• Biomedical Engineering Letters
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.399-404
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a mobile wireless digital automatic blood pressure monitor for clinical use and mobile health (mHealth). In this study, a manual sphygmomanometer and a digital blood pressure monitor were tested in 100 participants in a repetitive and sequential manner to measure blood pressure. The guidelines for measurement used the Korea Food & Drug Administration protocol, which reflects international standards, such as the American National Standard Institution/Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation SP 10: 1992 and the British Hypertension Society protocol. Measurements were generally consistent across observers according to the measured mean ${\pm}SD$, which ranged in $0.1{\pm}2.6mmHg$ for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and $0.5{\pm}2.2mmHg$ for diastolic blood pressure (DBP). For the device and the observer, the difference in average blood pressure (mean${\pm}$SD) was $2.3{\pm}4.7mmHg$ for SBP and $2.0{\pm}4.2mmHg$ for DBP. The SBP and DBP measured in this study showed accurate measurements that satisfied all criteria, including an average difference that did not exceed 5 mmHg and a standard deviation that did not exceed 8 mmHg. The mobile wireless digital blood pressure monitor has the potential for clinical use and managing one's own health.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.188-198
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of laughter therapy on depression, anxiety, fatigue, and quality of sleep in gastrointestinal cancer survivors. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial. We compared the effect of laughter therapy with usual care only in post chemotherapy gastrointestinal patients. Outcomes included changes in depression and anxiety (according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), fatigue (according to the Fatigue Severity Scale), and quality of sleep (according to the Verran & Synder-Halpern Sleep Scale). Data was collected July 2015 through January 2016. Seventy nine participants who agreed to participate in this study were randomized to either the experimental group (n= 40) or the control group (n= 39). Therapy included eight sessions (60 minutes each, once weekly). Data were analyzed using the Windows SPSS 22.0 program. Results: Laughter therapy was effective in reducing fatigue (p= .019) and increasing satisfaction of sleep (p= .030). There were no differences between the groups after therapy for depression (p= .129) and anxiety (p= .200). Conclusion: Results of this study indicate that laughter therapy may be an effective nursing intervention for improving the health status of gastrointestinal cancer survivors after chemotherapy.

• 대한방사선기술학회지:방사선기술과학
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.307-313
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to analyze the risk factors for uterine myoma diagnosed by ultrasonography in Korea women and to evaluate the risk. Among the patients who visited the outpatient department of obstetrics and gynecology at I hospital in Busin between January 2019 and March 2021 for the purpose of examination, 98 patients in the experimental group diagnosed with uterine myoma and 163 patients in the normal control group without other diseases were retrospectively conducted. Among the general characteristics of the subjects, age, body mass index, parity, and menopause showed significant differences between the myoma group and the normal control group. ROC(receiver operating characteristic) curve analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed to obtain the cut off value and odds ratio that can predict the occurrence of uterine myoma. The cut off value for the prediction of uterine myoma was determined to be 30 years old and a body mass index of 23 kg/m². After that adjusting for menopause, non menopausal cases with a body mass index of 23 kg/m² and over 39 years of age had the highest odds ratio of 6.04. Therefore, premenopausal women over 40 years of age require regular checkups and thorough weight management. This study was conducted with a small number of subjects. Therefore, there is a limit to generalizing to all Korean women. However, based on this study if a large scale prospective study considering various variables is made, it can play a role as a predictive marker in early detection of uterine myoma.

• 대한한방소아과학회지
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.18-29
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• 2021

Objectives The purpose of this study is to provide evidence of treatment of growth disorder Methods We have reviewed clinical studies of growth disorder in children and adolescent through 6 databases until February, 2020. The searching keywords were "short stature OR dwarfism OR growth disorder" AND "acupuncture OR electric acupuncture OR electroacupuncture OR moxibustion OR herb medicine OR cupping OR Korean medicine OR oriental medicine OR chuna OR pharmacopuncture OR qigong OR traditional medicine OR traditional Korean medicine OR Korean medicine". There was no limit to time and language. Results As a result of the initial search, a total of 270 papers from six domestic databases were found. Among these papers, 156 papers were selected after excluding duplicated papers, and 109 of them were further excluded after checking the title and the abstract. Additionally, 28 papers were excluded by reviewing the full text. The author, year, number of patients, treatment, evaluation tools, and results of a total of 19 papers were included in this study and were summarized. 90.5% of the studies have shown that herbal remedies have improved childhood growth. Conclusions Random control studies and large-scale observational studies are needed in future to show high-quality evidence for the treatment of Korean medicine in pediatric growth.

