• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.14-25
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• 2023

Objectives: South Korea, the United States, and the United Nations have imposed extensive economic sanctions against North Korea, which increased the use of traditional Korean medicine in North Korea to maintain its national health care system. This study attempts to study the latest trends of traditional Korean medicine research through bibliographic analysis of one of the North Korean medical journals. It will then provide insights into how traditional Korean medicine is used in North Korea. Methods: This study is based on 611 clinical research articles out of 931 articles extracted from 13 volumes of Koryo Medicine (2016 ~ 2019). The articles were classified according to the researched treatment, diseases and use alongside conventional drugs. Results: Based on the analysis of Koryo Medicine, the proportion of clinical research articles investigating the treatment effects was very high (65.6%). Also, clinical research using herbal medicine as treatment was the most common, accounting for 17.69% of the total. Some of the clinical research in Koryo Medicine were conducted in tandem with conventional drug treatment, especially on acupuncture. Conclusion: This study conducted a bibliographic analysis of Koryo Medicine to understand the current status of traditional Korean medicine within North Korea. The analysis identified main diseases, treatment methods, and integration with conventional drugs in the clinical research of traditional Korean medicine. As a country actively seeking to use traditional Korean medicine, North Korea will become an interesting field of global traditional medicine and complementary medicine research.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.165-170
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• 2010

Although the demand of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods such as Kimbab is growing, large quantities and wide distribution of these foods is difficult due to their short shelf-life, exposed packaging with hygienic risk, and decreased quality at refrigerator temperatures. This study was undertaken to develop preservation and storage methods to extend the shelf-life of RTE rice products using microwave and packaging methods such as vacuum and modified atmosphere packages. RTE rice ball samples inoculated with Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus cereus were microwave treated for 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 seconds. Populations of pathogens on the rice balls were significantly reduced with an increase in treatment time. There were more than 5 log reductions of all pathogens when the samples were microwave treated for 60 seconds. RTE rice balls inoculated with two pathogens (S. aureus and B. cereus) were packaged via air, vacuum, $N_2$ gas, and $CO_2$ gas following microwave treatment for 90 seconds. The initial S. aureus and B. cereus concentration before treatment was 7.60 and 6.59 log CFU/g, and these levels were reduced by 3.37 and 2.18 log CFU/g after microwave treatment. The levels of pathogens were significantly increased during storage time at room temperature. $CO_2$ packaging was the most effective at inhibiting microbial growth among the tested packaging methods. The levels of total mesophilic count, S. aureus and B. cereus after 5 days of storage were 7.7, 8.8 and 9.3 log CFU/g in air packaged samples and 2.4, 3.2 and 8.3 log CFU/g in $CO_2$ gas packaged samples, respectively. However, after 3 days of storage higher levels of B. cereus were observed in all samples, indicating that the samples were not safe to be consumed. Base on these results, microwave treatment and MAP packaging methods using $CO_2$ gas could be used as a potential method for extending the shelf-life of RTE foods.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2014

As for Ethephon treatment, the heading stage is 2 days later at the concentration of 250 ppm and 500 ppm for the booting stage that when there is no treatment, 4 days later at the concentration of 1000 or more ppm but no difference for the blossoming and ripening stage. The culm length get shorter as the concentration of Ethephon is higher and the rate of culm length damaged is 37% for 1500 ppm of booting stage, which is the most effective processing, and the inferior culm length damage rate is bigger than the superior culm length damage rate. There is no difference between the number of glumous flower, culm and litter weight and the non-processing and as for the thousand grain weight, it is slightly bigger than when there is not any processing. The rate of germination is indifferent, the number of seeds get numerous regardless of the concentration of treatment and the number augments by 5% maximum for the booting stage. The number of days it takes from treatment of desiccant to the moisture content for harvesting time is respectively 15 days for seeds of 30 day-treatment, 10 days for seeds of 35 days-treatment and 5 days for seeds of 40 to 45 day-treatment. As for the harvest time after treatment of desiccant, the treatment at $30^{th}$ days and $35^{th}$ after the earing is 8 days earlier than the culture by conventional methods, 8 days earlier for the treatment at $40^{th}$ day. When the desiccant treatment is implemented, the thousand grain weight is heavier as the number of days of treatment gets later. The rate of germination gets higher as the number of days of treatment after earing gets later but there is no statistically significant difference 35 days after the earing. Yields are 37% compared to the culture by conventional methods for the treatment of 30 days after the earing, 70% compared to the culture by conventional methods for the treatment of 35 days after the earing, and 92% compared to the culture by conventional methods for the treatment of 40 days after the earing. The treatment before the physiological maturity impacts greatly upon the quality of seeds.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2016

