• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.333-343
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• 2024

This study aimed to investigate whether inhaling the aroma of essential oils could alleviate physiological stress responses and mimic the effects of forest therapy in urban settings. Briefly, 31 participants underwent stress index assessments for two days and inhaled the selected plant essential oils. The effects of this treatment on physiological responses were determined through electroencephalogram (EEG) and heart rate variability (HRV) measurements taken before and after inhaling the aroma of essential oils, extracting results for low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) components of HRV, as well as 𝜃 and 𝛼 brainwave activities. The results indicated that lavender oil did not yield significant differences, whereas pine, chamomile, and cypress oils exhibited significant differences in effects. Overall, stress relief was associated with enhanced 𝜃 and 𝛼 brainwave activities, a decrease in the LF component and an increase in the HF component of HRV. Among the essential oils studied, pine oil was the most effective. These findings underscore the potential of plant essential oils in replicating the therapeutic benefits of forest therapy, even in urban environments. Further investigations into their utilization are warranted to better understand and harness their therapeutic potential.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.23-37
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• 2023

Submucosal endoscopy or third-space endoscopy utilizes the potential space between the mucosal and muscularis layers of the gastrointestinal tract to execute therapeutic interventions for various diseases. Over the last decade, endoscopic access to the submucosal space has revolutionized the field of therapeutic endoscopy. Submucosal endoscopy was originally used to perform endoscopic myotomy in patients with achalasia cardia, and its use has grown exponentially since. Currently, submucosal endoscopy is widely used to resect subepithelial tumors and to manage refractory gastroparesis and Zenker's diverticulum. While the utility of submucosal endoscopy has stood the test of time in esophageal motility disorders and subepithelial tumors, its durability remains to be established in conditions such as Zenker's diverticulum and refractory gastroparesis. Other emerging indications for submucosal endoscopy include esophageal epiphrenic diverticulum, Hirschsprung's disease, and esophageal strictures not amenable to conventional endoscopic treatment. The potential of submucosal endoscopy to provide easy and safe access to the mediastinum and peritoneal spaces may open doors to novel indications and rejuvenate the interest of endoscopists in natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery in the future. This review focuses on the current spectrum, recent updates, and future direction of submucosal endoscopy in the gastrointestinal tract.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.115-130
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• 2002

Signal transduction refers to the processes by which cells perceive the environment and/or internal status. In many physiological responses, cellular signals are activated by the transducers attached to the cell surface plasma membrane in response to chemical modulators. Advances in information technology are required in the pharmaceutical sciences to screen and explore the potential therapeutic agents. (omitted)

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2013

The field of stem cell research has been rapidly expanding. Although the clinical usefulness of research remains to be ascertained through human trials, the use of stem cells as a therapeutic option for currently disabling diseases holds fascinating potential. Many pediatric gastrointestinal tract diseases have defect in enterocytes, enteric nervous system cells, smooth muscles, and interstitial cells of Cajal. Various kinds of therapeutic trials using stem cells could be applied to these diseases. This review article focuses on the recent achievements in stem cell applications for pediatric gastrointestinal tract diseases.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.3345-3349
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• 2013

Hsp90 shows great promise as a therapeutic target due to its potential to disable multiple signaling pathways simultaneously. In this study, we discovered that a natural product, butein moderately inhibited the growth of drug-resistant cancer cells (A2780cis and H1975), and brought about the degradation of oncogenic Hsp90 client proteins. The study demonstrated that butein would be a therapeutic lead to circumvent drug-resistance in cancer chemotherapy. The structure-based screening, synthesis, and biological evaluation of butein are described herein.

• Proceedings of the KTCVS Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.166-166
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• 1998

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2020

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease and has become a major socioeconomic issue in many developed countries. Currently available therapeutic agents for AD provide only symptomatic treatments, mainly because the complete mechanism of the AD pathogenesis is still unclear. Although several different hypotheses have been proposed, mitochondrial dysfunction has gathered interest because of its profound effect on brain bioenergetics and neuronal survival in the pathophysiology of AD. Various therapeutic agents targeting the mitochondrial pathways associated with AD have been developed over the past decade. Although most of these agents are still early in the clinical development process, they are used to restore mitochondrial function, which provides an alternative therapeutic strategy that is likely to slow the progression of the disease. In this mini review, we will survey the AD-related mitochondrial pathways and their small-molecule modulators that have therapeutic potential. We will focus on recently reported examples, and also overview the current challenges and future perspectives of ongoing research.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.302-309
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• 2023

This study aimed to develop a VR-based digital therapeutic intervention for the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. The research combined medical data with virtual reality technology to develop an algorithm for ADHD diagnostic scales and implemented a VR-based digital therapeutic platform using a head-mounted display (HMD). This platform can be used for the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents. Additionally, we four VR games were developed, including archery timing, Antarctic exploration, grocery shopping, and rhythm-based drumming(RBD), incorporating various psychiatric treatment techniques based on cognitive-behavioral therapy(CBT). To evaluate the usability of this digital therapeutic intervention, a group of experts specialized in counseling psychology participated in the study. The evaluations received highly positive feedback regarding the ability to access the system menu while wearing the HMD, the consistency of terminology used in menus and icons, the usage of actual size for 3D graphic elements, and the support for shortcut key functionality. The assessments also indicated that the games could improve attention, working memory, and impulse control, suggesting potential therapeutic effects for ADHD. This intervention could provide a daily treatment method for families experiencing financial constraints that limit hospital-based therapies, thereby reducing the burden.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.506-514
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• 2023

Dementia has become one of the most important diseases threatening human health. Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) have the highest incidence rates among the types of dementia, but until now, therapeutic methods have been limited. Panax ginseng has been used in China for thousands of years to treat dementia, and modern medical studies have found that it contains multiple active components, such as ginsenosides, polysaccharides, amino acids, volatile oils and polyacetylenes, many of which have therapeutic effects in treating AD and VaD. Studies have found that ginsenosides have multitarget therapeutic effects in treating dementia, such as regulation of synaptic plasticity and the cholinergic system, inhibition of Aβ aggravation and tau hyperphosphorylation, anti-neuroinflammation, anti-oxidation effects and anti-apoptosis effects. Other active components of Panax ginseng, such as gintonin, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides and ginseng proteins, also have therapeutic effects on AD and VaD. The effectiveness of ginseng-containing Chinese medicine compounds has also been confirmed by clinical and basic investigations in treating AD and VaD. In this review, we summarized the potential therapeutic effects and related mechanisms of Panax ginseng in treating AD and VaD to provide some examples for further studies.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.11
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• pp.545-546
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• 2018

With emerging evidence on the importance of non-cell autonomous toxicity in neurodegenerative diseases, therapeutic strategies targeting modulation of key immune cells. including microglia and Treg cells, have been designed for treatment of ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. Strategy switching the patient's environment from a pro-inflammatory toxic to an anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective condition, could be potential therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) regulate innate and adaptive immune cells, through release of soluble factors such as $TGF-{\beta}$ and elevation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and T helper-2 cells (Th2 cells), would play important roles, in the neuroprotective effect on motor neuronal cell death mechanisms in ALS. Single cycle of repeated intrathecal injections of BM-MSCs demonstrated a clinical benefit lasting at least 6 months, with safety, in ALS patients. Cytokine profiles of CSF provided evidence that BM-MSCs, have a role in switching from pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory conditions. Inverse correlation of $TGF-{\beta}1$ and MCP-1 levels, could be a potential biomarker to responsiveness. Thus, additional cycles of BM-MSC treatment are required, to confirm long-term efficacy and safety.