• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.525-537
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• 2021

Since the late 1990s, public nursing hospitals have been established, and as of 2018, 79 hospitals account for 5.1% of all nursing hospitals. Announcing the public Moon Jae-in dementia in the state government responsibility for the convalescent hospital with dementia to patients for specified to the hospital with severe dementia specialist care institution. A different policy options and development. In this regard, the Dementia Management Act was revised in 2018 to provide a legal basis for the operation evaluation of public nursing hospitals, and this evaluation will begin in 2020. As part of the study to conduct the operation evaluation of public nursing hospitals to be implemented from 2020, the research established a function to foster public nursing hospitals as specialized institutions for dementia patients and competent institutions for treating rehabilitation patients during the period of recovery, and developed an evaluation system to evaluate their behavior as medical services, public nature and public institutions.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.228-234
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• 2020

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. SPIONs are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as contrast agents and targeted delivery in nanomedicine using external magnet sources. SPIONs act as an artificial peroxidase (i.e., nanozyme), and these reactions were highly stable in various pH conditions and temperatures. In this study, we report a nanozyme ability of the clustered SPIONs (CSPIONs) synthesized by the oil-in-water (O/W) method and coated with biocompatible poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). We hypothesize that the CSPIONs can have high sensitivity toward H2O2 derived from the reaction between a fixed amount of glucose and glucose oxidase (GOX). As a result, CSPIONs oxidized a 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) commonly used as a substrate for hydrogen peroxidase in the presence of H2O2, leading to a change in the color of the substrate. We also utilized a colorimetric assay at 417 nm using various glucose concentrations from 5 mM to 1.25 μM to validate β-D-glucose detection. This study demonstrated that the absorbance value increases along with increasing the glucose level. The results were highly repeated at concentrations below 5 mM (all standard deviations < 0.03). Moreover, the sensitivity and limit of detection were 1.50 and 5.44 μM, respectively, in which CSPIONs are more responsive to glucose than SPIONs. In conclusion, this study suggests that CSPIONs have the potential to be used for glucose detection in diabetic patients using a physiological fluid such as ocular, saliva, and urine.

• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.608-613
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• 2021

Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, exhibits a high risk of metastasis. Although chemotherapeutic treatment for metastatic melanoma improves disease outcome and patient survival, some patients exhibit resistance or toxicity to the drug treatment regime. OTUB1 is a deubiquitinating enzyme overexpressed in several cancers. In this study, we investigated the effects of inhibiting OTUB1 expression on melanoma-cell proliferation and viability and identified the underlying molecular mechanism of action of OTUB1. We did endogenous OTUB1 knockdown in melanoma cells using short interfering RNA, and assessed the resulting phenotypes via MTT assays, Western blotting, and cell-cycle analysis. We identified differentially expressed genes between OTUB1-knockdown cells and control cells using RNA sequencing and confirmed them via Western blotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, we investigated the involvement of apoptotic and cell survival signaling pathways upon OTUB1 depletion. OTUB1 depletion in melanoma cells decreased cell viability and caused simultaneous accumulation of cells in the sub-G1 phase, indicating an increase in the apoptotic-cell population. RNA sequencing of OTUB1-knockdown cells revealed an increase in the levels of the apoptosis-inducing protein TRAIL. Additionally, OTUB1-knockdown cells exhibited increased sensitivity to PLX4032, a BRAF inhibitor, implying that OTUB1 and BRAF act collectively in regulating apoptosis. Taken together, our findings show that OTUB1 induces apoptosis of melanoma cells in vitro, likely by upregulating TRAIL, and suggest that approaches targeting OTUB1 can be developed to provide novel therapeutic strategies for treating melanoma.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.69-79
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the involvement of patients who died from hematologic neoplasms in the decision-making process surrounding the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (LST). Methods: A total of 255 patients diagnosed with hematologic neoplasms who ultimately died following decisions related to LST during their end-of-life period at a university hospital were included in the study. Data were retrospectively obtained from electronic medical records and analyzed utilizing the chi-square test, independent t-test, and logistic regression. Results: In total, 42.0% of patients participated in the decision-making process regarding LST for their hematologic neoplasms, while 58.0% of decisions were made with family involvement. Among these patients, 65.1% died in general wards and 34.9% in intensive care units (ICUs) as a result of decisions such as the suspension of LST. The period from the LST decision to death was longer when the decision was made by the patient (average, 27.15 days) than when it was made by the family (average, 7.48 days). Most decisions were made by doctors and family members in the ICU, where only 20.6% of patients exercised their right to make decisions regarding LST, a rate considerably lower than 79.4% observed in general wards. Decisions to withhold or withdraw LST were more commonly made by patients themselves than by their families. Conclusion: The key to discussing the decision to suspend hospice care and LST is respecting the patient's self-determination. If a patient is lucid prior to admission to the ICU, considerations about suspending LST should involve the patient input.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2023

