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While two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is emerging as an atomically thin and dangling bond-free insulating layer for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics, its practical implementation into miniaturized integrated circuits has been significantly limited due to difficulties in large-scale growth directly on epitaxial semiconductor wafers. Herein, the realization of a wafer-scale h-BN van der Waals heterostructure with a 2 in. AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT) wafer using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition is presented. The combination of state-of-the-art microscopic and spectroscopic analyses and theoretical calculations reveals that the heterointerface between ∼2.5 nm-thick h-BN and AlGaN layers is atomically sharp and exhibits a very weak van der Waals interaction without formation of a ternary or quaternary alloy that can induce undesired degradation of device performance. The fabricated AlGaN/GaN HEMT with h-BN shows very promising performance including a cutoff frequency (fT) and maximum oscillation frequency (fMAX) as high as 28 and 88 GHz, respectively, enabled by an effective passivation of surface defects on the HEMT wafer to deliver accurate information with minimized power loss. These findings pave the way for practical implementation of 2D materials integrated with conventional microelectronic devices and the realization of future all-2D electronics.

Delirium is defined as a state that patient is in acute disturbance of consciousness with decreased ability to focus, maintain, or attention, accompanied by cognition change and perceptual disturbances. Postoperative delirium (POD) is a form of delirium, characterized in patients who have undergone surgical procedure and newly diagnosed with a delirium after surgical procedure and anesthesia. There is no definite mechanism how POD happens, but some possible causes are known : inflammation, neurotransmitter, chronic stress, metabolic disorders, electrolyte disorders and sleep-wake disturbance. Though incidence of POD is about 5%-15%, POD is still under-recognised among health care provider. And POD often fatal for patients. It can leads to increasing health care cost, making poor prognosis after surgery and lengthening hospital stay. Acupuncture is defined as an intervention stimulated specific points using needles with various manipulations. Acupuncture is widely used in managing pain recently but also used for mental problems like an anxiety, insomnia, anxiety, depression, dementia, cognitive impairment, and delirium. For producing sedation without complications, acupuncture could be a potential intervention for POD. There are several clinical trials that acupuncture is effective for POD. However, there is no systematic reviews of acupuncture on this condition. Therefore, the aim of this review is to draw a definitive conclusion on acupuncture for POD.

The development of the wireless Internet environment enables smart devices to be interconnected in various environments to provide convenient services to users. Specifically, in connected vehicle and smart home, the infotainment system and home electronics are connected to the Internet to individually provide services to users. The connected vehicle uses the display panel to show users music, video, navigation, and so on desired, or to develop a service that reduces the burden of driving and allows other activities by autonomous vehicles. However, these services are designed and developed independently on the platform and are not suitable for the concept of residential space of the future society. In this article, we propose a smart life platform by combining the concepts of connected vehicle and smart home into one platform. It also provides the SLP-MCAF to provide secure services within the platform. The SLP-MCAF strongly reinforces the authentication of objects and introduces clusters to improve availability so that services are not separated from the automobile or home, and services are continuous. Through simulation, we demonstrate the stability and efficiency of the proposed platform.

The absorption range of Si is extended to essential wavelength range of lidar sensor for self-driving car via strain engineering., Silicon has been widely used in the microelectronics industry. However, its photonic applications are restricted to visible and partial near-infrared spectral range owing to its fundamental optical bandgap (1.12 eV). With recent advances in strain engineering, material properties, including optical bandgap, can be tailored considerably. This paper reports the strain-induced shrinkage in the Si bandgap, providing photosensing well beyond its fundamental absorption limit in Si nanomembrane (NM) photodetectors (PDs). The Si-NM PD pixels were mechanically stretched (biaxially) by a maximum strain of ~3.5% through pneumatic pressure–induced bulging, enhancing photoresponsivity and extending the Si absorption limit up to 1550 nm, which is the essential wavelength range of the lidar sensors for obstacle detection in self-driving vehicles. The development of deformable three-dimensional optoelectronics via gas pressure–induced bulging also facilitated the realization of unique device designs with concave and convex hemispherical architectures, which mimics the electronic prototypes of biological eyes.

