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Background/Aims Sofosbuvir plus ribavirin is a standard treatment for patients infected with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 in Korea. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of this treatment in Korean patients with chronic HCV genotype 2 infection. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of patients treated with sofosbuvir plus ribavirin for chronic HCV genotype 2 from May 2016 to December 2017 at eight hospitals located in the Daejeon-Chungcheong area. Results A total of 172 patients were treated with sofosbuvir plus ribavirin. Of them, 163 patients completed the treatment, and 162 patients were tested for sustained virologic response 12 weeks after treatment discontinuation (SVR12). Mean age was 59.6±12.3 years (27–96), and 105 (64.4%) patients were female. Of the total patients, 49 (30.1%) were diagnosed with cirrhosis, and 31 of them were treated for 16 weeks. Sofosbuvir plus ribavirin was the first-line treatment for 144 (88.3%) patients. Eleven (6.7%) patients were intolerant to previous interferon-based treatment. Eight (5.0%) patients relapsed after interferon-based treatment. HCV RNA non-detection rate at 4, 8, and 12 weeks was 97.5%, 99.1%, and 99.3%, respectively, and SVR12 was 98.8% (161/163). During treatment, 18 (11.0%) patients had to reduce their administrated dose of ribavirin because of anemia. One patient stopped the treatment because of severe anemia. Other adverse events, including dizziness, indigestion, and headache, were found in 26 (16.0%) patients. Conclusions A 12-16 week treatment with sofosbuvir plus ribavirin is remarkably effective and well tolerated in Korean patients with chronic HCV genotype 2 infection.

Abstract Background Hesperidin is a flavonoid with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune modulatory activities. Photoaging is a consequence of chronic exposure to the sun and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of hesperidin against photoaging of dorsal skin in hairless mice. Methods Hairless male mice (6-week-old) were divided into three groups (n = 7): control, UVB-treated vehicle, and UVB-treated hesperidin groups. UVB-irradiated mice from hesperidin group were orally administered 0.1 mL of water containing 100 mg/kg body weight per day hesperidin. Results The mean length and depth of wrinkles in the UVB-treated hesperidin group significantly improved after the oral administration of hesperidin, which significantly inhibited the increase in epidermal thickness and epidermal hypertrophy (P < 0.05). UVB irradiation of mice induced epidermal barrier dysfunction including an increase in the transepidermal water loss (TEWL); however, hesperidin decreased the TEWL. UVB irradiation increased the expression of MMP-9 and pro-inflammatory cytokines whereas UVB-treated hesperidin group showed reduced expression. These results indicate that hesperidin showed anti-photoaging activity in the UVB-irradiated hairless mice. In conclusion, hesperidin inhibited the UVB-induced increase in skin thickness, wrinkle formation, and collagen fiber loss in male hairless mice. Conclusions These results suggest that hesperidin shows potent anti-photoaging activity by regulating MMP-9 expression through the suppression of MAPK-dependent signaling pathways.

Context: Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Maxim (Vitaceae) is a traditional medicinal herb used for treating liver disorders. Objective: The hepatoprotective effects of A. brevipedunculata ethanol extract (ABE) was investigated in experimental models of fibrosis. Materials and methods: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) system in vitro and thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver fibrosis rat model in vivo were used. Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into five groups of eight each (control, TAA, TAA with ABE 10 mg/kg, ABE 100 mg/kg and silymarin 50 mg/kg groups, respectively). Fibrosis was induced except to the control group by TAA (200 mg/kg, i.p.) twice per week for 13 weeks. ABE and silymarin was administered orally six times per week from the 7th week to the 13th week. Results: In HSC-T6 cells, ABE (0.1 mg/mL) and silymarin (0.05 mg/mL) significantly (p

Context: Cuscuta chinensis Lam. (Convolvulaceae) has been used as a traditional herbal remedy for treating liver and kidney disorders. Objective: Anti-fibrotic effects of C. chinensis extract (CCE) in cellular and experimental animal models were investigated. Materials and methods: HSC-T6 cell viability, cell cycle and apoptosis were analysed using MTT assay, flow cytometry and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining techniques. Thioacetamide (TAA)-induced fibrosis model was established using Sprague Dawley rats (n = 10). Control, TAA, CCE 10 (TAA with CCE 10 mg/kg), CCE 100 (TAA with CCE 100 mg/kg) and silymarin (TAA with silymarin 50 mg/kg). Fibrosis was induced by TAA (200 mg/kg, i.p.) twice per week for 13 weeks. CCE and silymarin were administered orally two times per week from the 7th to 13th week. Fibrotic related gene expression (α-SMA, Col1α1 and TGF-β1) was measured by RT-PCR. Serum biomarkers, glutathione (GSH) and hydroxyproline were estimated by spectrophotometer using commercial kits. Results: CCE (0.05 and 0.1 mg/mL) and silymarin (0.05 mg/mL) treatment significantly (p

