• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.893-896
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• 2005

Perspiration is the product of metabolism and the resin comes out through the hole of skin. And it keeps constant with heart and blood. So, it has great meaning in the clinical medicine and it is closely connected with the qi, blood, body fluid and viscera in our body. In the oriental medicine it is said that when our body is attacked with the evil qi and it locates in the surface of our body, we must induce the perspiration and it is called 'Method of Perspiration'. If we use that method we should refer the contraindication, and historical doctors stressed the need of deliberate use. However, the moderns have the misunderstandings about the perspiration. When they have alcoholic trouble and feel fatigue, they wring out the sweat. And they think that doing has good results. They even sweat off their surplus fat. But, that doing is rashly as that is an energy-consuming behavior and it shorten one's span of life because of the running dry of the resin. Therefore, we must use very carefully the 'Method of Perspiration' and not wring out the sweat rashly.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.431-437
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• 2020

The hypothalamus is a crucial organ for the maintenance of appropriate body fat storage. Neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARH) detect energy shortage or surplus via the circulating concentrations of metabolic hormones and nutrients, and then coordinate energy intake and expenditure to maintain energy homeostasis. Malfunction or loss of hypothalamic ARH neurons results in obesity. Accumulated evidence suggests that hypothalamic inflammation is a key pathological mechanism that links chronic overconsumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) with the development of obesity and related metabolic complications. Interestingly, overnutrition-induced hypothalamic inflammation occurs specifically in the ARH, where microglia initiate an inflammatory response by releasing proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in response to excessive fatty acid flux. Upon more prolonged HFD consumption, astrocytes and perivascular macrophages become involved and sustain hypothalamic inflammation. ARH neurons are victims of hypothalamic inflammation, but they may actively participate in hypothalamic inflammation by sending quiescence or stress signals to surrounding glia. In this mini-review, we describe the current state of knowledge regarding the contributions of neurons and glia, and their interactions, to HFD-induced hypothalamic inflammation.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.4-9
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• 2013

Leptin, a 16-kDa cytokine, is secreted by adipose tissue in response to the surplus of fat store. Thereby, the brain is informed about the body's energy status. In the hypothalamus, leptin triggers specific neuronal subpopulations (e.g., POMC and NPY neurons) and activates several intracellular signaling events, including the JAK/STAT, MAPK, PI3K, and mTOR pathway, which eventually translates into decreased food intake and increased energy expenditure. Leptin signal is inhibited by a feedback inhibitory pathway mediated by SOCS3. PTP1B involves another inhibitory pathway of leptin. Leptin potently promotes fat mass loss and body weight reduction in lean subjects. However, it is not widely used in the clinical field because of leptin resistance, which is a common feature of obesity characterized by hyperleptinemia and the failure of exogenous leptin administration to provide therapeutic benefit in rodents and humans. The potential mechanisms of leptin resistance include the following: 1) increases in circulating leptin-binding proteins, 2) reduced transport of leptin across the blood-brain barrier, 3) decreased leptin receptor-B (LRB), and/or 4) the provocation of processes that diminish cellular leptin signaling (inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, feedback inhibition, etc.). Thus, interference of the cellular mechanisms that attenuate leptin signaling improves leptin action in cells and animal models, suggesting the potential utility of these processes as points of therapeutic intervention. Various experimental trials and compounds that improve leptin resistance are introduced in this paper.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.152-164
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• 1994

