• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.935-941
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• 2010

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains is one of the most critical problems of modern medicine. Bacteriophages have been suggested as an alternative therapeutic agent for such bacterial infections. In the present study, we examined the therapeutic potential of phage Kpn5 in the treatment of Klebsiella pneumoniae B5055-induced burn wound infection in a mouse model. An experimental model of contact burn wound infection was established in mice employing K. pneumoniae B5055 to assess the efficacy of phage Kpn5 in vivo. Survival and stability of phage Kpn5 were evaluated in mice and the maximum phage count in various organs was obtained at 6 h and persisted until 36 h. The Kpn5 phage was found to be effective in the treatment of Klebsiella-induced burn wound infection in mice when phage was administered immediately after bacterial challange. Even when treatment was delayed up to 18 h post infection, when all animals were moribund, approximately 26.66% of the mice could be rescued by a single injection of this phage preparation. The ability of this phage to protect bacteremic mice was demonstrated to be due to the functional capabilities of the phage and not due to a nonspecific immune effect. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-$1{\beta}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) were significantly lower in sera and lungs of phage-treated mice than phage untreated control mice. The results of the present study bring out the potential of bacteriophage therapy as an alternate preventive approach to treat K. pneumoniae B5055-induced burn wound infections. This approach not only helps in the clearance of bacteria from the host but also protects against the ensuing inflammatory damage due to the exaggerated response seen in any infectious process.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.111-125
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• 2018

Purpose : Cachexia, is a complex metabolic syndrome associated with underlying illness and characterized by loss of muscle with or without loss of fat mass. Patients with cachxia shows various symptoms including fatigue, anxiety, pain, sleep disorders, and poor appetite. Medications therapy, dietary and exercise therapy, and emotional support are recommended to treat patients with cachexia. However, evidence-based research verifying the role of exercise therapy in patients with cachexia is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of therapeutic exercise on fatigue and anxiety in patients with cachexia. Methods : Case report. A 29-year-old woman was diagnosed with cachexia. Following 2 weeks of inpatient and 4 weeks of out-patient treatment. we assessed her weight, as well as pain, fatigue, and anxiety level. As an the patient exercised for an hour 5 times a week for 2 weeks,-and during the outpatient visit, she exercised for an hour twice a week for 4 weeks. Her weight was measured using a weighting scale. Pain was assessed using the visual analog scale, and fatigue and anxiety levels were assessed using questionnaires. Results : Following 6 weeks of treatment, exercise therapy a positively affected the patient's weight, as well as pain, fatigue, and anxiety levels. We observed a weight gain of 4.5 kg, pain reduction of 5.1 points. Fatigue reduction of 43 points, anxiety reduction of total 41 points. Conclusion : Exercise therapy positively affects weight, as well as pain, fatigue, and anxiety levels in patients with cachexia. However, generalization of this observation is inappropriate based on this single case study.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.481-488
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• 2022

Purpose: Liver transplantation (LT) is the only curative treatment for acute liver failure (ALF) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). In high-volume therapeutic plasma exchange (HV-TPE), extracorporeal liver support filters accumulate toxins and improve the coagulation factor by replacing them. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of HV-TPE in pediatric patients with ALF and ACLF. Methods: We reviewed the records of children waiting for LT at Severance Hospital who underwent HV-TPE between 2017 and 2021. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total and direct bilirubin (TB and DB), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), ammonia, and coagulation parameter-international normalized ratio (INR) were all measured before and after HV-TPE to analyze the liver function. The statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 26.0 (IBM Co., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: Nine patients underwent HV-TPE with standard medical therapy while waiting for LT. One had neonatal hemochromatosis, four had biliary atresia, and the other four had ALF of unknown etiology. Significant decreases in AST, ALT, TB, DB, GGT, and INR were noted after performing HV-TPE (930.38-331.75 IU/L, 282.62-63.00 IU/L, 11.75-5.59 mg/dL, 8.10-3.66 mg/dL, 205.62-51.75 IU/L, and 3.57-1.50, respectively, p<0.05). All patients underwent LT, and two expired due to acute complications. Conclusion: HV-TPE could remove accumulated toxins and improve coagulation. Therefore, we conclude that HV-TPE can be regarded as a representative bridging therapy before LT.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.168-177
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• 2023

