• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.542-551
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively assess the effectiveness of Chunggan plus extract (CGX) in improving liver function in a Korean medical clinic. Methods: We collected the data of inpatients who received CGX to improve abnormal liver function test (LFT) results from March 2016 to February 2020. We analyzed the changes in LFT and adverse events based on subjective symptom changes and creatinine results. Results: The data of eight patients, three male and five female, were selected by inclusion criteria (patients who did LFT before and after the prescription of CGX and who prescribed CGX more than 6 days) and exclusion criteria (patients who administered other herbal medicine for improving liver function except CGX and who are diagnosed with terminal stage of hepatobiliary cancer). As a cause of abnormal LFT, one case was diagnosed with alcoholic liver disease, two cases with non-alcoholic fatty hepatitis, and one case with cholecystitis. Three of the other four were suspected to have drug-induced hepatitis, and one case was determined to have an unknown cause. Most patients showed a decrease in LFT results (Aspartate transaminase 87.5%, Alanine transaminase 87.5%, and Alkaline Phosphatase 100%) without any critical adverse events. Conclusions: CGX may be an efficient and convenient herbal medicine for improving liver function regardless of the chief impression. Further study should be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of CGX.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.114-136
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness and safety of herbal medicine treatment for treating hyperthyroidism. Methods: We searched for randomized controlled trials of Hyperthyroidism treated with herbal medicine, published from January 2016 to May 2021, through electronic database such as Pubmed, EMBASE, China Academic Journal (CAJ). Interventions and results of the selected clinical studies were analyzed. Results: The 25 randomized controlled trials were finally included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Treatment group was treated with herbal medicine alone in 2 studies, and with herbal medicine and conventional medicine in 23 studies. Control group was treated with conventional medicine. Outcome measures are total efficacy rate, thyroid function test, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, liver function test, recurrence rate, etc. Prunellae Spica (夏枯草) (60%) was the most frequently used herb in herbal medicine treatment. In all of 25 studies, treatment group was more effective and safer for hyperthyroidism than the control group. Conclusions: This study indicates that herbal medicine treatment alone or combined with conventional medicine treatment could be helpful in improving the therapeutic effect on hyperthyroidism and reducing side effects as well.

• Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.500-507
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• 2018

Background: The sagittal alignment of the spine and pelvis is not only closely related to the overall posture of the body but also to the evaluation and treatment of spine disease. In the last few years, the EOS imaging system, a new low-dose radiation X-ray device, became available for sagittal alignment assessment. However, there has been little research on the reliability of EOS. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intrarater and interrater reliability of EOS for the sagittal alignment assessment of the spine and pelvis. Methods: Records of 46 patients were selected from the EOS recording system between November 2016 and April 2017. The exclusion criteria were congenital spinal anomaly and deformity, and previous history of spine and pelvis operation. Sagittal parameters of the spine and pelvis were measured by three examiners three times each using both manual and EOS methods. Means comparison t-test, Pearson bivariate correlation analysis, and reliability analysis by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for intrarater and interrater reliability were performed using R package "irr." Results: We found excellent intrarater and interrater reliability of EOS measurements. For intrarater reliability, the ICC ranged from 0.898 to 0.982. For interrater reliability, the ICC ranged from 0.794 to 0.837. We used a paired t-test to compare the values measured by manual and EOS methods: there was no statistically significant difference between the two methods. Correlation analysis also showed a statistically significant positive correlation. Conclusions: EOS showed excellent reliability for assessment of the sagittal alignment of the spine and pelvis.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 2019

