Research Fellows Conference Panel on The Politics of Social Transformation

Also CSST Working Paper #26.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/51157/1/389.pd

Effect of the glyceryl monooleate-based lyotropic phases on skin permeation using in vitro diffusion and skin imaging

AbstractGlyceryl monooleate (GMO) is a polar lipid that can exist in various liquid crystalline phases in the presence of different amounts of water. It is regarded as a permeation enhancer due to its amphiphilic property. Various phases of GMO/solvent system containing sodium fluorescein were prepared to compare permeability using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). GMO was melted in a vial in a water bath heated to 45 °C. Propylene glycol and hexanediol were homogeneously dissolved in the melted GMO. Sodium fluorescein in aqueous solution was diluted to various ratios and thoroughly mixed by an ultrasonic homogenizer. Each GMO/Solvent system with fluorescein was applied onto the epidermal side of excised pig skin and incubated overnight. CLSM was performed to observe how the GMO/solvent system in its different phases affect skin permeability. Cubic and lamellar phase formulations enhanced the fluorescein permeation through the stratum corneum. A solution system had the weakest permeability compared to the other two phases. Due to the amphiphilic nature of GMO, cubic and lamellar phases might reduce the barrier function of stratum corneum which was observed by CLSM as fluorescein accumulated in the dermis. Based on the results, the glyceryl monooleate lyotropic mixtures could be applied to enhance skin permeation in various topical and transdermal formulations

Small-Group Counseling in a Modified Tinnitus Retraining Therapy for Chronic Tinnitus

ObjectivesThe authors have treated chronic tinnitus patients using a combination of a simplified tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) and medications, which we called modified TRT. In this clinical setting, we have attempted small-group counseling to find a time-effective equivalent of individual counseling. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of small-group counseling by comparing the treatment outcomes between individual and small-group counseling.MethodsThe patients who had distressing chronic tinnitus with normal hearing or mild hearing loss were included. The subjects were placed into the small-group (group 1:4) or the individual (group 1:1) counseling group, and underwent a modified TRT composed of a single session of directive counseling and ambient sound stimulation. In addition, alprazolam (0.25 mg) and ginkgo biloba extract (80 mg) were administered orally to the subjects for 3 months. The 3- and 6- month outcomes were assessed using the follow-up rates and tinnitus severity scores: awareness, tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), loudness, annoyance, and effect on life. The treatment responses were classified as improvement, no changes, and worsening.Results Of the total 149 patients (77 in group 1:1; 72 in group 1:4), 104 patients completed the protocol at 3 months, and 55 patients at 6 months. The follow-up rates were similar in both groups. Over the period of 6 months, all scores declined significantly except the loudness score at 3 months in both groups. Treatment responses showed no between-group differences. The success rate based on THI was 70% in group 1:1, and 64% in group 1:4 at 6 months.ConclusionThe small-group counseling of our modified TRT was comparable to the individual counseling for tinnitus relief. We suggest that this protocol can be implemented effectively in any crowded otolaryngology clinics

Drug-Eluting Stenting Followed by Cilostazol Treatment Reduces Late Restenosis in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus The DECLARE-DIABETES Trial (A Randomized Comparison of Triple Antiplatelet Therapy With Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation in Diabetic Patients)

ObjectivesWe sought to evaluate the impact of cilostazol on neointimal hyperplasia after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).BackgroundAlthough cilostazol has reduced the extent of neointimal hyperplasia and restenosis in patients after bare-metal stent implantation, it is not known whether this effect occurs after DES implantation in diabetic patients.MethodsThis randomized, multicenter, prospective study compared triple antiplatelet therapy (aspirin, clopidogrel, and cilostazol, triple group, n = 200) and dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and clopidogrel, standard group, n = 200) for 6 months in patients with DM receiving DES. The primary end point was in-stent late loss at 6 months.ResultsThe 2 groups had similar baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics. The in-stent (0.25 ± 0.53 mm vs. 0.38 ± 0.54 mm, p = 0.025) and in-segment (0.42 ± 0.50 mm vs. 0.53 ± 0.49 mm, p = 0.031) late loss were significantly lower in the triple versus standard group, as were 6-month in-segment restenosis (8.0% vs. 15.6%, p = 0.033) and 9-month target lesion revascularization (TLR) (2.5% vs. 7.0%, p = 0.034). At 9 months, major adverse cardiac events, including death, myocardial infarction, and TLR, tended to be lower in the triple than in the standard group (3.0% vs. 7.0%, p = 0.066). Multivariate analysis showed that sirolimus-eluting stents and the use of cilostazol were strong predictors of reduced restenosis or TLR.ConclusionsTriple antiplatelet therapy after DES implantation decreased angiographic restenosis and extent of late loss, resulting in a reduced risk of 9-month TLR compared with dual antiplatelet therapy in diabetic patients

Chronicle of violence, ritual of mourning: Cheju Shamanism in Korea.

