• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2012

High-resolution carotid MRI allows visualization of carotid atherosclerotic plaque characteristics. MRI serves as a noninvasive option for the detection of active plaque inflammation and intraplaque hemorrhage. Significant gains in signal-tonoise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio can be obtained for carotid atheroma imaging at 3T compared with 1.5T. Normalized wall index or wall area on MRI has shown its efficacy in monitoring the response after medical therapy. $T(2)^*$ quantification in carotid plaques before and after the administration of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide particles shows difference in response to treatment according to drug doses. In conclusion, high-resolution MRI is useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of carotid atherosclerotic plaques prone to transient ischemic attack and stroke.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.195-203
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• 2018

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been widely used as an initial mucolytic agent and is generally used as an antioxidant to help alleviate various inflammatory symptoms. NAC reduces bacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production, bacterial adhesion to the surface and strength of mature biofilm. The efficacy has been shown to inhibit proliferation of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In membrane bioreactor (MBR) processes, which contain a variety of gram negative bacteria, biofilm formation has become a serious problem in stable operation. In this study, use of NAC as an inhibitor of biofilm contamination was investigated using the center for disease control (CDC) reactors with MBR sludge. Biomass reduction was confirmed with CLSM images of membrane surfaces by addition of NAC, which was more efficient as the concentration of NAC was increased to 1.5 mg/mL. NAC addition also showed decreases in EPS concentrations of the preformed biofilm, indicating that NAC was able to degrade EPS in the mature biofilm. NAC addition was also effective to inhibit biofilm formation by MBR sludge, which consisted of various microorganisms in consortia.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.230-235
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• 2020

Systemic therapy for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) still remains challenging because there are no targeted agents or endocrine therapies currently available. The present case report documents the successful use of cisplatin monotherapy to manage a heavily pretreated TNBC patient showing poor response to therapy. The patient was a 51-year-old woman who had already undergone several lines of systemic chemotherapy for widespread TNBC. Although the mutation analysis performed on DNA isolated from blood cells and progressed lesion samples confirmed the tumor to be germline BRCA wild-type, cisplatin monotherapy was administered based on the increasing evidence of safety and efficacy of platinum for breast cancer. After three cycles of cisplatin treatment, the patient's metastatic lesions dramatically improved without any major toxicity, and she completed 17 cycles with good response. This case study indicates that patients with heavily pretreated TNBC can potentially achieve a good response to cisplatin monotherapy.

• CELLMED
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.10.1-10.10
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• 2017

The Maasai community from Kenya is highly esteemed for their strong adherence to traditional cultures and ethno medicine. This is attributed to their age-old traditional mechanisms of passing down knowledge to the younger generation. Adoption to new socio-economic lifestyle and urbanization has been associated with development of diabetes, which has been reported among some indigenous pastoral communities in Kenya. Documentation of traditional methods of treatment and management of diabetes by the Maasai has not yet been reported, yet it is noteworthy. Thirty traditional healers from Narok County were purposively selected and interviewed about traditional knowledge of antidiabetic medicinal plants, parts used, preparation dosage and administration. A total of 14 antidiabetic plant species distributed within 13 genera and 12 families were identified and documented as herbal medicine used in the management of diabetes. The most highly cited plant species was Dovyalis abyssinica (20%), the plant family Flacourtiaceae and Rhamnaceae (2 plant species each) recorded the highest number of plant species while the most frequently used plant part was the roots (46%). Literature review revealed that some of the cited plants have known phytochemicals with antidiabetic activity; the study recommends further scientific investigation to validate their efficacy and safety.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2014

This report is aimed to investigate the effect of Integrative Medicine Therapy (IMT) in treating metastasized ovary and endometrial cancer. A 51-year-old woman who was diagnosed double primary ovarian and endometrial cancer in 2009. The patient was treated with Laparoscopic Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy (LAVH), Bilateral Salpingo Oophorectomy (BSO) Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection (PLND), adjuvant chemotherapy till Sep. in 2013. But metastases to Rt. External Iliac artery, Aortocaval area Lymph Nodes, Liver(caudate lobe), Rt. Buttock subcutaneous area, Lt. Gastric Area Lymph Nodes were found. Finally, the patient decided to be treated by IMT including Abnoba Viscum, Vitamin C, herbal medication and pharmacopuncture combined with chemotherapy. The efficacy was evaluated with Positron Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography (PET-CT) and Abdomen Computed Tomography (CT). The metastatic tumor in liver was disappeared and Rt. external iliac artery, aortocaval area Lymph Nodes, Rt. buttock subcutaneous area were also decreased after 6 months treatment. These results suggest that IMT may have a potential role for metastatic cancer.

