• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.27 no.7
• /
• pp.1011-1022
• /
• 2021

The Korea Coast Guard(KCG) is the only comprehensive maritime administrative agency in Korea that performs various tasks taking place in the ocean, including rescue operations, disaster management, policing, Drug and smuggling crackdown, responding to Response to invasion of maritime territory, environmental conservation, and maritime security. It is vital to inform the public of the role and mission of KCG as the only comprehensive maritime administrative agency in Korea. However, most citizens, excluding residents of the coastal and island areas, have little knowledge of the security administration services of the KCG due to lack of exposure. This study reviewed the KCG's public relations(PR) organization and current status using KCG promotional materials, diagnosed the actual conditions of KCG's PR, and suggested ways to improve public relations activities through a questionnaire survey of public relations personnel. Through literature research and questionnaire survey, the KCG's public relations status was estimated and the measures to enhance publicity was derived as follows: strengthening the PR organization by reinforcing the personnel in charge of PR, improving customized promotion by clarifying the promotion strategy according to the promotion target, enhancing job training for PR personnel, and increasing the interest and support of commanders and internal members in charge of PR work.

• The Journal of KAIRB
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.36-41
• /
• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate how university hospital Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) in Korea classify risk when reviewing clinical trial protocols. Methods: IRB experts (IRB chairman, vice chairman, IRB administrator) in the university hospitals obtaining a Human research protection program (HRPP) or IRB accreditation in Korea were asked to fill out the Google Survey from September 1, 2020 to October 10, 2020. Result: Among the 23 responder hospitals, 8 were accredited by the American Association for Human Research Protection Program (AAHRPP) and 8 were accredited by the HRPP of Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). Seven were accredited by Forum for Ethical Review Committees in Asia and the Western Pacific or Korea National Institution for Bioethics Policy. Thirteen of 23 hospitals (56.5%) had 4 levels (less than minimal, low, moderate, high risk), 4 hospitals had 3 levels (less than, slightly over, over than minimal risk), 1 hospital had 5 levels (4 levels plus required data safety monitoring board), and 1 hospital had 2 levels (less than, over than minimal risk) risk classification system. Thirteen of 23 hospitals (56.5%) had difficulty classifying the risk levels of research protocols. Fourteen hospitals (60.9%) responded that different standards among hospitals for risk level determination associated with clinical trials will affect the subject protection. Six hospitals (26.1%) responded that it will not. Three hospitals (13.0%) responded that it will affect the beginning of the clinical trial. To resolve differences in standards between hospitals, 14 hospitals (60.9%) responded that either the Korean Association of IRB or MFDS needs to provide a guideline for risk level determination in clinical trials: 5 hospitals (21.7%) responded education for IRB members and researchers is needed; 3 hospitals (13.0%) responded that difference among institutions needs to be acknowledged; and 1 hospital (4.3%) responded that there needs to be communication among IRB, investigator, and sponsor. Conclusion: After conducting a nationwide survey on how IRB in university hospital determines risk during review of clinical trials, it is reasonable to use 4-level risk classification (less than minimal, low, moderate, high risk); the most utilized method among hospitals. Moreover, personal information and conflict of interest associated with clinical trials have to be considered when reviewing clinical trial protocols.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.8
• /
• pp.589-594
• /
• 2022

The objective of this study was to investigate whether betulinic acid can inhibit the activities of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes and reduce postprandial hyperglycemia in mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Our results revealed that betulinic acid has potent inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) of betulinic acid were 12.83±6.81 and 18.32±3.24 μM for α-glucosidase and α-amylase, respectively. This result indicates lower IC₅₀ values and higher inhibitory activities than those of acarbose, an oral hypoglycemic drug. The increase in postprandial blood glucose levels was significantly suppressed in the betulinic acid group than in the control group of diabetic and normal mice. Postprandial blood glucose levels were 23.22±1.1, 24.38±1.31, and 21.05±1.36 μM in the betulinic acid group compared to 24.64±1.7, 27.22±1.58, and 26.36±1.40 μM in the control group of diabetic mice at 30, 60 and 120 min, respectively. The area under the curve also significantly decreased with the administration of betulinic acid in diabetic mice, however, it did not decrease more than that after acarbose administration. Our results showed that betulinic acid may be a potent inhibitor of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes and ameliorate postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic mice.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.93-102
• /
• 2022

