• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.451-461
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• 2018

This study investigated changes in the youth smoking rate and smoking cessation rates before and after a cigarette price increase in 2015. Specifically, the changes in smoking rate, smoking cessation attempt rate, selection rate and amount of smoking were investigated using primary data pertaining to Korean Youth Risk Behavior obtained from a web-based survey of youth general characteristics, mental health, subjective grade, drinking and smoking related characteristics before and after a cigarette price increase. To accomplish this, 800 middle school and high school students in 9th (2013), 10th (2014), 11th (2015) were surveyed. The current youth smoking rate was slightly decreased from 9.7% in 2013 to 9.2% in 2014, while the smoking rate in 2015 decreased significantly by 15.2% after the cigarette price increased to 7.8%. These results confirmed that increasing cigarette price is very effective at decreasing youth smoking rate, providing motivation to stop smoking and preventing smoking. The prevention of smoking and inducement to stop smoking during adolescence is very important because the majority of teenage smokers continue smoking into their adulthood. In addition to expanding a completely non-smoking area and a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship should be urgently sought, and the effect can be maximized when the WHO FCTC faithfully implements the already-founded treaty.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.512-522
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• 2023

Cancer with unlimited cell growth is a leading cause of death globally. Various cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, can be applied alone or in combination depending on the cancer type and stage. New treatments with fewer side effects than previous cancer treatments are continually under development and in demand. Undifferentiated stem cells with unlimited cell growth are gradually changed via cellular differentiation to arrest cell growth. In this study, we reviewed the possibility of treating cancer by using cellular differentiation into the adipocytes in cancer cells. In previous in vitro studies, oral antidiabetic drugs of the thiazolidinedione (TDZ) class, such as rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, were induced into the adipocytes in various cancer cell lines via increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR γ) expression and glucose uptake, which is the key regulator of adipogenesis and the energy metabolism pathway. The differentiated adipogenic cancer cells treated with TDZ inhibited cell growth and had a less cellulotoxic effect. This adipogenic differentiation treatment suggests a possible chemotherapy option in cancer cells with high and abnormal glucose metabolism levels. However, the effects of the in vivo adipogenic differentiation treatment need to be thoroughly investigated in different types of stem and normal cells with other side effects.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2024

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) activates intracellular oxygen using a photosensitizer activated by light of a specific wavelength and is a potential means of treating wound infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is typically non-pathogenic in healthy individuals but can induce severe illnesses like sepsis in the immunocompromised. Antibiotics have been conventionally used to treat P. aeruginosa infections, but increasing antibiotic resistance caused by drug misuse poses a growing challenge to the management of these infections. This study aimed to investigate the ability of PDT using photosensitizers (PhotoMed, Methyl pheophorbide A, or Radachlorin^®) and a diode laser to inhibit P. aeruginosa. Suspensions of P. aeruginosa and a photosensitizer were inoculated into Petri dishes and incubated for 30 minutes. Samples were then irradiated with the laser at 3 J/cm², and after incubation, colony areas were measured. P. aeruginosa killing rates were 79.65% for PhotoMed, 47.36% for Methyl pheophorbide A, and 40.91% for Radachlorin^®. This study shows that PDT using a diode laser and a photosensitizer constitutes an effective practical therapeutic approach for inhibiting P. aeruginosa.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.167-171
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• 1992

