with reduced pulmonary function after lung cancer treatment. The SAP was found to be particularly useful for patients living far from the hospital.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.9-21
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• 2021

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of an eight weeks twenty meters walk on the cardiorespiratory fitness and strength of the shoulder extensor, hip extensor, and dorsiflexor of stroke survivor outpatients in two tertiary hospitals in Osogbo, Nigeria. METHODS: A purposive sampling technique was used to select 21 registered right or left outpatient hemiplegic stroke survivors in a pre- and post-test experimental research design. The research questions were presented using the descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The differences between the mean of the cardio-respiratory indices and the muscle strength were tested by repeated measures analysis of variance followed by Bonferroni post-hoc test for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: No significant differences in heart rate were observed at week 0 compared to week 4. A significant decrease was recorded in the parameter at week 8, compared to week 4. Moreover, there were significant decreases in blood pressure and respiratory rate in week 0, compared to week 4, and in the respiratory rate, compared to week 8. In contrast, significant elevations in VO2 max were observed in week 0, compared to week 4, and in the week 4, compared to week 8. Furthermore, significant elevations in muscular strength were documented when comparisons were made at weeks 0, 4, and 8. CONCLUSION: Eight weeks of twenty meters walk aerobic exercise improve the cardio-respiratory fitness and muscular strength of stroke survivor outpatients.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.341-349
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• 2022

This study explored in-depth emotional experiences influenced by childhood trauma of adult female survivors. For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with married adult women who experienced trauma in their childhood. The collected data were analyzed using Colaizzi phenomenological research method. As a result of the study, 7 categories were derived: 'children who cannot protect themselves', 'childhood trauma,' 'insecure attachment and good child syndrome,' 'difficulties in interpersonal relationships,' 'difficulties in raising children,' 'somatization symptoms,' 'finding myself who is lost.' In addition, this study aims to understand the psychological experience of children in the family and the relationship between parents and children and the growth experience of healing them by comparing and contrasting the two cases of trauma. The foundation for healthy ego-resilience and emotional well-being has been laid through the research results on negative and maladaptive emotional experiences reflected throughout the life of adult women who suffered childhood trauma.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.408-424
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• 2023

Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is an incapacitating disorder that impacts a substantial proportion of stroke survivors and can diminish their quality of life. Conventional therapies for CPSP, including tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and opioids, are frequently ineffective, necessitating the investigation of alternative therapeutic strategies. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is now recognized as a promising noninvasive pain management method for CPSP. rTMS modulates neural activity through the administration of magnetic pulses to specific cortical regions. Trials analyzing the effects of rTMS on CPSP have generated various outcomes, but the evidence suggests possible analgesic benefits. In CPSP and other neuropathic pain conditions, high-frequency rTMS targeting the primary motor cortex (M1) with figure-eight coils has demonstrated significant pain alleviation. Due to its associaton with analgesic benefits, M1 is the most frequently targeted area. The duration and frequency of rTMS sessions, as well as the stimulation intensity, have been studied in an effort to optimize treatment outcomes. The short-term pain relief effects of rTMS have been observed, but the long-term effects (> 3 months) require further investigation. Aspects such as stimulation frequency, location, and treatment period can influence the efficacy of rTMS and ought to be considered while planning the procedure. Standardized guidelines for using rTMS in CPSP would optimize therapy protocols and improve patient outcomes. This review article provides an up-to-date overview of the incidence, clinical characteristics, outcome of rTMS in CPSP patients, and future perspective in the field.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.79-89
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• 2023

Purpose : Until recently, the number of cancer patients continues to increase, and these patients have many limitations in their activities of daily living. In the republic of Korea, cancer patients are showing an increasing trend every year. Cancer disease not only significantly reduces the quality of life in individuals, but also causes various side effects if not managed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise and resistance exercise on health-related problems in cancer patients. Methods : This study searched for studies that applied aerobic exercise and resistance exercise to cancer patients reported in search engines (google scala, dbpia, and pubmed) from 2017 to 2022. Six randomized controlled trials and two systematic reviews and meta-analyses were used for analysis in our study. "physical activity", "exercise", "aerobic exercise", "resistance exercise", and "cancer patient" were the main search terms. The data included aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, cancer patients' muscle strength, physical strength, quality of life, and physical activity. Results : According to the eight studies that met the criteria included in this review study, it was found that aerobic exercise and resistance exercise had an effect on the increase in physical fitness, muscular strength, quality of life, and range of motion in cancer survivors. Conclusion : It was confirmed that aerobic exercise and resistance exercise are safe and effective interventions that can be applied to cancer patients without side effects. A limitation of this study is that it did not examine cancer diseases in various population groups such as the elderly and children. Therefore, in future studies, studies that consider specific details such as age, gender, type of cancer, and physical differences are needed.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.90-99
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• 2023