ObjectivesRemote medical services have been expanding globally, and this is expansion is steadily increasing. It has had many positive effects, including medical access convenience, timeliness of service, and cost reduction. The speed of research and development in remote medical technology has been gradually accelerating. Therefore, it is expected to expand to enable various high-tech information and communications technology (ICT)-based remote medical services. However, the current state lacks an appropriate security framework that can resolve security issues centered on the Internet of things (IoT) environment that will be utilized significantly in telemedicine.MethodsThis study developed a medical service-oriented frame work for secure remote medical services, possessing flexibility regarding new service and security elements through its service-oriented structure. First, the common architecture of remote medical services is defined. Next medical-oriented secu rity threats and requirements within the IoT environment are identified. Finally, we propose a "service-oriented security frame work for remote medical services" based on previous work and requirements for secure remote medical services in the IoT.ResultsThe proposed framework is a secure framework based on service-oriented cases in the medical environment. A com parative analysis focusing on the security elements (confidentiality, integrity, availability, privacy) was conducted, and the analysis results demonstrate the security of the proposed framework for remote medical services with IoT.ConclusionsThe proposed framework is service-oriented structure. It can support dynamic security elements in accordance with demands related to new remote medical services which will be diversely generated in the IoT environment. We anticipate that it will enable secure services to be provided that can guarantee confidentiality, integrity, and availability for all, including patients, non-patients, and medical staff.

ObjectivesNew methods for obtaining appropriate information for users have been attempted with the development of information technology and the Internet. Among such methods, the demand for systems and services that can improve patient satisfaction has increased in hospital care environments.MethodsIn this paper, we proposed the Hospital Exam Reservation System (HERS), which uses the data mining method. First, we focused on carrying clinical exam data and finding the optimal schedule for generating rules using the multi-examination pattern-mining algorithm. Then, HERS was applied by a rule master and recommending system with an exam log. Finally, HERS was designed as a user-friendly interface.ResultsHERS has been applied at the National Cancer Center in Korea since June 2014. As the number of scheduled exams increased, the time required to schedule more than a single condition decreased (from 398.67% to 168.67% and from 448.49% to 188.49%; p < 0.0001). As the number of tests increased, the difference between HERS and non-HERS increased (from 0.18 days to 0.81 days).ConclusionsIt was possible to expand the efficiency of HERS studies using mining technology in not only exam reservations, but also the medical environment. The proposed system based on doctor prescription removes exams that were not executed in order to improve recommendation accuracy. In addition, we expect HERS to become an effective system in various medical environments.

Anorectal melanoma is a rare neoplasm that accounts for less than 1-4% of anorectal malignant tumors. The main therapeutic modality for anorectal melanoma is surgical treatment, with abdominoperineal resection or wide local excision being the most common approaches. A 77-year-old male with a history of cerebral infarction and hypertension presented with anal bleeding. Here, we report a case of anorectal melanoma treated by endoscopic mucosal resection with adjuvant interferon therapy rather than surgical resection. The patient has been disease-free for 5 years after endoscopic treatment.

Here we report on the issue of Advanced Persistent Threats (APT), which use malware for the purpose of leaking the data of large corporations and government agencies. APT attacks target systems continuously by utilizing intelligent and complex technologies. To overthrow the elaborate security network of target systems, it conducts an attack after undergoing a pre-reconnaissance phase. An APT attack causes financial loss, information leakage, etc. They can easily bypass the antivirus system of a target system. In this paper, we propose a Multi-Layer Defense System (MLDS) that can defend against APT. This system applies a reinforced defense system by collecting and analyzing log information and various information from devices, by installing the agent on the network appliance, server and end-user. It also discusses how to detect an APT attack when one cannot block the initial intrusion while continuing to conduct other activities. Thus, this system is able to minimize the possibility of initial intrusion and damages of the system by promptly responding through rapid detection of an attack when the target system is attacked.

Recently, intelligent transport systems have been applied to vehicle cloud environments. Such technology is especially useful for the systematic management of road traffic. Moreover, automobiles are increasingly equipped with a black box for accident prevention and preservation of evidence. Vehicle black boxes have become mandatory because black box images and voice data have served as forensic evidence in courts. However, the data from black boxes can be forged or modified by man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks and message hijacking. In this paper, we propose a vehicle cloud computing-based black box service model that can provide integrity for black box data through digital signatures in vehicle cloud computing (VCC) environments. Our proposed model protects against MITM attacks and message hijacking using only a hash value and digital signature. Moreover, a mirroring technique (RAID 1) provides backup and recovery to protect the data from a traffic accident.

Abstract Background Acupuncture is known for a harmless treatment when administered by well-trained clinicians. However, multiple case reports of traumatic adverse events (AEs) related to acupuncture treatments continue to be published in literature. In this review, we evaluated the reporting quality and conducted causality assessments of case studies that have reported acupuncture-related traumatic AEs in Korea. Methods Eight databases were searched from their inception to January 2024. Only Korean case studies that reported traumatic AEs following acupuncture procedures were included without any language restrictions. Reporting quality was evaluated based on patient characteristics, AEs, and acupuncture practice. Causality was assessed using the modified WHO-UMC causality criteria. Results Twenty-eight studies were included from a total of 1,154 identified studies. The quality of reporting in the included studies was low overall. While the descriptions of patient characteristics and AEs were relatively well detailed, most information on acupuncture practice was not reported at all. During the causality assessment, only three (10.7%) studies were judged to be “certain”. Twelve (42.9%) studies were “unassessable” because they inadequately described the information necessary for decision-making. It was practically difficult to establish the causality between acupuncture and AEs, as well as the appropriateness of acupuncture practice. Conclusions Insufficient and inappropriate reporting was observed in most case studies reporting acupuncture-related traumatic AEs in Korea. To overcome these limitations, we have suggested tentative guidelines in the form of a set of items that should be reported by future authors who plan to publish case studies on acupuncture-related traumatic AEs in a clinical setting.

