• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제42권3호
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• pp.278-281
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• 2015

Open release remains the gold standard in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome in cases where conservative treatment fails. However, the efficacy of carpal tunnel release in the elderly has been debated in the literature throughout the years. This review aims to review the current evidence pertaining to the efficacy of carpal tunnel release in the elderly. Based on the current evidence, the outcome of carpal tunnel release is unpredictable in the elderly. Elderly patients are also less satisfied with the operation compared to younger patients. The authors recommend that these messages be conveyed to elderly patients before surgery. Moreover, open carpal tunnel release should be offered in the early stages of treatment whenever operative management is indicated.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.157-162
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• 2014

This study was conducted to examine the functionality of the fire retardant treated wood. The hygroscopic property, leaching resistance, metal corrosive efficacy and gas toxicity of retardant treated wood were analyzed. Sodium silicate was penetrated to the wood for making fire retardant treated wood. The subsequent treatment agents such as boric acid, ammonium borate, di-ammonium phosphate were treated after sodium silicate treatment due to fixation. As results for the test, the leaching resist was improved by subsequent treatment. The fire retardant combination such as sodium silicate, boric acid and di-ammonium phosphate showed high hygroscopic property, metal corrosive efficacy. The gas toxicity was also satisfied KS standard.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.276-285
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• 2024

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a systemic disorder of energy metabolism characterized by a sustained elevation of blood glucose in conjunction with impaired insulin action in multiple peripheral tissues (i.e., insulin resistance). Although extensive research has been conducted to identify therapeutic targets for the treatment of DM, its global prevalence and associated mortailty rates are still increasing, possibly because of challenges related to long-term adherence, limited efficacy, and undesirable side effects of currently available medications, implying an urgent need to develop effective and safe pharmacotherapies for DM. Phytochemicals have recently drawn attention as novel pharmacotherapies for DM based on their clinical relevance, therapeutic efficacy, and safety. Ginsenosides, pharmacologically active ingredients primarily found in ginseng, have long been used as adjuvants to traditional medications in Asian countries and have been reported to exert promising therapeutic efficacy in various metabolic diseases, including hyperglycemia and diabetes. This review summarizes the current pharmacological effects of ginsenosides and their mechanistic insights for the treatment of insulin resistance and DM, providing comprehensive perspectives for the development of novel strategies to treat DM and related metabolic complications.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.285-289
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• 2005

In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we assessed the efficacy and safety of beef tallow extract (BTE) including Cis-9-cetylmyristoleate in patients with arthritis. Between May and December 2003, we selected 80 patients (n=80) who showed/manifested arthritic symptoms and whose radiological findings were suggestive of arthritis, and randomly assigned them to placebo-controlled (n=40) and treatment group (n=40). The placebo (corn starch 350 mg) and BTE (208 mg) were orally administered to placebo-controlled and treatment group three times a day, respectively. We assessed the efficacy and safety based on the visual analogue scale (V AS) and modified knee society knee scores (MKSKS) at baseline and endpoint, respectively. To assess the safety, we monitored the adverse effects noted in liver, kidney, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal system for 3 weeks. Then, we performed not only a questionnaire study but also laboratory tests (e.g., liver function test, kidney function test, urinalysis, electrocardiography [EKG], complete blood cell counts [CBC] and chest X-ray). For statistical analysis, Student (-test and paired (-test were done using SPSS■ Version 11.0. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The scores between V AS and MKSKS showed statistical significance (p < 0.05) with an improvement of $69.2\%$ (27/39) and $3.8\%$ (21/39) of treatment-group patients, respectively. Abnormal laboratory findings were noted in neither placebo-controlled nor treatment group. In conclusion, our results indicate that the administration of BTE was a safe and effective treatment regimen for patients with arthritis. In addition, the efficacy of BTE was more remarkable in alleviating the symptoms rather than improving the function.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.301-316
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of heat stimuli (e.g., fire needling, warm needling) in acupuncture for acute gout. Methods: Four international online databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure) were searched to identify randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) that used fire needling and warm needling for acute gout. The methodological quality of the RCTs was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias (RoB) tool. Thirteen RCTs (840 patients) were included and analyzed. Three evaluation tools (total effective rate, uric acid level, and pain score) were mainly used. Comparisons were made between Western medicine (WM) and i) fire needling or warm needling treatment alone, ii) fire needling and bloodletting combination treatment, iii) combination of fire needling, bloodletting, and herbal medicine, iv) warm needling (concurrently). Heat stimuli in acupuncture alone or in combination treatment were more effective in terms of the total efficacy rates, uric acid levels, and pain scores than WM alone. Results: In all the evaluation tools, the treatment effects in the fire needling alone or warm needling alone treatment group and the fire needling and bloodletting combination intervention group were significantly better than those in the WM control group. The warm needling and WM combination intervention groups also experienced significantly better treatment effects in terms of total efficacy rates and uric acid levels. Only the pain scores in the fire needling, bloodletting, and herbal medicine combination groups demonstrated significant improvement. Only four studies mentioned adverse reactions: one reported loss of appetite; three studies reported none. According to the Cochrane RoB tool, most studies showed either high or uncertain RoB. Conclusion: Heat stimuli during acupuncture could be effective for acute gout. However, as the included studies were regionally biased, more high-quality studies are needed to confirm the level of evidence.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.8-17
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• 2024

