• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.181-188
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• 2016

Background Major problems with cervicoplasty by direct skin excision include the subjective nature of skin markings preoperatively and the confusing array of procedures offered. This technique incorporates curved incisions, resulting in a wave-like scar, which is why the procedure is called a "wave-plasty". Methods This prospective study includes 37 patients who underwent wave-plasty procedures from 2004 to 2015. Skin pinching technique was used to mark the anterior neck preoperatively in a reproducible fashion. Intra-operatively, redundant skin was excised, along with excess fat when necessary, and closed to form a wave-shaped scar. Patients were asked to follow up at 1 week, 6 weeks, and 6 months after surgery. Results The mean operation time was 70.8 minutes. The majority (81.3%) was satisfied with their progress. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the worst, and 10 being the best), the scars were objectively graded on average 5.5 when viewed from the front and 7.3 when seen from the side 6 months after surgery. Complications consisted of one partial wound dehiscence (2.3%), one incidence of hypertrophic scarring (2.3%), and two cases of under-resection requiring revision (5.4%). Conclusions In select patients, surgical rejuvenation of the neck may be obtained through wave-like incisions to remove redundant cervical skin when other options are not available. The technique is reproducible, easily teachable and carries low morbidity and high patient satisfaction in carefully chosen patients.

• World Technopolis Review
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.56-64
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• 2012

This paper provides a case study to explore the Kitakyushu case as a good referential example on STP development for rejuvenation of declining industrial city. The major data for the case, basically, has been sourced from some materials published by the municipality of Kitakyushu City, the website of the Kitakyushu Science and Research Park (KSRP) etc. The City of Kitakyushu has promoted the KSRP development to overcome industrial decline and stimulate city renaissance as a new industrial city. The core of the development was to develop a high-level education and research environment by gathering several HEIs into one campus. Based on the environment, the Kitakyushu Foundation for the Advancement of Industry and Science and Technology (FAIS) played the critical role as a coupler to make various networks and boost industry-academiaadministration innovation. The KSRP, and then, has been designated as a project area of some cluster projects initiated by the central government. It means that local projects can be synchronized, synergized and synthesized with national projects in the KSRP. In addition, through a series of the environmental approach from the Kitakyushu Eco-town Project to the Low Carbon Society Project, the development of the KSRP is being extended into the region. In the Kitakyushu case, networking is the essence of the KSRP development from the planning stage. First of all, the plan put emphasis on networking of academia for the knowledge creation based on competitive collaboration that is expected as the mainspring of rejuvenating declining industrial area and making a new industrial city that the plan aimed. Then, the roles of two organizations are very important for networking, especially networking of networks: the Campus Management Committee as an interface and the FAIS as a coupler. STP development without some strategic considerations for networking as the way of interaction among its participants cannot be a tool to promote innovation and rejuvenate a declining industrial area. The Kitakyushu case mentioned above explains the matter clearly.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.35-44
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• 2005

The bathymetric and gravity data were obtained in 2001 and 2003 during a survey of seamounts in the northwest of the Marshall Islands, western Pacific. The study areas are located in the Pigafetta Basin which is the oldest part of the Pacific plate and in the Ogasawara Fracture Zone which formed from the spreading ridge between the Izanagi and Pacific plates in the Jurassic. The densities of seamounts and the elastic thickness values of the lithosphere are calculated by using three-dimensional flexure modeling considering the constant sediment layer in the infinite plate model. Very low elastic thickness values (5km), relatively young seamounts, and old lithosphere in the east study area suggest the possibility of the rejuvenation of lithosphere by widespread volcanisms, whereas the elastic thickness values (15km), relatively old seamounts, and young lithosphere of the west study area are suitable for a simple cooling plate model of $300-600^{\circ}C$ isotherm. The gravity residuals of OSM6-1 and OSM6-2 suggest the possibility of different load density or elastic thickness. Relatively older OSM6-2 formed on the younger lithosphere with relatively thin elastic thickness, while younger OSM6-1 on the older lithosphere with relatively thick elastic thickness.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제42권3호
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• pp.282-287
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• 2015

