• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2013

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patterns of Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs and their interactions with prescription drugs in adults visiting a community pharmacy. Method: The subjects were 151 adults aged over 20 years visiting a community pharmacy in Asan-si from December 16th 2011 to February 1st 2012. We used a survey questionnaire. The survey inquired about the prevalence and the details of any OTC drug use and the characteristics of the study subjects. The drug interaction classification system from Lexicomp's Lexi-interact data fields was used to identify OTC drugs likely to have clinically significant interactions with prescription drugs. Results: The patterns of OTC drug use were related to thirties (from 30 to 40 years old), female gender, higher education, non-smoking, sometimes use of alcohol, and self-perceived normal health status. The most commonly used OTC drug category was antipyretic-analgesics (n=104, 53.3%), and the most commonly used ingredient was acetaminophen (n=67, 64.4%). The biggest motivation for taking OTC drugs was suggestion by pharmacists, reported by 55.6%. After reviewing each patient's prescription drugs and OTC drugs, 14 patients (36.8%) of 38 patients using prescription drugs were taking drug combinations with potential for clinically significant interactions. The concomitant use of OTC drugs with prescription drugs may lead to increased potentially harmful interactions. Conclusion: It is suggested that health-care professionals should be more aware of the potential and possible interactions and take into better account their patients' OTC drug use.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2013

Atherosclerotic vascular dysfunction is a chronic inflammatory process that spreads from the fatty streak and foam cells through lesion progression. Therefore, its early diagnosis and prevention is unfeasible. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play important roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic vascular disease. Intracellular redox status is tightly regulated by oxidant and antioxidant systems. Imbalance in these systems causes oxidative or reductive stress which triggers cellular damage or aberrant signaling, and leads to dysregulation. Paradoxically, large clinical trials have shown that non-specific ROS scavenging by antioxidant vitamins is ineffective or sometimes harmful. ROS production can be locally regulated by cellular antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutases, catalase, glutathione peroxidases and peroxiredoxins. Therapeutic approach targeting these antioxidant enzymes might prove beneficial for prevention of ROS-related atherosclerotic vascular disease. Conversely, the development of specific antioxidant enzyme-mimetics could contribute to the clinical effectiveness.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.75-78
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• 2007

Regulation of food packaging in Korea, Eurpoe and USA are surveyed. Food packaging manufacturer or converter has a responsibility to evaluate the safety of migration of harmful materials from typical finished packaging items. The 'overall migration limit' of all components from the packaging and 'specific migration limits(SML)' of monomers or additives are evaluated with food simulants, water, acetic acid, ethanol and n-heptane, based on the regulations of the countries. A substance not regulated has to be authorized with the technical data required, information on chemical identity, physical chemical and other properties, the intended use, migration studies and toxicological studies.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.171-172
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• 1996

Cocaine is a powerful reinforcer that has become a popular drug of abuse in man. CNS effects that are related to the abuse of cocaine include feeling of well-being and euphoria. Brain dopamine systems are thought to mediate reinforcement and it is often assumed that cocaine's inhibition of dopamine uptake is the mechanism underlying its reinforcing effects. With increase in cocaine use among general population in recent years, adverse effects of the drug have occurred in all social strata and age groups. Therefore, it has been recognized that the epidemic of cocaine abuse is a growing major concerning public health. One of the most troubling aspects of cocaine abuse is its use by pregnant women. Drug abuse during pregnancy puts two lives at risk. Cocaine produces toxic effects on the fetus at concerntrations that are apparently nontoxic to the mother. Not only does cocaine cross the placenta via diffusion and via rapid penetration to mucous membranes, due to its high lipid solubility, but cocaine can also be found in breast milk, the effects of the cocaine can persist long after the child is born. Although it is known that prenatal cocaine exposure is associated with developmental risk to the fetus ana newborn, few studies have been conducted to assess the mechanisms whereby either short-term or long-term administration of cocaine can exert its harmful effects on the mother or the child. Therefore, it was our great interest to investigate the pharmacological and neurobehavioral changes in offspring that are prenatally exposed to cocaine.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.92-102
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• 2022

This study suggests a variety of ways to prevent narcotic crimes, recurrence of such crimes, rehabilitation, and improve the public awareness of using the narcotics by adopting cultural contents, highlighting how dangerous, harmful and they are easily accessible, as well as the reality in Korea nowadays, where it cannot any longer be seen as a drug-free state. Precedent research, the actual case studies, and interviews followed by the "Musical Mission" explain that anyone can easily become a criminal or family to the criminals, and the adolescent is the age group that experience the most rapid increase in initiating such illicit drugs by using cultural content to help prevent and improve awareness among the public to expose the deadly effect of the substances. More efforts are required to remove the frame of criminals off the active drug users, as they are those who only need to be cared and are the same members of our society after all by demonstrating new ways to change such perspectives. I wish that it will become a social mandatory for those who produce the social contents to urge more support for the drug users through TV advertisements, dramas, movies, documentaries, and musicals etc.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.130-135
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• 2010

