• PNF and Movement
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.157-166
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• 2019

Purpose: This study compares and examines the effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on patients with chronic low back pain through systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Methods: Domestic literature was searched with combinations of keywords including "proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation," "PNF," "back pain," and "low back pain" using the Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), Korean Studies Information Service System (KISS), and Korean Medical Database (KMbase). Six studies (n=148) were finally included in the analysis through a selection and exclusion process. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the PEDro scale. Results: According to the meta-analysis results, the low back pains of the PNF group and the contrast group showed a standardized mean difference (SMD) of 2.21 (95% CI: -3.35, -1.07, p=0.01, $I^2=83%$) after intervention. Thus, the PNF group showed a statistically significant decrease in low back pain compared with the control group. In addition, the SMDs of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), lung function, and the Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) were -1.34 (95% CI: -1.88, -0.79, p<0.01, $I^2=35%$), 1.14 (95% CI: 0.49, 1.79, p=0.01, $I^2=0%$), and -1.59 (95% CI: -2.56, -0.62, p=0.01, $I^2=46%$), respectively. Thus, the PNF group showed statistically significant differences from the control group. Conclusion: At present, there is some limit to obtaining definite results about effect sizes because there are relatively few randomized controlled experiments that analyze the effects of PNF exercise in patients with chronic low back pain. Therefore, continuous efforts should be made to conduct randomized clinical trials and long-term efficacy studies in the future.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.72-79
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• 2019

Background: The aim of this study was to review clinical efficacy of acupuncture treatment of mild cognitive impairment. Methods: Randomized controlled trials that performed acupuncture treatment for mild cognitive impairment were retrieved from 6 online databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, NDSL, OASIS) on September $30^{th}$, 2018. Studies were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and were reviewed by Risk of Bias assessment. Results: In total, 21 studies were included in this review. All studies were Chinese (19 studies published in Chinese and 2 in English). The sample size, 50 to 100, and the number of treatment times, 20 to 30, were the largest range in all studies. The most treatments performed was 30. The longest treatment period was 56 days, which accounted for 33% of the studies. The most frequently used evaluation index was the Mini Mental State Examination followed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, each used 17 times and 15 times, respectively. The most frequently used acupoints were GV20, EX-HN1, GB20, and GV24, which accounted for 47% of total number of acupoints used. In 48% of the studies, needle retention time was 30 minutes. Western medicine treatment was the most common control group. Most studies reported that the intervention group was statistically significantly different to the control group. Conclusion: These results suggest that acupuncture for mild cognitive impairment was effective. However, it is difficult to confirm this conclusion because the quality of most of these studies were of low quality.

• Infection and chemotherapy
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.311-318
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• 2018

Background: Zoster vaccination is recommended for people with a history of herpes zoster (HZ), but the most effective timing of vaccine administration after zoster illness is unresolved. This prospective observational study compared the immunogenicity and safety of administering HZ vaccine at 6-12 months and 1-5 years after zoster illness. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected before the administration of live zoster vaccine and 6 weeks after vaccination. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) IgG concentrations and T-cell responses were assessed by glycoprotein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and interferon-${\gamma}$ enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT), respectively. Results: The baseline geometric mean value (GMV) of VZV IgG was higher in the 6-12 months group than in the 1-5 years group (245.5 IU/mL vs. 125.9 IU/mL; P = 0.021). However, the GMV increased significantly in both groups (P = 0.002 in the 6-12 months group; P <0.001 in the 1-5 years group). The results of the ELISPOT assay were not significant for differences of the GMV between baseline and 6-week post-vaccination groups, while the GMV increased significantly in both groups (P = 0.001 in the 6-12 months group; P <0.001 in the 1-5 years group). Conclusion: The immunogenicity of zoster vaccine may be similar whether administered 6-12 months, or >1 year after zoster illness. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02704572

• Journal of Gynecologic Oncology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.92.1-92.9
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• 2018

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the pulmonary recruitment maneuver (PRM) at the end of the operation to decrease laparoscopy-induced abdominal or shoulder pain after gynecological oncologic surgery. Methods: In total, 113 women undergoing laparoscopic surgery for malignant or premalignant gynecological lesions were assigned randomly to two groups: the PRM group (the patient was placed in the Trendelenburg position ($30^{\circ}$) and the PRM, consisting of two manual pulmonary inflations to a maximum pressure of $40cmH_2O$) (n=54) and the control group (n=52). Postoperative shoulder and abdominal pain was assessed 12, 24, and 48 hours later using a visual analog scale (0-10). In addition, the incidence of post-discharge nausea and vomiting was recorded until 48 hours after discharge. Results: Postoperative shoulder pain at 12 and 24 hours was significantly less severe in the PRM group ($2.2{\pm}0.5$ and $2.0{\pm}0.4$) than in the control group ($4.0{\pm}0.5$ and $3.9{\pm}0.4$; both p<0.001). The PRM significantly reduced the severity of upper abdominal pain at 12 and 24 h compared with the control group ($3.1{\pm}0.4$ and $2.9{\pm}0.4$ vs. $2.9{\pm}0.5$ and $4.9{\pm}0.5$; both p<0.001). The analgesic requirement during the postoperative period was similar in the two groups (control group, 78.8%; PRM group, 75.9%; p=0.719). Conclusion: The PRM effectively and safely reduced postoperative shoulder and upper abdominal pain levels in patients undergoing laparoscopic gynecological oncologic surgery. Trial registry at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01940042.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.298-315
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• 2021