Melasma is a common hypermelanosis that occurs in areas exposed to sunlight, especially the face. It occurs rarely before puberty and is commonly observed in women, especially women of childbearing age. It is also observed in 10% of men. New melasma often arises and existing melasma may worsen during pregnancy. Symptoms appear as brown macules with irregular borders and occur symmetrically in the photodistribution of sunlight on the face. They are often fused in a reticular pattern. They are darkened by sunlight, which makes them worse during summer and improves during winter, i.e., there is a seasonal change. Melasma is common among Asian and Hispanic women who live in areas with strong sunlight. It occurs frequently in patients with Fitzpatrick skin types IV, V, and VI [1].

Although there are many side effects that can occur after laser treatment, the most common and problematic side effect in darker skin including Koreans is postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). Therefore, a full understanding and management of PIH are necessary. In this chapter, we go through PIH in detail.

Many papers and dermatology laser texts usually describe lasers about white skin. In separate articles or chapters laser treatment of “darker skin” or ethnic, nonwhite, pigmented skin is described [1–4]. Here, the term “darker skin” refers to all races except Caucasians, including Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Pakistani, Hispanic, Latino, African, African-Caribbean, and African American. Fitzpatrick skin types are III, IV, V, and VI [5].

Skin rejuvenation is a treatment that targets age-related pigmentation disorders and telangiectasia or improves wrinkles and skin texture [1]. It can be classified by treatment methods; ablative rejuvenation (AR) by CO2 laser and erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Er:YAG) laser or nonablative rejuvenation (NAR), which induces a selective thermal reaction to the dermis and subcutaneous fat while sparing the epidermis. It can also be classified by treatment targets; type I rejuvenation targets pigmentation and vascular disorders while type II rejuvenation focuses on improving wrinkles and skin texture. For example, AR and NAR are both treatment modalities for type II rejuvenation (Table 9.1). Generally, NAR refers to rejuvenation treatment that uses nonablative methods to improve wrinkles and skin texture (type II rejuvenation).

In “Chap. 1,” we reviewed that the most important theory regarding lasers is the theory of selective photothermolysis. In practice, however, there are cases in which the theory of selective photothermolysis does not apply and sometimes it even deviates from the theory of selective photothermolysis [1]. Next, we will review three advanced theories developed from the selective photothermolysis theory (Table 3.1).

The world consists of light and matter (Fig. 1.1). When light and matter meet, they interact with each other and make various physical and chemical changes. For example, if you stand under the clear autumn sky, you can feel your body warming up even in the cool weather. This phenomenon occurs when light is converted into heat in the skin. Conversely, light can be created by applying energy to a material. This phenomenon is used when laser is made.

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. (Clin Mol Hepatol 2018;24:311-318)

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. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-2849-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Herbal medicines have been used as a treatment option for rheumatic disease (RD), but they often produce liver enzyme abnormality. This study examines the incidence of herb-induced liver injury (HILI) and the relationship between risk factors and liver enzyme abnormality (LEA) in inpatients with RD. HILI was analyzed using the Roussel Uclaf causality assessment method liver injury criteria and causality assessment. Multivariable analysis was performed to assess the relationship between patient characteristics and LEA in RD. The features of LEA were also examined in each RD. Among 352 patients included in this study, 105 patients showed LEA on admission, of which 6 had fulfilled the Roussel Uclaf causality assessment method criteria. The incidence risks of LEA and HILI were 12.55% and 0.58%, respectively. Multivariable analysis showed that LEA on admission and occasional use of alcohol could be risk factors for LEA on follow-up. In an additional analysis with each RD, all rheumatoid arthritis patients with LEA were taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and 4 out of 5 gout patients with LEA were taking steroids. The use of herbal medicine in RD is relatively safe. However, regular monitoring of liver enzyme tests and examination of alcohol consumption are required.

We report on the thickness-dependent Raman spectroscopy of ultrathin silicon (Si) nanomembranes (NMs), whose thicknesses range from 2 to 18 nm, using several excitation energies. We observe that the Raman intensity depends on the thickness and the excitation energy due to the combined effects of interference and resonance from the band-structure modulation. Furthermore, confined acoustic phonon modes in the ultrathin Si NMs were observed in ultralow-frequency Raman spectra, and strong thickness dependence was observed near the quantum limit, which was explained by calculations based on a photoelastic model. Our results provide a reliable method with which to accurately determine the thickness of Si NMs with thicknesses of less than a few nanometers.