Background: Few studies have examined the effects of a forward rotating shift pattern on police employee performance and well-being. This study sought to compare sleep duration, cognitive performance, and vigilance at the start and end of each shift within a three-shift, forward rotating shift pattern, common in United Kingdom police forces. Methods: Twenty-three police employee participants were recruited from North Yorkshire Police (mean age, 43 years). The participants were all working the same, 10-day, forward rotating shift pattern. No other exclusion criteria were stipulated. Sleep data were gathered using both actigraphy and self-reported methods; cognitive performance and vigilance were assessed using a customized test battery, comprising five tests: motor praxis task, visual object learning task, NBACK, digital symbol substitution task, and psychomotor vigilance test. Statistical comparisons were conducted, taking into account the shift type, shift number, and the start and end of each shift worked. Results: Sleep duration was found to be significantly reduced after night shifts. Results showed a significant main effect of shift type in the visual object learning task and NBACK task and also a significant main effect of start/end in the digital symbol substitution task, along with a number of significant interactions. Conclusion: The results of the tests indicated that learning and practice effects may have an effect on results of some of the tests. However, it is also possible that due to the fast rotating nature of the shift pattern, participants did not adjust to any particular shift; hence, their performance in the cognitive and vigilance tests did not suffer significantly as a result of this particular shift pattern.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.189-194
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a higher Injury Severity Score (ISS) could serve as an indicator of splenectomy in patients with traumatic splenic lacerations. Methods: A total of 256 cases of splenic laceration were collected from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2018. After the application of exclusion criteria, 105 were eligible for this study. Charts were reviewed for demographic characteristics, initial vital signs upon presentation to the emergency room, Glasgow Coma Scale, computed tomography findings, ISS, and treatment strategies. The cases were then divided into nonsplenectomy and splenectomy groups for analysis. Results: When analyzed with the chi-square test and t-test, splenectomy was associated with a systolic blood pressure lower than 90 mmHg, a Glasgow Coma Scale score lower than 13, active bleeding found on computed tomography, a splenic laceration grade greater than or equal to 4, and an ISS greater than 15 at presentation. However, in multivariate logistic regression analysis, only active bleeding on computed tomography showed a statistically significant relationship (P=0.014). Conclusions: Although ISS failed to show a statistically significant independent relationship with splenectomy, it may still play a supplementary role in traumatic splenic injury management.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.106-111
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• 2022

Background: The use of telemedicine for postoperative visits is increasing, especially in rural areas. Few studies have investigated its use for arthroscopic shoulder patients. This study aims to evaluate patient satisfaction with telemedicine for postoperative clinic visits following arthroscopic shoulder procedures in a rural setting. Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled using the following exclusion criteria: <18 years, open procedures, and non-compliance follow-up at 6 weeks postoperatively. All patients completed a 13-question satisfaction survey, while telemedicine patients completed an additional, separate seven-question survey. Patients who switched groups completed a four-question prompt to determine the reasons for switching. Differences between groups were evaluated by either Student t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: The study enrolled 32 patients, with five patients following up by telemedicine and 27 in person. Age and distance from clinic were similar between patients who were assigned to the telemedicine group, completed the telemedicine visit, and opted for in-person visits (all p>0.05). Patient satisfaction did not vary significantly based on care by the surgeon, concerns being addressed, thoroughness of visit, overall clinical assessment at a prior visit, and improvements in pain and physical function (all p>0.05). Among patients who opted out of telemedicine visits, the most common reason was a preference to meet in-person but these patients agreed that telemedicine visits are a good idea. Conclusions: Regardless of type of follow-up, individuals reported similar levels of satisfaction with treatment during the visit and improvements in pain and physical function.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the structural complexity of craniofacial trabecular bone in multiple myeloma by fractal analysis of panoramic and lateral skull radiography, and to compare the fractal dimension values of healthy patients (HPs), pre-treatment patients (PTPs), and patients during bisphosphonate treatment (DTPs). Materials and Methods: Pairs of digital panoramic and lateral skull radiographs of 84 PTPs and 72 DTPs were selected. After application of exclusion criteria, 43 panoramic and 84 lateral skull radiographs of PTPs, 56 panoramic and 72 lateral skull radiographs of DTPs, and 99 panoramic radiographs of age- and sex-matched HPs were selected. The fractal dimension values from panoramic radiographs were compared among HPs, PTPs, and DTPs and between anatomical locations within patient groups using analysis of variance with the Tukey test. Fractal dimension values from lateral skull radiographs were compared between PTPs and DTPs using the Student t-test. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationship between the mandible from panoramic radiographs and the skull from lateral skull radiographs. Intra-examiner agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (α=0.05). Results: The fractal dimension values were not significantly different among HPs, PTPs, and DTPs on panoramic radiographs or between PTPs and DTPs on lateral skull radiographs (P>0.05). The mandibular body presented the highest fractal dimension values (P≤0.05). The fractal dimension values of the mandible and skull in PTPs and DTPs were not correlated. Conclusion: Fractal analysis was not sensitive for distinguishing craniofacial trabecular bone complexity in multiple myeloma patients using panoramic and lateral skull radiography.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.257-266
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• 2022