Despite the convenience, ubiquitous computing suffers from many threats and security risks. Security considerations in the ubiquitous network are required to create enriched and more secure ubiquitous environments. The address resolution protocol (ARP) is a protocol used to identify the IP address and the physical address of the associated network card. ARP is designed to work without problems in general environments. However, since it does not include security measures against malicious attacks, in its design, an attacker can impersonate another host using ARP spoofing or access important information. In this paper, we propose a new detection scheme for ARP spoofing attacks using a routing trace, which can be used to protect the internal network. Tracing routing can find the change of network movement path. The proposed scheme provides high constancy and compatibility because it does not alter the ARP protocol. In addition, it is simple and stable, as it does not use a complex algorithm or impose extra load on the computer system.

Recent rapid developments in wireless and mobile IT technologies have led to their application in many real-life areas, such as disasters, home networks, mobile social networks, medical services, industry, schools, and the military. Business/work environments have become wire/wireless, integrated with wireless networks. Although the increase in the use of mobile devices that can use wireless networks increases work efficiency and provides greater convenience, wireless access to networks represents a security threat. Currently, wireless intrusion prevention systems (IPSs) are used to prevent wireless security threats. However, these are not an ideal security measure for businesses that utilize mobile devices because they do not take account of temporal-spatial and role information factors. Therefore, in this paper, an efficient and secure mobile-IPS (m-IPS) is proposed for businesses utilizing mobile devices in mobile environments for human-centric computing. The m-IPS system incorporates temporal-spatial awareness in human-centric computing with various mobile devices and checks users’ temporal spatial information, profiles, and role information to provide precise access control. And it also can extend application of m-IPS to the Internet of things (IoT), which is one of the important advanced technologies for supporting human-centric computing environment completely, for real ubiquitous field with mobile devices.

In recent years, ubiquitous computing has been rapidly emerged in our lives and extensive studies have been conducted in a variety of areas related to smart devices, such as tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, smart refrigerators, and smart media devices, as a measure for realizing the ubiquitous computing. In particular, smartphones have significantly evolved from the traditional feature phones. Increasingly higher-end smartphone models that can perform a range of functions are now available. Smart devices have become widely popular since they provide high efficiency and great convenience for not only private daily activities but also business endeavors. Rapid advancements have been achieved in smart device technologies to improve the end users’ convenience. Consequently, many people increasingly rely on smart devices to store their valuable and important data. With this increasing dependence, an important aspect that must be addressed is security issues. Leaking of private information or sensitive business data due to loss or theft of smart devices could result in exorbitant damage. To mitigate these security threats, basic embedded locking features are provided in smart devices. However, these locking features are vulnerable. In this paper, an original security-locking scheme using a rhythm-based locking system (RLS) is proposed to overcome the existing security problems of smart devices. RLS is a user-authenticated system that addresses vulnerability issues in the existing locking features and provides secure confidentiality in addition to convenience.

Background: The utilization of herbal medicine has been noteworthy for treating cancer; however, there is not enough information regarding the characteristics of clinical trials of herbal medicine interventions. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristic of registered trials using herbal medicine interventions for cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed via the website ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN registry, Chinese clinical trial registry, and international clinical trials registry platform to gather associated registered clinical trials using an advanced search with the developed keyword strategy as of March 26, 2023. All obtainable information from the trials was collected without any restrictions to conduct a comprehensive review. Results: A total of 169 registered trials were included for evaluation. Of all trials, 102 trials were eligible for this study. Countries from Asia registered the most trials (62.75%), and hospitals sponsored most of the trials (42.16%). Randomized, Phase 2, interventional trials were dominant, and approximately 64.71% of the trials anticipated recruiting less than 100 participants. More than half of the trials were from 2016 to 2023 (53.92%). While 45 trials were completed, only 16 trials had results for further analysis. According to the completed results, the types of herbal medicines from the trials mainly focused on lung, breast, and colorectal cancer. Conclusion: This study is the first to explore the characteristics of clinical trials of herbal medicine for cancer registered in large clinical databases. The acquired trials had relatively informative data; however, better-designed trials may be needed for health professionals to consider herbal medicine as an option when treating cancer patients.

This paper proposes a hybrid deep learning emotion classification system (HDECS), a hybrid multimodal deep learning system designed for emotion classification in a specific national language. Emotion classification is important in diverse fields, including tailored corporate services, AI advancement, and more. Additionally, most sentiment classification techniques in speaking situations are based on a single modality: voice, conversational text, vital signs, etc. However, analyzing these data presents challenges because of the variations in vocal intonation, text structures, and the impact of external stimuli on physiological signals. Korean poses challenges in natural language processing, including subject omission and spacing issues. To overcome these challenges and enhance emotion classification performance, this paper presents a case study using Korean multimodal data. The case study model involves retraining two pretrained models, LSTM and CNN, until their predictions on the entire dataset reach an agreement rate exceeding 0.75. Predictions are used to generate emotional sentences appended to script data, which are further processed using BERT for final emotion prediction. The research result is evaluated by using categorical cross-entropy (CCE) to measure the difference between the model’s predictions and actual labels, F1 score, and accuracy. According to the evaluation, the case model outperforms the existing KLUE/roBERTa model with improvements of 0.5 in CCE, 0.09 in accuracy, and 0.11 in F1 score. As a result, the HDECS is expected to perform well not only on Korean multimodal datasets but also on sentiment classification considering the speech characteristics of various languages and regions.