• 여성건강간호학회지
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.278-285
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of a newborn care education program using ubiquitous learning (UL-NCEP) on exclusive breastfeeding and maternal role confidence of first-time mothers in Vietnam. Methods: This quasi-experimental study with a nonequivalent control group design was conducted at a university hospital in Hue city, Vietnam, between June and July 2018. Eligible first-time mothers were conveniently allocated to the experimental (n=27) and the control group (n=25). Mothers in the control group received only routine care, whereas mothers in the experimental group received UL-NCEP through tablet personal computers in addition to routine care in the hospital. Then, the educational content was provided to mothers by their smartphone for reviewing at home. UL-NCEP was developed based on the World Health Organization's "Essential Newborn Care Course" guidelines. The exclusive breastfeeding rate and maternal role confidence level after birth and at 4 weeks postpartum were assessed in both groups to assess the effect of UL-NCEP. Results: At 4 weeks postpartum, the experimental group showed a significantly higher level than the control, for exclusive breastfeeding rate (p<.05) as well as mean maternal role confidence (p<.05). Conclusion: UL-NCEP was a feasible and effective intervention in increasing first-time Vietnamese mothers' exclusive breastfeeding rate and maternal role confidence level. This program may be integrated into routine care for postpartum mothers to promote mother and infant health among first-time mothers in Vietnam.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제49권1호
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• pp.40-48
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• 2022

Objective: As the associations of sperm DNA fragmentation with morphology have not been examined in detail, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between abnormalities of morphological details and DNA integrity in human sperm. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, men from infertile couples were enrolled at Hue Center for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Vietnam. Conventional semen parameters, including morphological details, were analyzed following the World Health Organization 2010 criteria. Sperm DNA fragmentation was evaluated using a sperm chromatin dispersion assay. The relationships and correlations between semen parameters, sperm morphology, and the type of halosperm and the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) were analyzed. Results: Among 130 men in infertile couples, statistically significant differences were not found in the sperm halo type between the normal and abnormal sperm morphology groups. The percentage of round-head spermatozoa was higher in the DFI >15% group (16.98%±12.50%) than in the DFI ≤15% group (13.13% ±8.82%), higher values for amorphous heads were found in the DFI >15% group, and lower values for tapered heads were observed in the DFI ≤15% group; however, these differences were not statistically significant. Small-halo sperm and the DFI were positively correlated with round-head sperm (r=0.243, p=0.005 and r=0.197, p=0.025, respectively). Conclusion: The rate of general sperm morphological abnormalities in semen analysis was not related to sperm DNA integrity. However, round sperm heads were closely associated with sperm DNA fragmentation.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제50권5호
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• pp.452-462
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• 2023

This scoping review aimed to identify and categorize the available measurement options for vaginal laxity (VL), their indications of use, and whether these measurements can sufficiently provide objective clinical judgment for cases indicated for vaginal rejuvenation with many treatment options nowadays. Systematic searches were conducted on five electronic databases, manually searching articles' bibliographies and predetermined key journals with no date or study design limitations. We included all studies involving VL in their inclusion criteria, treatment indications, and outcome parameters. We used the Arksey and O'Malley frameworks as the guideline in writing this scoping review. Of the 9,464 articles identified, 66 articles and 11,258 subjects were included in the final analysis. The majority of studies were conducted in obstetrics and gynecology (73%), followed by plastic surgery (10%), medical rehabilitation (4.5%), dermatology (4.5%), and others (8%). Most studies originated from the North American region (30%). The following measurement tools were used: (1) interviews, (2) questionnaires, (3) physical/digital examinations, (4) perineometers, and (5) others. Our results suggested that subjective perception of laxity confirmed by directed interview or questionnaire is sufficient to confirm VL. Additional evaluation of pelvic floor muscle through digital examination or perineometer or other preferred tools and evaluation of sexual function through validated questionnaire (Female Sexual Function Index, Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised, etc.) should follow to ensure holistic care to patients. Future research on the psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of commonly used measurements and the correlation in between subjective and objective measurements should be initiated before their clinical applications.