This thesis explains the way in which the memory of historical violence is reconstituted and deconstructed in people's belief in the spirits of the dead and shamanic healing rituals. Rather than focusing on the propositional and symbolic structure of ritual itself, the thesis illuminates the rhetorical and performative aspects of ritual that are expressed in a particular, concrete context of historical relations. By locating ancestral spirits and healing rites in the modern history of Cheju Isl and , the thesis interprets shamanic ritual as a discursive practice that demystifies the cultural knowledge of person and history while recapitulating it through performance. Shamans' divinatory dreams and spirit possession and ritual lamentations of the dead souls (yonggye ullim) bring the violent events of the past, the April Third Communist Uprising in 1948 in particular, into the cure of memory. The April Third Communist Uprising that occurred in 1948 on Cheju Isl and , was a tragic ideological battle of the cold war era. While the cold war ideology continually dominates in the state politics, this event was erased in the historical texts and seemed forgotten in the everyday life of Cheju people. Regarding this violent event as a representative image of the modern history of Cheju Isl and and Korea as a whole, this thesis pursues the following questions: how does this imagery work to bring together history and the magic of the shamanic ritual in which that history is imagined, and how are tragedy and a history of violence converted to life-giving forces of healing? By linking the historical imagery of this tragic event to ideological struggles in the process of Korean nation-building, the thesis suggests that the shamanic practice of reliving the tragedy of the April Third Uprising counterposes a popular alternative to the hegemonic narrative logic of contemporary state violence that has suppressed the memory of this uprising and also other modern forms of popular protests.Ph.D.Cultural anthropologyUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162476/1/9013942.pd

Radiofrequency Ablation and Excision of Multiple Cutaneous Lesions in Neurofibromatosis Type 1

BackgroundVon Recklinghausen disease or neurofibromatosis type 1 is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder of chromosome 17q11.2. The most common characteristic findings of NF 1 include multiple and recurrent cutaneous neurofibromas associated with psychosocial distress.MethodsSixteen patients (9 female, 7 male; average age, 31 years; range, 16 to 67 years) with multiple cutaneous neurofibromas between March 2010 and February 2012 were included in the study. All patients were treated with radiosurgical ablation and excision under general anesthesia.ResultsAll 16 patients were satisfied with the results, when questioned directly during the outpatient department follow-up. The only complaint from a few patients was minimal scarring, but acceptable results were obtained in the end.ConclusionsThe radiofrequency procedure is almost bloodless and quick, creating a smaller necrotizing zone. Therefore, instead of employing the time consuming traditional surgery, such as laser therapy and electrosurgical excision, that produces uncertain results and can affect normal adjacent tissue, treatment of neurofibromas with radiofrequency ablation and excision can be an alternative choice of treatment for patients with a large number of neurofibromas

Korean Shamanism: Revivals, Survivals and Change

Chapters developed from presentations at the symposium on Korean shamanism organised at SOAS and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, in December 1992. Historical and theoretical considerations of shamanism are coupled to accounts of music, dance, gender, and initiation

Evaluation of Outcomes of the Busan Community-based Palliative Care Project in Korea

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of a community-based palliative care project conducted in Busan city, Korea, from 2013 to 2015. Methods: We selected four outcome indices based on the project's outcomes derived from a logic model and used a longitudinal and cross-sectional comparative design approach depending on the outcome index. Results: The utilization rate of palliative care increased from 9.2% in 2012 to 41.9% in 2015. Regarding symptom changes in 65 patients receiving palliative care at 3 and 6 months (mean age = 72 years, standard deviation = 9.64, 55.4% women), pain, anxiety, and depression had improved. Quality of life was higher among palliative care patients compared with patients who did not receive palliative care (t = 2.09, p = .039). Regarding recognition of palliative care, civil servants at public health centers who participated in the pilot project (2013–2014) scored higher than those at public health centers who began participation in 2015 (t = 2.67, p = .008). Conclusion: This is the first study in Korea that systematically evaluated community-based palliative care. The Busan Community-based Palliative Care Project improved the quality of life of palliative care patients by providing services at an appropriate level and by raising the recognition of palliative care in the community. To increase the utilization ratio of palliative care and the quality of service, strategies should be developed to supplement medical support systems. Keywords: Korea, palliative care, quality of lif

Management of Defects on Lower Extremities with the Use of Matriderm and Skin Graft

Background The reconstruction of large skin and soft tissue defects on the lower extremities is challenging. The skin graft is a simple and frequently used method for covering a skin defect. However, poor skin quality and architecture are well-known problems that lead to scar contracture. The collagen-elastin matrix, Matriderm, has been used to improve the quality of skin grafts; however, no statistical and objective review of the results has been reported. Methods Thirty-four patients (23 male and 11 female) who previously received a skin graft and simultaneous application of Matriderm between January 2010 and June 2012 were included in this study. The quality of the skin graft was evaluated using Cutometer, occasionally accompanied by pathologic findings. Results All 34 patients showed good skin quality compared to a traditional skin graft and were satisfied with their results. The statistical data for the measurement of the mechanical properties of the skin were similar to those for normal skin. In addition, there was no change in the engraftment rate. Conclusions The biggest problem of a traditional skin graft is scar contracture. However, the dermal matrix presents an improvement in skin quality with elastin and collagen. Therefore, a skin graft along with a simultaneous application of Matriderm is safe and effective and leads to a significantly better outcome from the perspective of skin elasticity

METAL-DOPED ZnO THIN FILMS: SYNTHESIS, ETCHING CHARACTERISTIC, AND APPLICATION TEST FOR ORGANIC LIGHT EMITTING DIODE (OLED) DEVICES

Metal-doped ZnO films with various metal contents (Al, Ag and Li of 0–10 wt.%) were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering system with specially designed ZnO targets. The structural, optical and electrical properties of MZO films depended on the type and content of doping in target. Electrical resistivity of LZO thin films increased with increasing Li doping amounts between 0 and 4 wt.%, suggesting that an epitaxial LZO film has high resistivity. We observed morphology in pure ZnO films by using different etchant. In addition, etching rate were contrasted with the etchant concentration and pH. The etching rate is proportional exponentially to pH value. These data will be the technical basis for TCO application. Also, the dry etching rate decreased with increasing the Cl2 concentration in CH4/H2/Ar + additive Cl2 gas mixture but metal dopants were etched effectively.Metal-doped ZnO thin films, optical and electrical property, etching, organic light emitting diode