Background Morphological changes that accompany aging, such as wrinkles and skin laxity, are particularly prominent on facial skin. Recently, facial rejuvenation using the hydrofilling effect of hyaluronic acid (HA) filler has been employed for improvement of skin texture. In this study, we studied rejuvenating effects of stabilized HA (Restylane Vital) through direct intradermal injections. Methods A total of 30 female patients underwent a series of procedures on face, including three sessions at intervals of four weeks. A total of 2 mL of Restylane Vital was injected along the whole face using an automatic injector. Improvement of skin surface roughness, elasticity, brightness, moisture, and fine wrinkles was evaluated. Patient satisfaction was evaluated, and pictures of patients were taken at each visit and 6 months after last treatment session. Scoring for each patient was performed by three doctors according in five subjects. Moisture, oil and elasticity were measured before the procedure and before the last treatment in 10 patients. Results The majority of patients (77%) were satisfied with the therapeutic outcomes. Approximately 66% of patients responded that the effects of this procedure persisted for longer than four months, and the majority of patients (77%) wanted to undergo this procedure again and would recommend this procedure to acquaintances. Regarding doctors' evaluation, scores for improvement of skin surface roughness, elasticity, and brightness were significantly higher than those for improvement of moisture and fine wrinkle. Conclusions Intradermal injection of HA can have a rejuvenating effect on dry and tired facial skin, especially in improvement of skin surface roughness.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.42-45
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• 2012

Background : Conservative techniques designed to block or delay the aging process have been utilized in various ways for many years. However, their effects can be relatively minimal and short-term in most cases compared to surgery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gold thread implantation for the treatment of periorbital wrinkles. Methods : A total of 78 consecutive patients who showed mild to severe periorbital wrinkles were deemed appropriate candidates, including 69 women and 9 men ranging from 31 to 59 years (mean, 47 years). Six gold threads about 4 cm in length were inserted subdermally in each patient at intervals of about 0.5 cm. Follow-up assessments were performed 1, 4, and 12 weeks after the procedure. The efficacy was rated by the physician using the Wrinkle Severity Rating Scale and patients who made global assessments of changes in periorbital wrinkles using the Visual Analog Scale. Adverse events were monitored throughout the course of the study. Results : The patients showed significant improvements after the procedure. There were minor complications such as foreign body sensation in the eye (2.63%) and eye pain (1.32%) that improved spontaneously without any specific treatments. Conclusions : Subdermal implantation of gold thread improves the appearance of periorbital wrinkles and does not appear to have serious side effects. Insertion of gold thread may be an effective and safe method for facial rejuvenation.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.311-315
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• 2021

Objective: As clinicians and patients await consensus on intraovarian platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment, this project evaluated contemporary research trends in the literature. Methods: A PubMed/NLM search aggregated all ovarian PRP-related publications (n=54) to evaluate their scope, abstract utility, submission-to-publication interval, journal selected, article processing charge (APC), free reader access to full-text manuscripts, number and nationality of authors, and inclusion of international collaborators. The NIH Clinical Trials database was also audited. Results: Published output on intraovarian PRP has increased consistently since 2016, especially among investigators in Greece, Iran, USA, and Turkey. Between 2013 and 2021, 42 articles met the relevancy criteria, of which 40.5% reported clinical studies, small series, or case reports, 33% described experimental animal models, and 23.8% were opinion/review papers. Only two works included a placebo control group. The submission-to-publication interval (mean±standard deviation) was 130±96 days, there were 5.9±3.2 authors per project, and journals invoiced US $1,613±1,466 (range, $0-$3,860) for APCs. Conclusion: There was no correlation between APC and time to publish (Pearson's r=-0.01). Abstract content was inconsistent; sample size and patient age were often missing, yet free full-text "open access" was available for most publications (59.5%). The NIH Clinical Trials portal lists eight registered studies on "ovarian rejuvenation," of which two are actively recruiting patients, while four have been terminated or have an uncertain status. Two studies have concluded, with results from one posted to the NIH website. PRP and its derivatives for ovarian treatment show early promise, but require further investigation. Research is accelerating and should be encouraged, particularly placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.359-364
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• 2019