This paper proposes a recommendation system based on a hybrid learning approach for a personal deep sleep service, called the Customized Deep Sleep Recommender System (CDSRS). Sleep is one of the most important factors for human life in modern society. Optimal sleep contributes to increasing work efficiency and controlling overall well-being. Therefore, a sleep recommendation service is considered a necessary service for modern individuals. Accurate sleep analysis and data are required to provide such a personalized sleep service. However, given the variations in sleep patterns between individuals, there is currently no international standard for sleep. Additionally, service platforms face a cold start problem when dealing with new users. To address these challenges, this study utilizes K-means clustering analysis to define sleep patterns and employs a hybrid learning algorithm to evaluate recommendations by combining user-based and collaborative filtering methods. It also incorporates feedback top-N classification processing for user profile learning and recommendations. The behavior of the study model is as follows. Using personal information received through mobile devices and data, such as snoring, sleep time, movement, and noise collected through AI motion beds, we recommend sleep and receive user evaluations of recommended sleep. This assessment reconstructs the profile and, finally, makes recommendations using top-N classification. The experimental results were evaluated using two absolute error measurement methods: mean squared error (MSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The research results regarding the hybrid learning methods show 13.2% fewer errors than collaborative filtering (CF) and 10.2% fewer errors than content-based filtering (CBF) on an MSE basis. According to the MAPE, the methods are 14.7% more accurate than the CF model and 9.2% better than the CBF model. These results demonstrate that CDSRS systems can provide more accurate recommendations and customized sleep services to users than CF, CBF, and combination models. As a result, CDSRS, a hybrid learning method, can better reflect a user’s evaluation than traditional methods and can increase the accuracy of recommendations as the number of users increases.

