• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2021

Sepsis is a physiological response to a source of infection that triggers mechanisms that compromise organ function, leading to death if not treated early. Biomarkers with high sensitivity, specificity, speed, and accuracy that could differentiate sepsis from non-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) could bring about a revolution in sepsis treatment. Given the limitations and time required for microbial verification of pathogens, the accurate diagnosis of infection before employing antibiotic therapy is important and clinically necessary. Procalcitonin (PCT), lactate, C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines, and proadrenomedullin (ProADM) are the common biomarkers used for diagnosis. The procalcitonin (PCT)-guided antibiotic treatment in patients with acute respiratory infections effectively reduces antibiotic exposure and side effects while improving survival rates. The evidence regarding sepsis screening in hospitalized patients is limited. Clinicians, researchers, and healthcare decision-makers should consider these findings and limitations when implementing screening tools, future research, or policy on sepsis recognition in hospitalized patients. The use of biomarkers in pediatric sepsis is promising, although such use should always be correlated with clinical evaluation. Biomarkers may also improve the prediction of mortality, especially in the early phase of sepsis, when the levels of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines and proteins are elevated.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.240-249
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to find the effect of systemic biomedical ethics education program on moral sensitivity, critical thinking disposition and consciousness of biomedical ethics nursing student. This study is a quasi-experimental research design and repeated measured ANOVA was used to analyzed the collected data statistically on this study. Data was collected from 1st September to 31 of December 2014. Nursing students and nurses in A and S cities participated in this study as subjects. 32 nursing students were assigned to an experimental group, and 33 nursing students were assigned to control group A, 26 nurses were assigned control group B, total subjects were 91. There are significant different in consciousness of biomedical ethics(F=3.432, p=.037). In the category of consciousness of biomedical ethics, there are significant different in 'right to life of fetus'(F=4.476, p=.014) and 'prenatal diagnosis of fetus'(F=6.207, p=.003), and 'right to life of newborn(F=6.207, p=.003) between experimental group and two control groups. The biomedical ethics education influenced the positive effect on moral sensitivity, critical thinking disposition and consciousness of biomedical ethics of nursing students, and shown the significant effect to enhance the consciousness of biomedical ethics for nursing students.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.824-835
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• 2019

In recent decades, oncolytic viruses (OVs) have extensively been investigated as a potential cancer drug. Oncolytic viruses have primarily the unique advantage in the fact that they can only infect and destroy cancer cells. Secondary, oncolytic viruses induce the activation of specific adaptive immunity which targets tumor-associated antigens that were hidden during the initial cancer progression. In 2015, one genetically modified oncolytic virus, talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC), was approved by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of melanoma. Currently, various oncolytic viruses are being investigated in clinical trials as monotherapy or in combination with preexistent cancer therapies like immunotherapy, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. The efficacy of oncolytic virotherapy relies on the balance between the induced anti-tumor immunity and the anti-viral response. Despite the revolutionary outcome, the development of oncolytic viruses for the treatment of cancer faces a number of obstacles such as delivery method, neutralizing antibodies and induction of antiviral immunity due to the complexity, variability and reactivity of tumors. Intratumoral administration has been successful reducing considerably solid tumors with no notable side effects unfortunately some tumors are not accessible (brain) and require a systemic administration of the oncolytic viruses. In order to overcome these hurdles, various strategies to enhance the efficacy of oncolytic viruses have been developed which include the insertion of transgenes or combination with immune-modulatory substances.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.505-510
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• 2018

This study aimed to compare the elimination effect of dental plaque between general toothbrushes and chewing toothbrushes, so as to investigate whether the chewing toothbrushes have the practicality as the alternatives of general toothbrushes and their utilities in the real life. The study subjects were 30 healthy adults in their 20s who maintained the good dental condition over 16 teeth without systemic diseases, and the decline rates of dental plaque index after usages of general and chewing toothbrushes were calculated. Upon the comparisons of dental plaque decline rates before and after the usages of general and chewing toothbrushes, PHI index was declined from 7.02 to 1.91 in case of the general toothbrush demonstrating dental plaque decline by 72.79%, while it was declined from 6.72 to 4.08 in the chewing toothbrush demonstrating decline by 39.29%. Currently, a variety of dental care items are available in the Korean market, hence, various studies are required on the dental care items so as for the people to properly choose the items.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.181-190
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to acquire the active compounds of Anisi stellati fructus (ASF) and to analyze the genes and diseases it targets, focusing on its antibacterial effects using a system pharmacological analysis approach. Active compounds of ASF were obtained through the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) Database and Analysis Platform. This contains the pharmacokinetic properties of active compounds and related drug-target-disease networks, which is a breakthrough in silico approach possible at the network level. Gene information of targets was gathered from the UnitProt Database, and gene ontology analysis was performed using the David 6.8 Gene Functional Classification Tool. A total of 201 target genes were collected, which corresponded to the nine screened active compounds, and 47 genes were found to act on biological processes related to antimicrobial activity. The representative active compounds involved in antibacterial action were luteolin, kaempferol, and quercetin. Among their targets, Chemokine ligand2, Interleukin-10, Interleukin-6, and Tumor Necrosis Factor were associated with more than three antimicrobial biological processes. This study has provided accurate evidence while saving time and effort to select future laboratory research materials. The data obtained has provided important data for infection prevention and treatment strategies.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.89-97
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to understand educational changes and effects of cognitive behavioral art therapy using the smart device. The participant of the study was a 4th grade of male elementary school student who had aggressiveness and impulsiveness with emotional instability. The study was conducted one to two times a week for six months with a total of 30 educational sessions. Among 80 minutes per session, 60 minutes of art therapy and 20 minutes of cognitive behavioral therapy were applied, and during the sessions, cognitive action art therapy (drawing and shaping activities), cognitive restructuring, behavioral modification, systemic dullness, social skills training, empathy and landscaping training were applied. For the numeral assessment, Traffic Anxiety Inventory for Children (TAIC), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and emotional instability measures were used. Research showed that cognitive behavioral art therapy using smart devices had the effect of positive emotional change in children with emotional anxiety, and based on this, future development directions including systematic instructional design, scientific analysis and feedback technologies were discussed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.667-675
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• 2020

