• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.459-461
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• 2008

Much research evidence supports the hypothesis that chronic, low-grade inflammation related to innate immunity may play an important role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2; MIM# 600211) acts as a scaffold that controls the integration, organization, and assembly of nucleic acids. To examine whether the novel promoter variant in RUNX2 is associated with the risk of T2DM and related phenotypes, RUNX2-742G > T was genotyped in 378 T2DM patients and 382 normal controls recruited in the Korean T2DM Study. Statistical analysis revealed that RUNX2-742G > T was associated with serum triglyceride level (TG) in nondiabetic controls, although it was not associated with the risk of T2DM. Individuals who carry T/T, T/G, and G/G genotypes had the highest ($2.061{\pm}0.20$), intermediate ($2.01{\pm}0.19$), and the lowest ($1.97{\pm}0.18$) levels of log [TG (mmol/l)] (P = 0.007), respectively. Our data on this important variant of RUNX2 suggest that lipid metabolism might be affected by genetic polymorphisms in the promoter region.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2009

Xenotransplantation of pig organs into humans is a potential solution for the shortage of donor organs for transplantation. However, multiple immune barriers preclude its clinical application. In particular, the initial type of rejection in xenotransplantation is an acute cellular rejection by host $CD8^+$ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) cells that react to donor major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I. The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) glycoprotein Unique Short (US) 2 specifically targets MHC class I heavy chains to relocate them from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane to the cytosol, where they are degraded by the proteasome. In this study we transfected the US2 gene into minipig fetal fibroblasts and established four US2 clonal cell lines. The integration of US2 into transgenic fetal cells was confirmed using PCR and Southern blot assay. The reduction of Swine Leukocyte Antigen (SLA)-I by US2 was also detected using Flow cytometry assay (FACS). The FACS analysis of the US2 clonal cell lines demonstrated a substantial reduction in SLA-I surface expression. The level (44% to 76%) of SLA-I expression in US2 clonal cell lines was decreased relative to the control. In cytotoxicity assay the rate of $CD8^+$ T cell-mediated cytotoxicity was significantly reduced to 23.8${\pm}$15.1% compared to the control (59.8${\pm}$8.4%, p<0.05). In conclusion, US2 can directly protect against $CD8^+$-mediated cell lysis. These results indicate that the expression of US2 in pig cells may provide a new approach to overcome the CTL-mediated immune rejection in xenotransplantation.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.359-371
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to identify the core concepts and structure of difficult experiences of charge nurses in general hospitals. Methods: Data were collected from August 1 to September 5, 2014. Participants were 10 nurses from general hospitals in D and S cities. Parse research method was applied to examine lived experiences of the participants. The procedure of study was based on dialogical engagement and data were analyzed by extraction-synthesis and interpreted heuristically. The research question was "Would you tell me about your difficult experiences as a charge nurse?" Results: Job-related difficulties of the charge nurses were conflicts due to ineffective communication, heavy workload, not feeling respected, role conflict, and struggling to overcome difficulties with sense of responsibility to the work. The conceptual integration was: to be in the process of being originated and transformed through connecting-separating and enabling-limiting with valuing. Conclusion: Structural conversion of these concepts reveals that charge nurses suffer from the job-related difficulties identified in this study, but they endure to proceed with a sense of mission. It is suggested that supportive interventions should be made to let charge nurses express their feelings, identify their needs, and develop self-care or coping skills for themselves.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.200-210
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• 2000

