• Development and Reproduction
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.25-37
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• 2023

Acetaminophen [Paracetamol, N-acetyl-para-aminophenol (APAP)] is a common over-the-counter analgesic agent as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The high doses or the long-term treatment of acetaminophen via usual gavage feeding resulted in damage of testicles that presented recoverable impairment, as well as liver and kidney. The influence of acetaminophen was examined in male golden hamsters treated with acetaminophen-containing diet feeding. They were divided into 5 groups and subjected to this experiment for 4 weeks: animals housed in long photoperiod (LP) as LP control, animals housed in short photoperiod (SP) for 4 weeks as SP control (SP4), and groups of animals treated with low, middle, and high concentrations of acetaminophen (Low, Middle, High groups). Also animals housed in SP for 8 weeks were included (SP8) to contrast testicular activities, if necessary. As results, spermatozoa filled the seminiferous tubules of the testicles of animals in LP control and SP4 groups. The aspects were seen in the animals taken diets of low and middle doses of acetaminophen. The animals who fed high dose of acetaminophen showed large or small testicles. The large testicles displayed all germ cells at the steps of spermatogenesis. The small testicles presented no sperm as the animals housed in SP for 8 weeks. Thus these results indicate that acetaminophen invokes the antigonadal effects and accelerates the regressing process of the testicles in the animals compared to the animals exposed to SP.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2024

Introduction This case series report an attempt to treat Sasang constitutional medicine on Soyangin patients with unspecified hot flush. Methods The patients in this case were diagnosed as Soyangin cold pattern and treated with herb medicine Dojeokgangi-tang. Treatment outcome was monitored retrospectively. Results Persistent hot flush significantly improved to normal levels in all 3 Soyangin patients, and 2 out of 3 showed the effect within 4 weeks, those with more chronic symptoms required more time. Discussion This study suggests the significance of Sasang constitutional medicine treatment in Soyangin patients with Hot flush. Additionally, the characteristics of patients with hot flush presented in this study were verified as meaningful diagnostics indicator of Soyangin lesser yang wind damage. Furthermore, it emphasizes the value of original symptoms as a standard for evaluating treatment effectiveness.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.257-267
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• 2024

Objectives: Parkinson's disease is a degenerative neurological disorder caused by dopamine neuron damage, leading to various motor and non-motor symptoms, including depression. While several clinical studies on Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) have addressed this issue, no comprehensive review has been conducted. This study aimed to summarize and analyze TKM treatments for depression associated with Parkinson's disease. Methods: This study reviewed research focused on treatment of Parkinson's-related depression, particularly examining traditional therapies such as acupuncture and herbal medicine. Data on treatment methods were analyzed to compare approaches of control and experimental groups. Specific use of acupuncture points and other TKM treatments was analyzed. Results: Out of 57 studies, 17 involving 649 participants were selected. Various treatment methods were evaluated, primarily using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Studies predominantly focused on acupuncture targeting specific points (such as LI 4, GB 20, and ST 36) and the use of various herbal medicine combinations. Conclusions: Of the 17 studies, 13 focused on effects of acupuncture, suggesting that acupuncture might play a significant role in alleviating depression associated with Parkinson's disease. Specifically, the use of acupuncture points such as LI 4, GB 20, and ST 36 showed potential therapeutic effects. Additionally, 13 studies demonstrated that TKM could significantly alleviate depression, indicating the potential for an integrative approach combining Eastern and Western therapies. Herbal medicine and Qigong dance therapy also showed promising effects in improving depression.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.68-73
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• 2016

Ammonia is very toxic, and causes neuronal damage via excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Because the liver is the primary organ for ammonia metabolism, compromised liver function can result from inborn errors of metabolism. Measurement of blood ammonia has some limitations. Recently, several laboratories examined possible concurrent increases in plasma ammonia. However, the collection, handling, storage, and analysis of blood samples are all potential sources of error. For evaluation of rapidity and reliability of measurement of blood ammonia, the DRI-CHEM 100 (Fuji Film Co., Japan) and COBAS 8000 (Roche Diagnostic Ltd., Switzerland) analyzer were used for analysis of ammonia level values. The results of this study detected a high correlation between analyzer. Therefore, one-step measurement was suitable for ammonia analysis. After sampling of the ammonia in the time slot for measurement an increase to 46.5, 57.4, and 79.0 (${\mu}g/dL$) was observed at 30, 90, and 180 minutes. In addition, specific capacity of the ammonia, 7, 10, and 13 (${\mu}L$), was measured as 39, 46, and 43 (${\mu}g/dL$), respectively, and the FDC-100 analyzer was more effective in $10{\mu}L$ (p<0.001). In conclusion, the evaluated analysis may offer useful information for clinical application.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.249-255
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• 2022

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents a major public health concern and has been identified as a research priority. Clinical research evidence supports that the core cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers for AD, including amyloid-β (Aβ42), total tau (T-tau), and phosphorylated tau (P-tau), reflect key elements of AD pathophysiology. Nevertheless, advances in the clinical identification of new indicators will be critical not only for the discovery of sensitive, specific, and reliable biomarkers of preclinical AD pathology, but also for the development of tests that facilitate the early detection and differential diagnosis of dementia and disease progression monitoring. The early detection of AD in its presymptomatic stages would represent a great opportunity for earlier therapeutic intervention. The chance of successful treatment would be increased since interventions would be performed before extensive synaptic damage and neuronal loss would have occurred. In this study, the importance of developing an early diagnostic method using cognitive decline biomarkers that can discriminate between normal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD preclinical stages has been emphasized.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.177-188
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• 2024

This study aims to identify vulnerability factors through comprehensive safety diagnosis and to seek improvement measures for the safety and maintenance of facilities. In this study, the results of road tunnel inspections and diagnostics were converted into a database (DB). Using this data, we explored to identify vulnerable elements (NATM, ASSM) based on structural types and to develop efficient improvement measures. In this study, we analyzed 76 detailed safety diagnosis reports covering 45 different types of road tunnel facilities. In the detailed guidelines for comprehensive safety diagnosis, the database (DB) items for identifying vulnerable factors were selected by categorizing the basic information, such as the year of completion and damage items. In addition, AHP analysis was conducted separately through experts in related fields to analyze the correlation between damages. As a result, the primary vulnerability factors for NATM and ASSM were identified as cracks, leaks, insufficient lining thickness, and joint rear. ASSM was identified as relatively more susceptible to network cracks and material separation compared to NATM. In contrast, flaking and rebar exposure were interpreted as more significant vulnerabilities for NATM than for ASSM. In addition, the correlation between elements in NATM was found to be low, whereas in ASSM, the correlation between elements was high, indicating a more organic relationship.