The photocarrier relaxation between direct and indirect band gaps along the high symmetry K−Γ line in the Brillion zone reveals interesting electronic properties of the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) multilayer films. In this study, we reported on the local strain engineering and tuning of an electronic band structure of TMDs multilayer films along the K−Γ line by artificially creating one-dimensional wrinkle structures. Significant photoluminescence (PL) intensity enhancement in conjunction with continuously tuned optical energy gaps was recorded at the high strain regions. A direct optical band gap along K–K points and an indirect optical gap along Γ–K points measured from the PL spectra of multilayer samples monotonically decreased as the strain increased, while the indirect band gap along Λ–Γ was unaffected owing to the same level of local strain in the range of 0%–2%. The experimental results of band gap tuning were in agreement with the density functional theory calculation results. Local s...

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

The main focus of the paper is to propose a smart recommender system based on the methods of hybrid learning for personal well-being services, called a smart recommender system of hybrid learning (SRHL). The essential health factor is considered to be personal lifestyle, with the help of a critical examination of various disciplines. Integrating the recommender system effectively contributes to the prevention of disease, and it also leads to a reduction in treatment cost, which contributes to an improvement in the quality of life. At the same time, there exist various challenges within the recommender system, mainly cold start and scalability. To effectively address the inefficiencies, we propose combined hybrid methods in regard to machine learning. The primary aim of this learning method is to integrate the most effective and efficient learning algorithms to examine how combined hybrid filtering can help to improve the cold star problem efficiently in the provision of personalized well-being in regard to health food service. These methods include: (1) switching among content-based and collaborative filtering, (2) identifying the user context with the integration of dynamic filtering, and (3) learning the profiles with the help of processing and screening of reflecting feedback loops. The experimental results were evaluated by using three absolute error measures, providing comparable results with other studies relative to machine learning domains. The effects of using the hybrid learning method are gathered with the help of the experimental results. Our experiments also show that the hybrid method improves accuracy by 14.61% of the average error predicted in the recommender systems in comparison to the collaborative methods, which mainly focus on the computation of similar entities.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and appropriate dose of Hanslim, a Korean traditional herbal medicine, for obese patients, when compared to a placebo. Methods/design: This study is a randomized, double-blinded, multicenter, multidose, placebo-controlled, phase IIb clinical trial. A total of 165 obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30 kg/m2 or obese patients with a BMI of 27 to 29.9 kg/m2 and one or more risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia will be enrolled. Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups (high-dose, low-dose, or placebo) with a 1:1:1 allocation ratio and will have 4 scheduled visits during the 12-week treatment period. The participants will be administered 2 tablets of Hanslim or placebo, 2 times per day. The difference in the proportion of participants who lost weight by more than 5% from their baseline at 12 weeks compared to the placebo group will be examined as the primary efficacy outcome. Secondary efficacy outcomes include differences in body weight, BMI, body-fat percentage, fat mass, skeletal-muscle mass, edema index, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, serum lipid, blood glucose, C-reactive protein, and total score of Korean version of obesity-related quality of life after 12 weeks of treatment. Adverse events, laboratory test results, vital sings, and electrocardiography will be recorded to evaluate safety. Discussion: This is the first prospective clinical trial to explore the efficacy and safety of Hanslim for obese patients. If the results provide the appropriate dosage of Hanslim, this study would contribute to the confirmatory evidence for the use of Hanslim as a treatment for obesity needed to conduct a large-scale, phase III clinical trial. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration: Clinical Research Information Service, ID: KCT0002193. Registered on January 6, 2017. https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/search_result_st01_en.jsp?seq=7468

Background Osteoporosis is becoming more prevalent in aging societies worldwide, and the economic burden attributable to osteoporotic fractures is substantial. The medications presently available to treat osteoporosis have side effects, and the development of safer and more effective treatments is urgently needed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BHH10, a traditional Korean herbal medicine, in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Methods/Design This is a phase II, multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial and will include 168 postmenopausal women aged 55 years and older with osteoporosis. The participants will be recruited competitively from two sites of the Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department of Kyung Hee University Hospital of Korean Medicine, either Hoegidong or Gangdong in Seoul, Korea. Participants will be assigned randomly to one of two groups, the BHH10 group or the placebo group, in a 1:1 ratio, and will have five scheduled visits. Participants will take two tablets of BHH10 or placebo three times daily for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy outcome is the change in bone mineral density at the lumbar spine (L1–4) between baseline (visit 1) and 12 weeks after randomization (visit 5). Other outcome variables include changes in bone turnover markers, the Deficiency Syndrome of the Kidney Index, EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire score, and laboratory parameters, as well as adverse events. Discussion To our knowledge, this will be the first clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of BHH10 in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. It is anticipated that the results will contribute to the development of traditional herbal medicines that can be used to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in Korea. If the superiority of BHH10 over placebo is demonstrated, this study could provide the foundation for a phase III clinical trial. The results of the study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration Clinical Research Information Service, KCT0001842. Registered on 14 March 2016. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-2854-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