objective to ascertain whether the concept of the therapeutic side is associated with changes in the blind sport mapping that represents the brain function. design Physiological blind spot maps were used as an integer of brain activity before and after acupuncture needling on the meridian point Hapkok(合谷) and Techung(太衝) in the unilateral side decided by double-blind controlled study(20 subjects). setting outpatient clinic participants: adult volunteers intervention twenty subjects were divided into two comparative groups and underwent specific acupuncture therapy on the unilateral side. Blinded examiners obtained reproducible pre and post-acupuncture cortical maps, which were subjected to statistical analysis. main outcome measures Brain activity was demonstrated by reproducible circumferential measurements of cortical hemispheric blind spot maps before and after acupuncture on the unilateral side. in case of acupuncture needling on the ipsilateral side of an enlarged side of bilnd spot, there were reduction of blind spot in 7 cases of 10 subjects, and enlargement in 3 cases. in case of acupuncture needling on the contralateral side of the enlarged side of blind spot, there were enlargement of blind spot in 6 cases of 10 subjects, and reduction in 4 cases. results the significant changes in the blind spots before and after acupuncture were observed Acupuncture needlings on the ipsilateral or contralateral side of an enlarged cortical map were associated with the concept of the therapeutic side traditionally accepted in the oriental medical society. Acupuncture needling on the ipsilateral side of an enlarged blind spot map is associated with the reduction of map, and increaed contralateral cortical activity. Acupuncture needling on the side opposite an enlarged blind spot map is associated with the enlargement of map, and decreased cortical activity. conclusion Reproducible maps of cortical responses can be used to measure the neurological consequences of acupuncture needling. Acupuncture can affect the somatic sensory informations that reach to the contralateral thalamus, and so affect thalamic integration. we found that acupuncture therapy may be associated with an increase or a decrease in brain function depending on the side of acupuncture needling. thus, the traditional concept of the contralateral therapeutic theory in acupuncture approach has the clinical significance in the view of brain function.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.43-55
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• 2008

Objectives : The acupuncture has been in the classic arsenal of Oriental medicine over inflammatory diseases. Its physiological mechanism is not fully understood but being known better everyday. We reviewed several papers to describe current concepts over anti-inflammatory mechanism of acupuncture. Methods : Some computerized literature searches were done using the key words of 'acupuncture' AND 'Anti-inflammatory' in Medline via Pubmed between March 2007 and December 2007. Only rationally-designed studies were picked among practically associated materials. A well-known hypothesis on acupunctural physiology was adapted for integration. Result : 18 studies were selected. 17 studies were laboratory experiment and 1 was a clinical study. Data was classified into some comprehensive categories. Author's opinion was added at the end of each category. Study results supported the hypotheses on acupunctural physiology; Acupuncture has some influences on autonomic nerve system(ANS). And it stimulates several receptors from target cells like macrophage, and finally inhbits cytokines like TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-1${\beta}$ andIL-10 which are inflammation-mediated. Acupuncture increases the opioid releasing therefore relieves inflammation. And acupuncture inhibits cyclooxgenase(COX) but its mechanism is controversial until now. Conclusion : Current concepts over anti-inflammatory mechanism of acupuncture are as follows. Acupucture suppresses inflammation by stimulation of ANS, increasing of opioid releasing and inhibition of COX. But more studies are needed to fully describe the anti-inflammatory effect of acupuncture.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.221-226
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• 2013

Purpose: This study is to evaluate the efficacy of the autogenous tooth bone graft material, clinically and radiologically, as related to implant installation. Methods: In oral and maxillofacial surgery department of Ajou University Hospital, guided bone regeneration (GBR), implant placement combined with GBR, sinus graft, implant placement combined with sinus graft, and defect filling were performed in 46 patients, using autogenous tooth bone. Among these, 66 implants were inserted with autogenous tooth bone. Implant stability quotient (ISQ) was measured by Osstell Mentor (Integration Diagnostics, Goteborg, Sweden) on 39 implants on the operation date and 4 months later, and on 21 implants 9months on the average at the final setting of restoration. Twenty-eight implants with GBR and sinus graft (GBR group: n=14, sinus graft group: n=14) were evaluated radiologically to measure the resorption of grafted autogenous tooth bone after loading. Results: The average initial stabilization of the installed implants was 67 ISQ, and the average secondary stabilization at 4 months later was 76. The average bone loss of GBR group as measured 8.0 months after application of prosthesis loading was 0.29 mm and the average bone loss of the sinus graft group as measured 7.6 months after application of prosthesis loading was 0.66 mm, respectively. In the histological assessment, formation of the new bone and continuous trabecular bone pattern was identified around autogenous tooth bone. Conclusion: Based on these results, we concluded that autogenous tooth bone is an excellent bone graft material that can substitute the autogenous bone.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 2017

