• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.128-133
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• 2015

Background: To investigate the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and comorbid health problems, including depression/anxiety disorder, insomnia/sleep disorder, fatigue, and injury by accident, and to determine whether certain physical and psychological factors reduce comorbid health problems. Methods: In total, 29,711 employees were selected from respondents of the Third Korean Working Conditions Survey and categorized into two groups: Musculoskeletal Complaints or Musculoskeletal Sickness Absence. Four self-reported health indicators (overall fatigue, depression/anxiety, insomnia/sleep disorder, and injury by accident) were selected as outcomes, based on their high prevalence in Korea. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to determine the relationship between comorbid health problems, musculoskeletal complaints, and sickness absence. Results: The prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints and musculoskeletal sickness absence due to muscular pain was 32.26% and 0.59%, respectively. Compared to the reference group, depression/anxiety disorder and overall fatigue were 5.2-6.1 times more prevalent in the Musculoskeletal Complaints Group and insomnia/sleep disorder and injury by accident were 7.6-11.0 times more prevalent in the Sickness Absence Group. When adjusted for individual and work-related physical factors, prevalence of all four comorbid health problems were slightly decreased in both groups. Conclusion: Increases in overall fatigue and depression/anxiety disorder were observed in the Musculoskeletal Complaints Group, while increases in insomnia/sleep disorder and injury by accident were observed in the Sickness Absence Group. For management of musculoskeletal complaints and sickness absence in the workplace, differences in health problems between employees with musculoskeletal complaints and those with sickness absence as well as the physical and psychological risk factors should be considered.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

Objectives Ethanol is a potent inhibitor of muscle protein synthesis. Muscle mass is regulated by the balance between rates of protein synthesis and protein breakdown. Both acute and chronic alcohol consumption inhibits synthesis to a greater extent than degradation. Protein synthesis is more intensely decreased in type II fibers than in type I fibers. Apoptosis has been shown to occur frequently in a variety of tissues in response to chronic alcohol feeding. Increased muscle fiber apoptosis has been shown in alcoholics with myopathy. Pueraria radix has been used for many disorders such as fevers, gastrointestinal disorders, muscle aches, allergies, respiratory problems, skin problems, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, lowering cholesterol and treating chronic alcoholism. We therefore tested the hypothesis that oral treatment with Pueraria radix could reduce the ethanol-induced muscle atrophy. Methods Young male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally given 25% ethanol (5 ml/kg, body weight) daily with Ethanol for 4 weeks. Normal group was similarly administrated with saline. The Rats of Pueraria radix treated group (EtOH+PR) were orally administrated Pueraria radix water extract, and rats of EtOH group were given with the vehicle only. After 4 week, the morphology of gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The immunoreactivities of pre-apoptotic BAX and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins were also measured. Results The muscles from rats of EtOH group represented a significant reduction in average cross section area compared to Normal group. EtOH+PR group had increased fiber compared to the EtOH group. Moreover, to investigate the ethanol-induced muscular apoptosis, the immunohistochemical analysis of Bax and Bcl-2 was carried out. The treatment with Pueraria radix (EtOH+PR) significantly decreased BAX expression and increased Bcl-2 expression 4 weeks after ethanol administration when compared with Normal group. Conclusions These results suggest that Pueraria radix water extract has protective effects on chronic alcohol induced myopathy.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.1-13
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• 2023

Purpose : Along with the rapid development of digital technology, the application of digital healthcare in the medical field is also increasing. According to many experts, increasing the amount of exercise and physical activity is a helpful way to prevent and manage physical problems in modern society. However, a lack of exercise, which is of the lifestyle of modern people, leads to the development of various diseases. This study aimed to examine the effects of digital exercise intervention using artificial intelligence (AI) on the physical abilities of adults whether digital exercise intervention can be a reliable and effective therapeutic option for musculoskeletal disorders in real-world clinical settings. Methods : In this study, exercise was conducted using a digital application to investigate the effects of an AI-based digital exercise intervention on the physical abilities of adults. A total of 13 adults were evaluated, and their physical abilities before and after the exercise intervention were compared. Hand-grip strength, functional leg muscle strength, dynamic balance, and quadriceps muscle strength were assessed. Exercise was performed using a digital application and in a non-face-to-face manner. AI identified the exercise status of each participant and adjusted the exercise difficulty level accordingly. The exercised daily for 4 weeks. Results : A total of 12 participants were analyzed for the final results. Significant improvements were observed in hand-grip strength, functional leg muscle strength (evaluated using the stand-up test), dynamic balance, and straight-gait ability (p<.05), indicating an increase in the overall muscular strength and physical function of the participants. Conclusions : Digital exercise intervention using AI is effective in improving physical abilities related to musculoskeletal function. It can be useful in clinical practice as an effective treatment option for patients with musculoskeletal disorders or muscle weakness.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2024

Objectives: Botulinum toxin type A (BTX), a powerful neurotoxin, can be an effective treatment choice for diverse muscular disorders and can reduce abnormal muscle activities. Abnormal movements of the mandible can be caused by involuntary and uncontrolled contractions of the lateral pterygoid muscle (LP) in various pathological situations. Previous reports have shown that BTX can reduce abnormal contractions of the LP. However, needle placement into the LP for BTX injection requires skill, experience, and sufficient anatomical knowledge. To place the needle precisely into the LP, ultrasonography (USG) can be used as an effective needle-guidance modality. USG is a non-invasive imaging modality able to create real-time images without any potential risks, including radiation exposure. Patients and Methods: The patients who had been performed USG-guided BTX injection into the LP using an intraoral approach were included in this study with a literature review and case presentations. Using the USG, four patients received BTX injections to treat recurrent temporomandibular dislocation and oromandibular dystonia resulting from involuntary LP activity. Result: Involuntary movements of the mandible were improved successfully in all patients, and showed satisfactory results without significant complication. Conclusion: The intraoral approach could prevent potential complications during needle placement. USG-guided BTX injection is an effective, convenient, and safe method that provides real-time imaging without unnecessary pain to the patient.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2008