• Proceedings of the Korea Contents Association Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.473-477
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• 2004

Cotton fabric was treated with Cationon UK(tertiary ammonium salt) to improve the dyeability to black tea colorants. In order to investigate the efficacy of Cationon UK for improving dyeing properties of cotton fabric, the effect of Cationon UK treatment conditions and dyeing conditions on dye uptake of the cotton fabrics treated with Cationon UK were examined and the colorfastness to washing, perspiration, rubbing and light was also evaluated for practical uses. Cationized cotton treated with Cationon UK showed high dye uptake at lower dyeing concentration and shorter dyeing time, compared with untreated. Dyeing temperature did not affect significantly dye uptake and the maximum dye uptake was obtained at pH 5. Most colorfastness was relatively good, showing 4/5∼5 rating.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.835-844
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• 2010

This study used meta-analysis to compare analyze data regarding the effects of music therapy on children and adolescent. The study examined 96 ESs using means and standard deviations from 77 Korean degree dissertations conducted between2000 and 2010. Results were as follows: The overall effect size (ES) of the therapy program was found to be 0.14, which, according to Cohen's ES interpretation criteria, is small. The mean ES was influenced by the subjects (children/ adolescents), ES of children(0.50) was bigger than ES of adolescents(-0.23). When results were sorted by the variables of therapy part: social, emotional and behavior development), the ES of social development was the biggest (1.11), followed by behavior development (-1.07) and emotional development (-0.01). However, other variables (total number of procedures, number of treatments per week, the average treatment time, therapist characteristics) made no statistically significant differences to the efficacy of the therapy. Finally, limitations of this study and potential future research are discussed.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.279-302
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• 2010

Spices are used to enhance the taste of Korean food. The term "Yangnyeom" contains a wishful meaning that it would be as good for health as medicine when eaten. It is prescribed as a medicine to heal disease according to the ancient medical books. Fifteen spices in Korean food such as vinegar, liquor, honey, water, wheat-gluten, sesame, sesame oil, garlic, green onion, ginger, mustard, pepper, cinnamon, soy sauce, salt, cheoncho, and others are prescribed as medicine for internal and external uses for almost every disease. To examine these spices, the subjects were treated with either the spice-boiled water or spice-mixed water, or applied externally. It is suggested that spices that are produced through peculiar traditional cooking method, fermenting, and those that have long-growth period, grew in the natural environment, and the like have efficacy as medicine. Spices can be sufficiently applied as emergency medicine, disease-treatment, subsidiary supplement, and preventive medicine.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5909-5916
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• 2014

Human papillomavirus infection (HPV) and HPV related immune perturbation play important roles in the development of cervical cancer. Since mature dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells (APC), they could be primed by HPV antigens against cervical cancers. In this study we were able to generate, maintain and characterize, both phenotypically and functionally, patient specific dendritic cells in vitro. A randomized Phase I trial with three arms - saline control (arm I), unprimed mature DC (arm II) and autologous tumor lysate primed mature DC (arm III) and fourteen patients was conducted. According to WHO criteria, grade 0 or grade one toxicity was observed in three patients. One patient who received tumor lysate primed dendritic cells and later cis-platin chemotherapy showed a complete clinical response of her large metastatic disease and remained disease free for more than 72 months. Our findings indicate that DC vaccines hold promise as adjuvant sfor cervical cancer treatment and further studies to improve their efficacy need to be conducted.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.691-694
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• 2013

Purpose: By carrying out a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared sorafenib or combined chemotherapy with placebo or combined chemotherapy, the effectiveness of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma was evaluated in the present study, which also provided clinical practice guidelines of evidence-based-medicine. Methods: We reviewed PubMed citations concerning sorafenib treating hepatocellular carcinoma in randomized controlled trials from Jan 2000 to July 2012. All the literature was extracted by Cochrane systematic reviews and underwent meta-analysis with RewMan 5.0 software. Results: Finally, four papers documenting randomized controlled studies were included. Compared with controls, sorafenib was shown to significantly increase overall survival (OS), time to progression (TTP), and disease control rates (DCR), but not the time to symptom progression (TTSP) in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. The incidence of grade-III/IV adverse reactions, including hand-foot-skin reactions, diarrhea, hypertension and skin rash or desquamation, in sorafenib treatment group was higher than that in controls. However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of hypodynamia between the two groups. Conclusions: Sorafenib exerts significant curative effects in hepatocellular carcinoma.