OBJECTIVE A retrospective chart review was conducted to explore the effect of Gambisan, a granular extract of novel herbal medicine, for short-term (≤16 weeks) weight loss in adults who are overweight and those with obesity. METHODS Outpatients of Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital (Seoul, Korea) who took Gambisan and underwent bioelectric impedance analysis were selected (Jan 2011 to Dec 2015); their electronic medical records and clinical charts were retrospectively reviewed. The effectiveness of Gambisan was primarily evaluated by comparing body weight (BW) at baseline and endpoint, using paired t tests; the safety of Gambisan was evaluated on the basis of adverse events (AEs) experienced by patients. RESULTS Two hundred five patients were included in this study. The study population exhibited a significant reduction in BW (73.69 ± 14.49 kg to 69.01 ± 13.20 kg, P

For better life, medical and IT technology are converging and data plays a key role in this convergence. Data in the medical field is information about humans, and these data are sensitive. Because this type of data is frequently accessed by multiple users, a high degree of caution is required during handling. In addition, systematic security precautions must be followed to prevent data from being used outside of the intended purpose, even in clinical research. In this paper, we propose a human-centric framework for clinical environments based on the standards, procedures, and methods outlined in guidelines published in the United States and Korea. This study provides a more balanced approach to the utilization and security of personal information as compared to that in the two previously published guidelines. For the secure clinical studies, this framework makes it possible to provide utility and security in a balanced manner, depending on the forms of provision. As a result, the proposed framework extends the usability of the clinical study, and support secure usage of clinical research data.

Aquaculture of olive flounder started in the middle of 1980's and now farming has been taken place in many places along the coastal line in Korea. The taste of olive flounder has a good chewy texture because of high collagen content, low fat content, so it is popular for sliced raw fish. Olive flounder is popular among Koreans but the consumption pattern is uniformly so as to be used as sliced raw fish but not other ways. So, now there needs to develop high valued-processed food using olive flounder.This study was set to investigate the processing of terrine by using olive flounder, in which terrine is French style meat loaf that is well favored around the world. In this study, terrine was prepared by chopping olive flounder meat with 39 g egg white and 10 mL fresh cream (per 50 g fillet) and then seasoned with 5 mL lemon juice, 5 mL brandy, 0.05 g salt and 0.05 g pepper. The 25 g of dough was placed on a vinyl wrap, put with 2 g cheese, and layered an another 25 g dough, and then rolled up and wrapped by aluminium foil. Two different cooking methods were used for terrine processing in this study. Terrine-1 was cooked by vacuum sealed in polyethylene film (20×30×0.05 mm) after boiling for 5 min and stored at -20℃ for 7 days. Terrine-2 was prepared by vacuum sealed in polyethylene film (20×30×0.05 mm) and stored at -20℃ for 7 days. After 7 days, Terrine-1 was thawed and then heated up in microwave for 2 min (Sample-1), while Terrine-2 was thawed and then boiled in water for 5 min (Sample-2). Viable bacterial count, chemical composition, pH, salinity, hardness, TBA, free amino acid content, and sensory evaluation were measured for both Sample-1 and Sample-2. Especially, the scores of sensory evaluation of Sample-2 is slightly higher than that of Sample-1. On the other hand, there were no significant differences on color, odor, taste, texture, and overall acceptance between Sample-1 and Sample-2.Key words : Terrine, Olive flounder, Sensory evaluation, BoilingCorresponding author : 055-772-9141, kimjeonggyun@nate.com

Objectives New 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. Methods In 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. Results HERS 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). Conclusions It 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.

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.

A primitive version of a ruthenium complex [Ru(bpy)3(2+)] was employed for the first time as a new conceptual "single-component redox shuttle" for dye-sensitized solar cells. This single shuttle led to a large enhancement of the open-circuit photovoltage (VOC) to ∼940 mV relative to that of conventional iodine-based shuttle and greatly increased the efficiency of the solar-to-electric energy conversion at lower illumination levels by a factor of ca. 5.6.