This study performed in order to investigate the effect of isometric resistance exercise for vastus medialis oblique muscle with EMG(electromyography) biofeedback training which are applied to the patello-femoral joint of patients with osteoarthritis on the improve of function. The subjects had no neuromuscular disorders, and they were elder patients with osteoarthritis, 20 women. And the experiment was performed in control group, taping with EMG biofeedback training group respectively, and the measurement was carried out before and after the treatment and 4 weeks after the treatment. Motor unit action potential analysis with surface electromyography showed a significant change in RMS(root mean square) amplitude and MDF(median frequency) in vastus medialis oblique muscle(p<0.05). VMO/VL(vastus medialis oblique/vastus lateralis oblique) MDF ratio showed a significant change between groups(p<0.05). Taping with EMG biofeedback training applied to patello-femoral joint of osteoarthritis patients appeared to be effective for muscle function improvement. However, increase of muscular force in vastus medialis oblique muscle appears to have a positive effect on improve of function along with correction effect on patella malalignment. In conclusion, in case of osteoarthritis patients with loss of patello-femoral joint function, it appears to be effective to practice isometric resistance exercise of vastus medialis oblique muscle selective with taping.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.4_2
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• pp.1062-1066
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• 2003

Tremor is a rhythmic and involuntary muscular contraction characterized by oscillations of body parts. Tremor often accompanies neurological disorders associated with aging. Although the disorder is not life-threatening, it can be responsible for functional disability and interpersonal relationship problems. We have recently examined a number of tremor-patients. one of them was improved significantly through the herbal medicine (Yeokgansan-gamibang) and acupuncture, so we report it for the better treatment.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.267-276
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• 2005

Tremor is a rhythmic, involuntary muscular contraction characterized by oscillations(to-and-fro movements) of a part of the body. The most common of all involuntary movements, tremor can affect various body parts such as the hands, head, facial structures, vocal cords, trunk, and legs; most tremors, however, occur in the hands. Tremor often accompanies neurological disorders associated with aging. Although the disorder is not life-threatening, it can be responsible for functional disability and social embarrassment. The clinical study was carried out the 4 patients with tremor who were treated in Dong Seo Medical Center from 1 January 2005 to 31 August. The results were summarized as follows. Tremor has relation to liver according to Jangbu theory. So we performed acupuncture treatment(Ganseonggyeok) and Herbal medication on tremor. After our treatments, tremor and some other symptoms were improved.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.663-668
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• 1998

Several neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease, dentatorubralpallidoluysian atrophy, spinobulbar muscular atrophy, Machado-Joseph disease, and spinocerebellar ataxias type 1 are associated with the aggregation of expanded glutamine repeats within their proteins. Generally, in clinically affected individuals, the expansion of the polyglutamine sequences is beyond 40 residues. To address the length of polyglutamine that forms aggregation, we have constructed plasmids encoding glutathione S-transferase (GST) Machado-Joseph disease gene fusion proteins containing polyglutamine and investigated the formation of aggregates in E. coli. Surprisingly, even $(Gin)_8$, in the normal range as well as $(Gin)_{65}$ in the pathogenic range enhanced the formation of insoluble protein aggregates, whereas $(Ser)_8$, and $(Aia)_8$, did not form aggregates. Our results indicate that the formation of protein aggregates in GST-polyglutamine proteins is specifically mediated by the polyglutamine repeat sequence within their protein structure. Our study may contribute to the understanding of the molecular mechanism of the formation of protein aggregates in neurodegenerative disorders and the development of preventative strategies.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.247-253
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• 2007

Alpha-tocopherol transfer protein (${\alpha}$-TTP) is a liver cytosolic transport protein that faciliates ${\alpha}$-tocopherol (${\alpha}$-T) transfer into liver secreted plasma lipoproteins. Genetic defects in ${\alpha}$-TTP, like dietary vitamin E deficiency, are associated with infertility, muscular weakness and neurological disorders. Both human and ${\alpha}$-TTP deficient (${\alpha}-TTP^{-/-}$) mice exhibit severe plasma and tissue vitamin E deficiency that can be attenuated by sufficient dietary ${\alpha}$-T supplementations. In this review, we summarize the literature concerning studies utilizing the ${\alpha}-TTP^{-/-}$ mice. Levels of vitamin E in the ${\alpha}-TTP^{-/-}$ mice do not appear to be directly related to the amounts of dietary ${\alpha}$-T or to the levels of ${\alpha}$-TTP protein in tissues. The ${\alpha}-TTP^{-/-}$ mice appear to present a good model for investigating the specific role of ${\alpha}$-T in tissue vitamin E metabolism. Furthermore, ${\alpha}-TTP^{-/-}$ mice appear to be useful to elucidate functions of ${\alpha}$-TTP beyond its well recognized functions of transferring ${\alpha}$-T from liver to plasma lipoprotein fractions.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.211-216
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• 2007

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) often show muscular disorder, internal derangement and degenerative change of articular surface of the condyle. It is important to choose adequate diagnostic method for obtaining data for the diagnosis and treatment. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has some advantages, because it shows good resolution image for the soft tissue and it is not invasive to the human body. We have performed serial research about the retrodiscal tissue of the TMJ according to the progress of the disease, using T2 weighted image, since 2002. In this study, we applicated resized observation area to compare signal intensity between the retrodiscal tissue of the TMJ and cerebral gray matter, using T2 weighted image.