• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.31-54
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• 2024

Objectives: This study assessed the effectiveness of Hwanggigyejiomul-tang for postoperative breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) by a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: A search was conducted using keywords such as "breast cancer", "lymphedema", "edema", "Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction", "Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu tang", and "Hwanggigyejiomul tang" in 10 databases (PubMed, Cochrane, ScienceDirect, CNKI, CiNii, RISS, KISS, ScienceON, OASIS, DBpia) on February 11, 2024. There were no limits on the publication period and language, and the quality of the studies was evaluated using Cochrane's risk of bias tool. A meta-analysis was performed based on the outcome measurements, such as total effective rate (TER), increase in shoulder joint mobility (flexion, extension, abduction, adduction), Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA), and visual analog scale (VAS) using Review Manager Web. Results: Eleven RCTs were selected. The treatment group (Hwanggigyejiomul-tang-gagambang or hapbang with control group intervention) showed a more statistically significant effect compared with the control group (physical therapy or western medicine) in TER (upper limb circumference change), TER (upper limb edema grade change), increase in flexion angle, increase in extension angle, increase in adduction angle, FMA, and VAS. Conclusions: Hwanggigyejiomul-tang is effective in treating postoperative BCRL. However, because of the low quality of the included studies, more clinical studies are required to increase the possibility of clinical use.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.684-694
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose was to review the diagnostic performance of the length of tumor capsular contact (LCC) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting prostate cancer extraprostatic extension (EPE). Materials and Methods: PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched up to March 24, 2019. We included diagnostic accuracy studies that evaluated LCC on MRI for EPE detection using radical prostatectomy specimen histopathology as the reference standard. Quality of studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. Sensitivity and specificity were pooled and graphically presented using hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) plots. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were conducted to explore heterogeneity. Results: Thirteen articles with 2136 patients were included. Study quality was generally good. Summary sensitivity and specificity were 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73-0.83) and 0.67 (95% CI 0.60-0.74), respectively. Area under the HSROC was 0.81 (95% CI 0.77-0.84). Substantial heterogeneity was present among the included studies according to Cochran's Q-test (p < 0.01) and Higgins I² (62% and 86% for sensitivity and specificity, respectively). In terms of heterogeneity, measurement method (curvilinear vs. linear), prevalence of Gleason score ≥ 7, MRI readers' experience, and endorectal coils were significant factors (p ≤ 0.01), whereas method to determine the LCC threshold, cutoff value, magnet strength, and publication year were not (p = 0.14-0.93). Diagnostic test accuracy estimates were comparable across all assessed MRI sequences. Conclusion: Greater LCC on MRI is associated with a higher probability of prostate cancer EPE. Due to heterogeneity among the studies, further investigation is needed to establish the optimal cutoff value for each clinical setting.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.29-48
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• 2024

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate recent trends in herbal medicine treatment for xerostomia. Methods : We searched for Randomized Controlled Trial(RCT) studies on xerostomia published after 2015 in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI). Studies were analyzed based on the year of publication, characteristics of patient groups, herbal medicine treatments and assessment scales. Results : A total of 16 RCT studies were selected. The most frequently used herbal prescription was Zengye Decoction(增液湯). Liriope Tuber(麥門冬), Rehmanniae Radix(生地黃), Glycyrrhizae Radix(甘草), Schisandrae Fructus(五味子), Scrophulariae Radix(玄蔘), Dendrobii Herba(石斛) and Gypsum Fibrosum(石膏) were commonly used herbs. Herbal medicine treatment demonstrated effectiveness in treating xerostomia across all the studies, and this effect was statistically significant. Conclusions : Herbal medicine treatment is effective in treating xerostomia. We anticipate that more high quality studies will be conducted in the future.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.101-120
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• 2024