Objectives : The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety of acupuncture therapy when applied to patients who are undergoing anticoagulants / antiplatelet medication therapy combined with herbal medicine using a retrospective, case-control study. Methods : 428 charts of patients were reviewed in this study. Odds ratio between case of bleeding-related adverse event and control was calculated as main analysis. Exposures were anticoagulants / antiplatelet medication, Hwalhyeolgeoeo herbal medicine and combination of both drugs. Additionally, odds ratios were calculated according to the severity of bleedingrelated adverse events. Results : The results were as following: 1. Analysis of all bleeding-related adverse events showed there was no increased risk of combined therapy compared with other exposures and control group. 2. Analysis of only clinically significant adverse events showed there was no increased risk of combined therapy compared with other exposure and control group. 3. Hwalhyeolgeoeo herbal medicine group showed a tendency of increased risk of bleedingrelated adverse events in all analysis but was not statistically significant. Conclusions : The results suggest that Hwalhyeolgeoeo herbal medicine-anticoagulant / antiplatelet medication combined therapy may not increase risk of bleeding-related adverse events in acupuncture therapy. By executing various modules of analysis, it was possible to acquire useful data for possible future studies. Further research is needed to confirm such results.

The motion of address resolution protocol (ARP) is done without any problem in a general environment, but it is not considered from the security aspect; therefore, it risks being threatened by an attack from the network called ARP spoofing or ARP poisoning. The attacker can approach the transmission data between hosts by disguising itself as a different host through an ARP spoofing attack and can isolate the host as the target of an attack from the network. In this paper, we propose a routing trace-based network security system for preventing ARP spoofing attacks. Our proposed system includes detection, protection, and recovery techniques to prevent an ARP spoofing attack in the internal network. Whether an ARP spoofing attack occurs is confirmed through the periodic monitoring of the ARP table and a routing trace. The system can prevent ARP spoofing attacks without modifications to the ARP or the addition of cryptographic measures. In addition, it provides security and efficiency by overcoming the weak points of the existing researches.

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.

Jasin-hwan-gagambang (BHH10), a modified prescription of Jasin-hwan, contains Astragalus membranaceus, Cinnamomum cassia, and Phellodendron amurense, and it has been traditionally used to treat osteoporosis and other inflammatory diseases. In this study, we systematically investigated the protective effects of BHH10 in ovariectomy (OVX)-induced rats. Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham and OVX subgroups. The rats in the OVX group were treated with vehicle, BHH10, alendronate (ALN), and 17β-estradiol (E2). BHH10 treatment significantly inhibited OVX-induced increases in body weight and uterus atrophy. In addition, it significantly increased the bone mineral density (BMD) and prevented a decrease in trabecular bone volume, connectivity density, trabecular number, thickness, and separation at the total femur and femur neck. The OVX rats showed significant decreases in the serum levels of calcium and phosphorous and significant increases in the serum levels of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, C-telopeptide type 1 collagen, and bone morphogenetic protein-2. These changes were significantly reduced to near sham levels by administration of BHH10 to OVX rats. BHH10-treated rats had a greater bone mass, a better structural architecture of the bone, and higher levels of biochemical markers of the bone than did the ALN-treated or E2-treated rats. These results suggest that BHH10 reverses osteoporosis in OVX rats by stimulating bone formation or regulating bone resorption and is not associated with toxicity. © 2014 The Authors. Phytotherapy Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of HT008 on pain relief and functional improvement in participants with mild knee osteoarthritis (OA) in comparison with that of glucosamine sulfate. Methods : This randomized double-blind trial was conducted at Kyung Hee University Medical Center in Seoul where participants with knee pain for more than 6 months and degenerative osteoarthritis were enrolled. The 100 participants were received either HT008 or glucosamine sulfate 750 mg twice daily for 8 weeks and evaluated at baseline, 4 and 8 weeks after the treatment. We primarily evaluated the differences between two groups with respect to changes in the visual analogue score (VAS) for pain, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain score from baseline to week 8. Secondarily the difference between and within two groups with respect to changes in WOMAC stiffness and physical function score, and Lequesne Functional Severity Index (LFI) were also evaluated. Results : At week 8, treatment with HT008 resulted in a significant reduction of the VAS for pain and WOMAC pain scores compared to the glucosamine sulfate (both p

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.