Objective: Patients' and parents' expectations are important in orthodontic treatment decision making. The literature generally demonstrates the perceived benefits of orthodontic treatment, but patients' and their parents' concerns about orthodontic treatment have not been investigated comprehensively. The aim of this study was to identify patients' and parents' concerns about orthodontic treatment and compare them according to sex, age, and treatment demand level. Methods: One hundred and eighty-nine children and their parents were interviewed about concerns related to orthodontic treatment. Patients and parents were asked about orthodontic treatment decisions. Answers were recorded as "yes," "no," or "don't know." Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare concerns between age groups, sexes, and treatment demand levels. Kappa statistics were used to assess agreement between patients and their parents. Results: Concerns about orthodontic treatment were gathered under 10 items as follows: "feeling pain," "the appearance of braces," "being teased," "avoiding smiling," "speech problems," "dietary changes," "problems with transportation," "economic problems," "long treatment duration," and "missing school." There was no statistically significant difference in concerns between the sexes or age groups. Some concern items and treatment demand were inversely related in patients. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate patients' and parents' concerns about orthodontic treatment. Differences between the concerns of patients with different treatment demands imply that children might reject orthodontic treatment because of their concerns. Appropriate consultation of patients addressing their concerns may help reduce anxiety and improve the acceptance of treatment.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.155-164
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of Pharmacopuncture Treatment with Chuna Treatments for Low Back Pain caused by Traffic accidents. Methods : This study was carried out on 81 patients with low back pain caused by Traffic accidents. The patients were divided into 2 group ; The pharmacopuncture(A) group was treated by pharmacopuncture treatment. The chuna(B) group was treated by chuna treatment. We measured Oswestry Disability Index(ODI) and Visual Analog Scale(VAS) on the patients before the treatment and on the 2nd, and 4th weeks after the treatments. Results : After being treated by our methods, the ODI and VAS score's were improved after the 4th weeks treatment in both groups. There is no significant difference on ODI and VAS score after the 4th weeks treatment in both groups. In the early stages(from pre to 2 weeks worth of treatment), Group A showed a decreasing VAS score compared to Group B. In the final stages(from 2 weeks to 4 weeks worth of treatment), Group B showed a higher decreasing amount compared to Group A in VAS score. Conclusions : The results suggest that both pharmacopuncture treatment and chuna treatment is considered to be effective and useful on low back pain caused by traffic accidents. There is no significant difference between pharmacopuncture treatment and chuna treatment for low back pain caused by traffic accidents, however the early stages of treatments(from pre to 2 weeks treatement) show that pharmocopouncture treatment is more effective than chuna treatment for low back pain by traffic accidents. In the final stages(from 2 weeks to 4 weeks treatment), chuna treatment is more effective than pharmacopuncture treatment for low back pain by traffic accident.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5643-5646
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• 2012

Background and Objectives: Increase of mortality rates of gastric cancer in Iran and the world in recent years reveal necessity of studies on this disease. Here, hazard function for gastric cancer patients was estimated using Wavelet and Kernel methods and some related factors were assessed. Materials and Methods: Ninety-five gastric cancer patients in Fayazbakhsh Hospital between 1996 and 2003 were studied. The effects of age of patients, gender, stage of disease and treatment method on patient's lifetime were assessed. For data analyses, survival analyses using Wavelet method and Log-rank test in R software were used. Results: Nearly 25.3% of patients were female. Fourteen percent had surgery treatment and the rest had treatment without surgery. Three fourths died and the rest were censored. Almost 9.5% of patients were in early stages of the disease, 53.7% in locally advance stage and 36.8% in metastatic stage. Hazard function estimation with the wavelet method showed significant difference for stages of disease (P<0.001) and did not reveal any significant difference for age, gender and treatment method. Conclusion: Only stage of disease had effects on hazard and most patients were diagnosed in late stages of disease, which is possibly one of the most reasons for high hazard rate and low survival. Therefore, it seems to be necessary a public education about symptoms of disease by media and regular tests and screening for early diagnosis.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.125-134
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• 2013