Purpose : This systematic review examined evidence published 2000-2021 for occupational therapy interventions for adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (adult ADHD). Methods : In order to find out the studies on the effect occupational therapy intervention on individuals with adult ADHD, studies published from 2000 to February 2022 were searched on Google Academic Search. The keywords used were "adult ADHD" AND "Occupational therapy". A total of 785 studies were searched, and from these, 3 studies were selected based on the application of the selection and exclusion criteria. The included studies comprised of 1 Quasi-experimental design study(one group pre-post test) and 2 randomized controlled trials design studies. The included studies were analyzed in PICO(patients, intervention, comparison, outcomes). Results : As a result of analysing the subjects of the included studies, subjects diagnosed with adult ADHD or classified as high-risk group in Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale test, the number of subjects was 97, and the average age was about 33 years old. Occupational therapy intervention methods for adult ADHD include Tailored Intervention, Computerized Cognitive Training, and Cognitive-Functional Intervention. The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale was the most used to check the symptoms of ADHD, and the COPM was used the most to measure the effects of occupational therapy interventions. The dependent variables of occupational therapy intervention were occupational performance, quality of life, executive function (behavioral regulation, metacognition), self-regulation function, stress management, and sustained attention. The effect of the intervention was statistically significant in 78.5% of the total. Conclusion : It is expected that the results of this study can be used as basic data for evidence-based practice for occupational therapists to apply adult ADHD interventions. In the field of occupational therapy in Korea, research on various interventions that can improve the occupational performance of adults ADHD should be conducted.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 2023

Purpose : To investigate effects of transcranial directed current stimulus (tDCS) combined with abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM) on balance ability and trunk impairment scale of chronic stroke patients. Methods : Twenty-six chronic stroke patients were recruited and twenty-four participated after excluding two patients who met the exclusion criteria. After screening tests, they were randomized through excel program into an experimental group (n = 12) to apply a tDCS combined with ADIM and a control group (n = 12) to apply a sham tDCS with ADIM. The intervention lasted three times a week for six weeks. To compare tDCS intervention effects, trunk impairment scale and balance ability were measured. Comparisons between experimental and control groups were statistically processed using an independent t-test and comparisons within groups were statistically processed using a paired t-test. Results : The experimental group showed significant increases of pre- and post-intervention medial lateral velocity, anterior posterior velocity and area of balance ability, and trunk impairment scale (p<.05). The control group showed significant increases in pre- and post-intervention medial lateral velocity of balance ability and trunk impairment scale (p< .05). The experimental group showed significant increases of medial lateral velocity of balance ability and trunk impairment scale compared to the control group (p<.05). Conclusion : Results of this study suggest that tDCS combined with ADIM for chronic stroke patients can be effective in improving medial lateral velocity of balance ability and trunk impairment scale. Thus, tDCS can be used as an effective treatment protocol for trunk rehabilitation of chronic stroke patients.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.779-785
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• 2008

In this study, we investigated the role of a discrepant event from both cognitive and motivational perspectives in learning the concept of combustion. A preconception test, a test of response to a discrepant event, and a situational interest questionnaire were administered to 433 eighth graders. After learning the concept of combustion, the tests of attention, effort, and conceptual understanding were administered as post-tests. The reponses of 208 students who had been found to possess the target misconception were analyzed. The percentages of rejection and exclusion responses were relatively high compared to the previous studies about density concept, whereas a proportion of belief change was low. The results of the path analysis indicated that situational interest after presenting an alternative hypothesis had a direct effect and an indirect effect via attention and effort on conceptual understanding. Situational interest induced by a discrepant event directly influenced cognitive conflict after presenting an alternative hypothesis.