RFID thecnology has been widely adopted by industries for supply chain management. When a product item is manufactured RFID tag is attached to the product item and supply chain management among factories, distributors, retailers and customers needs to handle ownership transfer for the product item carefully. With RFID technology, the secure and efficient ownership transfer protocol is an important issue for the identification of product items and the overall system efficiency on supply chain. Many ownership transfer protocols have been proposed now. They have security problems and use complex operations such as encryption operation and hash function. Lo et al. proposed a protocol using lightweight operations such as shift, addition, XOR, and random number generation[1]. However, this protocol has a security problem in which the secret key between the tag and the new owner is disclosed to the attackers, and it is also weak against the Fraud attack[2]. In this paper, we propose a new ownership transfer protocol using lightweight operations such as shift, addition, and random number generation. This protocol is the modified version of Lo et al.‘s protocol and is secure against the security attacks.

The study objectives were to establish ojeok-san (Five Accumulation Powder: wu ji san) administration criteria and a questionnaire to evaluate the holistic effects of ojeok-san on patients with low back pain (LBP).Texts and literatures, recommended by specialists, were searched to gather ojeok-san-related symptoms. Then, the opinions of Oriental medicine doctors (OMDs) practicing in Seoul were surveyed to ask which symptoms they consider the most in clinical practice. Based on the survey, selection of potential items for the questionnaire was made. The final version was established based on the results of the survey and Delphi process of musculoskeletal diseases specialists. In order to evaluate the reliability and validity of the newly developed assessment tool (Ojeok-san Low Back Questionnaire: OLQ), patients with chronic LBP were recruited. OLQ and other tools such as visual analogue scale, numeric rating scale, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, Modified-Modified Schober test, and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey were applied to the subjects in a 2-week interval. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and convergent and discrimination validity were assessed.A total of 90 potential items were generated by the research team. One hundred and two (102) OMDs fully replied to the survey. Based on the survey results, 34 items were initially selected as potential items. Through Delphi method of experts, 10 top items, rated more than 5 points on a scale of 10, were finally established. The 10 items were each established as a response scale of 0-10 (0 as no symptom and 10 as the most excessive form of symptom). Based on the above stages, an initial OLQ was established and used in the evaluation phase. The validity and reliability of OLQ assessment results showed high test-retest reliability, intraclass correlation coefficient, and internal consistency.The newly developed Ojeok-san administration criteria and questionnaire may be a promising tool for future Oriental medicine clinical study protocols.

Objectives : The aim of this study was to observe the effect of balanced acupuncture on herniated intervertebral disc of lumbar spine patients. Methods : We investigated 23 cases of in-patients with acute & subacute herniated intervertebral disc of lumbar spine in oriental hospital, and divided patients into two groups. We treated one group(12 people) by complex oriental medical treatment with Balanced acupuncture, and the other group(11 people) by complex oriental medical treatment without Balanced acupuncture. To evaluate the effectiveness of treatment applied for two groups, we used visual analog scale(VAS) and rating scale for low back pain at admission and discharge. Results : 1. In balanced acupuncture group and control group, compared with baseline and final. VAS was significantly improved. 2. In Balanced acupuncture group and control group, compared with baseline and final. Rating scale for low back pain was significantly improved. 3. VAS and rating scale for low back pain improvement rate in balanced acupuncture group were no statistical significance compared with control group. Conclusions : Balanced acupuncture might be used for relieving symptoms related with herniated intervertebral disc of lumbar spine, but it's no statistical significance.

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate whether warm-needling is more effective than acupuncture in relieving the pain and improving the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis(OA). Methods : 76 volunteers with knee OA participated in the study. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received warm-needling(n=38), while the other group received acupuncture(n=38). Sixteen sessions of warm-needling or acupuncture were conducted on the pain region of each problematic knee over a period of 8 weeks. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC) scores, physical health score based on the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey(SF-36) and the Global Assessment(PGA) was measured. Results : Compared to the acupuncture group, the warm-needling group showed a significant decrease in pain, function, and total WOMAC scores according to the Mann-Whitney U-test. The PGA scores of the warm-needling group also showed a significant improvement compared to the acupuncture group. Conclusions : Warm-needling showed a greater pain relief effect on knee OA compared to the acupuncture group. These findings suggest that warm-needling may be a promising alternative therapy for treating knee OA.