Various antimicrobial technologies have been developed to inactivate bioaerosols in indoor environments. In this study, air filter media were treated with a natural antibacterial agent of Sophora flavescens in order to inactivate the bacteria collected on the air filter. Three treatment methods were applied to manufacture the test antibacterial air filter media: electrospray, nebulization and dip-coating methods. In case of electrospray and nebulization processes, the size distribution of aerosolized natural antibacterial agent was measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer. Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria were aerosolized to test inactivation of the filter media treated with a natural antibacterial agent. The pressure drop and the antibacterial efficiency of the filter media increased with increasing the mass loading of natural antibacterial agent in each treatment method. The antibacterial efficiency per loaded antibacterial agent mass by the electrospray method was the highest and the filter treated by the dip-coating method was the lowest among three treatment methods.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.60-66
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• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to review the chinese published papers on cauterization of traditional chinese medicine. Methods : We searched chinese published papers from 1958 until May 2017 via CNKI(China National Knowledge Infrastructure) with the keyword "cauterization". We analyzed the studies covered cauterization medical treatment, and classified them by 5 categories including periods, type of study, treatment site, experiment target site, and cauterizing method. Results : We reviewed 112 chinese papers which include 10 Original articles, 43 Review articles, and 59 Case reports. Examining yearly distributions, we can see that research on cauterization is becoming more active than in the past. In classification of 93 clinical studies by treatment site, the number of research on Tonsillitis accounts for almost half(43 studies), followed by Sore throat(14 studies). Among 10 experimental studies, Eye is the most frequently targeted organ which was used to study high intra-ocular pressure(5 studies), and retinal ganglion cell(2 studies). Lastly, there are various methods of cauterization used in papers: Branding iron(54 studies), and Red-hot needle(24 studies) are two major heating methods. Conclusions : This analysis shows that studies on the application of cauterization have been actively conducted in China these days. Furthermore, up-to-date cauterizing methods have been developed such as electric type and microwave type beyond traditional ways. We expect this article will encourage further research on cauterization in order to apply it to a variety of diseases. Then, it could become one of new effective medical treatments in Korean medicine.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.3
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• pp.227-231
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• 2015

Background: Diagnostic methods for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) have recently advanced. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in TB diagnostic tests that prompted the initiation of anti-TB treatment over time in South Korea, an industrialized country with an intermediate TB burden. Methods: Patients diagnosed with pulmonary TB in the first halves of 2005 and 2013 at a tertiary referral hospital were included. Diagnostic methods that prompted the initiation of anti-TB treatment were compared between the 2 groups of patients. Results: A greater proportion of patients were diagnosed with pulmonary TB using bronchoscopy in 2013 than in 2005 (26.7% vs. 6.6%, respectively; p<0.001), while the proportion of patients clinically diagnosed with pulmonary TB was lower in 2013 than in 2005 (24.7% vs. 49.0%, respectively; p<0.001). Additionally, more patients started anti-TB treatment based on positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results for Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in 2013 than in 2005 (47.3% vs. 7.9%, respectively; p<0.001). Conclusion: The initiation of treatment for pulmonary TB in South Korea has become more frequently based on PCR and the use of bronchoscopic specimens.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.277-285
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• 2018

Chemo-mechanical caries removal methods are known to be more effective compared with conventional methods in pain reduction. $Carie-care^{TM}$, a chemo-mechanical caries removal agent, was introduced in 2010 but a systematic review of its efficacy has not yet been performed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of $Carie-care^{TM}$ on the outcomes of treatment of caries in children and adolescents. The primary outcome was pain while the secondary outcomes included complete caries removal (CCR), time, need for local anesthesia and behavioral response changes. A Comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library up to 30 September 2018. The following keywords were used in the search: 'chemo-mechanical caries removal agent', 'dental caries', 'Carie-care', 'chemo-mechanical caries removal', 'chemo-mechanical caries excavation', other related keywords, and their combinations. From 942 studies identified, 16 were analyzed. Finally, 4 studies met the eligibility criteria and 260 teeth in 120 children and adolescents were included in this review. This review showed that $Carie-care^{TM}$ reduces pain during caries treatment but requires a longer time for effective treatment than conventional methods. Local anesthesia was not required in the Chemo-mechanical caries removal (CMCR) group. In addition, dental anxiety decreased compared to the control group, and co-operation was more positive. Therefore, it may be a useful alternative to conventional methods in children and adolescents, but further verification through additional studies is needed.