• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.54-73
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• 2012

Objectives: To investigate the scientific evidence of Korean Medicine (KM), papers on Socheongryong-tang (Xiaoqinglong-tang), which is frequently used in medical clinics or hospitals of Korean medicine, were collected and analyzed. Methods: Papers were classified by the registration of domestic or international journals, the year of publication, experimental models and the subjects of biological activities. The mechanisms of biological activity in accordance with therapeutic effects of Socheongryong-tang (Xiaoqinglong-tang) were noted. Results: Among 98 papers included, 21 were published in domestic journals whereas 35 were in Chinese journals and 43 in Japanese journals. Most reported biological activities were amelioration of asthma. Socheongryong-tang (Xiaoqinglong-tang) regulated interleukin and interferon and immunoglobulin, inhibited the production of nerve growth factor, endotheliln-1, nitric oxide, toll-like receptor-4, p-Akt and increased extracellular signal regulated kinase and cyclin D1, which led to decreased bronchi inflammation and bronchoconstriction, and inhibited the proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells, mucus secretion and airway hyperresponsiveness. In addition, Socheongryong-tang (Xiaoqinglong-tang) also restored tissues injured by asthma so that respiratory function recovered. Conclusions: Amelioration of asthma by Socheongryong-tang (Xiaoqinglong-tang) is supported by objective and scientific evidence.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.641-649
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• 2012

To investigate scientific evidence for the use of a Korean Medicine (KM), the papers regarding Sipjeondabo-tang (Shiquandabu-tang) frequently used in Korean medical clinics and hospitals were collected and analyzed. The papers were classified as being from domestic or international journals and by the year of publication. The mechanisms of immuno-activity Sipjeondabo-tang (Shiquandabu-tang) were researched. Among 41 papers, 4 were published as Korean papers whereas 7 were as Chinese papers and 40 were as Japanese papers. Sipjeondabo-tang (Shiquandabu-tang) regulated the productions of Th1 cytokines such as interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$), and Th2 cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-12 improving the function of immune organ including bone marrow, spleen, liver, thymus and peyer's patch. It also modulated the releases of immunoglobulin-G (IgG) and IgM. Thus, Sipjeondabo-tang (Shiquandabu-tang) balanced the Th1/Th2 immune responses as well as T/B cell. The regulation of immunoactivity could be speculated as an objective and scientific evidence of Sipjeondabo-tang (Shiquandabu-tang).

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.459-466
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• 2012

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of pre-service elementary teachers' understanding about scientific inquiry in terms of designing exploration and reasoning that is used to formulate explanations based on evidence. The research context was an open inquiry with using the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) template in which participant students were not provided with inquiry questions. As data, lab. 39 pre-service elementary teachers participated in this study while taking their science methods course. Analyses of the reports were framed by the cognitive processes of inquiry (Chinn and Malhotra, 2002) and each report was coded and analyzed by the framework of inquiry (Tytler and Peterson, 2004). Results showed that groups' works that utilized the SWH template encouraged the participants to interact each other about scientific inquiry. They came up with more relevant and testable questions for their scientific inquiry. It implicates that children will be able to have chances of testing their own questions more properly by using the SWH template in science classes just as the participants did in this study. The use of the SWH template would help pre-service teachers to teach appropriately how to test inquiry questions to their students in the future. Discussion was made to figure out the characteristics or Korean pre-service elementary teachers' understanding about scientific inquiry.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.226-238
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• 2013

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential fatty acids because humans cannot synthesize them de novo and must obtain them in their diet. Fish and fish oil are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Significant evidence of the beneficial role of dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids in blood flow has been reported and putative mechanisms for improvement of blood flow include anti-thrombotic effects, lowered blood pressure, improved endothelial function, and anti-atherogenic effects. Edible oils containing omega-3 fatty acids were registered as functional ingredients in the Korea Health Functional Food Code. Although omega-3 fatty acids have been evaluated by the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) based on scientific evidence, periodic re-evaluation may be needed because emerging data related to omega-3 fatty acids have accumulated. Therefore, in this study, we re-evaluated scientific evidence for the effect of omega-3 fatty acids as a functional ingredient in health functional food on improvement of blood flow. A comprehensive literature search was conducted for collection of relevant human studies using the Medline and Cochrane, KISS, and IBIDS databases for the years 1955-2012. Search keywords were used by combination of terms related to omega-3 fatty acids and blood flow. The search was limited to human studies published in Korean, English, and Japanese. Using the KFDA's evidence based evaluation system for scientific evaluation of health claims, 112 human studies were identified and reviewed in order to evaluate the strength of the evidence supporting a relation between omega-3 fatty acids and blood flow. Among 112 studies, significant effects on improvement of blood flow were reported in 84 studies and the daily intake amount was ranged from 0.1 to 15 g. According to this methodology of systematic review, we concluded that there was possible evidence to support a relation between omega-3 fatty acid intake and blood flow. However, because inconsistent results have recently been reported, future studies should be monitored.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.181-193
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• 2016

We examined the inquiry activities in the material domain of the elementary science textbooks and experimental workbooks based on 2009 revised curriculum. The analysis framework was SEP (Science and Engineering Practices) - 'Asking questions and defining problems', 'developing and using models', 'planning and carrying out investigations', 'analyzing and interpreting data', 'using mathematics and computational thinking', 'constructing explanations and designing solutions', 'engaging in argument from evidence', and 'obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information'. Sub-SEP of each grade band were also used. The results showed that the $3^{rd}{\sim}5^{th}$ grade science textbooks and workbooks mainly emphasized 'make observations and/or measurements', 'represent data in tables and/or various graphical displays', or 'use evidence to construct or support an explanation or design a solution to a problem' among around 40 sub-SEP. In the case of the inquiry activities for $6^{th}$ grade, majority of sub-SEP included were also only 'collect data to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence to answer scientific questions or test design solutions', 'analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for phenomena' or 'construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources'. The type of 'asking questions and defining problems', 'using mathematics and computational thinking' or 'obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information' were little found out of 8 SEP. Educational implications were discussed.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.77-109
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• 2013

