• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.865-872
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• 2018

In neuronal cell deaths, oxidative stress is normally implicated with a most of these deaths occurring in neurodegenerative disorders such as the Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In this study, the neuroprotective effects of Schisandra chinensis (SC) and Ribes fasciculatum (RF) extracts on hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$)-induced oxidative stress in neuroblastic cell line were investigated. For an hour, hydrogen peroxide of $100{\mu}M$ concentration, was induced on neuroblastic cells, causing apoptic cell death. For the neuroprotection, a sample of neuroblastic cells had been pre-treated with SC and RF extracts for 24 hours before application of the hydrogen peroxide. No neurotoxic effects were observed in the cells that had been treated by SC and RF. This prove that the treatment of SC and RF extract prevented apoptotic cell death of neuroblastic cell line exposed to oxidative injury. In addition, applying both SC and RF extracts at a 7:3 ratio increased the neuronal cell survival rate, compared to individual treatments of SC and RF extract. This study suggests that SC and RF extracts may be potential therapeutic agents for the prevention of neuronal cell death.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.72-79
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• 2019

Background: The aim of this study was to review clinical efficacy of acupuncture treatment of mild cognitive impairment. Methods: Randomized controlled trials that performed acupuncture treatment for mild cognitive impairment were retrieved from 6 online databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, NDSL, OASIS) on September $30^{th}$, 2018. Studies were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and were reviewed by Risk of Bias assessment. Results: In total, 21 studies were included in this review. All studies were Chinese (19 studies published in Chinese and 2 in English). The sample size, 50 to 100, and the number of treatment times, 20 to 30, were the largest range in all studies. The most treatments performed was 30. The longest treatment period was 56 days, which accounted for 33% of the studies. The most frequently used evaluation index was the Mini Mental State Examination followed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, each used 17 times and 15 times, respectively. The most frequently used acupoints were GV20, EX-HN1, GB20, and GV24, which accounted for 47% of total number of acupoints used. In 48% of the studies, needle retention time was 30 minutes. Western medicine treatment was the most common control group. Most studies reported that the intervention group was statistically significantly different to the control group. Conclusion: These results suggest that acupuncture for mild cognitive impairment was effective. However, it is difficult to confirm this conclusion because the quality of most of these studies were of low quality.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.354-361
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• 2021

This study explored whether the transition to living with a chronic disease changes the level of depression symptoms among middle-aged and older adults in South Korea. We hypothesize that the transition to living with chronic disease leads to a higher level of depressive symptoms. A nationally representative sample (N = 6,284) of adults 45 years and older from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA) was analyzed. Multi-regression modeling was used to examine the association between the diagnosis of chronic disease and the level of depressive symptoms in patients. The findings highlight the need for policy makers, clinicians, as well as patients and their caregivers to become more aware of mental health risks in patients diagnosed with chronic diseases, particularly first-time patients. This study contributes to encouraging greater psychosocial support, including monitoring the level of depressive symptoms of patients who develop chronic conditions and providing appropriate treatments for those at the highest risk.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.397-402
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• 2020

Background: Inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) is the most common, painful, and anxiety-provoking procedure involving needle insertion for anesthetic solution deposition. DentalVibeⓇ (DV) delivers vibration at a sustained frequency as a counter-stimulation to the site of injection, thereby alleviating pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of DV and lignocaine hydrochloride 2% gel (Lox 2% jelly) in pain reduction during IANB in children. Methods: A split-mouth randomized clinical trial was designed with a sample of 60 children (age, 6 to 12 years) requiring bilateral IANB for various dental procedures; DV was used while administering IANB and Lox 2% jelly was used as the topical anesthetic before administering IANB at subsequent appointments. During both appointments, pain perception was measured using the sound, eye, motor (SEM) scale and Wong-Baker faces pain rating scale (WBFPRS); oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate were measured using a pulse oximeter before, during, and after the IANB procedure. The obtained values were tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis. Wilcoxon test was used for intergroup comparison, and Friedman test, for intragroup comparison of measured variables at different treatment phases. Results: The medians and interquartile ranges of the WBFPRS scores recorded during the IANB procedure for DV and Lox 2% jelly were 2 (2-4) and 2 (0-2), respectively (P < 0.05). The SEM scale scores, mean SpO2, and pulse rate did not show any significant differences during the IANB procedure between both treatments. Conclusion: Both DV and Lox 2% jelly were found to be effective in pain reduction during IANB in children.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.426-434
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• 2021

