• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.261-266
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the toothpick method, one of professional toothbrushing methods, on the prevention of periodontal diseases and the satisfaction level of patients with that. The subjects in this study were 33 patients who included 16 men and 17 women. After the toothpick method was applied to the selected patients from January 9 to February 28, 2008, the collected data were analyzed with SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Science) 12.0 program. The findings of the study were as follows: First, the patients investigated showed a 0.71 reduction in PI than in the past. The index of bleeding upon probing stood at 5.12, which dropped from 8.09 in the beginning. Second, the patients gave a mean of 4.20 to the professional toothbrushing out of possible five points, which showed that they expressed satisfaction with that. Third, as for the relationship between general characteristics and satisfaction level, the women were more satisfied with that ($4.25{\pm}0.33$). By age group, those who were in their 60s and up found that more satisfactory ($4.31{\pm}0.30$). Fourth, as to changes in oral symptoms by gender, the largest number of the men and women considered their gums to become healthier after the professional toothbrushing was applied. The above-mentioned findings suggested that dental institutions should be equipped with well-educated oral health care personnels who are responsible for the periodontal health of patients, and the development of oral health promotion programs is urgently required as well.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2007

Purpose: Pyrethroid is an insecticide that produces moderate intoxication in mammals, with neither exposure to skin nor inhalation resulting in severe systemic manifestations. In 2005 we made a nationwide survey of agrichemical human intoxication. The object of this study is to analyze pyrethroid intoxications based on the 2005 survey. Methods: We prospectively collected data from 1 August 2005 to 31 July 2006 by a standard investigation protocol. We analyzed demographic data, exposure data (cause, amount, ingredients), clinical features, and courses. Results: A total of 125 cases of pyrethroid intoxication were surveyed. The mean patient age was $56.78{\pm}16.158$ years old, and the mean amount ingested was $121.85{\pm}110.732ml$. Patients were classified into four severity groups according to symptoms and mental status: the asymptomatic group (27 patients, 21.6%), the mild symptom group (48, 38.4%), the moderate symptom group (21, 16.8%), and the severe symptom group (7, 5.6%). There were statistically significant differences in mental status, severity, and mean ICU days between two groups. Admission days by severity grade for the asymptomatic, mild, moderate, and severe symptom groups were $5.49{\pm}16.051,\;3.65{\pm}4.143,\;4.59{\pm}3.335,\;and\;8.14{\pm}7.199days$, respectively (p=0.047). Conclusion: Nationwide surveillance was extremely telling in uncovering a high frequency of agrichemical intoxication in Korea. In pyrethroid intoxication, severity grading can be a useful prognostic tool.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.123-138
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the real condition of urinary incontinence(UI), interstitial cystitis(IC), atrophic viginitis(AV) for elderly women and analyze the cognition of traditional korean medicine(TKM) for them. Methods: We utilized questionnaire from May to June, 2010. Questionnaires were taken from 125 women using senior welfare center and nursing home, aged over 65 up to 92. The data were analyzed by $X^2$-test using SPSS/PC ver 18.0 program. Results: The prevalences of UI, IC and AV symptoms were 50.4%, 40.8%, 56%, respectively. The average I-QoL score for UI was $82.62{\pm}21.16$, and the average ICSI score for IC was $8.16{\pm}2.50$. After adjustment for each of the variables considered in this study, alcohol was associated with UI and age, BMI(body mass index) were associated with IC. Most of respondents have no experience(94.4%) or don't know (79.2%) about TKM for UI, IC and AV. 44 women(37.3%) indicated that they weren't willing to use TKM for UI, IC and AV. Reasons for not taking TKM were because of 'no knowledge of TKM(34.1%)' and 'more accustomed to western treatment(34.1%)'. Conclusion: Although the prevalence of UI, IC, AV for elderly women was high, the actual percentage of treatment for these diseases was low, furthermore, patients were not aware of TKM and had very few experiences of TKM for these diseases. The development and increased promotion about TKM program for elderly women's urogenital diseases is needed.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 1998

This experiment was carried out to select some herbicides for edible wild greens, Album monanthum, Petasites japonicus, and Aster scaber. The herbicides tested were napropamide 21.8% EC, nitralin 50% WP, and pendimethalin 31.7% EC. Dorminant weeds in the field were Echinochloa crus-galli, Digitaria sanguinalis, Persicaria hydropiper, Chenopodium album, and Siegesbeckia pubescens. Simpson's index was calculated to 0.26~0.30, which showed that weed occurrence in the field was quite various. Control efficacy in the field treated with napropamide EC 872g(ai/ha)., nitralin WP 1,000g(ai/ha), and pendimethalin EC 634g(ai/ha) were 81.4%~85.6%, 79.4%~82.8%, and 86.8%~92.2%, respectively. The typical phytotoxic symptoms to herbicides were germination inhibition, growth retardation, and malformation.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.79-97
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• 2010