A variety of research is in progress to detect wanted scenes from videos. A method of detecting scenes wanted by a user through scene rearrangement based on calculated visual similarity is limited in that such a method does not reflect elements along the storyline through which a user remembers a movie. A movie's story is built up by characters, and such build-up is closely related with emotions of characters in a film. A movie browsing system based on storyline is executable by applying characters and those characters' emotions. Thus, methods of extracting key characters in each scene and of clustering scenes through extraction of emotion vectors from dialogues in each scene are hereby suggested. This paper also proposes to develop a movie browsing method and a system based on emotions of characters.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The dried flowers of Lonicera japonica Thunb and dried roots of Anemarrhena asphodeloides BUNGE have been used for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory diseases in traditional Korean medicine. Objective The aim of the study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of WIN-34B, a new herbal medicine, in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) obtained from patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Materials and methods WIN-34B is isolated from the n-butanol fraction of dried flowers of L. japonica and dried roots of A. asphodeloides. The anti-inflammatory effects of WIN-34B on cell viability, the production and release of inflammatory mediators, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), aggrecanases, tissue inhibitor of matrix proteinases (TIMP) is compared with celecoxib in IL-1β-stimulated human OA FLS. Furthermore, the effect of WIN-34B on inhibitory kappa B-α (IκB-α) phosphorylation and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in the IL-1β-stimulated OA FLS was also evaluated. Results WIN-34B significantly inhibited the IL-1β-induced cell viability in human OA FLS without cytotoxicity. Compared to celecoxib, WIN-34B exhibited similar or better anti-inflammatory effects through significant suppression of inflammatory mediators (IL-1β, TNF-α, PGE2 and NO), MMPs (MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-13) and aggrecanases (ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5), and enhancement of TIMPs (TIMP-1 and TIMP-3). Moreover, WIN-34B reduced the phosphorylation of IκB-α, ERK1/2, p38 and JNK1/2 in IL-1β-stimulated OA FLS. Conclusions WIN-34B exhibited similar or better anti-inflammatory properties in IL-1β-stimulated OA FLS compared to celecoxib. The anti-inflammatory effects of WIN-34B are due to inhibition of inflammatory mediators (IL-1β, TNF-α, PGE2 and NO) and regulation of MMPs, ADAMTSs and TIMPs via the inhibition of IκB-α and MAPK phosphorylation in IL-1β-stimulated OA FLS.

Background People living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) experience a range of symptoms and often have complex comorbidities. Many pharmacological interventions for people with CKD have known risks of adverse events. Acupuncture is widely used for symptom management in patients with chronic diseases and in other palliative care settings. However, the safety and efficacy of acupuncture for people with CKD remains largely unknown. Objectives We aimed to evaluate the benefits and harms of acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion and other acupuncture-related interventions (alone or combined with other acupuncture-related interventions) for symptoms of CKD. In particular, we planned to compare acupuncture and related interventions with conventional medicine, active non-pharmacological interventions, and routine care for symptoms of CKD. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Kidney and Transplant Specialised Register up to 28 January 2016 through contact with the Information Specialist using search terms relevant to this review. We also searched Korean medical databases (including Korean Studies Information, DBPIA, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, Research Information Centre for Health Database, KoreaMed, the National Assembly Library) and Chinese databases (including the China Academic Journal). Selection criteria We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs that investigated the effects of acupuncture and related point-stimulation interventions with or without needle penetration that involved six sessions or more in adults with CKD stage 3 to 5, regardless of the language and type of publication. We excluded studies that used herbal medicine or co-interventions administered unequally among the study groups. Data collection and analysis Two authors independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We calculated the mean difference (MD) or standardised mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for continuous outcomes and risk ratio (RR) for dichotomous outcomes. Primary outcomes were changes in pain and depression, and occurrence of serious of adverse events. Main results We included 24 studies that involved a total of 1787 participants. Studies reported on various types of acupuncture and related interventions including manual acupuncture and acupressure, ear acupressure, transcutaneous electrical acupuncture point stimulation, far-infrared radiation on acupuncture points and indirect moxibustion. CKD stages included pre-dialysis stage 3 or 4 and end-stage kidney disease on either haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. None of the included studies assessed pain outcomes, nor formally addressed occurrence of serious adverse events, although three studies reported three participant deaths and three hospitalisations as reasons for attrition. Three studies reported minor acupuncture-related harms; the remainder did not report if those events occurred. All studies were assessed at high or unclear risk of bias in terms of allocation concealment. Seventeen studies reported outcomes measured for only two months. There was very low quality of evidence that compared with routine care, manual acupressure reduced scores of the Beck Depression Inventory score (scale from 0 to 63) (3 studies, 128 participants: MD -4.29, 95% CI -7.48 to -1.11, I2 = 0%), the revised Piper Fatigue Scale (scale from 0 to 10) (3 studies, 128 participants: MD -1.19, 95% CI -1.77 to -0.60, I2 = 0%), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (scale from 0 to 21) (4 studies, 180 participants: MD -2.46, 95% CI -4.23 to -0.69, I2 = 50%). We were unable to perform further meta-analyses because of the paucity of data and problems with clinical heterogeneity, such as different interventions, comparisons and timing of outcome measurements. Authors' conclusions There was very low quality of evidence of the short-term effects of manual acupressure as an adjuvant intervention for fatigue, depression, sleep disturbance and uraemic pruritus in patients undergoing regular haemodialysis. The paucity of evidence indicates that there is little evidence of the effects of other types of acupuncture for other outcomes, including pain, in patients with other stages of CKD. Overall high or unclear risk of bias distorts the validity of the reported benefit of acupuncture and makes the estimated effects uncertain. The incomplete reporting of acupuncture-related harm does not permit us to assess the safety of acupuncture and related interventions. Future studies should investigate the effects and safety of acupuncture for pain and other common symptoms in patients with CKD and those undergoing dialysis.