The effect of two different annealing temperatures on the level of the second phase precipitated in the microstructure and the corrosion behaviors of super austenitic stainless steel were examined. The sample annealed at a higher temperature had a significantly lower fraction of the sigma phase enriched with Cr and Mo elements, showing more stable passivity behavior during the potentiodynamic polarization measurement. However, after the welding process with Inconel-type welding material, severe corrosion damage along the interface between the base metal and the weld metal was observed regardless of the annealing temperature. This was closely associated with the precipitation of the fine sigma phase with a high Mo concentration in the unmixed zone (UMZ) during the welding process, leading to the local depletion of Mo concentrations around the sigma phase. On the other hand, the fraction of the newly precipitated fine sigma phase in the UMZ was greatly reduced by post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), and the corrosion resistance was greatly improved. Based on the results, it is proposed that the alloy composition of welding materials and PWHT conditions should be further optimized to ensure the superior corrosion resistance of welded super austenitic stainless steel.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.15-24
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• 2021

Objectives : This study sought to identify the Korean medicine treatment satisfaction of 3,000 patients who are 19 or older with experiences of being treated with Korean medicine at Korean medicine clinics or Korean medicine hospitals after experiencing traffic accidents. Methods : Frequency analysis was carried out to identify the effectiveness and satisfaction of Korean medicine services, and independent sample t-test was carried out to compare the satisfaction of users with different characteristics. Lastly, cross analysis(chi-square) was carried out to examine the relation between satisfaction and willingness to recommend. Results : Firstly, 91.3% of the patients were satisfied with the medical services provided at Korean medicine clinics, with the most satisfactory Korean medicine treatments in the order of acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, Korean physical therapy, herbal acupuncture, Chuna manual therapy, herbal medicine, and others. Secondly, 71.3% of the patients answered that outpatient treatment was appropriate while 65.3% of the patients answered that hospitalized treatment was appropriate regarding duration of treatment at Korean medicine clinics, mostly being satisfied with the treatment duration at Korean medicine clinics and Korean medicine hospitals. Thirdly, in a survey on effectiveness of Korean medicine treatment compared to occidental medicine treatment, 85.9% of the patients answered: "the effectiveness of Korean medicine treatment is higher compared to occidental medicine or similar". Conclusion : From the results of this study, it was identified that satisfaction of Korean medicine treatment is high in motor insurance, and that higher satisfaction led to higher willingness to recommend Korean medicine treatment to others. Based on such results, the expansion of the role of Korean medicine could be understood.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.13.1-13.11
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• 2023

Objectives: Natural extracts have been investigated as a biomimetic strategy to mechanically strengthen the collagen network and control the biodegradation of extracellular matrix. This study evaluated the effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on abfraction lesions prior to the composite resin. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 30 patients (aged between 28 and 60 years) with abfraction lesions located in 2 homologous premolars. The teeth were randomly assigned according to dentin treatment: 0.02% EGCG solution or distilled water (control). After enamel acid etching, the solutions were applied immediately for 1 minute. The teeth were restored with Universal Adhesive (3M) and Filtek Z350 XT (3M). Analyzes were done by 2 independent examiners using modified USPHS (retention, secondary caries, marginal adaptation, and postoperative sensitivity) and photographic (color, marginal pigmentation, and anatomical form) criteria at baseline (7 days) and final (18 months). The data analysis used Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (α = 0.05). Results: At baseline, all restorations were evaluated as alpha for all criteria. After 18 months, restorations were evaluated as alpha for secondary caries, color, and marginal pigmentation. There was significant difference between baseline and 18 months (p = 0.009) for marginal adaptation and postoperative sensitivity (p = 0.029), but no significant difference were verified between treatments (p = 0.433). The EGCG group had a restoration retention rate of 93.3%, while the control group had 96.7%. Conclusions: The application of EGCG solution on abfraction lesions did not significantly influence the survival of the restorations based on clinical and photographic criteria.