Purpose: Peri-implantitis therapy and implant maintenance are fundamental practices to enhance the longevity of zirconia implants. However, the use of physical decontamination methods, including hand instruments, polishing devices, ultrasonic scalers, and laser systems, might damage the implant surfaces. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of physical decontamination methods on zirconia implant surfaces. Methods: A systematic search was conducted using 5 electronic databases: Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane. Hand searching of the OpenGrey database, reference lists, and 6 selected dental journals was also performed to identify relevant studies satisfying the eligibility criteria. Results: Overall, 1049 unique studies were identified, of which 11 studies were deemed suitable for final review. Air-abrasive devices with glycine powder, prophylaxis cups, and ultrasonic scalers with non-metal tips were found to cause minimal to no damage to implantgrade zirconia surfaces. However, hand instruments and ultrasonic scalers with metal tips have the potential to cause major damage to zirconia surfaces. In terms of laser systems, diode lasers appear to be the most promising, as no surface alterations were reported following their use. Conclusion: Air-abrasive devices and prophylaxis cups are safe for zirconia implant decontamination due to preservation of the implant surface integrity. In contrast, hand instruments and ultrasonic scalers with metal tips should be used with caution. Recommendations for the use of laser systems could not be fully established due to significant heterogeneity among included studies, but diode lasers may be the best-suited system. Further research-specifically, randomised controlled trials-would further confirm the effects of physical decontamination methods in a clinical setting.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.171-180
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• 2021

Currently, hospitals and medical practices have a large amount of unstructured information, gathered in time at each ward or practice by physicians in a wide range of medical branches. The data requires processing in order to be able to extract relevant information, which can be used to improve the medical system. It is useful for a physician to have access to a patient's entire medical history when he or she is in an emergency situation, as relevant information can be found about the patient's problems such as: allergies to various medications, personal history, or hereditary collateral conditions etc. If the information exists in a structured form, the detection of diseases based on specific symptoms is much easier, faster and with a higher degree of accuracy. Thus, physicians may investigate certain pathological profiles and conduct cohort clinical trials, including comparing the profile of a particular patient with other similar profiles that already have a confirmed diagnosis. Involving information technology in this field will change so the time which the physicians should spend in front of the computer into a much more beneficial one, providing them with the possibility for more interaction with the patient while listening to the patient's needs. The expert system, described in the paper, is an application for medical diagnostic of the most frequently met conditions, based on logical programming and on the theory of probabilities. The system rationale is a search item in the field basic knowledge on the condition. The web application described in the paper is implemented for the ward of pathological anatomy of a hospital in Romania. It aims to ease the healthcare staff's work, to create a connection of communication at one click between the necessary wards and to reduce the time lost with bureaucratic proceedings. The software (made in PHP programming language, by writing directly in the source code) is developed in order to ease the healthcare staff's activity, being created in a simpler and as elegant way as possible.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.293-307
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• 2021

Objectives: This study investigates the effects and safety of Bojungikgi-tang for stress urinary incontinence by systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: RCTs were selected from articles published until December 2019 in seven domestic and foreign databases. The quality of the literature was evaluated using Cochrane's risk of bias (RoB) tool, and RevMan 5.3 was used to synthesize the results. Results: A total of 694 patients with stress urinary incontinence participated in eight RCTs. Meta-analysis showed that the total effective rate of treatment that combines pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) and Bojungikgi-tang was significantly higher than that of PFMT alone. The volume of urine leakage per hour after the combined treatment was significantly lower than that of PFMT alone. The International Consultation on Insurance Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) scores from combining PFMT and Bojungikgi-tang were significantly lower than those for PFMT alone. Conclusion: This study suggests that Western medical treatment combined with Bojungikgi-tang for urinary incontinence from stress might be more effective in improving symptoms than conventional Western medical treatment alone. However, the number of studies included in the meta-analysis was insufficient, and the quality of the selected literature was generally low. Therefore, high-quality clinical studies on herbal medicine treatment for urinary incontinence would be required in the future.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.96-109
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupotomy for the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis. There were 9 databases searched to retrieve randomized controlled trials until August 3, 2019 regarding acupotomy versus conventional Western medicine, conventional Western medicine treatment with and without acupotomy, and Korean medicine treatment with and without acupotomy, and meta-analysis was performed. Of 303 potentially relevant studies retrieved, 43 were systematically reviewed. All studies were conducted in China. Effective rate, visual analogue scale, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis index were used as the evaluation scales. The Ashi point was selected most frequently. In all studies, the intervention group was more effective than the control group. Meta-analysis revealed that acupotomy showed statistically significant beneficial results. Although acupotomy had a beneficial effect on knee osteoarthritis, the risk of bias of the included studies was not low. The majority of the results from the evaluation scales used were highly heterogeneous (> 50%) which reduced confidence in the estimation of effect, or had a small sample size. Further clinical research and development is required in the future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Information Management Conference
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• 2017.08a
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• pp.104-104
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• 2017