This study was conducted to explore the efficacy of bee venom as a treatment for mastitis and to determine the optimal dosage and treatment period. When 6 mg or 12 mg of bee venom was administered to each experimental quarter of mastitis in dairy cow, the clinical symptoms in the 12 mg quarter were noticeably improved compared to those in the 6 mg quarter. There was no significant difference in the somatic cell count (SCC) in the milk between normal and mastitis quarters between the 6 and 12 mg doses, but there was a steady decrease in the 12 mg-treated quarter (p = 0.34). To determine the treatment period, bee venom was administered for 2, 4, and 7 days. After administering 12 mg of bee venom for 7 days, the SCC in the milk was compared before 6 days and after 7 days, and the SCC was significantly decreased to less than 100,000 SC/mL after 7 days (p = 0.01). In addition, to investigate the efficacy of bee venom, the minimum inhibitory concentration for S. aureus, E. coli, and coagulase negative staphylococci was measured, and the results showed that Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to bee venom than Gram-negative bacteria, and treatment for Gram-negative bacteria was limited. As a result of this study, it was confirmed that a dose of 12 mg of bee venom and a treatment period of more than 7 days were required to treat mastitis, and that treatment with bee venom alone against Gram-negative bacteria was negative.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.34-40
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• 2016

Objectives: To observe safety and efficacy of herbal medicine for psoriasis patients. Methods: We did retrospective chart review for 107 psoriasis patients who had been treated by herbal medicine for 2 months, and we analyzed the liver function test (LFT) results and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores of before and after the treatment. Results: The mean LFT and the number of patients with abnormal LFT decreased after the treatments. More than 95% of patients with normal LFT maintained normal results at after the treatment, and only 2.1% and 4.6% patients with normal LFT showed abnormal Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (GOT) and Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase (GPT) results at after the treatment. Also, both mean PASI scores for all patients and patients with abnormal LFT before the treatment decreased significantly. Conclusions: This study suggest that herbal medicine may be safe and effective treatment for psoriasis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권16호
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• pp.6587-6590
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• 2014

Objective: To further observe the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed, combined with Irinotecan or oxaliplatin or cisplatin in treating patients with advanced gastric cancer as second-line or third-line chemotherapy. Methods: From September 2013 to February 2014 we recruited 50 patients with advanced gastric cancer, with stage IV disease or postoperative recurrence, or unresectable. Then treated with pemetrexed based chemotherapy. After two cycles of treatment, efficacy and toxicity were evaluated. Results: Pemetrexed based chemotherapy was used as second-line in 33 patients, RR(CR+PR) is 41.2%. And achieved 36.4% when used as third-line. Overall response rate of 50 patients treated with Pemetrexed based treatment was 38% (CR+PR). Treatment related side effects were bone marrow suppression, vomiting, hepatic dysfunction and malaise.No treatment related death occurred. Conclusions: Treatment with pemetrexed based chemotherapy is active and is well tolerated in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제81권3호
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• pp.167-174
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• 2018

Despite recent clinical guidelines, the optimal therapeutic strategy for the management of refractory chronic cough is still a challenge. The present systematic review was designed to assess the evidence for efficacy and safety of gabapentin in the treatment of chronic cough. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library databases, and publications cited in bibliographies was performed. Articles were searched by two reviewers with a priori criteria for study selection. Seven relevant articles were identified, including two randomized controlled trials, one prospective case-series designed with consecutive patients, one retrospective case series of consecutive patients, one retrospective case series with unknown consecutive status, and two case reports comprising six and two patients, respectively. Improvements were detected in cough-specific quality of life (Leicester Cough Questionnaire score) and cough severity (visual analogue scale score) following gabapentin treatment in randomized controlled trials. The results of prospective case-series showed that the rate of overall improvement of cough and sensory neuropathy with gabapentin was 68%. Gabapentin treatment of patients with chronic cough showed superior efficacy and a good safety record compared with placebo or standard medications. Additional randomized and controlled trials are needed.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.878-882
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• 2008

The efficacy of citric acid-aqueous chlorine dioxide ($ClO_2$) treatment of radish seeds artificially contaminated with Escherichia coli was studied. Radish seeds were inoculated with E. coli. Following inoculation, samples were stored at $4^{\circ}C$ and soaked in citric acid or aqueous $ClO_2$ for 10 min. The treatment of radish seeds using 200 ppm aqueous $ClO_2$ solution caused a 1.5 log CFU/g reduction in the population of E. coli. Compared to the aqueous $ClO_2$ treatment, soaking radish seeds in 2.0% citric acid solution for 10 min was more effective in reducing E. coli populations on radish seeds. The efficacy of spray application of chlorine (100 ppm) or 0.5% citric acid to eliminate E. coli during the germination and growth of radish was investigated. Radish seed inoculated with E. coli was treated for the duration of the growth period. Although it resulted in a decrease in the E. coli population, the spray application of 100 ppm chlorine during the growth period was not significantly effective. In contrast, the combined treatment of seeds using 200 ppm aqueous $ClO_2$ and treatment of sprouts with 0.5% citric acid solution during sprout growth was hardly effective in eliminating E. coli.