Objectives: Exposure to fine dust (PM10) could contribute to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease or respiratory abnormalities. Since garlic is known to possess an anti-oxidative stress effect, the present study was performed to evaluate the effect of garlic intake on fine dust-mediated pulmonary toxicity. Methods: Rats were intratracheally instilled with fine dust at 15 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day for five days following five-day intragastric intubation of garlic at 0.7 or 1.4 g/kgBW/day, or 13.1 mg/kgBW/day S-allyl-cysteine (SAC) as a reference component in garlic. Blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected. Results: Deposit of fine dust was visually and histopathologically observed in the lungs. Body weight gain during the instillation period was significantly lowered in all the groups instilled with fine dust. Neutrophil numbers in blood were significantly elevated in the fine dust alone group, but this alteration was diminished in the groups administered with garlic. Levels of serum glutathione were lower in the rats instilled with fine dust alone, and this decrease in the glutathione level seems dose-dependently compensated among the groups administered with garlic. Similar findings were observed in the BALF with statistical significance. Typical pulmonary histopathological observation related with inflammation was demonstrated in the lungs of the rats exposed to fine dust alone, whereas such histopathologic findings were not improved in the groups administered with garlic. Conclusion: The present study suggests that garlic intake could alleviate fine dust-mediated pulmonary or systemic toxicities. Further investigation is necessary to delineate the mechanism of garlic-mediated effects on pulmonary function.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.39-53
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• 2021

Objective : The purpose of this study was to systematically review dysphagia rehabilitation treatment for children with feeding disorders. Methods : The articles evaluated in this study were collected from the PubMed, Medline Complete, and CINAHL databases and subsequently reviewed using the PRISMA flow chart and PICOS approach. A total of 13 papers were analyzed for study quality, disease groups, evaluation tools, interventions, and post-intervention effects. Results : Of the reviewed papers, six (46.15%) related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and seven (53.85%) to cerebral palsy (CP) with age ranges of between 2 and 8 years for the ASD studies and between 12 months and 18 years for CP. In evaluating the types of feeding disorder involved, the ASD group exhibited predominantly behavioral conditions while the CP subjects had a larger number of functional oral and swallowing issues. In terms of interventions, behavior modifications were used most frequently with ASD while oral-sensory motor, texture modifications, and electrical stimulation were applied at the same frequency with children with CP. All interventions were found to be effective. Conclusion : In this study, research into children with feeding disorders was reviewed according to condition, evaluation tool, and method of intervention. It is expected that this review can be used as basic data for developing a protocol that will allow clinicians to efficiently apply condition-specific interventions for eating disorders without resorting to trial and error.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2020

The progression of aging and the increase in musculoskeletal diseases have led to an increase in invasive treatment methods, including various surgical methods, but conservative treatment should be attempted before surgical treatment in musculoskeletal diseases. Medication for pain control, such as acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid, opioids, antidepressants, etc., is one of the most popular methods for pain control. If the pain receptors on peripheral organ are stimulated, pain is transmitted to the brain by the ascending pathway, and the brain then secretes endogenous opioids, such as endorphin, by the descending pathway for pain control. Opioids are substances that act on the opioid receptors, and there are three receptors for opioids. The affinity for each receptor varies according to the tissue and the patient's systemic status. Antidepressants work on the synapses in the central nervous system and its main mechanism is regulation of the ascending pathway. This is mainly effective in chronic pain and neuropathic pain, which is similar in effectiveness to opioids. This review focuses on the effectiveness, method of use, and side effects of opioids and antidepressants.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 2013

Objectives : Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) is an active ingredient in Ligusticum wallichii and has a wide range of neuroprotection effects. This study investigated anti-neuroinflammatory effect of TMP on brain regions in intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated C57BL/6 mice. Methods : TMP was administered intraperitoneally at doses of 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg at 1 h prior to LPS (3 mg/kg) i.c.v. injection. mRNA level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6, was measured in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus tissue using real-time polymerase chain reaction at 24 h after the LPS injection. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) positive cells in the hypothalamus was also observed using immunohistochemistry at 24 h after the LPS injection. Results : At a dose of 30 mg/kg TMP significantly attenuated up-regulation of TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ mRNA in the cerebral cortex and IL-$1{\beta}$ mRNA in the hippocampus. In the hypothalamus, doses of 20 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg TMP significantly attenuated up-regulation of TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, and IL-6 mRNA induced by the LPS injection. In addition, TMP (30 mg/kg) significantly reduced the number of COX-2 positive cells in the hypothalamus. Conclusion : These results indicate that TMP has an anti-inflammatory effect on neuroinflammation, especially in the hypothalamus, induced by LPS i.c.v. injection and suggest that TMP-containing Ligusticum wallichii may play a modulatory role on the systemic responses following hypothalamic inflammation.