Background: Peripheral nerve injuries are commonly encountered clinical problems and often result in severe functional deficit. Bee venom acupuncture has traditionally been used to treat several inflammatory diseases and chronic pain conditions. Objectives: The aims of this study were to compare the effects of bee venom (general bee venom, BV) and sweet bee venom (allergen-removed bee venom, SBV) acupuncture on the recovery rate of locomotor function, the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the sciatic nerve, and the expression of c-Fos in the brain following sciatic crushed nerve injury in rats, and to evaluate differences due to administration areas. Method: Walking track analysis, Western blot for BDNF and tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB), and immunohistochemistry for c-Fos were performed. In this study, comparative analyses of the effects of BV and SBV acupuncture in relation to administration sites, contralateral side or ipsilateral side, were conducted. Results: In the present result, sciatic function index (SFI) in walking track analysis significantly decreased following sciatic crushed nerve injury. The expressions of BDNF and TrkB in the sciatic nerve increased after induction of sciatic crushed nerve injury. C-Fos expression in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) also increased. BV and SBV acupuncture treatment improved the SFI in walking track analysis. Treatment with SBV at 1mg/kg showed more potent enhancing effect on SFI compared to BV. Treatment with 1mg/kg BV or 1mg/kg SBV acupuncture suppressed the BDNF and TrkB expression in the sciatic nerve. BV and SBV acupuncture treatment also suppressed c-Fos expression in the PVN and vlPAG regions. Treatment with SBV at 1mg/kg showed more potent suppressing effect on c-Fos expression compared to BV when injected into the contralateral side of the injured nerve. Generally we could not find significant difference in the effects between contralateral side and ipsilateral side of the injured nerve. Conclusion: We have shown that BV and SBV acupuncture treatment can be used as the effective therapeutic modality to ameliorate the symptoms of sciatic crushed nerve injury.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2002

Objectives: Although sleep paralysis (SP) has been known as one of the symptoms of narcolepsy, recently it has become recognized as occurring frequently in the general population. However, the prevalence of SP and its associated factors in patients with major psychiatric disorders remain unknown. This study investigated the prevalence of SP and a variety of associated experiences in those patients. Methods: The subjects were 160 psychiatric patients and 143 age- and sex-matched controls. The Korean version SP questionnaire as well as the Sleep-Wake Schedule, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Insomnia Severity Index were administered to all the subjects. The patients were referred from Dong-A University Hospital and consisted of 74 diagnosed as schizophrenia (47.7%), 26 as bipolar disorder (16.8%) and 55 as major depression (35.5%). Results: Nearly 42% of the patient group and 39% of the control group had experienced at least one episode of SP in their lifetime, with no significant difference between the groups. However, the patient group had experienced SP more frequently than the control group. Among all subjects, no gender difference in SP incidence was found. The peak age of onset was in the range of 16-25 years for both groups. Over eight tenths of both groups reported hallucinations and over seven tenths of both groups experienced fear accompanying SP. Conclusion: This study shows that there is no difference in the lifetime prevalence of SP between psychiatric patients and the general population, whereas frequency of SP experience is higher in psychiatric patients. Terrifying hallucinations and fearful feelings frequently accompany SP in both groups.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: A randomized, controlled pilot trial was conducted. Twenty-two participants were randomized into one of the two groups: an acupuncture group (n=11) and wait-list group (n=11). The treatment group received 8 sessions of electroacupuncture over 8 weeks. Twenty points (CV4, CV12, both LR14, GB26, ST25, ST34, ST40, ST36, SP4, SP6, LR3) were selected for needling. The control group did not receive acupuncture treatment during study period and followup were done in the 4th and 8th weeks after randomization in both groups. The primary outcome was body fat computed tomography and the secondary outcomes included blood test (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transferase, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high density lipoproteincholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, blood sugar test, ${\gamma}$-guanosine triphosphate) and body composition test (body mass index, weight, body fat mass, body fat rate, waist hip ratio). Safety was assessed at every visit. Results: There was no significant differences in between the experimental group and control group. There were no adverse events. Conclusions: The results suggest that In patients with NAFLD, electroacupuncture treatment did not induce worsening of liver disease and liver function, but it was no improvement symptoms of fatty liver. Study of herb medicine treatments and other acupuncture therapy of NAFLD are required later.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1034-1038
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• 2007