The global diffusion of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) is changing the landscape of medicine and the healthcare system. STS scholars have shown how EBM works when put into practice. In continuing to add to the literature of previous scholars, this paper traces the historical process and debate over Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing as an early screening test for prostate cancer in the U.S. This study will reveal that both pros and cons of the testing using EBM as a crucial resources of the debate, and in the process both 'flexibly' interpret and mobilize the hierarchy of scientific evidence for EBM despite the fact the hierarchy is imagined to being scientific criteria that is rigid. Furthermore, this paper will argue that this phenomenon, for which EBM currently seems to support the cons side of PSA screening, was constructed in the context of appraisal of the value 'quality of life' in the EBM system. This case study proposes that those who study the debate of medical technology in the EBM era should contextualize and analyze EBM as part of this debate rather than simply taking EBM for granted.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.31
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• pp.1.1-1.13
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• 2016

Objectives To investigate the accuracy and scientific validity of the current very low risk factor for hereditary diseases in humans following exposures to ionizing radiation adopted by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation and the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The value is based on experiments on mice due to reportedly absent effects in the Japanese atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors. Methods To review the published evidence for heritable effects after ionising radiation exposures particularly, but not restricted to, populations exposed to contamination from the Chernobyl accident and from atmospheric nuclear test fallout. To make a compilation of findings about early deaths, congenital malformations, Down's syndrome, cancer and other genetic effects observed in humans after the exposure of the parents. To also examine more closely the evidence from the Japanese A-bomb epidemiology and discuss its scientific validity. Results Nearly all types of hereditary defects were found at doses as low as one to 10 mSv. We discuss the clash between the current risk model and these observations on the basis of biological mechanism and assumptions about linear relationships between dose and effect in neonatal and foetal epidemiology. The evidence supports a dose response relationship which is non-linear and is either biphasic or supralinear (hogs-back) and largely either saturates or falls above 10 mSv. Conclusions We conclude that the current risk model for heritable effects of radiation is unsafe. The dose response relationship is non-linear with the greatest effects at the lowest doses. Using Chernobyl data we derive an excess relative risk for all malformations of 1.0 per 10 mSv cumulative dose. The safety of the Japanese A-bomb epidemiology is argued to be both scientifically and philosophically questionable owing to errors in the choice of control groups, omission of internal exposure effects and assumptions about linear dose response.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4753-4758
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• 2014

In recent times, a number of studies have provided evidence that biotoxins present great potential as antitumor agents, such as snake venom, bee venom, some bacteria toxins and plant toxins, and thus could be used as chemotherapeutic agents against tumors. The biodiversity of venoms and toxins make them a unique source from which novel anticancer agent may be developed. Biotoxins, also known as natural toxins, include toxic substances produced by plants, animals and microorganisms. Here, we systematically list representative biological toxins that have antitumor properties, involving animal toxins, plant toxins, mycotoxins as well as bacterial toxins. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge involving biotoxins and the active compounds that have anti-cancer activity to induce cytotoxic, antitumor, immunomodulatory, and apoptotic effects in different tumor cells in vivo or in vitro. We also show insights into the molecular and functional evolution of biotoxins.

• Educational Technology International
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.19-46
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• 2011

The purpose of the study was to identify the characteristics of classroom inquiry features exhibited on a web-based discussion board, which is called the Message Board. Approximately 4,000 students from 80 schools with 60 on-line scientists were participated in the study. During the study, a total of 639 messages in the selected cluster and several patterns were identified and analyzed. Three main features of the classroom inquiry were analyzed in terms of: 1) learner gives priority to evidence in responding to questions; 2) learner formulates explanations from evidence; 3) learner communicates and justifies explanations. The results are as follow. First, once learners identified and understood the questions posed by the curriculum, they needed to collect evidence or information in responding to the questions. Depending on the question that students were given, types of evidence/data students needed to collect and how to collect the data could vary. Second, students' formulated descriptions, explanations, and predictions after summarizing evidence were observed on the Message Board. However, the extent to which students summarized evidence for descriptions, explanations, and predictions varied. In addition, students were able to make a better use of evidence over time when they formulate descriptions and explanations. Third, the Message Board was designed to allow the great amount of learner self-direction. Classroom teachers and on-line scientists played an important role in providing guidance in developing inquiry. At the same time, development of content understanding also contributed to inquiry development.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.30-54
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• 2018

The government of Indonesia has initiated the Master Plan of National Research (RIRN) 2017-2045 as a policy umbrella of national research activity. The initiative has been in place since 2015, yet the process required a long period of coordination. And with the extensive movement of evidence-based policymaking (EBPM), there has been a call of expectation towards policymakers to accurately use scientific evidence in their policymaking process. However, the complexity of policymaking process renders the ideal notion of EBPM questionable. This research attempts to understand how the EBPM as an idea can shape the interactions of actors in the policymaking process by using the discursive institutionalism as the analytical framework. By conducting ten interviews with actors involved in the making of RIRN and close examination of the policy documents for content analysis, this research describes the institutional features of EBPM discourse in Indonesia, which are reflected in the interactions of policy actors in the policymaking process of RIRN. This research also offers descriptive and learning narratives on the role of discourse in the policymaking process.