Introduction Whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) is a general after-effect of motor vehicle collisions or sporting accidents. Acupuncture is a common intervention for pain conditions such as musculoskeletal disease. We conducted a pilot trial to determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for patients with WAD. Methodology Forty participants were randomly allocated to an acupuncture group or a waiting-list group. The acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment three times per week for 2 weeks. Symptoms were evaluated before random allocation and after 2 weeks. The primary outcome measure was pain intensity. Secondary outcome measures were the SF-36, cervical range of motion (ROM), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Cornell Medical Index (CMI). Results The results demonstrated that the change in visual analogue scale (VAS) in the acupuncture group was −1.85 [−2.67 to −1.02], compared to −0.40 in the waiting-list group [95% CI: −1.18 to 0.38] (p = 0.001). VAS significantly improved from 4.59 [3.67–5.48] at baseline to 2.74 [2.08–3.37] at the endpoint (p Conclusions Acupuncture treatment was associated with a significant alleviation of pain. This pilot study provided preliminary data on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment for WAD. A full-scale randomized controlled trial is required to provide firm evidence of the effectiveness of this intervention.

Ethnopharmacological relevance The dried flowers of Lonicera japonica , also known as Japanese honeysuckle, and the dried root of Anemarrhena asphodeloides , the component herbs of WIN-34B, are traditionally used in Eastern medicine to treat various inflammatory conditions including arthritis. Objective To study the acute and chronic toxicities of WIN-34B and to compare its effects on gastric mucosa with those of diclofenac, a widely used NSAID, and celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor. Materials and methods To investigate acute toxicity, we orally administered a single dose of 5000 mg/kg WIN-34B to rats. To investigate chronic toxicity, we orally administered 500, 1000 or 2000 mg/kg WIN-34B to rats daily for 13 weeks. To assess its effects on gastric mucosa, rats received either a single dose or repeated doses of WIN-34B (400, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg), diclofenac (10, 40, or 80 mg/kg), celecoxib (100 or 1000 mg/kg), or vehicle, after which samples of gastric mucosa were assessed grossly and histologically. We also measured tissue activity of myeloperoxidase and synthesis of eicosanoids, including prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) and leukotriene B 4 (LTB 4 ). To further assess its effects, we administered WIN-34B to rats either intraperitoneally or orally, measured gastric injury scores using a rat model of diclofenac-induced gastric injury, and measured eicosanoid synthesis. Results WIN-34B showed no signs of acute or chronic toxicity in terms of general behavior, gross appearance of the internal organs, blood chemistry, or mortality. WIN-34B did not cause significant gastric mucosal damage after single or repeated doses. In contrast, diclofenac and celecoxib both caused gastric damage. In terms of eicosanoid synthesis, WIN-34B significantly suppressed LTB 4 synthesis while both diclofenac and celecoxib increased LTB 4 synthesis. WIN-34B slightly reduced PGE 2 production, while both diclofenac and celecoxib significantly reduced PGE 2 production. In a rat model of diclofenac-induced gastric injury, WIN-34B significantly suppressed LTB 4 synthesis and restored PGE 2 release. Conclusions These results demonstrate that WIN-34B did not cause acute or chronic toxicity in male or female rats. In addition, WIN-34B did not cause significant gastric mucosal damage, instead appearing to protect the mucosa from diclofenac-induced gastric damage through the regulation of PGE 2 and LTB 4 .