• 한국병원경영학회지
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.54-69
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• 2024

Purposes: This study aims to analyze the location patterns, concentration, and accessibility of clinics in Seoul with the grids of a geographic information system(GIS) and provide useful indicators for research on hospital and clinic management and policies based on the results. The study especially sets out to identify areas falling behind in the service of the essential medical care departments based on an analysis with 250m×250m grids and contribute to efficient medical business management and public healthcare policies based on the results. Methodology: The study analyzed clinics in Seoul in terms of concentration, distribution and clustering patterns, accessibility, and hot spots by dividing the entire city into 500m×500m cells and generating grids. The accessibility analysis for the essential medical care departments was especially in detail based on grids in a 250m×250m cell size. Findings: The Herfindahl results show that plastic surgery and rehabilitation medicine recorded the highest concentration level. General medicine and dermatology recorded the highest Moran's I value, and internal medicine was the highest in hot spots. Obstetrics and gynecology capable of child delivery showed considerably lower accessibility in the grids corresponding to Gangseo-gu, Yangcheon-gu, and Gwanak-gu. Surgery had low accessibility in the grids corresponding to the northern parts of Gangseo-gu for the total population. Practical Implication: Unlike previous studies whose analyses covered wide areas, the present study examined minute spatial patterns, concentration, and accessibility based on an analysis with 500m×500m or 250m×250m grids. Based on its findings, the study expects a more minute analysis for future research on medical business management and policies.

• 턱관절균형의학회지
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.12-17
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report the effect of Postural Yinyang Correction of Temporomandibular Joint (Functional Cerebrospinal Therapy, FCST) on a patient with Osteoarthritis of the hip caused by Hip dysplasia and Lumbar spinal stenosis. Methods: A patient with Osteoarthritis of the hip caused by Hip dysplasia and Lumbar spinal stenosis was treated at Dept. of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, ○○ University Korean Medicine Hospital from Nov 8th, 2019 to Dec 6th, 2019 and received a Korean-Western medical treatment mainly managed with FCST. This study was measured with VAS (Visual Analogue Scale), ODI (Oswestry Disability Index) and questionnaire. Results: After treatment, the patient's pain was controlled and gait ability was improved, also VAS, ODI and questionnaire score were improved. Conclusions: Korean-Western Medical Treatment mainly managed with FCST may be helpful in controling pain with Osteoarthritis of the hip caused by Hip dysplasia and Lumbar spinal stenosis, but the further researches are needed.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제41권6호
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• pp.582-590
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• 2018

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and outgrowth endothelial cells (OECs) play a pivotal role in vascular regeneration in ischemic tissues; however, their therapeutic application in clinical settings is limited due to the low quality and quantity of patient-derived circulating EPCs. To solve this problem, we evaluated whether three priming small molecules (tauroursodeoxycholic acid, fucoidan, and oleuropein) could enhance the angiogenic potential of EPCs. Such enhancement would promote the cellular bioactivities and help to develop functionally improved EPC therapeutics for ischemic diseases by accelerating the priming effect of the defined physiological molecules. We found that preconditioning of each of the three small molecules significantly induced the differentiation potential of $CD34^+$ stem cells into EPC lineage cells. Notably, long-term priming of OECs with the three chemical cocktail (OEC-3C) increased the proliferation potential of EPCs via ERK activation. The migration, invasion, and tube-forming capacities were also significantly enhanced in OEC-3Cs compared with unprimed OECs. Further, the cell survival ratio was dramatically increased in OEC-3Cs against $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress via the augmented expression of Bcl-2, a pro-survival protein. In conclusion, we identified three small molecules for enhancing the bioactivities of ex vivo-expanded OECs for vascular repair. Long-term 3C priming might be a promising methodology for EPC-based therapy against ischemic diseases.