Picrate, enzyme-picrate and instrumental analysis methods using IC (Ion Chromatography) and HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) were compared for their effectiveness in determining cyanide in extracts of Maesil, which is classified as a harmful substance. First, the picrate method showed the shortest analysis time (about 5 hr). The color of picrate paper changed at 0.01 mg/$200\;mL\;CN^-$. However, it was difficult to detect cyanide from amygdalin of glucosides. Second, we performed a qualitative analysis for total cyanide (free cyanide and cyanide from amygdalin) by the enzyme-picrate method using $\beta$-glucosidase and a quantitative analysis by spectrophotometry. Finally, analysis of cyanide by IC and HPLC required the longest determining time (about 17 hr) as well as pretreatment for each free cyanide and amygdalin. These results suggest that enzyme-picrate is the most effective analysis method for the detection of cyanide in Maesil extracts.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.564-569
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• 2022

Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) is the brain protecting system blocking the inflow of harmful substances into brain parenchyma from brain blood vessel. However, the BBB has a negative effect on the treatment of various brain diseases such as Alzheimer's dementia or brain tumors because it also prevents drug delivery into brain parenchyma. To overcome this problem, a brain drug delivery technique using Focused Ultrasound (FUS) which allows BBB to be temporarily opened by inducing the acoustic cavitation effect of microbubbles has been developed. Thus far, various studies using the FUS technique has been conducted to improve drug delivery efficiency, and therefore, this paper discusses recently developed drug delivery technologies using the FUS-induced BBB opening.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.108-116
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• 2004

Purpose: There has been a number of reports on elution of bisphenol-A, an endocrine disrupting chemical, from milk bottles, all concerning the potential health effect of the substance. In this study, we measured the elution of bisphenol-A from milk bottles during boiling-water sterilization, to suggest a safe sterilization method. Method: Through the survey of 200 mothers, 78.5％ of them expressed their concern on the possible harmful effect of bisphenol-A, which might be eluted from the bottles. And it was found that most mothers use boiling-water to sterilize bottles; duration of boiling bottles could be divided into three groups of 3, 5, and 10 minutes. We measured the elution of bisphenol- A from three different brands of bottles, subject to various mode of sterilization found in the survey. Result: In all the measurements, the concentration of the eluted bisphenol-A was in the range of 0.3 - 0.7 ppb, far below 2.5ppm, the level set up by Korea Food ％amp; Drug Administration(KFDA) for a potential harmful effect. Conclusion: Although trace amount of bisphenol -A can be eluted from polycarbonate milk bottles during sterilization, and bottle feeding, the amount is found to be too small to cause any health related impact for infants.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.129-140
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• 2001

Harmful environment around school area have been increased with socio-economic development in Korea. Those entertainment facilities have caused a negative effect on the learning environment in many schools. As a result of increased entertainment harmful facilities in school area, the numbers of deviant behaviors such as drinking, smoking, substance abuse and sexual activity among junior high school students have been significantly increased. Given this situation, the aim of this study was to describe the distribution of the facilities; to access applied(experience) of the facilities according to students demographic variables; and to identify the relationship between use of the facilities and students risk health behaviors such as smoking, drinking, substance abuse and sexual activity. The field theory was used to study the relationship between the use of the facilities and risk health behaviors among students. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted in Korea. 2,114 junior and senior high school students(middle and high school students) were recruited by the method of proportional stratified random sampling from June to July 2000. Results indicated that: 1) The rates of using game centers, PC rooms, Song rooms and comic rooms were 78.3%, 75.6%, 71.6%, and 34.3% respectively. 2) High school students visited the entertainment facilities significantly more than middle school students(p〈0.001). 3) The rates of using facilities near schools were significantly associated with parents job(p〈0.05). 4) The rates of drinking, smoking, drug abuse, and sexual activity were 21.6%, 11.9%, 4.3% and 1.6% respectively. 5) Risk health behaviors such as smoking(p〈0.001) and drinking(p〈0.001), amount of smoking and drinking(p〈0.001) and sexual activity(p〈0.05) were associated with the experience of using the facilities. Those who had drinking experience were more likely to go the facilities than those without drinking experience. Also, those who were smoker had higher probability of going using the facilities than non-smokers.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.225-233
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated the in vitro anti-biofilm activities of plant extracts of chives (Allium tuberosum), garlic (Allium sativum), and radish (Raphanus sativus L.) against environment harmful bacteria (gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and, gram-negative Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7). In the paper disc assay, garlic extracts exhibited the highest anti-biofilm activity. The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of all plant extracts was generally higher for gram-negative bacteria than it was for gram-positive bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria were more resistant to plant extracts. The tetrazolium dye (XTT) assay revealed that, each plant extract exhibited a different anti-biofilm activity at the MIC value depending on the pathogen involved. Among the plant extracts tested, garlic extracts (fresh juice and powder) effectively reduced the metabolic activity of the cells of food-poisoning bacteria in biofilms. These anti-biofilm activities were consistent with the results obtained through light microscopic observation. Though the garlic extract reduced biofilm formation for all pathogens tested, to elucidate whether this reduction was due to antimicrobial effects or anti-biofilm effects, we counted the colony forming units of pathogens in the presence of the garlic extract and a control antimicrobial drug. The garlic extract inhibited the E. coli O157:H7 biofilm effectively compared to the control antimicrobial drug ciprofloxacin; however, it did not inhibit S. aureus biofilm significantly compared to ciprofloxacin. In conclusion, garlic extracts could be used as natural food preservatives to prevent the growth of foodborne pathogens and elongater the shelf life of processed foods.