Anterior diastemas are common esthetic problems. One of the challenges in clinical esthetic dentistry is closing anterior diastemas without creating "black triangles" between the teeth. The success of a restorative treatment in anterior teeth depends on the esthetic integration between soft tissues and hard tissues. This report describes the successfully accomplished diastema closure case by producing the emergence profile with natural contours at the gingival-tooth interface and then generating of gingival recontouring process.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.117-126
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• 2007

In this paper, we propose an early rehabilitation training system for the improvement of postural balance with multi-modality on a tilting bed. The integration of the visual, somatosensory and vestibular functions is significant to for maintaining the postural control of the human body. However, conventional rehabilitation systems do not provide multi-modality to trainees. We analyzed the characterization of postural control at different tilt angles of an early rehabilitation training system, which consists of a tilting bed, a visual feedback, a computer interface, a computer, and a force plate. The software that we developed for the system consists of the training programs and the analysis programs. To evaluate the characterization of postural control, we conducted the first evaluation before the beginning of the training. In the following four weeks, 12 healthy young and 5 healthy elderly subjects were trained to improve postural control using the training programs with the tilting bed. After four weeks of training, we conducted the second evaluation. The analysis programs assess (center of pressure) COP moving time, COP maintaining time, and mean absolute deviation of the trace before and after training at different tilt angles on the bed. After 4 weeks, the COP moving time was reduced, the COP maintaining time was lengthened, and the mean absolute deviation of the trace was lowered through the repeated use of vertical, horizontal, dynamic circle movement training programs. These results show that this system improves postural balance and could be applied to clinical use as an effective training system.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.9-22
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to consider the concept of Meridian Points(經穴) and to establish the directions in further research. Methods: First, based on the latest results from the researches of Meridian and Collateral(經絡), it was to infer the original concept of Meridian Points(經穴). Second, the meaning of Meridian Points(經穴) has been investigated and its directions in further research was studied founded upon Symbolic Mathematical Study(象數學). Results ＆ Conclusions : Firstly, Meridian Points(經穴) are considered to be the source of information that contains 365 numbers of human physiological information which includes physiological information of Viscera and Bowels(藏府) and Meridian and Collateral(經絡). Secondly, advanced researches are required further to clarify the meaning of Meridian Points(經穴) as Symbolic Mathematical Study(象數學) has established the systems of Meridian Points(經穴). In addition, the efficacy of each Meridian Points(經穴) needs to be revised through literature studies. Clinical studies are essential to practically verify the results from the former theoretical research. Thirdly, the contention to oppose the presence of Meridian and Collateral(經絡) and Meridian Points(經穴) was acknowledged to be incorrect. Lastly, for broadening the theoretical systems of Korean Medicine(韓醫學) with integration of Western scientific knowledge, a paradigm shift is necessary to revise the concepts of Viscera and Bowls(藏府), Meridian and Collateral (經絡) and Meridian Points(經穴) in Korean Medicine(韓醫學). In order to accomplish the shift, the ambiguity in theories of Korean Medicine(韓醫學) should be clarified through the study of Symbolic Mathematical Study(象數學).

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2009

Noise evaluation for an image has been performed by root mean square (RMS) granularity, autocorrelation function (ACF), and Wiener spectrum. RMS granularity stands for standard deviation of photon data and ACF is acquired by integration of 1 D function of distance variation. Fourier transform of ACF results in noise power spectrum which is called Wiener spectrum in image quality evaluation. Wiener spectrum represents noise itself. In addition, along with MTF, it is an important factor to produce detective quantum efficiency (DQE). The proposed evaluation method using Wiener spectrum is expected to contribute to educate the concept of Wiener spectrum in educational organizations, choose the appropriate imaging detectors for clinical applications, and maintain image quality in digital imaging systems.