In 1945, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Approximately 70 000 Koreans are estimated to have been exposed to radiation from atomic bombs at that time. After Korea's Liberation Day, approximately 23 000 of these people returned to Korea. To investigate the long-term health and hereditary effects of atomic bomb exposure on the offspring, cohort studies have been conducted on atomic bomb survivors in Japan. This study is an ongoing cohort study to determine the health status of Korean atomic bomb survivors and investigate whether any health effects were inherited by their offspring. Atomic bomb survivors are defined by the Special Act On the Support for Korean Atomic Bomb Victims, and their offspring are identified by participating atomic bomb survivors. As of 2024, we plan to recruit 1500 atomic bomb survivors and their offspring, including 200 trios with more than 300 people. Questionnaires regarding socio-demographic factors, health behaviors, past medical history, laboratory tests, and pedigree information comprise the data collected to minimize survival bias. For the 200 trios, whole-genome analysis is planned to identify de novo mutations in atomic bomb survivors and to compare the prevalence of de novo mutations with trios in the general population. Active follow-up based on telephone surveys and passive follow-up with linkage to the Korean Red Cross, National Health Insurance Service, death registry, and Korea Central Cancer Registry data are ongoing. By combining pedigree information with the findings of trio-based whole-genome analysis, the results will elucidate the hereditary health effects of atomic bomb exposure.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2022

Objectives The purpose of this study was to reveal that Sasang constitution(SC) was associated with hypertension and pre-hypertension and could be a risk factor. Methods We introduced this study to educational personnel in D university in Daejeon, and 275 subjects joined this study. The SC classification was conducted with KS 15 questionnaire. The subjected measured the blood pressure with Jawon medical device automatically after 10 minute rest. The hypertension and pre-hypertension was classified by the guide of the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. The frequency analysis and T-test was used in general characteristics, and chi-square test was also used between SC and pre-hypertension and hypertension. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for pre-hypertension and hypertension. Results The number of Taeeumin(TE), Soeumin(SE), and Soyangin(SY) was 142, 71, and 61 respectively. There was significantly different in systolic and diastolic blood pressure among SC types(p<.001). The distribution of the normal group, pre-hypertension and hypertension group by SC types was significantly different (p<.001). The ORs of TE was significantly increased (ORs 4.039, 95% CI=2.019-8.082 in pre-hypertension and ORs 4.235, 95% CI=1.581-11.348 in hypertension) compared with SE(p<.001), and after adjusting gender and smoking habit, it was still significantly different(p<.001). Conclusions It is possible that SC, especially TE could be a risk factor both pre-hypertension and hypertension.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

Fresh ginseng is prone to spoilage due to its high moisture content. For long-term storage, most fresh ginsengs are dried to white ginseng (WG) or steamed for hours at high temperature/pressure and dried to form Korean Red ginseng (KRG). They are further processed for ginseng products when subjected to hot water extraction/concentration under pressure. These WG or KRG preparation processes affect ginsenoside compositions and also other ginseng components, probably during treatments like steaming and drying, to form diverse bioactive phospholipids. It is known that ginseng contains high amounts of gintonin lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs). LPAs are simple lipid-derived growth factors in animals and humans and act as exogenous ligands of six GTP-binding-protein coupled LPA receptor subtypes. LPAs play diverse roles ranging from brain development to hair growth in animals and humans. LPA-mediated signaling pathways involve various GTP-binding proteins to regulate downstream pathways like [Ca²⁺]_i transient induction. Recent studies have shown that gintonin exhibits anti-Alzheimer's disease and antiarthritis effects in vitro and in vivo mediated by gintonin LPAs, the active ingredients of gintonin, a ginseng-derived neurotrophin. However, little is known about how gintonin LPAs are formed in high amounts in ginseng compared to other herbs. This review introduces atypical or non-enzymatic pathways under the conversion of ginseng phospholipids into gintonin LPAs during steaming and extraction/concentration processes, which exert beneficial effects against degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and arthritis in animals and humans via LPA receptors.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.89-98
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• 2024