In Nai-Gyung(內經), it is said that In-Yeong(人迎) means In- Yeong Maek(人迎脈), Gi-Gu m- eans Tson-Gu(寸口) or Maek- Gu(脈口), In-yeong, artery in the side of neck, is located before Yeong-Geun(瓔筋), called as Jok-Yang-Myung-Maek(足陽明脈),so the part of In-Yeong-Maek means In-Yeong-Hyul(人迎穴) of Jok-Yang-Myung- Wi-Gyung(足陽明胃經) showing the artery in the side of neck. The part of Tson-Gu-Maek is that of artery in Yo-Gol(橈骨), beating source of Soo-Tae-Eum-Maek (手太陰脈) Of In-Yeong-Gi-Gu-Maek, In-Yeong-Maek mainly consists of Yang(陽), Gi-Gu-Maek of Eum(陰), so In-Yeung means physical disease, short of extra Eum component. They said that if In-Yeong-Maek was more than Gi-Gu-Maek, it meant physical injury, while Gi-Gu-Maek was more than In- Yeo-ng-Maek, it meant internal injury. In-Yeong-Gi-Gu-Maek is the one to distinguish the external and internal, the inside and outside, Eum and Yang, but there is no definite classification method to distinguish it, also it is difficult to grasp the comparison of 1sung(1盛), 2sung(2盛), 3sung(3盛), interrelation with 12-Gyung-Rak(l2經絡), change of maek phases, so necessary to set up the clear definition for In-Yeong-Gi-Gu-Maek. For the two theories as to In-Yeong-Gi-Gu-Maek according to Nai-Gyung, the one is to diagnose the maek by comparing the In-Yeong-Hyul with Tson-Gu of Soo-Tae-Eum-Maek as Gi-Gu in the both sides of neck part, he other is to divide the left and right of Gi-Gu-Maek in to In-Yeong and Gi-Gu afterwards, but today it is difficult to compare and explain the medical theory afterwards owing to insufficient consideration of In-Yeong-Gi-Gu-Maek at Nai-Gyung. The diagnosis of In-Yeong-Gi-Gu-Maek at Nai-Gyung to distinguish the surplus and shortage of Eum and Yang up to now since Nai-Gyung has so important and diagnostic value as to grasp the exact meaning. Herewith, this researcher com-pared Nai-Gyung and medical theory afterwards, reported it to consider the fixed position and changing process of viscera and entrails arrangement of literatures introducing In-Yeong-Gi-Gu-Maek, examining the change of maek phases for normal maek and a-bnormal maek of In-Yeong-Gi-Gu-Maek, considering the 1 sung, 2 sung, 3 sung maek phases in In-Yeong-Gi- Gu-Maek. According to the above results, the conclusion was reached as follows. 1. In-Yeong as the outside indicates external disease(外感), showing the surplus and shortage of Yang symptom by having Boo-Maek(浮脈) as Py-ung-Maek(平脈), Gi-Gu as the inside indicates internal disease(內傷), showing the surplus and shortage of Eum symptom by having Chim-Maek(沈脈) as P-yung-Maek(平脈). 2. In Pyung-Maek of In- Yeong-Maek as Boo-Maek, g-radual sinking of more floated changing maek because of disease means the improvement of di-sease, in Pyung-Maek of Gi- Gu-Maek as Chim- Maek, gradual floating of more sunken changing maek because of disease means the improvement of disease. 3. They said that disease of Jok-Gyung-Rak(足經絡) is cha-nged to that of Soo-Kyung-Rak(手經絡) when Jo-Maek(躁脈) appears whether In-Yeong-Maek or Gi-Gu-Maek 4. With the exemples of 1 sung 2 sung 3 sung it was porned with the relation of Pyo-Ri-Soo-Jok(表裏手足). Therfore I can guess that this fact is a moment explained the Bu-You-Sa-Kyung(部有四經) mentioned in Nan-Gyung-18-Nan(難經 第18難). 5. I think that In-Yeong and Gi-Gu, as a diagnosis method which distinguish between the inside indicates internal disease and the outside indicates external disease, is required to study further researches.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.83-94
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• 2020

Backgrounds : To reduce the patients' economic burden of herbal decoctions use, in 2012, Korean government decided to implement the pilot project of herbal decoctions coverage in the National Health Insurance. Objectives : This study aimed to analyze the policy decision-making process for the pilot insurance project in 2012. Methods : Official documents, research papers, statistical reports, and news articles, etc. on the coverage of herbal decoctions were searched and collected. We used the Kingdon's Policy Stream Model to analyze how the policy of pilot project of herbal decoctions coverage was decided, and who were the main activists for the decision-making process. Results : Components to be included in the 'Problem stream' were the decline in the profits of Korean Medicine institutions, the contraction of the herbal decoctions use, and the fiscal surplus of National Health Insurance. In the 'Policy stream', there were several model studies for herbal decoctions coverage, and examples of herbal benefits in other social insurances. In the 'Political stream', there were the legislative initiatives by member of the National Assembly and the promotion of insurance coverage by the Association of Korean Medicine(AKOM), etc. Policy window for herbal decoctions coverage was opened by the combination of these three streams with the efforts of policy activists, such as the executives of AKOM, and policy researchers. Conclusions : The policy decision process for health insurance coverage of herbal decoctions was analyzed using Kingdon's model, and the analysis shows that the combination of political streams and entrepreneurs' competencies can be an important driving force in policy decision making.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.367-372
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• 2000