Background & Objectives: Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) offer advantages in adherence and cost-effectiveness compared to free combinations (FCs), but they can also complicate the prescribing process, potentially leading to therapeutic duplication (TD). This study aimed to identify the prescribing patterns of FDCs for dyslipidemia and investigate their associated risk of TD. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study involving drugs that included statins, using Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service-National Patient Sample (HIRA-NPS) data from 2018. The unit of analysis was a prescription claim. The primary outcome was TD. The risk ratio of TD was calculated and adjusted for patient, prescriber, and the number of cardiovascular drugs prescribed using a multivariable Poisson model. Results: Our study included 252,797 FDC prescriptions and 515,666 FC prescriptions. Of the FDC group, 46.52% were male patients and 56.21% were aged 41 to 65. Ezetimibe was included in 71.61% of the FDC group, but only 0.25% of the FC group. TD occurred in 0.18% of the FDC group, and the adjusted risk ratio of TD in FDC prescriptions compared to FC was 6. 44 (95% CI 5. 30-7. 82). Conclusions: Prescribing FDCs for dyslipidemia was associated with a higher risk of TD compared to free combinations. Despite the relatively low absolute prevalence of TD, the findings underline the necessity for strategies to mitigate this risk when prescribing FDCs for dyslipidemia. Our study suggests the potential utility of Clinical Decision Support Systems and standardizing nomenclature in reducing medication errors, providing valuable insights for clinical practice and future research.

• 재활복지
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.189-208
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• 2018

This case study investigated the changes in speech intelligibility of patients with head and neck cancers who participated in a therapeutic singing-based intervention. Three patients received a total of twelve 30-minute individual sessions. The intervention consisted of three steps: movements for relaxing breathing muscles, vocalization for increasing the range of articulatory movements, and therapeutic singing. In order to examine the changes in speech intelligibility, the voice quality parameters, diadochokinesis (DDK) and the quadrangle vowel space area (VSA) were measured at pre- and posttest. The recording of what each patient read a written paragraph, which were transcribed by blinded assessors, were also analyzed. The results demonstrated that all of the patients showed positive changes in the voice quality, the rate of repetitive syllable production measured by DDK, and the articulatory working space measured by VSA. Along with these measured changes, increases in positive mood and rehabilitation motivation reported by the patients support that the therapeutic singing-based intervention could induce meaningful changes in terms of speech intelligibility from patients with head and neck cancers. Given that this study was conducted with a small sample size, suggestions for further investigation on the effects of the intervention were also presented.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.155-166
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• 2023

This study was conducted with 50 elderly people each (5) participating in the cognitive rehabilitation treatment program at the Dementia Care Center in D City to derive the development direction and contents of a multidimensional therapeutic recreation program and a revitalization plan through analysis of the current status and actual conditions of the cognitive rehabilitation program at the Dementia Care Center. aperture) was selected, and 9 people were selected as the subject of expert group opinion collection. The collected data was SPSS ver. Using the 18.0 statistical program, descriptive statistics and the importance and priority of each component were analyzed by hierarchical structure analysis. First, unlike the needs of users, the cognitive rehabilitation support programs currently being provided are not sufficient and require considerable experience. It was found to be low, and the areas for improvement were the expansion of care and protection facilities and the development of various programs to meet the needs of users. Second, the importance and priority of each component of therapeutic recreation were categorized into 6 major categories: exercise therapy , middle category (16 items) behavior-centered approach to exercise therapy, small category (47 items) strength and brain gymnastics, and silver health gymnastics were the highest. This result shows that a multidimensional program plan that considers the priorities of each area must be made when developing a therapeutic recreation program.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.627-637
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• 2023