This study performed a trichlorfon (TCF) residue and pharmacokinetic analysis with Japanese eels, Anguilla japonica, to obtain baseline data to establish the maximum residue level (MRL) of TCF in A. japonica. After dipping A. japonica in 30 ppm and 150 ppm of TCF at 28℃ and 18℃, drug residue in the body was analyzed with LC-MS/MS, and these results were further analyzed with the PK solver program to obtain the pharmacokinetic parameters of TCF in the serum, muscles, and liver. The maximum concentrations (C_max) in the serum, muscles, and liver were 25.87-357.42, 129.91-1043.73, and 40.47-375.20, respectively, and the time to maximum concentration (T_max) was 0.13-1.32h, 1.17-3.34h, and 0.14-5.40h, respectively. The terminal elimination half-life (T_1/2) was 2.13-3.92h, 5.30-10.35h, and 0.65-13.81h, respectively. In the 30 mg/L concentration group, TCF was not detected in the serum of eels 96 hours after bathing, and was below the detection limit after 336 hours in muscle and liver. On the other hand, in the 150 mg/L concentration group, TCF was not detected in the serum of eels 336 hours after bathing, but was detected in muscle and liver at 336 hours. In conclusion, the results of this study would be useful in establishing the MRL of TCF in farmed A. japonica.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.55 no.4
• /
• pp.430-440
• /
• 2022

Selenium is an important trace mineral that plays an essential role in maintaining the body's immunity with oxidative stress defense and antioxidant activity, immunity, thyroid hormone control, defense against drug or heavy metal harm, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. A selenium deficiency increases the risk of various chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological disease, osteoarthritis, muscle necrosis and weakness, thyroid disease, and inflammatory diseases. This paper explains the criteria for establishing and revising selenium in the 2020 Dietary Reference Intake for Koreans (KDRIs) and reviews the current status of the selenium database and suggestions for setting the 2025 KDRIs in the future. In the 2020 KDRIs, the selenium intake with the maximum plasma selenoprotein P level was used as the criteria. The weight and coefficient of the variation were applied to the Chinese' reported values. Compared to 2015 KDRIs, there were some revisions in the selenium dietary reference intakes by gender and age according to the change in reference weight. To improve and revise selenium dietary reference intakes in the future, a selenium intervention study is needed to determine the maximum level of plasma selenoprotein P in Koreans. In addition, a revision of the selenium database of the nutritional assessment program (CAN-Pro 5.0) is needed. An analysis of the selenium content of foods should be expanded to assess the selenium intake accurately. In addition, research on the relationship between selenium intake and the biological indicators in the body is required for healthy people and subjects of special environments, such as patients and athletes with various oxidative stress.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.129-135
• /
• 2022

The official analytical method for the analysis of harmful heavy metals in Meju, distributed in Korea, employs a strong acid to decompose the organic components. This analysis is time consuming and harmful to the users and/or the environment. This study aimed to develop a new pre-treatment technology using laser ablation, to rapidly analyze harmful heavy metals without using strong acids. The results obtained from this method were validated by the National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation guideline (NIFDS, 2016). Moreover, a comparison of the two methods showed that the analytical time for 55 Meju samples was shortened by 96% or more in the new method. The results showed no significant difference in the recovery ranging from 90-120%. The proposed method proved suitable for detecting harmful heavy metals in Meju.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.116-124
• /
• 2022

Background: High-alert medications (HAMs) are medications that bear a heightened risk of causing significant patient harm if used in error. To facilitate safe use of HAMs, identifying specific HAM lists for clinical setting is necessary. We aimed to develop the national level HAM list for acute care setting. Methods: We used three-step process. First, we compiled the pre-existing lists referring HAMs. Second, we analyzed medication related incidents reported from national patient safety incident report data and adverse events indicating medication errors from the Korea Adverse Event Reporting System (KAERS). We also surveyed the assistant staffs to support patient safety tasks and pharmacist in charge of medication safety in acute care hospital. From findings from analysis and survey results we created additional candidate list of HAMs. Third, we derived the final list for HAMs in acute care settings through expert panel surveys. Results: From pre-existing HAM list, preliminary list consisting of 42 medication class/ingredients was derived. Eight assistant staff to support patient safety tasks and 39 pharmacists in charge of medication safety responded to the survey. Additional 44 medication were listed from national patient safety incident report data, KAERS data and common medications involved in prescribing errors and dispensing errors from survey data. A list of mandatory and optional HAMs consisting of 10 and 6 medication classes, respectively, was developed by consensus of the expert group. Conclusion: We developed national level HAM list for Korean acute care setting from pre-existing lists, analyzing medication error data, survey and expert panel consensus.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.287-294
• /
• 2023