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate whether vitrification method could be used for the cryopreservation of human blastocysts derived from IVF program. Methods: Surplus embryos were obtained from consented IVF patients. Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation was done with midluteal GnRH agonist, gonadotropin and hCG. After oocyte retrieval and insemination, fresh embryo transfer was done at $4{\sim}8$ cell stage. The surplus embryos after ET were cultured in blastocyst medium up to 6 days after oocyte retrieval. Obtained blastocysts were cryopreserved with our vitrification method. Blastocysts were exposed to 1.5 Methylene glycol (EG) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for 2.5 minutes, followed by 5.5 M EG plus 1 M sucrose for 20 seconds. Then 1 to 3 blastocysts were mounted on electron microscope (EM) grid and the grid was plunged into liquid nitrogen for storage. For thawing, blastocyst-containing EM grids were sequentially transferred in 1.0 M, 0.5 M, 0.25 M, 0.125 M and 0 M sucrose solution at the intervals of2.5 minutes. And blastocysts were cultured for about 6 hours and only re-expanded blastocysts were transferred to uterus of the patients on 4 to 5 days after ovulation in natural cycle or on 18 to 19 day of artificial cycle. Results: From Oct. 1998 to Jul. 1999, 34 patients were agreed to participate in this study. The mean age and duration of infertility of the patients were 31.6 years and 4.1 years, respectively. Among 34 cycles. replacements could be done in 20 cycles (58.8%). A total 93 blastocysts were thawed and 48 (51.6%) of them survived. Thirty-eight blastocysts, mean 1.9 embryos per patient, were transferred, resulting in 5 clinical pregnancies which consisted of 1 triplet, 2 sets of twins and 2 singleton pregnancies. The pregnancy rate per transfer was 25% and implantation rate was 23.6%. Five patients delivered 7 healthy babies including 2 sets of twins at term. Conclusion: Successful pregnancies and deliveries were established after transfer of vitrified human blastocysts. Vitrification using ethylene glycol as cryoprotectant and electron microscope grid is a rapid and simple method that can be effectively applied for the cryopreservation of human blastocysts.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.111-118
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• 1997

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) recently has been utilized widely as the most successful technique to overcome the unfertilization problem in cases of severe male infertility in couples who could not be treated by conventional IVF. Recently, indications of ICSI have been extended further and more fertilized oocytes become available. Thus, it is necessary to examine the efficiency of freezing the surplus embryos obtained from ICSI. We compared the survival rate and the future outcome of cryopreserved embryos obtained either after conventional IVF or ICSI during the same period. After ICSI or IVF, five best-quality embryos from each patient were transferred in the stimulation cycle and the surplus pronuclear (PN) stage oocytes or multicellular embryos were cryopreserved by slow freezing protocol with 1,2-propanediol (PROH) as a cryoprotectant. A total of 792 embryos from ICSI trial were thawed and 65.2% (516/792) survived. The survival rates of PN stage oocyte, multicellular embryo and PN + multicellular embryo were 63.5%, 68.2%, 64.0%, respectively. After 111 transfers, 34 pregnancies were achieved, corresponding to a clinical pregnancy rate of 30.6% per transfers. We thawed 1033 embryos from IVF trials and 57.5% (594/1033) survived. In IVF cycle, the survival rates of PN stage oocyte, multicellular embryo and PN + multicellular embryo were 58.2%, 65.2%, 40.2%, respectively. Thirty eight clinical pregnancies were established after 134 transfers, corresponding to a pregnancy rate of 28.4% per transfer. The cleavage rate of thawed PN stage oocytes from ICSI trial (61.3%) was significantly higher than those from conventional IVF (53.4%). The developmental rates of good embryo (${\geqq}$ grade II) in thawed PN stage oocytes obtained from conventional IVF and ICSI were 63% and 65%, respectively. We concluded that PN stage oocytes, multicellular embryos resulting from ICSI procedure can be successfully frozen/thawed with reasonable clinical pregnancy rates comparable to those of IVF.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2021