Background: Damage to the healthy intestinal epithelial layer and regulation of the intestinal immune system, closely interrelated, are considered pivotal parts of the curative treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Plant-based diets and phytochemicals can support the immune microenvironment in the intestinal epithelial barrier for a balanced immune system by improving the intestinal microecological balance and may have therapeutic potential in colitis. However, there have been only a few reports on the therapeutic potential of plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (PENs) and the underlying mechanism in colitis. This study aimed to assess the therapeutic effect of PENs from Panax ginseng, ginseng-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (GENs), in a mouse model of IBD, with a focus on the intestinal immune microenvironment. Method: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of GENs on acute colitis, we treated GENs in Caco2 and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and analyzed the gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Furthermore, we further examined bacterial DNA from feces and determined the alteration of gut microbiota composition in DSS-induced colitis mice after administration of GENs through 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. Result: GENs with low toxicity showed a long-lasting intestinal retention effect for 48 h, which could lead to effective suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 production through inhibition of NF-κB in DSS-induced colitis. As a result, it showed longer colon length and suppressed thickening of the colon wall in the mice treated with GENs. Due to the amelioration of the progression of DSS-induced colitis with GENs treatment, the prolonged survival rate was observed for 17 days compared to 9 days in the PBS-treated group. In the gut microbiota analysis, the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidota was decreased, which means GENs have therapeutic effectiveness against IBD. Ingesting GENs would be expected to slow colitis progression, strengthen the gut microbiota, and maintain gut homeostasis by preventing bacterial dysbiosis. Conclusion: GENs have a therapeutic effect on colitis through modulation of the intestinal microbiota and immune microenvironment. GENs not only ameliorate the inflammation in the damaged intestine by downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines but also help balance the microbiota on the intestinal barrier and thereby improve the digestive system.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.383-388
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• 2024

This study conducted voluntary focus group user observations to empirically validate the efficacy of the self-developed psychological support mobile application, "Mindful Now". The app is structured as an interactive game format, enabling individuals to activate self-awareness of mindfulness states anytime, anywhere. It consists of a 3-step process of sensory/emotional/consciousness awareness, facilitating the expression of non-judgmental awareness. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this mindful activation in enhancing psychological well-being such as happiness and stress reduction, voluntary mindfulness mobile app usage was tracked among 49 university students. The results revealed significant improvements, with a 14.4% increase in SWLS happiness index and a 17.1% decrease in PSS-10 stress levels among 12 users who used the app continuously for over 60 days to practice mindfulness awareness. Particularly, higher app engagement was observed among students who initially reported relatively lower indices before using the app. The utilization of mobile apps that promote mindful activation aligns with various therapeutic paradigms based on mindfulness and meditation, contributing to advancements in digital therapeutic interventions for psychological support.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.127-138
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• 1998

This study was carried out tn invstigate and compare biomechanical characteristics during free speed gait in hemiplegic patients after stroke who took therapeutic exercise by analyzing kinematic and kinetic data in the sagital plane and electromyographic data. Six patients($41\~69$ years old) and age-matched six volunteers in good health(51-61 years old) wire studied. The patients were sorted into two groups, depending on their self-speed of walking : fast speed group(3 patients) and slow speed group(3 patients). The results were as fellows. : 1. In spatio-temparal parameters, affected and unaffected side of fast group showed symetry but blew group showed asymetry of single limb support, opposite foot contact and stance phase (p<0.05). Compared with normal group, patient group showed slower velocity, shoter stride length and longer double limb support (p<0.05). 2. In the pelvic anterior tilt, patient group showed lower valued than normal group. It. In the ground reaction force-vertical force, fast group showed similar double peak gragh compared with normal group, butvslow group showed lower values without double peak (p<0.05).

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.328-332
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• 2018

Background: Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) can be applied in brain-dead donors for organ perfusion before donation, thereby expanding the donor pool. The aim of this study was to examine the benefits and early clinical outcomes of ECLS for organ preservation. Methods: Between June 2012 and April 2017, 9 patients received ECLS with therapeutic intent or for organ preservation. The following data were collected: demographics, purpose and duration of ECLS, cause of death, dose of vasoactive drugs, and need for temporary dialysis before organ retrieval. The early clinical outcomes of recipients were studied, as well as survival and graft function at 1 month. Results: ECLS was initiated for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in 5 patients. The other patients needed ECLS due to hemodynamic deterioration during the assessment of brain death. We successfully retrieved 18 kidneys, 7 livers, and 1 heart from 9 donors. All organs were transplanted and none were discarded. Only 1 case of delayed kidney graft function was noted, and all 26 recipients were discharged without any significant complications. Conclusion: The benefits of protecting the vital organs of donors is significant, and ECLS for organ preservation can be widely used in the transplantation field.