In recent years, the application of a smart city in the healthcare sector via loT systems has continued to grow exponentially and various advanced network intrusions have emerged since these loT devices are being connected. Previous studies focused on security threat detection and blocking technologies that rely on testbed data obtained from a single medical IoT device or simulation using a well-known dataset, such as the NSL-KDD dataset. However, such approaches do not reflect the features that exist in real medical scenarios, leading to failure in potential threat detection. To address this problem, we proposed a novel intrusion classification architecture known as a Multi-class Classification based Intrusion Detection Model (M-IDM), which typically relies on data collected by real devices and the use of convolutional neural networks (i.e., it exhibits better performance compared with conventional machine learning algorithms, such as naïve Bayes, support vector machine (SVM)). Unlike existing studies, the proposed architecture employs the actual healthcare IoT environment of National Cancer Center in South Korea and actual network data from real medical devices, such as a patient's monitors (i.e., electrocardiogram and thermometers). The proposed architecture classifies the data into multiple classes: Critical, informal, major, and minor, for intrusion detection. Further, we experimentally evaluated and compared its performance with those of other conventional machine learning algorithms, including naïve Bayes, SVM, and logistic regression, using neural networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) is a special type of acupuncture that inserts certain medical threads (eg, catgut or polydioxanone) into subcutaneous tissue or muscles at specific points. Although TEA has been widely used for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain in Korea, China and Taiwan, evidence regarding its efficacy is lacking. The aim of this protocol is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TEA in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain, by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods and analysis The following 16 databases will be searched from their inception to 14 May 2017: MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, three Chinese database (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database and the Wanfang database) and eight Korean databases (Korean Medical Database, Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors, Korean Studies Information Service System, Korean National Assembly Digital Library, National Digital Science Library, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, 'Database Periodical Information Academic and Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal'). The WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform will also be searched to retrieve the recently completed studies. All randomised controlled studies in which TEA was used on specific points for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain will be included and no restrictions on language will be applied. The risk of bias of each study will be evaluated by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Mean difference or standardised mean difference for continuous data and risk ratio for dichotomous data will be calculated with 95% CIs using a random effects model or a fixed effects model. Additional subgroup and sensitivity analyses will be conducted according to a predefined protocol. Ethics and dissemination No ethical issues are predicted. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal or conference presentation. These findings will summarise the current evidence of TEA for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and may provide guidance for clinicians and patients to select TEA for musculoskeletal pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sorafenib is an orally administered multikinase inhibitor with antiangiogenic and antiproliferative properties. The results of large clinical trials demonstrate that sorafenib prolongs survival and the time to progression of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the present study was to determine the outcomes of such patients who were routinely treated with sorafenib at multi-institutions in Korea, in contrast to formal clinical trials.Methods: Between August 2007 and March 2012, patients with advanced HCC in seven referral medical centers in Daejeon-Chungcheong Province of Korea were retrospectively enrolled to evaluate treatment response, survival, and tolerability following administration of sorafenib. The treatment response was assessed in accordance with the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor 1.1 guidelines.Results: Among 116 patients, 66 (57%) had undergone treatment for HCC, and 77 (66%) were accompanied with Child-Pugh A cirrhosis. The median duration of sorafenib treatment was 67 days (range 14-452 days). Median overall survival and median time to progression were 141 days and 90 days, respectively. Complete response, partial response, and stable disease were achieved for 0%, 2%, and 29% of patients, respectively. Overall median survival, but not the median time to progression, was significantly shorter for patients with Child-Pugh B cirrhosis compared with those with Child-Pugh A cirrhosis (64 days vs 168 days, P = 0.004). Child-Pugh B cirrhosis (P = 0.024) and a high level of serum alpha-fetoprotein (P = 0.039) were independent risk factors for poor overall survival. Thirty-nine (34%) patients experienced grade 3/4 adverse events such as hand-foot skin reactions and diarrhea that required dose adjustment.Conclusions: The clinical outcomes of sorafenib-treated patients with advanced HCC were comparable to those reported by formal clinical trial conducted in the Asia-Pacific region. Underlying hepatic dysfunction was the most important risk factor for shorter survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, as vehicle computing technology has advanced, the paradigm of the vehicle has changed from a simple means of transportation to a smart vehicle for safety and convenience. In addition, the previous functions of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) such as traffic accident prevention and providing traffic volume information have been combined with cloud computing. ITS services provide user-oriented broad services in the Vehicular Cloud Computing (VCC) environment through efficient traffic management, traffic accident prevention, and convenience services. However, existing vehicle services focus on providing services using sensing information inside the vehicle and the system to provide the service through an interface with the external infrastructure is insufficient. In addition, because wireless networks are used in VCC environments, there is a risk of important information leakage from sensors inside the vehicle, such as driver personal identification and payment information at the time of goods purchase. We propose the VCC Service-oriented Security Framework (VCC-SSF) to address the limitations and security threats of VCC-based services. The proposed framework considers security for convenient and efficient services of VCC and includes new user-oriented payment management and active accident management services. Furthermore, it provides authentication, encryption, access control,. confidentiality, integrity, and privacy protection for user personal information and information inside the vehicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for patients with postoperative pain after laparoscopic surgery. Methods and analysis: We will search the following databases from their inception to October 2014: MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), three Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP) and the Wanfang database), one Japanese database ( Japan Science and Technology Information Aggregator, Electronic ( J-STAGE)) and eight Korean databases (Korean Association of Medical Journal Edition, Korean Medical Database, Korean Studies Information Service System, National Discovery for Science Leaders, Database Periodical Information Academic, Korean National Assembly Digital Library, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System and Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal). All randomised controlled trials of acupuncture for postoperative pain after laparoscopic surgery will be considered for inclusion. The risk of bias and reporting quality will be assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) and the revised STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA). The risk ratio for dichotomous data and mean difference or standard mean difference for continuous data will be calculated with 95% CIs. Dissemination: The results of this review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication or conference presentation. Our findings will summarise the current evidence of acupuncture to treat postoperative pain after laparoscopic surgery, and may provide important guidance for acupuncture usage after laparoscopic surgery for clinicians and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report on the issue of Advanced Persistent Threats (APT), which use malware for the purpose of leaking the data of large corporations and government agencies. APT attacks target systems continuously by utilizing intelligent and complex technologies. To overthrow the elaborate security network of target systems, it conducts an attack after undergoing a pre-reconnaissance phase. An APT attack causes financial loss, information leakage, etc. They can easily bypass the antivirus system of a target system. In this paper, we propose a Multi-Layer Defense System (MLDS) that can defend against APT. This system applies a reinforced defense system by collecting and analyzing log information and various information from devices, by installing the agent on the network appliance, server and end-user. It also discusses how to detect an APT attack when one cannot block the initial intrusion while continuing to conduct other activities. Thus, this system is able to minimize the possibility of initial intrusion and damages of the system by promptly responding through rapid detection of an attack when the target system is attacked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arginine, an α-amino acid, has been reported to exert beneficial effects that ameliorate health problems and prevent excessive fat