Background: Artificial grafts such as polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron) and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) are used for various cardiovascular surgical procedures. The compliance properties of prosthetic grafts could affect hemodynamic energy, which can be measured using the energy-equivalent pressure (EEP) and surplus hemodynamic energy (SHE). We investigated changes in the hemodynamic energy of prosthetic grafts. Methods: In a simulation test, the changes in EEP for these grafts were estimated using COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS. The Young modulus, Poisson ratio, and density were used to analyze the grafts' material properties, and pre- and post-graft EEP values were obtained by computing the product of the pressure and velocity. In an in vivo study, Dacron and ePTFE grafts were anastomosed in an end-to-side fashion on the descending thoracic aorta of swine. The pulsatile pump flow was fixed at 2 L/min. Real-time flow and pressure were measured at the distal part of each graft, while clamping the other graft and the descending thoracic aorta. EEP and SHE were calculated and compared. Results: In the simulation test, the mean arterial pressure decreased by 39% for all simulations. EEP decreased by 42% for both grafts, and by around 55% for the native blood vessels after grafting. The in vivo test showed no significant difference between both grafts in terms of EEP and SHE. Conclusion: The post-graft hemodynamic energy was not different between the Dacron and ePTFE grafts. Artificial grafts are less compliant than native blood vessels; however, they can deliver pulsatile blood flow and hemodynamic energy without any significant energy loss.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.516-527
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• 2008

Sounds and music have been used in various ways in the East and the West, as it is well known that they influence the human mind and health a lot. Recently, there have been many studies regarding the remedy through sounds and music in the West and they have made good effects in the actual therapy. In the East, people knew that sounds and music would make great effects on human mind long time ago and they placed importance on sounds and music. Although there is a Sound Therapy in Oriental Medicine, it is not studied sufficiently in modern Oriental Medicine. It does not have clear standards for the clinical application and has not been frequently used. Accordingly, Yukjagyeol which has long been used in Korean Medicine and Younggamudo which was made by Kim Il-bu in late Chosun were compared from the perspective of acoustics and demonstrative treatment theory of Korean Medicine. Younggamudo by Kim il-bu allot the five sounds such as 'Eum, Ah, Eo, Ih and Uh' to 'spleen, lung, liver, heart and kidney' respectively. As the five sounds are all vowels and vibrate the vocal band as much as possible, they vibrate and resonant the respective organs to help them to function and promote circulation. In oriental medicine, there is 'Singing and Dancing Treatment'. They say songs and dances nurtures personality, supplement blood stream and comfort the mind. As the five sounds of Younggamudo take the melody while vibrating the vocal band sufficiently, when it passes from Youngto Ga(Songs) we may dance moving our bodies according to the rhythm. Therefore Gongbeop of Younggamudo helps the functionality of human organs and promotes blood circulation. As Yukjagyeol is Sabeop(discharging method), it should be used for those who have surplus Sagi and should not use for Heojeung. As Younggamudo is Bobeop(supplementing method), it is not for Shiljeung but for Heojeung which lacks of Jeonggi. It is considered that healthy people without specific disease can use it as a preventive method of 'Chimijeong' to maintain their physical and mental health. It is considered that we can have useful effects if we apply Yukjagyeol and Younggamudo dialectically with the concept of Bosa. It is considered that concrete application to Sound Gigong can be possible by searching for the methodology for empirical further study and clinical experiments and clinical application in the future.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.21 no.1 s.23
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• pp.61-69
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• 1988

In this study, the number of physicians presently living in Korea was thoroughly estimated by several means and, on this basis, their productivity and level of supply were estimated. The results were as follows First, the number of physicians who did not notify the Korea Medical Association in May 1987 were 10,110, including 4,093 emigrant physicians(40.5%) ,861 military medical officers,745 public health doctors, and 107 deceased physicians. A total of 1,330 physicians could not be identified by any effort. Second, among the 34,897 registered physicians as of May 1987, 29,933(85.8%) were residing in Korea, 4,115 physicians(11.8%) had emigrated to other countries, and 849 physicians(2.4%) were deceased. Practicing physicians difined as those in Korea who were not retired, serving in the military, or completing residencies or internships, comprised 78.6%(27,414 physicians) of the total number of registered physicians. Third, it is estimated that in the year 2000 the number of registered physicians, physicians residing in Korea, and practicing physician will be 75,040, 64,038, and 57,655, respectively and these are increases of 115.0%, 113.9%, and 110.3%, respectively, compared to 1987. Fourth, the population physician ratio will be 759 to one physician in the year 2000. Fifth, the productivity of physicians, as calculated by relative values defining the productivity of 35 to 44 year-old male physicians as 10, will increase 110.7% in the year 2000 compare to that of 1987, and this increment is almost the same level as that of physician supply. From the results of the present analysis of physician manpower and supply projection, it can be recognized that the development of a regular notification system is necessary in order to identify precisely the number of physicians. Also a policy of physician supply is essential in order to adjust in advance the number of physicians, otherwise there will be surplus to the medical demand.