Background: Quantitative risk assessments should be accompanied by uncertainty analyses of the risk models employed in the calculations. In this study, we aim to develop a computational code named SUMRAY for use in cancer risk projections from radiation exposure taking into account uncertainties. We also aim to make SUMRAY publicly available as a resource for further improvement of risk projection. Materials and Methods: SUMRAY has two versions of code written in R and Python. The risk models used in SUMRAY for all-solid-cancer mortality and incidence were those published in the Life Span Study of a cohort of the atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The confidence intervals associated with the evaluated risks were derived by propagating the statistical uncertainties in the risk model parameter estimates by the Monte Carlo method. Results and Discussion: SUMRAY was used to calculate the lifetime or time-integrated attributable risks of cancer under an exposure scenario (baseline rates, dose[s], age[s] at exposure, age at the end of follow-up, sex) specified by the user. The results were compared with those calculated using another well-known web-based tool, Radiation Risk Assessment Tool (RadRAT; National Institutes of Health), and showed a reasonable agreement within the estimated confidential interval. Compared with RadRAT, SUMRAY can be used for a wide range of applications, as it allows the risk projection with arbitrarily specified risk models and/or population reference data. Conclusion: The reliabilities of SUMRAY with the present risk-model parameters and their variance-covariance matrices were verified by comparing them with those of the other codes. The SUMRAY code is distributed to the public as an open-source code under the Massachusetts Institute of Technology license.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.235-274
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to understand suffering of torture for victims with suspicion of espionage under the military government in Korea by knowing meaning and structure of empirical phenomena. Methods is to applied to Phenomenological and heuristic Human Becoming Methodology, and the subjects of this study are text for three tortured victims. Results is the structure that the victims accepted their act of espionage under the torture and horror, living with retribution from heaven, surviving pressured times, and fighting for human rights upon release from prison. The conceptual integration of relationship issues were: valuing, imaging, languaging with powering and transforming under the process of revealing-concealing and enabling-limiting. Finally, discussion and practical meaning was reviewed.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.25-40
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• 2023

Background: Although not clarified, the overall prevalence of visual field loss after stroke was estimated at 52% of stroke survivors and for visual acuity loss, at 70% of them. Among visual field loss patients after stroke, homonymous hemianopia is the most common symptom. Visual defect degrades the quality of life by disrupting independent life and affecting the survival of the patients, but highly-evidenced treatment has not been found until now. ■Case report A 51-year-old female with left-side homonymous hemianopia and central vision loss by a right occipital-temporal hemorrhage was treated with Hyeolbuchukeo-tang, Ikgibohyeol-tang, acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and moxibustion. We used a confrontation visual field exam, automated perimetry and visual analog scale, and visual acuity test to observe changes in the patient's symptoms and evaluate the efficacy of the treatment. After 61 days of such interventions, the patient's subjective discomfort lessened, followed by positive changes in the scales of tests mentioned above. ■Conclusion This case suggests that combined Korean medicine treatment might be an effective tool for treating post-stroke homonymous hemianopia and central vision loss. More studies should be conducted to support the effectiveness of the treatment.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.431-434
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• 2023

Background: The first 3 ribs are anatomically well-protected, shielded by the large thoracic muscles, the shoulder girdle, and the arm. A significant force is required to fracture these ribs; thus, such fractures suggest a high-energy trauma and are associated with injuries to vital organs of the thorax, such as the aorta, the heart, the lungs and the great vessels. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted over a 10-year period at a single hospital. The study assessed patients with fractures of the second rib, including their concurrent injuries and the overall severity of their trauma. Results: Among the 76 patients included in the study, the average age was 47.35 years, 81.5% were men, and 19.5% were women. Thirteen patients (17.1%) survived their injuries. The most common causes of injury were road traffic accidents (63%) and pedestrian injuries (22%). The patients who did not survive sustained injuries to an average of 5 additional organs, while survivors had injuries to an average of 2.07 additional organs. Left rib fractures were the most frequently observed (46%). The most serious concurrent injuries reported were to the aorta (5.26%), heart (10.52%), lung (52.36%), head (57.89%), liver (30.2%), spleen (26.31%), and kidney (17.1%). Conclusion: As indicators of serious injury to vital endothoracic organs, isolated fractures of the second rib should be considered equal to first rib fractures in clinical importance.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.160-178
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• 2023

Purpose: Since technology-based interventions can facilitate convenient access to healthcare for women with breast cancer, it is crucial to understand innovative approaches to maintaining the effectiveness of these interventions. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of technology-based self-management interventions for women with breast cancer in six countries. We analyzed the characteristics of these interventions and examined their diverse health outcomes. Methods: Six databases were systematically searched to extract research articles using the keywords "breast cancer," "technology," and "self-management." The search was carried out up until June 12, 2023. From the 1,288 studies retrieved from the database search, 10 eligible papers were identified based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. Two authors independently extracted and compared the data from these articles, resolving any discrepancies through discussion. Results: Most of the 10 studies utilized web- or mobile-based technology, and one used artificial intelligence-based technology. Among the 12 health-related outcome variables, quality of life and symptom distress were the most frequently mentioned, appearing in six articles. Furthermore, an analysis of the intervention programs revealed a variety of common constructs and the involvement of managers in the self-management intervention. Conclusion: Incorporating key components such as self-management planning, diary keeping, and communication support in technology-based interventions could significantly improve the self-management process for breast cancer survivors. The practical application of technology has the potential to empower women diagnosed with breast cancer and improve their overall quality of life, by providing timely and sustainable interventions, and by leveraging available resources and tools.