deposition. In this study, we investigated whether the activation of cell signaling by arginine can induce osteogenic differentiation and modulate excessive adipogenic differentiation in human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Arginine potently induced the expression of type Iα1 collagen, osteocalcin, and ALP in a dose-dependent manner without causing cytotoxicity. Arginine significantly increased the mRNA expression of the osteogenic transcription factors runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), DIx5, and osterix. Furthermore, arginine demonstrated its antiadipogenicity by decreasing adipocyte formation and triglyceride (TG) content in MSCs and inhibiting the mRNA expression of the adipogenic transcription factors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), and fatty acid binding protein 4 (Fabp4). This effect was associated with increased expression of Wnt5a, and nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFATc), and was abrogated by antagonists of Wnt and NFATc, which indicated a role of Wnt and NFATc signaling in the switch from adipogenesis to osteoblastogenesis induced by arginine. In conclusion, this is the first report of the dual action of arginine in promoting osteogenesis and inhibiting adipocyte formation through involving Wnt5a and NFATc signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to assess the completeness of reporting of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture in the Korean literature. Design: Systematic review. Methods: We searched 12 Korean databases and 7 Korean journals to identify eligible RCTs of acupuncture published from 1996 to July 2011. We used the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) checklist for parallel RCTs and the revised STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) to assess the quality of reporting in Korean RCTs. We compared the completeness of reporting of CONSORT and STRICTA items in RCTs published in two time periods (1996-2004 referred to as the early period and 2005-2011 referred to as the late period). Results: We analysed 146 eligible RCTs using the CONSORT statement concerning RCTs of both needling and non-needling acupuncture and the STRICTA guidelines for 90 trials of needling acupuncture. Among the 103 RCTs in the late period, the proportion of RCTs that completely reported the CONSORT items of outcome definition (15.5%), sample size calculation (2.9%), randomisation (56%), allocation concealment (5.8%), implementation of allocation (11.7%), outcome assessor blinding (20.3%), flow of participants (25.2%), number of participants analysed (19.4%), ancillary analyses (0.0%), adverse events (24.3%), generalisability of findings (1.9%) and overall evidence (32.0%) remained small. Among the 61 RCTs of needling acupuncture in the late period, the STRICTA items of setting/context (24.6%) and practitioner background (27.9%) showed incomplete reporting. The completeness of reporting improved over time in several CONSORT and STRICTA items. Conclusions: The completeness of reporting of Korean RCTs of acupuncture was suboptimal according to the CONSORT and revised STRICTA statements. Trial authors and journal editors should use the CONSORT statement and STRICTA guidelines for transparent reporting in Korean RCTs of acupuncture. The endorsement of the CONSORT and revised STRICTA statements in author instructions is also required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As intelligent ubiquitous devices become more popular, security threats targeting them are increasing; security is seen as one of the major challenges of the ubiquitous computing. Nowa days, applying ubiquitous computing in number of fields for human safety and convenience was immensely increased in recent years. The popularity of the technology is rising day by day, and hence the security is becoming the main focused point with the advent and rising popularity of the applications. In particular, the number of wireless networks based on ubiquitous devices has increased rapidly; these devices support transmission for many types of data traffic. The convenient portability of ubiquitous devices makes them vulnerable to security threats, such as loss, theft, data modification, and wiretapping. Developers and users should seriously consider employing data encryption to protect data from such vulnerabilities. In this paper, we propose a Rhythm Key based Encryption scheme for ubiquitous devices (Ubi-RKE). The concept of Rhythm Key based Encryption has been applied to numerous real world applications in different domains. It provides key memorability and secure encryption through user touching rhythm on ubiquitous devices. Our proposed scheme is more efficient for users than existing schemes, by providing a strong cipher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: High-quality reporting of treatment details can aid replication of study results in real-world clinical practice. The Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) is a reporting guideline for key elements of acupuncture interventions in clinical trials. This study used STRICTA to investigate whether Cochrane reviews of acupuncture adequately report important treatment details. Design: Systematic review Methods: Cochrane reviews of acupuncture were identified from The Cochrane Library (issue 7, 2012). Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) included in the reviews and published after 2005 were obtained. Using STRICTA, we extracted acupuncture-related information from the Cochrane reviews and the RCTs. The characteristics of the included studies' table were the major source of intervention information from Cochrane reviews. Reporting quality of acupuncture interventions in Cochrane reviews was assessed and compared with the respective RCTs. Results: 25 Cochrane reviews of acupuncture and 92 RCTs met the selection criteria. Cochrane reviews were 16% less likely to report the acupuncture-related items of STRICTA than RCTs (risk ratio 0.84, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.88, I²=8%). Information was significantly better reported for 10 of the 15 treatment-group items of STRICTA in RCTs than in Cochrane reviews (p<0.05), while four items did so without statistical significance. One item related to practitioner background was significantly better reported in Cochrane reviews. Conclusions: Reporting quality of treatment details in Cochrane reviews of acupuncture was insufficient with regard to STRICTA, even though such information was readily reported in RCTs. The overall quality of reporting of the RCTs, while better than the reviews, was also often suboptimal. Use of STRICTA guideline during the review process is recommended to adequately report the key treatment components in Cochrane reviews of acupuncture. The potential impact of STRICTA to the replicability and utilisation of reviews in future research and practice needs to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sought to determine the cartilage repair capacity of WIN-34B in the collagenase-induced osteoarthritis rabbit model and in progenitor cells from subchondral bone. The cartilage protective effect of WIN-34B was measured by clinical and histological scores, cartilage area, and proteoglycan and collagen contents in the collagenase-induced osteoarthritis rabbit model. The efficacy of chondrogenic differentiation of WIN-34B was assessed by expression of CD105, CD73, type II collagen, and aggrecan in vivo and was analyzed by the surface markers of progenitor cells, the mRNA levels of chondrogenic marker genes, and the level of proteoglycan, GAG, and type II collagen in vitro. Oral administration of WIN-34B significantly increased cartilage area, and this was associated with the recovery of proteoglycan and collagen content. Moreover, WIN-34B at 200 mg/kg significantly increased the expression of CD105, CD73, type II collagen, and aggrecan compared to the vehicle group. WIN-34B markedly enhanced the chondrogenic differentiation of CD105 and type II collagen in the progenitor cells from subchondral bone. Also, we confirmed that treatment with WIN-34B strongly increased the number of SH-2(CD105) cells and expression type II collagen in subchondral progenitor cells. Moreover, WIN-34B significantly increased proteoglycan, as measured by alcian blue staining; the mRNA level of type II αl collagen, cartilage link protein, and aggrecan; and the inhibition of cartilage matrix molecules, such as GAG and type II collagen, in IL-lβ-treated progenitor cells. These findings suggest that WIN-34B could be a potential candidate for effective anti-osteoarthritic therapy with cartilage repair as well as cartilage protection via enhancement of chondrogenic differentiation in the collagenase-induced osteoarthritis rabbit model and progenitor cells from subchondral bone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to explore the antiadipogenic effect and possible mechanism of Gambisan on 3T3-L1 cells. For quality control, Gambisan was standardized by HPLC and the standard compounds ephedrine, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, and caffeine were screened. Cultured 3T3-L1 cells that had been induced to differentiate were treated with various concentrations of Gambisan or its major component extracts (Ephedra intermedia Schrenk, Atractylodes lancea DC., and Thea sinensis L.) for 72 hours for MTT assay to determine cell viability or 10 days for LDH assay, triglyceride assay, DNA content measurement, Oil red O staining, RT-PCR, and western blot. Gambisan significantly inhibited adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells by reducing triglyceride contents and lipid accumulation in a dose-dependent manner without obvious cytotoxicity. Viability and DNA content in 3T3-L1 cells treated with Gambisan were significantly higher than cells treated with the major component extracts at every concentration. The anti-adipogenic effects of Gambisan appeared to be mediated by a significant downregulation of the expression of lipoprotein lipase mRNA and PPARγ, C/EBPα, and SREBP-1 protein apart from the expression of hormone-sensitive lipase. Gambisan could act as a possible therapeutic agent for obesity. However, further studies including in vivo assays and clinical trials are needed to confirm the efficacy, safety and mechanisms of the antiobesity effects of Gambisan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Incomplete recovery from facial palsy has a long-term impact on the quality