• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2013

Objectives : Coptidis Rhizoma has been used for stomach disease. However, its property is so cold that it might be avoided to prescribe for the elderly and the infirm having indigestion or diarrhea. Accordingly, the present study was designed to investigate the protective effects of Coptidis Rhizoma herbal acupuncture extract against acute gastric mucosal lesions induced by compound 48/80 in rats. Methods : The Coptidis Rhizoma herbal acupuncture (CRHA) was injected in Choksamni and Chungwan 1 h before compound 48/80 treatment. The animals were sacrificed under anesthesia 3 h after compound 48/80 treatment. The stomachs were removed and the amount of gastric adherent mucus, gastric mucosal hexosamine, SOD, XO, TBARS and histological examination were performed. Results : The decline of gastric adherent mucus, gastric mucosal hexosamine and the histological defects of gastric mucus were significantly protected by CRHA treatment. Gastric adherent mucus in control group was reduced to $38.2{\pm}5.0%$. CRHA groups significantly protected the loss of mucus to $77.5{\pm}4.9%$. Mucosal hexosamine content showed similar patterns. Mucosal hexosamine content in control group was reduced to $45.2{\pm}6.2%$. CRHA groups significantly protected the loss of mucus to $83.0{\pm}7.0%$. The changes of gastric mucosal SOD and TBARS were recovered by CRHA treatment as well. Conclusions : CRHA showed the protective effects on the acute gastric mucosal lesions induced by compound 48/80 in rats. These results suggest that CRHA may have protective effects on the gastritis.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.79-86
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• 2018

Objectives : Hemorrhoids are one of the most common diseases in humans. Jingyoganghwaltang (JG) and Cheongsimhwan (CS) have been used for treating hemorrhoids in Korean traditional clinical practice. The present study was designed to evaluate the traditional effects of JG and CS on the experimental hemorrhoid model in rats. Methods : Hemorrhoids are closely related to inflammation. Accordingly, we examined the nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophage cell line in order to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect. The expression levels of inflammation related genes including IL-1 beta, IL-6, INOS, and TNF-alpha were examined via a real-time quantitative PCR. Croton oil-induced hemorrhagic animal model was used to test the in vivo efficacy against hemorrhoids. The rectal tissues were weighed and the inflammatory proteins were measured to confirm the anti-inflammatory effects. Results : JG and CS have a statistically significant effect on inhibition of NO production and on the reduction of inflammatory gene expression such as IL-1 beta, IL-6, INOS, and TNF-alpha. The synergistic effects of co-treatment of JG and CS were found out in the IL-6 gene expression. The in vivo study using croton oil-induced hemorrhoid model in rat was performed to check the co-treatment effects. As a result, the co-treatment reduced the inflammation of the rectal tissue and decrease the inflammation related protein productions including ICAM1, MMP2 and MMP9. Conclusions : These results suggest that JG and CS co-treatment demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in croton oil-induced hemorrhoid model in rat.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.374-381
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• 2022

This study analyzes the visual perceptual difference of observers in the artworks created by human artists and artificial intelligence(AI) through eye-tracking. More specifically, the study analyzes the degree of visual attention through a fixation experiment on non-linguistic sources such as the formation and expression of artworks. As a result of this study, the subjects had guessed that one out of four artworks were created by AI (in actuality, 61.1% of the artworks were created by The Next Rembrandt). This demonstrates that most of the subjects hardly recognized the difference between the artwork of human artists and AI. From the comparative analysis of visual perceptual differences found through eye-tracking, more visual attention was found to be demanded for catching details of more stimulating visuals compared to less stimulating visuals. In the gender difference analysis, both of the female and male subjects were likely to stare more intently at the flowers of still-life paintings (Deep Dream & Vincent Van Gogh) while the eyes of a portrait painting (Rembrandt & The Next Rembrandt); this demonstrates no significant differences in gender. Various opinions on AI and art creation from different perspectives arose, therefore, this research is meaningful in a way that it suggests an objective examination through experiments with an artistic perspective.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.600-606
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• 2023