To examine the difference of health-related quality of life (QoL) of obese patients between before and after treatment of Korean traditional medicine. This study was assessed in 18 obese-women (age 29.72${\pm}$7.38) treated by acupuncture and herbal medicine using SF-36 quality of life questionnaire between January and July 2006, a 36 item instrument yielding 8 dimensions (Social functioning, Role limitation-Physical, Role limitation-Emotion, Mental health, Vitality, Bodily pain, and General health) and a total score. Their weight was measured by Inbody 3.0 (Biospace co. Korea). QoL and body composition was assessed twice at baseline (B) and 4 weeks after treatment. Auricular acupuncture and electrical needle stimulation to abdomen, thigh, and arm fat was used twice a week and complex herb formula was prescribed according to their constitution and symptoms for 4 weeks. Herb medication was taken 2 times a day. Respective variables were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed ranks test and the level set for statistical significance was p <0.05. The mean of the body weight (P=0.000;B64,68${\pm}$6.86, 4 WKs 60.47${\pm}$5.69), fat percentage (P=0.000;B33.14${\pm}$4.86, 4 WKs 30.16${\pm}$5.34), body mass index (P=0.000;B25.18${\pm}$2.44, 4 WKs 23.46${\pm}$2.09) and fat weight (P=0.000;B21.66${\pm}$5.06, 4 WKs 18.41${\pm}$4.57) of some obese patients decreased significantly between before and after treatment for 4 weeks. Physical functioning (P=0.48;B27.06${\pm}$3.17, 4 WKs 28.00${\pm}$1.71), Mental health (P=0.01 ;B18.83${\pm}$5.25, 4 WKs 22.00${\pm}$3.73), Vitality (P=0.028;B13.89${\pm}$3.03, 4 WKs 15.44${\pm}$2.53), Bodily pain (P=.0014;B8.84${\pm}$1.75, 4 WKs 10.15${\pm}$1.78), and the total scores (P=0.001;B104.99${\pm}$12.60, 4 WKs 114.58${\pm}$11.11) of SF-36 were increased significantly after treatments. These data show some differences in QoL and BMI between before and after treatment on obesity and suggest that the treatment with acupuncture and herbal medicine have a positive impact on several domains of QoL of some obese patients. Further randomized clinical trials (RCTs) including follow-up are needed to examine whether acupuncture and herb medicine have a positive effect on QoL of treatment group compared with control group.

• The Journal of the Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.189-202
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• 2013

Objectives The aim of this study is to analyze the characteristics of the tongue coating pattern in the elderly patients with xerostomia. Methods Ninety-six elderly patients with xerostomia were recruited by advertisement and they visited the oral diseases clinics at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital and Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong from November, 2011 to August, 2013. After signifying the assent, the subjects who passed screening were enrolled this study. The subjects were evaluated on their clinical characteristics of xerostomia using visual analogue scale for xerostomia, dry mouth questionnaire, unstimulated salivary flow rate. In addition, Yin-deficiency questionnaire was used to evaluate the Yin-deficiency state and Winkel tongue coating index and Digital Tongue imagin system were used to measure the tongue coating of patients. Results The proportion of women was higher than that of men, and there were few smokers in this study population. This population had chronic and relatively severe xerostomia symptoms. Also, thin coating pattern was showed in this elderly patients with xerostomia and this result was regarded to the influence of Yin-deficiency. The thin coating patten was observed in the group with higher Yin-deficiency score. There was no difference in tongue coating between the hyposalivation and normosalivation group. Conclusion In the elderly patients with xerostomia, Yin-deficiency is might be considered as one of the main cause of xerostomia. Hence, it is thought that this patients showed the thin coating pattern. This results could be used in diagnosis and treatment for the elderly patients with xerostomia in traditional Korean medicine.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.263-278
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• 2005

This study investigated the current oral health conditions of the elderly at home and welfare facilities in their age over 65 years around some rural areas in Gangwon province, which would expect the fewer medical benefits even with lower interest than urban areas, despite of relatively high ratio of elder populations, so that it could prepare a basic document necessary to determine certain planned quantification for the benefit of elder's oral healthcare. As of the end of December 2004 both 50 elders at home and 50 elders at welfare facilities were randomly sampled in their age over 65 years in Samcheok city. As a result of this study, it was found that the elders at welfare facilities scored 15 pts. in DMFT index level typical of oral health conditions, which was higher than the elders at home. In addition, the elders at welfare facilities scored 26.0% in the coexistence of immobile bridge and partial denture higher than the elders at home with regard to the presence of intraoral prosthetic appliance. The results of analyzing the difference in the one-year dental visiting experience of respondents hereof showed that the elders at home were relatively more in ratio(62.0%) than those at welfare facilities, while many of the former group(38.0%) had relatively more handicap in masticatory movement than the latter one with regard to the conditions of dental prosthesis in use. Besides, many of the elders at facilities(30% or more) felt subjective symptoms of periodontal disease including bleeding or swelling, which indicates higher ratio than the elders at home. Finally, the elders at home used to brush their teeth at more frequency on a daily basis than those at facilities, while the latter group suffered general body disease more than the former group. Summing up, it is concluded that a formulated oral healthcare system will become more needed in near future than now for the benefit of the elderly living in welfare facilities, while nationwide policy-level supports would be urgent for them in the aspect of national welfare.