• Korean Journal of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature for application of intranasal sodium citrate in the patients with olfactory dysfunction to help determine the sodium citrate treatments for this condition. Two authors independently searched the data base (Medline, Scopus, and the Cochrane database) for relevant studies from inception to January 2018. Included studies were randomized controlled studies published in English comparing topical sodium citrate application (treatment group) with saline (control group) in patients who had olfactory dysfunction. Outcomes of interest included the change of olfactory identification and threshold during 2 hours post-treatment. Three studies were enrolled in the meta-analysis. Compared with control group, treatment group did not increase posttreatment score of olfactory identification [standardized mean difference (SMD)=-0.03; 95% confidence interval (CI)=-0.29-0.24; I²=0%] and olfactory threshold (SMD=0.18; 95% CI=-0.09-0.45; I²=0%) significantly. In the degree of pre-post improvement of two outcomes, although treatment group statistically showed the significant improvement in olfactory threshold (SMD=0.30; 95% CI=0.05-0.55; I²=17%), the clinical significance of this outcome was meaningless. Similarly, there was no significant difference in olfactory identification between two groups (SMD=0.17; 95% CI=-0.11-0.45; I²=22%). Unlike the recent favorable results, our summated results presented the uselessness for the local application of sodium citrate in improving patient's olfactory function. However, we also had some limitation such as small sample size and inconsistent application methods. Therefore, larger trials and standardized methodology are needed to reach more stronger and exact results.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.101-111
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• 2012

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether taurine supplementation in combination with fructose improves both energy metabolism and exercise capacity. Eight collegiate female subjects were recruited for the study. Each subject went through threecross-over designs: control(fluid), fructose, and taurine plus fructose supplementation trials. Subjects received taurine supplementation 100 mg/kg a day for two weeks. After the supplementation, all subjects take 10% fructose at 15 min prior to exercise, immediately before exercise, and every 15 min during exercise. Subjects received 150 ml fluid as placebo during the same procedure. The subjects performed submaximal exercise at the exercise intensity of 60% for 45 min and then 80% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max) until exhaustion time. A 10ml blood sample was taken for measuring the level of glucose, ammonia, lactate, free fatty acids, and insulin every 15 min during exercise at 60% of VO_2max. The blood glucose levels was significantly higher at 45 min and 50 min exercise after supplementation of fructose, and immediately before exercise and 50 min exercise after taurine plus fructose compared to the placebo trial. However, the values tended to be lower in taurine plus fructose supplementation compared to the fructose trial. The levels of both lactate and ammonia were significantly lower compared to the placebo, while the exhaustion time was significantly increased. The level of free-fatty acids was significantly lower at 30, 45, and 50 min after fructoseand fructose plus taurine supplementation compared to the placebo trial. The level of glucagon was significantly lower at 15, 30, 45, and 50 min after fructose and fructose plus taurine supplementation compared to the placebo trial. There was no differences in insulin concentration among three treatments. This thesis concludes that combined taurine and fructose supplementation prior to exercise may improve exercise tolerance time and energy metabolism, lowering the muscle fatigue factors such as lactate and ammonia.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.221-235
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• 2023

Purpose : Delegating authority to employees exerts a positive effect on the efficient operation and service of a company. In particular, investigating how the delegation of authority granted to social workers, who have a greater workload compared with those of other occupations, influences job satisfaction and commitment to the organization is meaningful. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of the empowerment of social workers on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Methods : Toward this end, surveys were distributed to social workers employed at social welfare facilities in Daegu metropolitan city. Prior to the study, the researcher visited the institutions in which the social workers were working, explained the content in person, and conducted the self-administered survey accompanied by two research assistants who received prior training. Out of the 233 collected responses, those with unreliable responses and missing data were excluded, which left a sample of 224 for analysis. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0. Results : First, social workers who were older, had higher positions, and with longer years of service exhibited higher levels of empowerment in terms of differences in empowerment according to general characteristics. Second, for job satisfaction and organizational commitment according to general characteristics, the longer the period of employment, the higher the level of job satisfaction. Third, empowerment exerted an effect on job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and a positive correlation was found. Conclusion : The empowerment of social workers exerted a positive effect on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Therefore, to improve service quality and the efficient operation of social welfare organizations in this practice, improving the empowerment of social workers is necessary by providing appropriate treatments, improving working environments, and providing appropriate discretion and decision-making authorities that are considered necessary for work performance.