Dengue virus (DENV) is a widespread arbovirus. To efficiently establish infection, DENV evolves multiple strategies to hijack the host innate immune response. Herein, we examined the inhibitory effects of DENV serotype 2 (DENV2) nonstructural proteins on RIG-I-directed antiviral immune response. We found that DENV2 NS2A, NS2B, NS4A, and NS4B significantly inhibited RIG-I-mediated IFN-β promoter activation. The roles of NS2B in RIG-I-directed antiviral immune response are unknown. Our study further showed that NS2B could dose-dependently suppress RIG-I/MAVS-induced activation of IFN-β promoter. Consistently, NS2B significantly decreased RIG-I- and MAVS-induced transcription of IFNB1, ISG15, and ISG56. Mechanistically, NS2B was found to interact with MAVS and IKKε to impair RIG-I-directed antiviral response. Our findings demonstrated a previously uncharacterized function of NS2B in RIG-I-mediated antiviral response, making it a promising drug target for anti-DENV treatments.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.623-630
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• 2023

Recently, a hydrogen charging station-related memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between Korea Transport Institute and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Transport in Abu Dhabi, creating a foundation for exporting green hydrogen charging stations and hydrogen powered public transit buses developed with Korean technology to Abu Dhabi. Reliable construction and operation of the charging stations require a thorough review on associated standards and legal requirements. In particular, it is essential to analyze currently effective standards related to hydrogen production, hydrogen vehicle charging, and hydrogen charging stations. This paper specifically focuses on comparative analysis of hydrogen-related standards in the UAE and the Republic of Korea. Similar to UAE, Korean hydrogen charging station-related standards follow International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards. From real-life experiences in developing and operating charging stations, even more essence of ISO standards have been adopted in Korean standards than UAE. In particular, ISO standards related to fire prevention are additionally included in Korea. This paper also suggests procedural and administrative strategies for enabling application of Korean hydrogen charging station-related standards in UAE.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.114-123
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• 2024

Purpose: Appropriate scoring systems can help classify and treat polytrauma patients. This study aimed to validate chest trauma scoring systems in polytrauma patients. Methods: Data from 1,038 polytrauma patients were analyzed. The primary outcomes were one or more complications: pneumonia, chest complications requiring surgery, and mortality. The Thoracic Trauma Severity Score (TTSS), Chest Trauma Score, Rib Fracture Score, and RibScore were compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis in patients with or without head trauma. Results: In total, 1,038 patients were divided into two groups: those with complications (822 patients, 79.2%) and those with no complications (216 patients, 20.8%). Sex and body mass index did not significantly differ between the groups. However, age was higher in the complications group (64.1±17.5 years vs. 54.9±17.6 years, P<0.001). The proportion of head trauma patients was higher (58.3% vs. 24.6%, P<0.001) and the Glasgow Coma Scale score was worse (median [interquartile range], 12 [6.5-15] vs. 15 [14-15]; P<0.001) in the complications group. The number of rib fractures, the degree of rib fracture displacement, and the severity of pulmonary contusions were also higher in the complications group. In the area under the ROC curve analysis, the TTSS showed the highest predictive value for the entire group (0.731), head trauma group (0.715), and no head trauma group (0.730), while RibScore had the poorest performance (0.643, 0.622, and 0.622, respectively) Conclusions: Early injury severity detection and grading are crucial for patients with blunt chest trauma. The chest trauma scoring systems introduced to date, including the TTSS, are not acceptable for clinical use, especially in polytrauma patients with traumatic brain injury. Therefore, further revisions and analyses of chest trauma scoring systems are recommended.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.268-279
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• 2023

The pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh produces a diverse range of antibiotics for human and animal use, however, waste disposal management is inadequate. This results in substantial quantities of antibiotics being discharged into water bodies, which provide suitable environment for the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, capable of spreading resistance genes. This study intended for exploring the bacterial antibiotic resistance profile in adjoining aquatic environmental sources of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh. Seven surface water samples were collected from the vicinity of two pharmaceutical industries located in the Savar area and 51 Escherichia coli isolates were identified using both phenotypic and genotypic methods. Antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed the highest percentage of resistance against ampicillin, azithromycin, and nalidixic acid (100%) and the lowest resistance against meropenem (1.96%) out of sixteen different antibiotics tested. 100% of the study E. coli isolates were observed with Multidrug resistance phenotypes, with the Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) value ranging from 0.6-1.0. Furthermore, 69% of the isolates were Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) positive as per the Double Disk Diffusion Synergy Test (DDST). ESBL resistance genes bla_TEM, bla_CTX-M-13, bla_CTX-M-15, and bla_SHV were detected in 70.6% (n = 36), 60.8% (n = 32), 54.9% (n = 28), and 1.96% (n = 1) of the isolates, respectively, by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Additionally, 15.68% (n = 8) of the isolates were positive for E. coli specific virulence genes in PCR. These findings suggest that pharmaceutical wastewater, if not properly treated, could be a formidable source of antibiotic resistance spread in the surrounding aquatic environment. Therefore, continued surveillance for drug resistance among bacterial populations around drug manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh is necessary, along with proper waste disposal management.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.7
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• pp.671-689
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• 2008