Gross examination techniques (GETs) of specimens collected from cancer surgery or endoscopy comprise the act of recording visual information about cancer for accurate histopathological diagnosis and collecting sections of the lesion to create microscopic specimens. GETs must include concise and accurate expressions, appropriate structuring, sufficient resections, error-free standardization of important information, and photo-diagramming of complex specimens. To increase the satisfaction of pathological interpretation, it is a task that must be performed accurately and carefully to gain confidence on a theoretical and practical basis with a sufficient understanding of gross examination. Based on the experience of clinical pathologists in the field of GETs, additional specimen types should be identified as viable candidates. Also, their needs and concerns regarding treatment should be carefully considered. In addition, departments at each institution should review the national focus on clinical partnerships, continuous professional training, diagnostic errors, and value-based healthcare provision.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2024

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized lipid bilayer vesicles released by cells. EVs act as messengers for cell-to-cell communication. Inside, it contains various substances that show biological activity, such as proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and metabolites. The study of EVs extracted from terrestrial organisms and stem cells on inflammatory environments and tissue regeneration have been actively conducted. However, marine organisms-derived EVs are limited. Therefore, we have extracted EVs from sea urchins belonging to the Echinoderm group with their excellent regenerative ability. First, we extracted extracellular matrix (ECM) from sea urchin gonads treated with hypotonic buffer, followed by collagenase treatment, and filtration to collect ECM-bounded EVs. The size of sea urchin gonad-derived EVs (UGEVs) is about 20-100 nm and has a round shape. The protein content was higher after EVs burst than before, which is evidence that proteins are contained inside. In addition, proteins of various sizes are distributed inside. PKH-26 was combined with UGEVs, which means that UGEVs have a lipid membrane. PHK-26-labeled UGEVs were successfully uptaken by cells. UGEVs can be confirmed to have the same characteristics as traditional EVs. Finally, it was confirmed that Schwann cells were not toxic by increasing proliferation after treatment.

• Journal of forensic and investigative science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.21-29
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• 2007

News from the media on sexual assaults to children committed by natural fathers doesn't attract social attention any more. The number of crimes related to Child Sexual Assault(CSA) is increasing every year in spite of the "Special Act on Prevention of Sexual Assault in Korea". The YoungNam District Sunflower Center for prevention of Child Sexual Assaults(SC-CSA) was established in Daegu, June 2005. The YoungNam District SC-CSA provides forensic evaluation of physical evidence, medical and psychological treatment for the victims less than 13 years of sexual assaults simultaneously. This study carried out 36 cases of CSA by kin reported to YoungNam District SC-CSA, among 180 cases in total until December 2006 since its opening. Most of the victims were girls (32 cases). 28 cases (78%) were indecent assaults (78%) and 8 cases (22%) were rapes. The assailants were overwhelmingly males (35 cases). The assailants of 21 cases (58.3%) were identified as the victims' natural fathers. The incident locations were victim's residence (31 cases, 86.1%) and the victims had been sexually assaulted regularly for many years (25 cases, 69.4%). Considering the above research, we can conclude that CSA committed by kin has specific characteristics. CSA is not a one-time incident, but consistently occurring crime. However, in 22 cases (61.1%), the victim's guardian didn't want to report about it or punish the assailants. As the assailants were natural fathers or relatives of the victims, the other family members probably thought it might be shameful to reveal their wrong doings and would lead to defamation of their family's reputation. The SC-CSA provides the counseling and medical treatment to the victims with the consent of the parents. Due to the guardians' misjudgment, the incident is sometimes not reported to the police. By not reporting the incident to the police, the assailant freely commits other crimes, which multiplies victims. The legal Act of supporting the management of the SC-CSA is still not regulated, so the stability of the SC-CSA is not guaranteed, yet. Even though it is obligatory to report incidents to the police, some cases are still not reported. Currently, there are three SC-CSA centers : in Seoul, in Daegu, and in Gwangju. More centers need to be established to diminish CSA cases in Korea.