• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.201-210
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• 2016

Objectives : The serum creatine kinase(CK) level of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS) patients suggests that it may be an independent prognostic factor for the survival of ALS. We report the changes of serum CK level of ALS patients treated by administering processed Glycyrrhiza uralensis extracts and Korean medical treatments. Methods : We provided an ALS patient with processed Glycyrrhiza uralensis extracts and Korean medical treatments including acupuncture, pharmacopuncture and herbal medicine. The serum CK level was checked every month. The changes of ALSFRS-R and MRC grade were checked every month for additional result. Results : The serum CK level as the prognostic factor for the survival of ALS gradually decreased for three months. However, ALSFRS-R decreased by two points at the second trial. MRC rate had no change for three months. Conclusion : Combined administration of processed Glycyrrhiza uralensis extracts and Korean medical treatment could be meaningful possibilities in the treatment of ALS. We should conduct further studies to solve the limitations of this case study.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2004

We have demonstrated a low speed weigh-in motion system using FBG sensors and performed field test at a trial road. Technique, called identical chirped grating interrogation, have used for a demodulation relying on the mismatching of two identical broadband chirped gratings. We compensated the fluctuation of LED power and the temperature of sensor and used a lock-in amplifier to reduce effect of noise. We could design a bending plate that the measurement results are independent of position of weight. The FBG sensors weigh-in motion system showed linearity and reproducibility.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.72-77
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• 2018

Purpose: Glucose has been recommended as an analgesic for mild to moderately painful procedures in neonates. The goal of this study was to assess the optimal dextrose concentration for pain control in newborns. Methods: This prospective, randomized, blinded clinical trial included 116 healthy full-term newborns. The neonates were randomly assigned to the following four groups by drawing straws: groups receiving sterile water or a 10%, 20%, or 40% dextrose solution orally. Each group was treated with the assigned solution prior to hepatitis B vaccination. The Neonatal Facial Coding System (NFCS) and the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) scores were evaluated before, immediately after, and 2 minutes after the injection in all neonates. Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) scores were evaluated during the injection. All procedures were video-recorded, and pain scores were assessed by two independent observers who were not involved in the care of the newborns studied. The pain scores were compared among the four groups. Results: The 40% dextrose solution significantly reduced the NFCS (P=0.002) and the PIPP scores (P=0.001) compared with sterile water. No hyperglycemic events were noted in the study subjects 2 hours after the injection. Conclusion: The 40% dextrose solution effectively relieved pain due to intramuscular injection in full-term newborns without causing hyperglycemic events. However, the 10% and 20% dextrose solutions did not affect neonatal pain scores.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.9 no.3 s.21
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• pp.79-88
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• 2006

Objectives : This systematic review summarizes the existing evidence on anti-tumor herbal acupuncture in South Korea. Methods : Literature searches were conducted in four databases. All studies of anti-tumor herbal acupuncture which has been published in South Korea until May, 2006 were included. Data were extracted according to pre-defined criteria by two independent reviewers. Results : We found 73 papers related to anti-tumor herbal acupuncture in South Korea. Seventy of seventy-three papers are trial research and only three papers are clinical research. Herb materials which were used in those papers are Bee-venom, Wild-ginseng, Ginseng, Houttuynia cordata Thunb, Lonicerae Flos, Carthami Tinctorii Juglans sinensis, Euphorbiae Radix, Ecliptae Herba, Crotonis Semen, Juglans sinensis, Armeniaceae Amarum, so on. From those papers, Anti-tumor herbal acupunctures are effective to tumor cell line and tumor in vivo. Clinical research papers reported that Anti-tumor herbal acupunctures are useful to improve cancer related symptoms and quality of life(QOL) of cancer patients. Conclusions : From the above results, we make sure of that anti-tumor herbal acupuncture is useful therapeutics for cancer patients. If we conceive complex-herb materials and carry out more advanced research, Anti-tumor Herbal Acupuncture is one of those major therapeutics to improve clinical symptoms and quality of life(QOL) of cancer patients.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.1081-1091
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• 2010

Clinical trials are often carried out as multi-center studies because the patients enrolled for a trial study are very limited in one particular hospital. In these circumstances, the use of an ordinary Jonckheere (1954) and Terpstra (1952) test for testing trend among several independent treatment groups is invalid. We propose a the stratified Jonckheere-Terpstra test based on van Elteren (1960)'s stratified test of Wilcoxon (1945) statistics and an application of our method is demonstrated through example data. A simulation study compares the efficiency of stratified and unstratified Jonckheere-Terpstra trend tests.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.97-108
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• 2020