Purpose : This study aimed to carry out a scoping review to investigate the research trends in non-pharmacological interventions for physical rehabilitation following breast cancer treatment. Methods : A scoping review was conducted according to the five steps outlined by Arksey and O'Malley and PRISMA-ScR. We searched three domestic databases (ScienceOn, Riss, KCI) and two international databases (PubMed, Cochrane Central) between January 2014 and April 2024. The keywords used were 'breast cancer surgery', 'breast cancer treatment', 'breast cancer lymphedema', 'intervention', 'management', 'therapy', 'disorder', and 'dysfunction'. Results : In terms of publication, the number of studies in the past five years has increased compared to the previous five years, with most studies focusing on patients aged 41 to 60 and who underwent surgical treatment for breast cancer. A total of 43 different types of non-pharmacological interventions were applied: 21 single interventions and 22 combination interventions. Among the intervention methods, complete decongestive treatment (CDT), resistance training, and manual lymphatic drainage were the most frequently utilized. The most common duration of intervention turned out to be 4~5 weeks and more than 8 weeks, with frequencies of 2~3 sessions per week and more than 4 sessions per week. The most frequently used dependent variables included range of motion (ROM) and disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) for the function and disorder of the upper limb category; arm circumference or volume and bio-impedance for the lymphedema category; visual analogue scale (VAS) and numerical rating scale (NRS) for the pain category; and the European organization for research and treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire breast cancer module (EORTC QLQ) and functional assessment of cancer therapy-breast (FACT-B) for the quality of life category. Conclusion : The findings of this scoping review provide valuable mapping data for non-pharmacological interventions for physical rehabilitation following breast cancer treatment. We recommend further research, particularly systematic reviews and meta-analyses, to build upon these findings.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.429-439
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• 2020

This study examined the effect size of virtual reality programs on the upper extremity function of stroke patients through a meta-analysis. Databases, such as the Research Information Sharing Service, the Korean Studies Information Service System, the National Library of Korea, the Korean Citation Index, and the National Digital Science Library, were used. Previous articles were surveyed for virtual reality programs between January 2010 and June 2019. A meta-analysis was performed by selecting the final 14 studies based on the PICO standard. The RoB and RoBANS tools were used as quality assessment tools for randomized and non-randomized control trials, respectively. The CMA 3.0 program was used to calculate the effect size of each study. Sub-group analysis, meta-regression analysis, and publication bias were performed. The total effect size of the virtual reality programs on the upper extremity function was Hedges's g=0.390 (95% CI: 0.192~0.587) (p<.05). The virtual reality program positively affects the upper extremity function of stroke patients. Therefore, the development of various virtual reality programs and industry-academia cooperation technology for stroke patients is required in accordance with the fourth industry. Randomized control trials and detailed upper extremity function studies for virtual reality programs will be needed in follow-up studies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.sup3
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• pp.323-335
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• 2016

Breast cancer risk assessment has developed during years and evaluation of genetic factor affecting risk of breast cancer is an important component of this risk assessment. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the role of XRCC1 polymorphisms (Arg194Trp, Arg280His and Arg399Gln) in risk of breast cancer among different population and categories of menopausal status.PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and PubMed Central were systematically searched to identify studies evaluating association between breast cancer and XRCC1 gene polymorphisms (Arg194Trp, Arg280His and Arg399Gln). Two authors independently extracted required information. Odds Ratios were pooled for four genetic inheritance models using both fixed and the DerSimonian and Laird random-effect models. Egger's test and contour-enhanced funnel plot was used to evaluate publication bias and small study effect. Additional subgroup analysis was performed for menopausal status, ethnicity, and source of controls. After evaluation and applying inclusion criteria on extracted studies, fifty three studies were included in this meta-analysis. For polymorphisms of Arg194Trp and Arg280His, no significant association was observed in all genetic models. Arg194Trp had a protective effect in post-menopausal status only in homozygote model (OR=0.57 [0.37-0.88]). Arg399Gln showed significant association with breast cancer in homozygote (OR=1.21 [1.10-1.34]), dominant (OR=1.09 [1.03-1.15]) and recessive (OR=1.21 [1.09- 1.35]) genetic models. Arg399Gln was associated with higher risk in post-menopausal status for homozygote and heterozygote models. Our findings suggest that XRCC1 gene polymorphisms modify breast cancer risk in different populations and different categories of menopausal status.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.311-318
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to assess the methodological quality of non-randomized studies published in the Journal of Korean Fundamentals of Nursing. Methods: A search of non-randomized studies assessing intervention effects was conducted among all articles published in the Journal of Korean Fundamentals of Nursing between 2011 and 2013. Articles were assessed for quality using the Methodological Index for Non Randomized Studies (MINORS). For each index item, the frequency and percentage of articles meeting the criteria were calculated, along with mean scores by research method, publication year, and research topic. Results: A total of 22 studies were included. The mean score for studies without control groups was 11.75 (range 0-16), and for those with control groups, 19.27 (range 0-24). Results show that improvement is needed on several items: "endpoints appropriate to the aim of the study," "unbiased assessment of the study endpoint," "follow-up period appropriate to the aim of the study," "loss to follow up less than 5%," and "contemporary groups." Conclusion: Although the quality of articles published in the Journal of Korean Fundamentals of Nursing has consistently increased, more emphasis should be placed on using rigorous research methods.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.204-213
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• 2022