of life, and medical options for the sequelae of Bell's palsy are limited. Invasive treatments and physiotherapy have been employed to relieve symptoms, but there is limited clinical evidence for their effectiveness. Acupuncture is widely used on Bell's palsy patients in East Asia, but there is insufficient evidence for its effectiveness on Bell's palsy sequelae. The objective is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in patients with sequelae of Bell's palsy. Method/Design: This study consists of a randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms: an acupuncture group and a waitlist group. The acupuncture group will receive acupuncture treatment three times per week for a total of 24 sessions over 8 weeks. Participants in the waitlist group will not receive any acupuncture treatments during this 8 week period, but they will participate in the evaluations of symptoms at the start of the study, at 5 weeks and at 8 weeks after randomization, at which point the same treatment as the acupuncture group will be provided. The primary outcome will be analyzed by the change in the Facial Disability Index (FDI) from baseline to week eight. The secondary outcome measures will include FDI from baseline to week five, House-Brackmann Grade, lip mobility, and stiffness scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) has been long believed to be associated with many pathophysiological processes during septic shock. Here we present novel activities for PAF in protecting mice against LPS-mediated endotoxic shock. Principal Findings: In vivo PAF treatment immediately after LPS challenge markedly improved the survival rate against mortality from endotoxic shock. Administration of PAF prominently attenuated LPS-induced organ injury, including profound hypotension, excessive polymorphonuclear neutrophil infiltration, and severe multiple organ failure. In addition, PAF treatment protects against LPS-induced lymphocytes apoptosis. These protective effects of PAF was correlated with significantly decreases in the production of the inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-12, and IFN-γ, while increasing production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions: Taken together, these results suggest that PAF may protect mice against endotoxic shock via a complex mechanism involving modulation of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new model that keeps track of the dynamics of single dipoles is suggested for the photoinduced formation of a surface relief grating on azobenzene polymer films by two optical fields. Interfering optical fields provide a single dipole of an azobenezene molecule with two dynamical resources:  rotation of the molecule caused by the torque, leading to an induced dipole, and its subsequent migration because of the electric force. Explicit development of the induced dipole of the molecule and its real-time migration, which depend on the details of the optical fields such as polarization and wavelength, can be understood self-consistently within the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Pro-inflammatory mediators, such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and nitric oxide (NO), and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, play pivotal roles in brain injuries. The anti-inflammatory properties are known to be associated with significant reductions in pro-inflammatory mediators in brain injuries. In the present study we investigate whether the effects of curcumin on the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglia. Methods: Curcumin were administered and their effects on LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators were monitored by Western blotting and RT-PCR. Result: Curcumin significantly inhibited the release of NO, PGE2, and pro-inflammatory cytokines in a dose-dependent manner. Curcumin also attenuated the expressions of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, curcumin suppressed NF-κB activation via the translocation of p65 into the nucleus. Our data also indicate that curcumin exerts anti-inflammatory properties by suppressing the transcription of proinflammatory cytokine genes through the NF-κB signaling pathway. Conclusion: Anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin may be useful for treating the inflammatory and deleterious effects of microglial activation in response to LPS stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the molecular mechanisms of ZD1839-induced apoptosis in human leukemic U937 cells. Methods: The inhibition of human leukemic U937 cell growth was assessed by 3- (4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphnyl-2 H-tetrazolim bromide (MTT) assays, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and cell cycle distribution. The expression of anti- and pro-apoptotic proteins was detected by Western blot analysis. Results: This study demonstrated that ZD1839 induced apoptosis in leukemic U937 cells by the downregulation of Bcl-2, caspase activation and subsequent apoptotic features. Cotreatment with ZD1839 and the caspase-3 inhibitor z-DEVD-fmk blocked apoptosis, indicating that caspase-3 activation is at least partially responsible for ZD1839-induced apoptosis. The ectopic expression of Bcl-2 attenuated caspase-3 activation, PARP cleavage, and subsequent indicators of apoptosis, including sub-G1 DNA content and LDH release. These results indicate that the downregulation of Bcl-2 plays a major role in the initiation of ZD1839-induced apoptosis, and that the activation of a caspase cascade is involved in the execution of apoptosis. Furthermore, ZD1839 treatment triggered the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the down-regulation of c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (P13K)/Akt. The inhibition of the ERK and P13K/Akt pathways also significantly increased cellular death. Conclusion: ZD 1839 activated caspase-3 and the inhibited Bcl-2 in human leukemic U937 cells through the downregulation of the ERK and P13K/Akt pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been known that acupuncture has various effects such as analgesia, promotion of homeostasis, improvements in brain circulation, and rectification of internal disorders. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), a 36-amino-acid peptide, is known to increase appetite. In the present study, the effect of acupuncture stimulation at Zusanli (St.36) on NPY expression in the Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats was investigated via immunohistochemistry. Increased NPY expression was detected in both the Arcuate nucleus (ARN) and the Paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the Hypothalamus in rats with in STZ-induced diabetes. Needling on Zusanli resulted in decreased NPY levels in both the ARN and PVN of diabetic rats. The present study shows that acupuncture suppressed NPY expression in the ARN and PVN of the Hypothalamus in STZ-induced diabetic rats, suggesting the possibility that acupuncture treatment is effective in curbing the hyperphagia of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New photoreactive prepolymers for the color filter resist of LCD were designed and synthesized through the reaction between several kinds of epoxy resins and methacrylic acid (MAA) or itaconic acid (ITA). The chemical structures of the prepolymers were confirmed by NMR and FT-IR spectroscopies. We investigated the photocure kinetics of the prepolymers using FT-IR spectroscopy, confirming high degree of photocuring of the prepolymers could be obtained upon UV irradiation. We also figured out the polymers possessed good thermal stability, showing little change of transmittance in the visible range even after heating at 250°C for 1 hour. The prepolymers showed good pattern resolution as low as several tens of microns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pattern identification (PI) is a diagnostic method used in Traditional East Asian medicine (TEAM) to select appropriate and personalized acupuncture points and herbal medicines for individual patients. Developing a reproducible PI model using clinical information is important as it would reflect the actual clinical setting and improve the effectiveness of TEAM treatment. In this paper, we suggest a novel deep learning-based PI model with feature extraction using a deep autoencoder and k-means clustering through a cross-sectional study of sleep disturbance patient data. The data were obtained from an anonymous electronic survey in the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) members from August 16, 2021, to September 20, 2021. The survey instrument consisted of six sections: demographics, medical history, military duty, sleep-related assessments (Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Berlin questionnaire, and sleeping environment), diet/nutrition-related assessments [dietary habit survey questionnaire and nutrition quotient (NQ)], and gastrointestinal-related assessments [gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS) and Bristol stool scale]. Principal component analysis (PCA) and a deep autoencoder were used to extract features, which were then clustered using the k-means clustering method. The Calinski-Harabasz index, silhouette coefficient, and within-cluster sum of squares were used for internal cluster validation and the final PSQI, Berlin questionnaire, GSRS, and NQ scores were used for external cluster validation. One-way analysis of variance followed by the Tukey test and chi-squared test were used for between-cluster comparisons. Among 4,869 survey responders, 2,579 patients with sleep disturbances were obtained after filtering using a PSQI score of >5. When comparing clustering performance using raw data and extracted features by PCA and the deep autoencoder, the best feature extraction method for clustering was the deep autoencoder (16 nodes for the first and third hidden layers, and two nodes for the second hidden layer). Our model could cluster three different PI types because the optimal number of clusters was determined to be three via the elbow method. After external cluster validation, three PI types were differentiated by changes in sleep quality, dietary habits, and concomitant gastrointestinal symptoms. This model may be applied to the development of artificial intelligence-based clinical decision support systems through electronic medical records and clinical trial protocols for evaluating the effectiveness of TEAM treatment.