Background Few scales are currently available to evaluate changes in hand volume. We aimed to develop a hand grading scale for quantitative assessments of dorsal hand volume with additional consideration of changes in skin texture; to validate and prove the precision and reproducibility of the new scale; and to demonstrate the presence of clinically significant differences between grades on the scale. Methods Five experienced plastic surgeons developed the Hand Volume Rating Scale (HVRS) and rated 91 images. Another five plastic surgeons validated the scale using 50 randomly selected images. Intra- and inter-rater agreement was calculated using the weighted kappa statistic and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Paired images were also evaluated to verify whether the scale reflected clinical differences. Results The intra-rater agreement was 0.95 (95% confidence interval, 0.922-0.974). The interrater ICCs were excellent (first rating, 0.94; second rating, 0.94). Image pairs that differed by 1, 2, and 3 grades were considered to contain clinically relevant differences in 80%, 100%, and 100% of cases, respectively, while 84% of image pairs of the same grade were found not to show clinically relevant differences. This confirmed that the scale of the HVRS corresponded to clinically relevant distinctions. Conclusions The scale was proven to be precise, reproducible, and reflective of clinical differences.

• BMB Reports
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• 제52권4호
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• pp.259-264
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• 2019

Social requirements are needed for living in an aging society and individual longevity. Among them, improved health and medical cares, appropriate for an aging society are strongly demanded. Human cord blood-derived plasma (hUCP) has recently emerged for its unique anti-aging effects. In this study, we investigated brain rejuvenation, particularly olfactory function, that could be achieved by a systemic administration of young blood and its underlying mechanisms. Older than 24-month-old mice were used as an aged group and administered with intravenous injection of hUCP repetitively, eight times. Anti-aging effect of hUCP on olfactory function was evaluated by buried food finding test. To investigate the mode of action of hUCP, brain, serum and spleen of mice were collected for further ex vivo analyses. Systemic injection of hUCP improved aging-associated olfactory deficits, reducing time for finding food. In the brain, although an infiltration of activated microglia and its expression of cathepsin S remarkably decreased, significant changes of proinflammatory factors were not detected. Conversely, peripheral immune balance distinctly switched from predominance of Type 1 helper T (Th1) cells to alternative regulatory T cells (Tregs). These findings indicate that systemic administration of hUCP attenuates age-related neuroinflammation and subsequent olfactory dysfunction by modulating peripheral immune balance toward Treg cells, suggesting another therapeutic function and mechanism of hUCP administration.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• 제56권3호
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• pp.313-321
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• 2023

The details of the facial nerve pattern were clearly explained in the parotid gland (PG), lateral area of the face, and periorbital areas to prevent the unexpected outcome of medical intervention. However, it remains unclear whether information about the zygomatico-buccal plexus (ZBP) in the masseteric and buccal regions. Therefore, this study aimed to help clinicians avoid this ZBP injury by predicting their common location. This study was conducted in forty-two hemifaces of twenty-nine embalmed cadavers by conventional dissection. The characteristics of the buccal branch (BB) and the ZBP were investigated in the mid-face region. The results presented that the BB gave 2-5 branches to emerge from the PG. According to the masseteric and buccal regions, the BB were arranged into ZBP in three patterns including an incomplete loop (11.9%), a single-loop (31.0%), and a multi-loop (57.1%). The mean distance and diameter of the medial line of the ZBP at the corner of the mouth level were 31.6 (6.7) and 1.5 (0.6) mm respectively, while at the alar base level were 22.5 (4.3) and 1.1 (0.6) mm respectively. Moreover, the angular nerve arose from the superior portion of the ZBP at the alar base level. The BB formed a multiloop mostly and showed a constant medial line of ZBP in an area approximately 30 mm lateral to the corner of the mouth, and 20 mm lateral to the alar base. Therefore, it is recommended that physicians should be very careful when performing facial rejuvenation in the mid-face region.

• 한방안이비인후피부과학회지
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.184-199
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• 2008

Background and Objective : Wrinkle treatment with oriental medicine is popular these days. But there are few reports about it. This study is performed to introduce wrinkle treatment with oriental medicine. Methods : We searched the oriental literature and reports related with wrinkles and wrinkle treatment. We study about treatment methods with Oriental Medicine like herbal medicines, acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, etc. Result and Conclusions : Among the treatment method, acupuncture seems to use wound care mechanism. We propose oriental medicine as an effective and beneficial therapy for wrinkle treatment.