• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.15-31
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• 2024

The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine sulphate (HCQ) has taken much attention during the first COVID-19 pandemic phase for the treatment of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) patients. Hence it is interest to study the electrochemical properties and photocatalytic degradation of the HCQ drug. Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles, graphene oxide (GO) and CuO/GO NC (nanocomposite) modified carbon paste electrodes (MCPE) are used for the detection of HCQ in an aqueous medium. Electrochemical behaviour of HCQ (20 μM) was observed using CuO/MCPE, GO/MCPE and CuO/GO NC/MCPE in 0.1 M phosphate buffer at pH 7 with a scan rate of 20 to 120 mV s^-1 by cyclic voltammetry (CV). Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) of HCQ was performed for 0.6 to 16 μM HCQ. The CuO/GO NC/MCPE showed a reasonably good sensitivity of 0.33 to 0.44 μA μM cm^-2 with LOD of 69 to 92 nM for HCQ. Furthermore, the CuO/GO NC was used as a catalyst for the photodegradation of HCQ by monitoring its UV-Vis absorption spectra. About 98% was degraded in about 34 min under visible light and after 4 cycles it was 87%. The improved photocatalytic activity may be attributed to decrease in bandgap energy and enhanced ability for the electrons to migrate. Thus, CuO/GO NC showed good results for both sensing and degradation applications as well as reproducibility.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• 제50권2호
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• pp.125-137
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• 2024

Background: The Korea Risk Information Surveillance System (K-RISS) was developed to enable the early detection of food and drug safety-related issues. Its goal is to deliver real-time risk indicators generated from ongoing food and drug risk monitoring. However, the existing K-RISS system suffers under several limitations. Objectives: This study aims to augment K-RISS with more detailed indicators and establish a severity standard that takes into account structural changes in the daily time series of K-RISS values. Methods: First, a Delphi survey was conducted to derive the required weights. Second, a control chart, commonly used in statistical process controls, was utilized to detect outliers and establish caution, attention, and serious levels for K-RISS values. Furthermore, Bai and Perron's method was employed to determine structural changes in K-RISS time series. Results: The study incorporated 'closeness to life' and 'sustainability' indicators into K-RISS. It obtained the necessary weights through a survey of experts for integrating variables, combining indicators by data source, and aggregating sub K-RISS values. We defined caution, attention, and serious levels for both average and maximum values of daily K-RISS. Furthermore, when structural changes were detected, leading to significant variations in daily K-RISS values according to different periods, the study systematically verified these changes and derived respective severity levels for each period. Conclusions: This study enhances the existing K-RISS system and introduces more advanced indicators. K-RISS is now more comprehensively equipped to serve as a risk warning index. The study has paved the way for an objective determination of whether the food safety risk index surpasses predefined thresholds through the application of severity levels.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.119-131
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• 2024

There are growing concerns regarding the safety of long-term treatment with opioids of patients with chronic non-cancer pain. In 2017, the Korean Pain Society (KPS) developed guidelines for opioid prescriptions for chronic non-cancer pain to guide physicians to prescribe opioids effectively and safely. Since then, investigations have provided updated data regarding opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer pain and have focused on initial dosing schedules, reassessment follow-ups, recommended dosage thresholds considering the risk-benefit ratio, dose-reducing schedules for tapering and discontinuation, adverse effects, and inadvertent problems resulting from inappropriate application of the previous guidelines. Herein, we have updated the previous KPS guidelines based on a comprehensive literature review and consensus development following discussions among experts affiliated with the Committee on Hospice and Palliative Care in the KPS. These guidelines may assist physicians in prescribing opioids for chronic non-cancer pain in adult outpatient settings, but should not to be regarded as an inflexible standard. Clinical judgements by the attending physician and patient-centered decisions should always be prioritized.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.24-29
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• 2010