Healthy adipose tissue is critical for preventing obesity by maintaining metabolic homeostasis. Adipose tissue plays an important role in energy homeostasis through glucose and lipid metabolism. Depending on nutritional status, adipose tissue expands to store lipids or can be consumed by lipolysis. The role of adipose tissue as an endocrine organ is emerging, and many studies have reported that there are various adipose tissue hormones that communicate with other organs and tissues through metabolic signaling. For example, leptin, a representative peptide hormone secreted from adipose tissues (adipokine), circulates and targets the central nervous system of the brain for appetite regression. Furthermore, adipocytes secrete inflammatory cytokines to target immune cells in adipose tissues. Not surprisingly, adipocytes can secrete fatty acid-derived hormones (lipokine) that bind to their specific receptors for paracrine and endocrine action. To understand organ crosstalk by adipose tissue hor- mones, specific metabolic signaling in adipocytes and other communicating cells should be defined. The dysfunction of metabolic signaling in adipocytes occurs in unhealthy adipose tissue in overweight and obese conditions. Therapy targeting novel adipose metabolic signaling could potentially lead to the development of an effective anti-obesity drug. This review summarizes the latest updates on adipose tissue hormone and metabolic signaling in terms of obesity and metabolic diseases.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.162-173
• /
• 2023

Four roe protein isolates (RPIs) from olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus roes (OFR) were recovered by isoelectric solubilization (pH 11 and 12) and precipitation (pH 4.5 and 5.5) and investigated for their food characteristics. RPIs contained 4.5-9.6% moisture, 64.1-69.5% protein, 16.1-19.8% lipid, and 1.0-3.9% ash. The protein yields of RPIs ranged from 50.1 to 56.8%, which was significantly different depending on the recovery conditions. A difference was observed in the SDS-PAGE protein band (25-100 kDa) between the alkaline solubilization at pH 11 (RPI-1 and 2) and pH 12 (RPI-3 and 4). The major amino acids of RPIs were Leu, Lys, Asp, Glu and Ala and major mineral components were sulfur, sodium, phosphorus, and magnesium, which were significantly different from OFR (P<0.05). Additionally, the lead and cadmium content was below the chemical hazard standard of the Korean food standards code. The Hunter color and whiteness of RPIs also showed significant differences according to the treatment conditions of the ISP process (P<0.05). This suggests that protein isolates recovered from olive flounder roes have high potential as nutritional supplements.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.199-209
• /
• 2023

Background: Due to the interrupted blood supply in cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS), ischemic and hypoxia results in neuronal depolarization, insufficient NAD+, excessive levels of ROS, mitochondrial damages, and energy metabolism disorders, which triggers the ischemic cascades. Currently, improvement of mitochondrial functions and energy metabolism is as a vital therapeutic target and clinical strategy. Hence, it is greatly crucial to look for neuroprotective natural agents with mitochondria protection actions and explore the mediated targets for treating CIS. In the previous study, notoginseng leaf triterpenes (PNGL) from Panax notoginseng stems and leaves was demonstrated to have neuroprotective effects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the potential mechanisms have been not completely elaborate. Methods: The model of middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO/R) was adopted to verify the neuroprotective effects and potential pharmacology mechanisms of PNGL in vivo. Antioxidant markers were evaluated by kit detection. Mitochondrial function was evaluated by ATP content measurement, ATPase, NAD and NADH kits. And the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and pathological staining (H&E and Nissl) were used to detect cerebral morphological changes and mitochondrial structural damages. Western blotting, ELISA and immunofluorescence assay were utilized to explore the mitochondrial protection effects and its related mechanisms in vivo. Results: In vivo, treatment with PNGL markedly reduced excessive oxidative stress, inhibited mitochondrial injury, alleviated energy metabolism dysfunction, decreased neuronal loss and apoptosis, and thus notedly raised neuronal survival under ischemia and hypoxia. Meanwhile, PNGL significantly increased the expression of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) in the ischemic regions, and regulated its related downstream SIRT1/2/3-MnSOD/PGC-1α pathways. Conclusion: The study finds that the mitochondrial protective effects of PNGL are associated with the NAMPT-SIRT1/2/3-MnSOD/PGC-1α signal pathways. PNGL, as a novel candidate drug, has great application prospects for preventing and treating ischemic stroke.