Background:In the management of patients whose primary chemotherapy has failed, very careful assessment is essential. It is important to find out as accurate a chemotherapy history as possible. Preferably it should contain the drugs which has never used before. The present report concerns the results of retreatment of pulmonary tuberculosis patients treated at National Kongju Tuberculosis Hospital. Method: A retrospective study was made through the regular follow-up of 112 smear positive cases, who were treated by four-drug regimen between July 1985 and June 1990. Four drugs were, namely prothionamide, cycloserine, para-aminosalicylic acid, and streptomycin (kanamycin or tuber-actinomycin). The duration of follow-up was over one year. Results: 1) Out of 112 cases with positive sputum AFB smear, 72 (64%) achieved the negative conversion. 2) Among the 72 patients, 85% achieved negative conversion within 3 months after treatment. 3) When the duration of patient's illness was less than 2 years, 2 to 4 years and more than 5 years, the favourable response to retreatment was 86%, 62% and 54%, respectively. 4) When the number of sensitive drugs was 4,3,2 and 1, the favourable response rate was 74%, 68%, 39% and 0%, respectively. Conclusion: The shorter the duration of patient's illness was, the larger the number of sensitive drugs was. And the larger the number of sensitive drugs was, the better the result of treatment was. Thus it is very crucial to successfully treat newly discovered patients with adequate regimens and proper case-holding.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2012

To evaluate the ability of Dongchongxiacao ($Paecilomyces$ $japonica$) extract (PJE) to protect the skin from photodamage, the gross and microscopic changes in the skin of hairless mice and PJE-treated mice exposed chronically to ultraviolet (UV) were examined. The skin of the UV-irradiated mice showed characteristic signs of photoaging, such as deep wrinkles across the back. PJE-treated mice showed a significantly decreased wrinkling score. By the 22nd week, 88.9% (i.p. with saline) or 44.4% (topical administration with cream base) of the UV-irradiated mice developed at least one tumor. PJE delayed tumor onset significantly. PJE (i.p.) was also effective in reducing the occurrence of UV radiation-induced skin tumors and reduced the number of tumors per mouse. After 22 weeks of treatment, 80.0% (i.p.) and 75.0% (topical) of the mice treated with PJE were tumor-free. Tumor multiplicity was reduced by 96.2% (i.p.) in the PJE treated groups. It is noted that skin that is chronically exposed to UV is subject to photoaging and photocarcinogenesis and regular use of PJE would prevent these photodamaging effects of UV.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.460-467
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• 2020

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the word. Although radiation and chemotherapy are generally effective, there are various side effects that greatly limit the effectiveness of these treatments. Therefore, traditional herbs may have potential as important resources for the discovery of liver cancer therapeutics. In this study, we selected three Korean herbal medicine formulas from the Donguibogam, namely Bigihwan (BGH), Daechilgithang (DCGT), and Mokwhyangbinranghwan (MHBRH), and evaluated their anti-cancer effects on HCC cells. According to our results of three ethanol extracts, BGH was more effective at suppressing HCC growth than DCGT or MHBRH. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis showed that inhibition of HCC proliferation by the three extracts was associated with the induction of apoptosis and autophagy. In particular, BGH significantly increased mitochondrial impairment and showed the possibility of inducing mitophagy in comparison with the other two extracts. BGH prominently upregulated the levels of microtubule-associated protein light chain-3 which was accompanied by a decrease in the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 without altering the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax. In addition, the levels of PTEN-induced kinase 1 were also markedly increased in BGH-treated HCC cells. Moreover, autophagy blocking improved cell viability and reduced apoptosis after the three treatments, indicating that autophagy by these extracts enhances HCC cells against cytotoxicity. In conclusion, our findings show that BGH demonstrates the highest anti-cancer activity among the three formulas and inhibits the proliferation of HCC cells through autophagy induction.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.245-253
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• 1995

The effects of a simultaneous application of KCl and lime on the root uptake of $^{54}Mn,\;^{60}Co,\;^{85}Sr\;and\;^{137}Cs$ by rice, soybean, Chinese cabbage and radish were investigated through 2 years' greenhouse experiments. At their early growth stages, a mixed solution of the radionuclides was applied to the water or soil surfaces of the culture boxes filled with an acidic loamy-sandy soil for the upper 20cm and $83g/m^2$ of fertilizer KCl and $200g/m^2$ of slake lime were applied to the surfaces. Distribution of radioactivities among plant parts and change in uptake pattern with plant species were not, on the whole, significantly affected by the application. It reduced effectively soil-to-plant transfer factors of $^{85}Sr\;and\;^{137}Cs$ for rice, of all for Chinese cabbage and of $^{54}Mn,\;^{60}Co,\;and\;^{137}Cs$ for radish without their growth inhibition. In rice, $^{85}Sr$ showed the highest decrease $({\sim}60%)$ while, in Chinese cabbage and radish, $^{54}Mn$ did $({\sim}80%)$. The exprimental results can become valuable reference data to establish countermeasures against a radioactive contamination of farm-land during plant growth.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.685-690
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• 2007