Background: The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant increased the level of anxiety related to the radioactive contamination of various foods sourced in Japan. Particularly, after the accident, the detection of artificial radionuclides in locally produced foods raised food safety concerns. In this study, the radioactivity concentrations and annual ingestions of ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs in food products commonly and frequently consumed by the general public were investigated, and the annual effective dose of each was evaluated. Materials and Methods: The 2016-2018 data from the Radiation Safety Management Report released by the Korea Nuclear Safety Technology Center was referenced for the evaluation of the amounts of ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs contained in food. Using the food-ingestion survey mentioned above as a reference, we selected 62 foods to include in our radioactivity concentration and dose assessment. We also developed a questionnaire and evaluated the responses from the subjects who answered the questionnaire. Results and Discussion: The radioactivity concentration of ¹³⁷Cs was found to be close to or below the level of minimum detectable activity. Additionally, the annual ingestion of 62 foods was 294.77 kg/yr, the effective doses from ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs were 136.4 and 0.163 μSv/yr, respectively. Conclusion: Thus, the findings confirmed that the effective dose from ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs in food tends to be lower than the effective dose limit of 1 mSv/yr suggested by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 60. The questionnaire developed in this study is expected to be useful for estimating the annual effective dose status of Korean adults who consume foods containing ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs.

• Korea and Global Affairs
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.5-32
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• 2017

5.18 Gwangju Democratization Movement was approved as a legal democratization movement by president Kim Young Sam in May 1993 and was approved as a global recording inheritance by UNESCO in May 2011 for the honor of Gwangju citizens to be restored. However, assessment on this until today after 35 years of occurrence is not nationally unified and the mind of Gwangju maybe only remembered as pride by Gwangju. There are several factors of this continuing situation but this researcher thinks the biggest factor is that professionals reanalyzing the truth ascertainment fitting spirit of the times who are in charge of citizen education are intensively distributed in Jeolla-do and Seoul. Moreover, the journal unlikely assessing 5.18 have enemies in the assailant area during activity that unity is not taking place with divided assessments and trapped in Honam. This study judges that the reason the meaning of 5.18 is trapped in Honam and not nationally unified is because of the limit of "adversary system." Especially researchers who should analyze and explain this incident in a objective views are bias distributed (Gwangju Jeolla-do> Seoul>Gyeongnam) in hometown areas that the possibility of 5.18 meaning not being unified was focused. Academic research studies, journal writers, and publication locations are divided in this study to reveal they are bias distributed and reveal that there is possibility that this biased distribution of researches are becoming obstacles in overcoming regionality.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.30-45
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• 2009

Background: The safety of herbal products is an important issue in Korea. It is more complicated because of the concomitant use of conventional western drugs and herbal medicine, including prescribed medicine, folk herbs and food supplements. Although both western and traditional Korean medical doctors have studied on the safety of HMP, their results did not show relevant or consistent conclusions because of the poor quality of studies, including bias. Objectives: The aim of this study was to review the studies in Korea related to drug induced liver injury (DILI) systematically. We tried to estimate the proportion of causative materials of DILI and evaluate the clinical difference of DILIs from different materials. Methods: Systematic searches were performed on MedRIC and MEDLIS in Korea. The extraction of data as well as selective screening of the studies was carried out independently by two of the authors. There were no restrictions on the types of publication, including grey literature. Results: Twenty-one articles were included. Of them only 7 adapted prospective design and only 6 were published in peer-reviewed journals. The proportion of conventional drugs associated with hepatotoxic injuries in all DILI ranged from 15.8% to 83.3% and that of herbal medicine was from 28.9% to 44.7%. However, the criteria for herbal medicine were not clearly defined and concomitant medications were not fully investigated in most studies. There were limited objective data in the clinical differences of liver injuries from different materials and their results were conflicting. Conclusions: The causality assessments regarding DILI of herbal medicine were not performed properly and causative materials were misclassified in most of the studies published in Korea. These make the safety issue still ambiguous because of the limitations and lack of objectivity of the studies. More rigorous studies are required for clearly addressing these conflicting issues with cooperative investigation between traditional Korean and western medicine.