The time-consuming and less objectivity are the main problems of conventional micromechanical parameters calibration method of Particle Flow Code simulations. Thus this study aims to address these two limitation of the conventional "trial-and-error" method. A new calibration method for the linear parallel bond model (CM-LPBM) is proposed. First, numerical simulations are conducted based on the results of the uniaxial compression tests on limestone. The macroscopic response of the numerical model agrees well with the results of the uniaxial compression tests. To reduce the number of the independent micromechanical parameters, numerical simulations are then carried out. Based on the results of the orthogonal experiments and the multi-factor variance analysis, main micromechanical parameters affecting the macro parameters of rocks are proposed. The macro-micro parameter functions are ultimately established using multiple linear regression, and the iteration correction formulas of the micromechanical parameters are obtained. To further verify the validity of the proposed method, a case study is carried out. The error between the macro mechanical response and the numerical results is less than 5%. Hence the calibration method, i.e., the CM-LPBM, is reliable for obtaining the micromechanical parameters quickly and accurately, providing reference for the calibration of micromechanical parameters.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8127-8133
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• 2016

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of back massage on the anxiety state, cortisol level, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and sleep quality in family caregivers of patients with cancer. Materials and Methods: Forty-four family caregivers were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group (22 interventions, 22 controls) after they were matched on age and gender. The intervention consisted of back massage for 15 minutes per day for a week. Main research outcomes were measured at baseline (day I) and follow-up (day 7). Unpaired t-test, paired t test and chi-square test were used to analyse data. Results: The majority of the caregivers were women, married, secondary school educated and housewife. State anxiety (p<0.001), cortisol level (p<0.05), systolic/diastolic blood pressure (p<0.001, p<0.01 respectively), and pulse rate (p<0.01) were significantly decreased, and sleep quality (p<0.001) increased after back massage intervention. Conclusions: The study results show that family caregivers for patients with cancer can benefit from back massage to improve state anxiety, cortisol level, blood pressure and heart rate, and sleep quality. Oncology nurses can take advantage of back massage, which is non-pharmacologic and easily implemented method, as an independent nursing action to support caregivers for patients with cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1623-1627
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• 2013

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a major health problem and cause of death among people in Northeastern Thailand. In this prospective study 171 patients newly diagnosed with CCA by physicians in 5 tertiary hospitals in four provinces of northeastern of Thailand between February and July 2011 were followed up to January 2012. The outcome was survival time from diagnosis to death. A total of 758.4 person-months of follow-up were available. The mortality rate was 16.9 per 100 person-months (95%CI: 14.1-20.1). The median survival time among CCA patients was 4.3 months (95%CI: 3.3-5.1). Cox's proportional hazard model was used to study the independent effects of factors affecting survival time among patients. Statistically significant factors included advanced stage at diagnosis (HR: 2.5, 95%CI: 1.7-3.8), presentation with jaundice (HR: 1.7, 95%CI: 1.1-2.4) or ascites (HR: 2.8, 95%CI: 1.8-4.4), and positive serum carcinoembryonic antigen (HR: 2.3, 95%CI: 1.2-4.3). Patients who had received standard treatment had a better prognosis that those who did not (HR: 0.5, 95%CI: 0.3-0.7).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.793-800
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• 2020

The conventional development of multi-component electrodes is based on the researcher's experience and is based on trial and error. Therefore, there is a need for a scientific method to reduce the time and economic losses thereof and systematize the mixing of electrode components. In this study, we use design of mixture experiments (DOME)- in particular a simplex lattice design with Design Expert^Ⓡ program- to attempt to find an optimum mixing ratio for a three-component electrode for the high RNO degradation; RNO is an indictor of OH radical formation. The experiment included 12 experimental points with 2 center replicates for 3 different independent variables (with the molar ratio of Ru, Ti, Ir). As the Prob > F value of the 'Quadratic' model is 0.0026, the secondary model was found to be suitable. Applying the molar ratio of the electrode components to the corrected response model results is an RNO removal efficiency (%) = 59.89 × [Ru] + 9.78 × [Ti] + 67.03 × [Ir] + 66.38 × [Ru] × [Ir] + 132.86 × [Ti] × [Ir]. The R² value of the equation is 0.9374 after the error term is excluded. The optimized formulation of the ternary electrode for an high RNO degradation was acquired when the molar ratio of Ru 0.100, Ti 0.200, Ir 0.700 (desirability d value, 1).

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.223-229
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• 2006

In this study, we have conducted kinetics and modelling studies of Centella asiatica cell growth and substrate uptake, in an attempt to evaluate cell growth for a better understanding and control of the process. In our bioreactor cultivation experiment, we observed a growth rate of 0.18/day, a value only 20% higher than was seen in the shake flask cultivation trial. However, the observed maximum cell dry weight in the shake flask, 10.5g/L, was 14% higher than was achieved in the bioreactor. Ninety seven percentage confidence was achieved via the fitting of three unstructured growth models; the Monod, Logistic, and Gompertz equations, to the cell growth data. The Monod equation adequately described cell growth in both cultures. The specific growth rate, however, was not effectively predicted with the Logistic and Gompertz equations, which resulted in deviations of up to 73 and 393%, respectively. These deviations in the Logistic and Gompertz models may be attributable to the fact that these models were developed for substrate-independent growth and fungi growth, respectively.