Background: In the past, radiotherapy was the gold standard for the treatment of upper esophageal cancer, but the long-term follow-up was disappointing. There is still ongoing debate on the surgical management of these patients. This study was undertaker to update our experience with upper esophageal carcinoma and to evaluate the effectiveness of surgery. Material and Method: From May 1995 to December 2005, 147 patients with esophageal cancer underwent surgery at our hospital. They were divided into two groups: one group consisted of 23 patients with upper esophageal (cervical and upper thoracic) cancer and another group consisted of 424 patients with lower esophageal (middle thoracic, lower thoracic and abdominal) cancer. We evaluated the effectiveness of surgical treatment between the 2 groups by measuring the rate of complete surgical resection, the postoperative complications, the postoperative mortality, tumor recurrence, the average life expectancy and the long-term survival. Result: On comparing both groups, there was no significant difference in the distribution of the pathological stage and no significant difference in the percentage of performing complete surgical resection. The percentage of post-operative complications was 39.1% (9 out of 23 patients) in the upper esophageal cancer group, and this was significantly higher than 16.9% (21 out of 124 patients) in the lower esophageal cancer group (p<0.05). However, there was no significant statistical difference between the groups for the percentages of postoperative mortality, tumor recurrence or the postoperative average life expectancy. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in operative mortality or surgical effectiveness between the 2 groups. Therefore, we thought that surgical treatment is also effective for treating upper esophageal cancer, but further investigation with large patient populations will be required.

• Proceedings of the Technology Innovation Conference
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• 2005.02a
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• pp.158-175
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• 2005