The economic recession of North Korea has been prolonged, the need for humanitarian assistance for the women and children of DPRK has been raised. In March 2006, South Korean government signed MOU with World Health Organization (WHO) to financially support "Improving Women's and Children's Health in DPRK (IWCH)" project. The assistance projects through UNICEF and the non-government organizations of South Korea were also followed. IWCH project consists of three parts; nutrition, disease management, children and maternity care. The first term (2006-2007) of the project leading by WHO was finished, and the second term (2008-2010) is just begun. The projects driven by NGOs have relatively been delayed due to difficulties in negotiating on project contents and places with North Korea. Recently, however, re-modeling processes of an obstetric/gynecology hospital and a children hospital in Nampo were started. Up to recently, South Korean government has played only a limited role in the humanitarian assistance for North Korea. IWCH project is, however, a full-scale initiative driven by government based on a systematic review of need and priorities. A significant amount of budget and relatively long term (five year) project compare to the previous short term and small size programs were expected to make more meaningful achievement. Despite these positive aspects, the project remains a list of unsolved problems a lack of mutual trust, a different decision making process between South and North Korea, a lack of conflict management process, and unpredictability and complexity of international politics. In spite of such kind of political uncertainty, the health care sector will be a leading area in the process of improving relationship between South and North Korea, particularly, humanitarian assistance for women and children will play a crucial role in the process. The successful implementation of IWCH project, therefore, will contribute to provide the reference model in developing the mutually constructive relationship between South and North

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.533-539
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• 2013

Korea is one of the top countries that has funded great amount to promote basic research and others in recent decade. While the quantity of R&D fund in Korea has rapidly increased, the effectiveness and quality of R&D outcomes became a controversial issue. National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) agreed to collaborate for diffusing and utilizing R&D outcomes of each institute. NSF and KEITI signed the bilateral MOU in 2012, and Interministerial Collaborative R&D Support Framework (ICR&DSF) was developed. The ICR&DSF consist of launching an Eco-Bridge Program as an interministerial R&D program and composition of Environmental Convergence R&D Bridge Committee. The Eco-Bridge Program was applied to 'Environmental Convergence Technology Project' of KEITI as a pilot program in 2012. The unique feature of this interministerial R&D program is that the Eco-Bridge Program directly supports the basic research outcomes which are previously funded by NRF. As the collaboration between NRF and KEITI becomes stronger, it is expected to explore the more creative and the more transformative research.

• Journal of Legislation Research
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• no.53
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• pp.419-454
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• 2017

Faced with the internationalization of capital markets, Korea needs to protect its investors and markets by applying the relevant laws extraterritorially. The Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act ("Capital Markets Act") explicitly introduced a new provision recognizing the extraterritoriality of the Act. While Article 2 of the Capital Markets Act comprehensively provides for prescriptive extraterritorial jurisdiction, the enactment of extraterritoriality alone does not guarantee that the Act will apply to cross-border transactions effectively. The effective extraterritorial application of an act is inseparable from the adjudicative and enforcement jurisdiction of the act. Specifically, active investigations and detections by the public regulators might be the first step for enforcing the Capital Markets Act. Unlike domestic regulations, however, multinational enforcement actions outside a regulator's home country becomes more problematic because of various obstacles. This Article examines difficulties which domestic regulators may confront in enforcing the Capital Markets Act extraterritorially and makes several recommendations for more effective multinational enforcement as follows. First, the Korean regulators should continue to foster cooperation through the IOSCO and provide international markets with the information and tools necessary for successful regulation of cross-border transactions. Second, the principle of dual criminality should be applied in a modified form for the effective mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. Third, there should be a legal device for the domestic regulator to freeze foreign wrongdoer's assets located outside Korea to repatriate those assets for distribution to defrauded investors in Korea.