Abstract Background This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of geonchildan, a Korean traditional herbal medicine, for patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and evaluate the feasibility of a large-scale confirmatory clinical trial. Methods/design This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel two-arm pilot trial in Seoul, Korea. Altogether, 30 patients diagnosed with RA for at least 3 months and with a Disease Activity Score for 28 joints (DAS28) ≥ 3.2 will be enrolled. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups, the experimental group or the placebo group, in a 1:1 ratio and will make four scheduled visits. The participants will be administered geonchildan or a placebo three times per day for 12 weeks. The change in DAS28 will be examined as the primary efficacy outcome. The secondary efficacy outcomes include the proportion of patients achieving ACR20, ACR50, ACR70, and EULAR responses; the DAS28 sub-items; the consumption of medication; Korean Health Assessment Questionnaire scores; inflammatory parameters; and the Korean medical diagnostic pattern indicator. Adverse events and laboratory test results will be recorded to evaluate safety. The process, resources used, and management of the study will also be assessed to determine the feasibility of a large-scale trial. Discussion This is the first clinical trial to explore the efficacy and safety of geonchildan in patients with active RA. If the superiority of geonchildan versus the placebo is demonstrated and the study design is feasible, this study could form the foundation for a large-scale clinical trial. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration Clinical Research Information Service, KCT0001943. Registered on 14 June 2016.