정부지원 R&D 프로그램에 대한 성과평가는 과학기술혁신을 위한 정부투자의 규모가 확대되면서 동시에 그 수요가 증가하고 있다. 본 연구는 국내외에서 시행되고 있는 정부 R&B 프로그램의 성과평가에 대한 체계를 비교분석함으로서 올바른 성과평가의 틀에 관한 시사점을 제공하는데 목적이 있다. 각 프로그램을 비교분석하기에 앞서 성과평가와 관련한 일반적인 이론들을 살펴봄으로써 R&D프로그램에 대한 성과평가가 갖추어야 할 이론적인 체계에 대해 살펴보았다. R&D 프로그램의 성과평가를 위해서는 R&D 활동 자체가 혁신시스템 안에서 수행되고, 집행과정에서 그 효과가 증폭되어 혁신시스템을 변화시킬 수도 있기 때문에 일반적인 정책평가 이론 외에도 혁신시스템 이론을 함께 고려할 필요가 있다. 혁신시스템적 사고방식하에서 올바른 성과평가를 수행하기 위해서는 일반적인 평가기준으로 서 제시되는 적합성, 효율성, 효과성의 각각에 대해 혁신시스템적 기여도에 대한 고려가 충실히 반영되어 있어야 한다. 예를 들어 혁신시스템의 모든 요소들을 포함하는지, 환경적인요인을 고려했는지, 혁신 요소들 간에 형성된 네트워크에 대해 충분한 고찰을 하고 있는지 등이 여기에 해당한다. 실증연구에서는 이러한 것들이 모두 반영되었는가에 초점을 맞춰 각 국가 별 R&D 프로그램에 대한 성과평가를 분석하였다. 분석 대상은 해외와 국내의 주요 R&D 프로그램으로 비교적 성과평가가 활발하게 진행되었던 사례들을 선정하였다. 이러한 평가에 대한 평가, 즉 메타평가를 통해 각 프로그램의 성과평가가 가지는 특성을 밝히고 이들을 비교하여 적절한시사점 이 도출하였다. 이들 사례를 비교 분석한다면 그 결과를 바탕으로 하여 혁신시스템을 고려한 성과평가의 일반적인 모형을 제시할 수 있을 것으로 기대한다. 나아가 추후에 진행될 R&D 프로그램에 대한 성과평가에서도 본 연구에서 제시한 일반 모형을 응용함으로써 조금 더 체계화된 성과평가가 이루어질 수 있을 것으로 기대한다.결과 관점간 가중치의 우선순위가 동일할 경우 현행 평가제도는 연구기관의 의견이 반영되었다고 볼 수 있으나, 검증결과 관점간 가중치가 다르게 나타났다. 또한, 추가적인 분석에서 연구회별 관점의 가중치와 소속 연구기관별 관점의 가중치를 분석한 결과 일부 연구기관에서는 연구회의 가중치와달리 나타났다. 따라서, 현행 기관평가제도는 일부 연구기관의 특성이 충분히 반영되지 않아서 유효한 평가제도로 볼 수 없다고 하겠다. 본 연구의 결과에 따라 출연연구기관의 기관평가지표에 대한 각 지표별 가중치와 지표 문항 개선시 유용한 자료로 활용되리라 본다.로 하기 때문에 원가를 절감할 수 있다.환경현안에 대한 정치경제적 접근을 외면하지 말고 교과서 저작의 소재로 삼을 수 있어야 하며, 이는 '환경관리주의'와 '녹색소비'에 머물러 있는 '환경 지식교육'과 실천을 한단계 진전시키는 작업으로 이어질 것이다. 이후 10년의 환경교육은 바로 '생태적 합리성'과 '환경정의'라는 두 '화두'에 터하여 세워져야 한다.배액에서 약해를 보였으나, 25% 야자지방산의 경우 50 ${\sim}$ 100배액 어디에서도 액해를 보이지 않았다. 별도로 적용한 시험에서, 토마토의 경우에도 25% 야자지방산 비누 50 ${\sim}$ 100배액 모두 약해를 발생하지 않았으나, 오이에서는 25% 야자지방산 비누 100배액에도 약해를 나타내었다. 12. 이상의 결과, 천연지방산을 이용하여 유기농업에 허용되는 각종의 살충비누를 제조할 수 있었으며, 방제가 조사결과 진딧물, 응애 등 껍질이 연약한 곤충의 방제에 효과적인 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 제조된 살충비누를 활용하면 환경친화적인 해충방제가 가능하다고 판단되었다.능을 충진시켜서 암세포를 파괴시킨다. 또한 콜로니 자극인자인 사이토카인을 생산시켜서 면역담당세포의 신생을 촉진시키기도 하며, 암의 화학요법과 방사선 요법으로 저하된 백혈구를 회복시키는 역할을 한다. 따라서 최근의

• Journal of Korean Society of Spine Surgery
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.185-195
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• 2018

Study Design: Literature review. Objective: Ultrasound-guided injections are a common clinical treatment for lower lumbosacral pain that are usually performed before surgical treatment if conservative treatment fails. The aim of this article was to review ultrasound-guided injections in the lumbar and sacral spine. Summary of Literature Review: Ultrasound-guided injections, unlike conventional interventions using computed tomography or C-arm fluoroscopy, can be performed under simultaneous observation of muscles, ligaments, vessels, and nerves. Additionally, they have no radiation exposure and do not require a large space for the installation of equipment, so they are increasingly selected as an alternative method. Materials and Methods: We searched for and reviewed studies related to the use of ultrasound-guided injections in the lumbar and sacral spine. Results: In order to perform accurate ultrasound-guided injections, it is necessary to understand the patient's posture during the intervention, the relevant anatomy, and normal and abnormal ultrasonographic findings. Facet joint intra-articular injections, medial branch block, epidural block, selective nerve root block, and sacroiliac joint injections can be effectively performed under ultrasound guidance. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided injections in the lumbar and sacral spine are an efficient method for treating lumbosacral pain.