This study was conducted to estimate the contents of heavy metals including lead, cadmium, arsenic and total mercury in alcoholic beverages in Korea. Concentration of Hg was analyzed by gold amalgamation method, using mercury analyzer, while concentration of Pb, Cd and As was analyzed by ICP-MS. Concentration (${\mu}g/kg$) of heavy metal in fermented liquors were; for Pb $9.9\;{\pm}\;8.4$(0~38.0), Cd $5.8\;{\pm}\;4.9$(0~5.4), As $28.6\;{\pm}\;19.4$(1~96.4), Hg $0.7\;{\pm}\;1.2$(0~10.6). Concentration (${\mu}g/kg$) of distilled liquors were ; for Pb $4.4\;{\pm}\;5.7$(0~29.3), Cd $2.0\;{\pm}\;2.5$(0~10.3), As $12.0\;{\pm}\;17.0$(0~95.6), Hg $0.2\;{\pm}\;0.3$(0~2.3). Concentration(${\mu}g/kg$ of other liquous were ; for Pb $7.5\;{\pm}\;5.1$(0~13.7), Cd $5.8\;{\pm}\;3.9$(0.6~11.2), As $25.2\;{\pm}\;39.0$(0.5~103.3), Hg $0.3\;{\pm}\;0.1$(0.1~0.5). The present study showed that difference of the amount of constituent in a same category of food are not affect to the content of heavy metals among them. The residual levels of takju, yakju, sake, beer, fruit wine, soju, whiskey, brandy, general distilled liquor, liquor, other liquors are within the maximum levels, prescribed by Korea food code. It is given that heavy metal exposure of Pb, Cd, As, Hg from consumption of alcoholic beverages (takju, yakju, sake, beer, fruit wine, soju, whiskey, brandy, general distilled liquor, liquor, other liquors) are less than 0.03%, 0.06%, 0.01%, 0.01% (mean) in provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) respectively, indicated by FAO/WHO.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.284-289
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• 2017

Oxidized polyethylene wax (OPEW) is, one of the food additives, used as a coating agent in citrus fruits and nuts. OPEW is authorized to quantum satis in EU, USA, and is acceptable less than 250 mg/kg in Australia and New Zealand. But OPEW is unauthorized as a food additive in Korea. This study was to establish the analytical method of OPEW and demonstrate the effective application of various food samples. We first conducted to compare the various analytical method including acid value (AV), high temperature gel permeation chromatography (HT-GPC), matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS), gas chromatography flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). This result indicated that FT-IR spectrum of OPEW treated food sample displayed absorption bands for carbonyl group (C=O, $1714cm^{-1}$), ester group (C-O, $1463cm^{-1}$), aliphatic group (C-H, $2916cm^{-1}$). Furthermore, IR spectrum of OPEW treated food sample showed similar tendency with IR spectrum of OPEW standard. Therefore, it is confirmed that analytical method using FT-IR can be detected on analysis of OPEW in food. As a result of monitoring of 111 samples using established analytical method, OPEW was not detected in the food samples.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• 제37권11호
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• pp.1515-1522
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• 2008

Monitoring the pesticide residues in agricultural products is essential to protect consumers, obtain data for risk assessment, and ensure fair trade practices. We developed a multi-residue method for the analysis of 37 pesticides with different physico-chemical properties in agricultural products and analyzed the amount of pesticide residues on about 1,000 samples circulated in South Korea. The samples consisted of 26 different types of agricultural products selected at markets in 14 major cities; cereals (2 species), nuts (1 species) potatoes (1 species), beans (2 species), fruits (3 species), vegetables (16 species), and mushrooms (1 species). In this study, residual pesticides were detected in 23 samples (2.2%) and one sample was detected to be over maximum residue limits (MRLs, 0.1%) for pesticides in foods by the Korea food code. In leafy vegetables such as pepper leaves, radish leaves, cham-na-mul, shin-sun-cho, crown daisy, chwi-na-mul and citrus fruits such as kumquat, 8 kinds of pesticides were detected. Specially, diazinon were detected over MRLs and also, endosulfan, ethoprophos and phenthoate were detected frequently. Based on these results, we investigated the risk assesment from amount of residual pesticide, total %ADI was 1.262%, but the value has not effected on human health.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.507-528
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• 2011