연구 데이터란 과학적 연구에서 사용된 일차 자료와 연구자에 의해 직접 작성된 연구의 결과로서 수치, 문자, 이미지, 음성 등의 사실적 기록을 의미한다. 이 연구의 주제 분야인 의학은 잠재적 가치와 활용 가능성이 높고 공익적 성격을 가지고 있는 학문 분야로 의학 연구 데이터의 종류와 관리의 필요성을 통해서 그 가치와 공유 의미를 찾아보고자 한다. 또한 연구 데이터의 대표적인 임상 시험 기록과 연구 논문의 발표와 공유 현황에 대해서도 살펴보고 그 안에서 도서관의 역할이 어떤 것인가를 짚어보고자 한다. 의학 연구 데이터는 환자 진료기록, 건강 검진 기록, 임상 기록, 사망 기록, 임상 시험 기록, 유전체 정보, 연구 논문 등 그 종류와 형태가 다양하며 대용량인 경우가 많다. 의학 연구는 개인 정보보호와 윤리적인 문제 등 연구 수행 과정에서 어려운 점이 많은 성격을 가지고 있으나 질병 치료나 예방 나아가 인류의 건강과 직접적으로 관련된 학문 분야로 의학 연구 데이터의 보존과 공개, 공유를 위한 관리는 큰 의미가 있다. 의학 연구 데이터관리는 새로운 연구의 밑받침이 될 뿐만 아니라 중 저개발 국가의 연구자들에게도 큰 기회를 부여하여 세계적인 의학 발전에 기여할 수 있다. 또한 임상 시험 결과에 대한 은폐와 거짓 연구 방지에도 의미가 있어 미국뿐만 아니라 전세계적으로 학술 연구 논문 발표에 사용된 데이터는 등록하도록 규정하고 있다. 임상 시험 등록으로 공인된 사이트는 NIH의 ClinicalTrials.gov, ICTRP의 Primary Registry 등이 있으며, 우리나라에도 질병관리본부 국립보건연구원에서 관리하는 CRIS 등이 있다. 의학 연구자들은 연구의 시작부터 연구 데이터를 수집, 사용, 보존, 공유의 문제를 고려해야 하나 시간적 물리적인 문제 등으로 어려움을 겪고 있으며, 이를 지원하는 서비스는 도서관에서도 관심이 높아지고 있는 분야로 Virginia Commonwealth 대학 도서관과 Emory 대학 도서관 등에서 시도되고 있다. 이 서비스는 연구 과정에서 사서의 지원이 가능한 새로운 기회로 연구자의 데이터관리를 위한 단계별 스토리를 조직하고 DMP 작성 지원 및 교육 등을 통해서 학술 커뮤니케이션에서 새로운 역할자로 자리잡을 수 있을 것이다.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.37-49
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• 2020

Objective: Constipation is the most common adverse effect of opioid analgesic therapy in cancer patients. This can be associated with physical and emotional distress to cancer patients. The purpose of this study is to review the standard and alternative interventions of the management for opioid-induced constipation (OIC). Methods: The studies were searched from databases, including Pubmed, Google scholar, KISS, NDSL, and OASIS. The main search terms included such as constipation, opioid, opioid-induced constipation, cancer, management, herb, and acupuncture. Results: The prevention and usual care of constipation is a key tool for the management of OIC. Also, prophylactic laxatives starting concurrently with opiates helped to prevent developing constipation. Peripherally acting μ-opioid receptor antagonists (PAMORAs) significantly reduced OIC and well-tolerated. In addition, acupuncture, herb medicines, and interferential current or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to acupoints had effectiveness in reducing constipation. Conclusion: Preliminary data indicate that PAMORAs and Traditional Korean Medicine may be considered as the management of unresolved OIC. However, due to the limited articles, more systematic and rigorous clinical trials are needed.