Agricultural workers who mix/loads and spray pesticide in fields expose to pesticide through dermal and inhalation routes. In such situation, exposed amount should be measured quantitatively for reasonable risk assessment. Patch, gloves, socks and mask will be good materials for monitoring for dermal exposure while personal air monitor equipped with solid adsorbent and air pump will be a tool for inhalation exposure. For extrapolation of absorbed amount in dermal exposure matrices and of trapped amount in solid sorbent to total deraml or inhalation exposure, Korean standard body surface area and respiration rate were proposed in substitution of EPA data. Important exposure factors such as clothing and skin penetration ratio of dermal and inhalation exposure were suggested based on Spraying time for exposure monitoring must be long enough that the amount of pesticide to get absorbed/trapped in exposure matrices results in reasonable analytical value. In domestic case for the both of speed sprayer and power spray machine, spraying time of 20~40 minutes (0.1~0.2 ha) will be reasonable per single replicate before extrapolating to 4 hours a day with triplicates experiment.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• 제21권6호
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• pp.480-486
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• 2008

This paper reports on the monitoring results of some heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As and Hg) in oriental mineral medicines. Levels of Pb, Cd and As were determined using the acid digestion method and ICP-MS. Hg levels were determined using the gold amalgamation method and Automatic mercury analyzer (AMA). The results indicated that, in the case of Pb, 25.81% (24 cases) of the samples were over MRL (5 mg/kg). Pb levels in Calamina, Pumex, and Cinnabaris exceeded MRL (5 mg/kg). In the case of Cd, 9.68% (17cases) of the samples were over MRL (0.3 mg/kg). Cd levels in Calamina, Pumex and Cinnabaris were exceeded MRL (0.3 mg/kg). In case of As, 24.73% (23 cases) of samples exceeded MRL (3 mg/kg). As levels in Calamina, Lithargyrum, Vermilionum, Cinnabaris and Chalcocitum exceeded MRL (3 mg/kg). In the case of Hg, it was shown that the 76.34% (78 cases) of the samples exceeded MRL (0.2 mg/kg). Hg levels in almost all the samples exceeded MRL (0.2 mg/kg). These results led us to recommend that the domestic commercial law to be legislated to ensure the quality estimation and safety of oriental mineral medicines.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.97-102
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• 2012

High-resolution carotid MRI allows visualization of carotid atherosclerotic plaque characteristics. MRI serves as a noninvasive option for the detection of active plaque inflammation and intraplaque hemorrhage. Significant gains in signal-tonoise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio can be obtained for carotid atheroma imaging at 3T compared with 1.5T. Normalized wall index or wall area on MRI has shown its efficacy in monitoring the response after medical therapy. $T(2)^*$ quantification in carotid plaques before and after the administration of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide particles shows difference in response to treatment according to drug doses. In conclusion, high-resolution MRI is useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of carotid atherosclerotic plaques prone to transient ischemic attack and stroke.

• Translational and Clinical Pharmacology
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.134-140
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• 2018

This study aimed to develop a UPLC-MS/MS method for determining plasma levels of L-aspartic acid and L-asparagine and the activity of L-asparaginase. L-aspartic acid, L-asparagine, and L-aspartic acid-2,3,3-$d_3$ were extracted from human plasma by protein precipitation with sulfosalicylic acid (30%, v/v). The plasma samples were analyzed using an Imtakt Intrada amino acid analysis column with 25 mM ammonium formate and 0.5% formic acid in acetonitrile as the mobile phase with step gradient method at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The injection volume was $5{\mu}L$, and the total run time was 15 min. Inter- and intra-batch accuracies (%) ranged from 96.62-106.0% for L-aspartic acid and 89.85-104.8%, for L-asparagine, and the coefficient of variation (CV%) did not exceed 7%. The validation results for L-aspartic acid and L-asparagine satisfied the specified criterion, however, the results for L-asparaginase activity assay showed a borderline validity. This study could be a foundation for further development of therapeutic drug monitoring systems using UPLC-MS/MS.