• Title/Summary/Keyword: Public health systems research

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In vivo Acute Toxicity of Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticle to Mice after Intraperitonial Injection (이산화규소 나노입자의 마우스 복강 내 주입에 의한 급성독성)

  • Cha, Chun-Nam;Jung, Won-Chul;Lee, Yeo-Eun;Yoo, Chang-Yeul;Kim, Gon-Sup;Kim, Eui-Kyung;Kim, Suk;Lee, Hu-Jang
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.26 no.1
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    • pp.43-48
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    • 2011
  • For the application of nano-sized material in various fields, the evaluation of nano-sized material toxicity is important. In the present study, various concentrations of 200 nm-sized silicon dioxide nanoparticle suspension were intraperitonially injected into mice to identify the toxicity of silicon dioxide nanoparticle in vivo. In the hematological analysis of group II treated with silicon dioxide nanoparticle 100 mg/kg body weight, lymphocytes and monocytes were significantly different compared to the control group. In group III treated with silicon dioxide nanoparticle 200 mg/kg body weight, lymphocytes, monocytes and hemoglobin were significantly different compared to the control group. In blood biochemical analysis of group III, the concentration of AST, ALT, BUN, and creatinine were significantly different compared to the control group. Histopathologic examination of the kidney indicated a mild injury only in mice received 200 mg/kg silicon dioxide nanoparticle. According to the results of the present study, the significant differences in the hematological and blood biochemical analyses and abnormal histopathological findings in the mouse kidney may have been related to exposure to silicon dioxide nanoparticle.

The NHS Over-the-Counter Drugs Policy in UK: Its Experiences and Implications (영국의 일반의약품(Over-the-counter drugs) 관리법의 의료정책적 함의)

  • Han, Dong-Woon
    • The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.265-291
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    • 2011
  • Changes in a drug's availability from prescription only to over-the-counter (OTC) status is of concern to physicians from both public health and individual patient perspectives. Government has generally been supportive of changes in medications from prescription(Rx) to over-the-counter (OTC) status in Korea, however, recognizing that there are both benefits and risks to any health care intervention, health care professionals are conservative in implementing changes to either the process or structure of health care. Changes in status of a drug from Rx to OTC can represent a change in both structure and process. Cost and convenience seem to be major factors in determining whether, given the choice, patients purchase a medicine over the counter or obtain it on prescription. With current arrangements, exemption from prescription charges provides an incentive to continue to obtain products on NHS prescription even when they are available over the counter. There is therefore no simple relation between the availability of over the counter medicines and the level of prescribing of deregulated products. The appropriate use of over the counter medicines-particularly those that have only recently been deregulated-places a burden of care on community pharmacists and calls for closer working relationships with general practitioners. In particular, systems for referral and for recording details of both prescribed and over the counter medicines need to be developed, and a direct route needs to be established for community pharmacists to report adverse drug reactions to over the counter products. Reclassification of prescription medicines-by making them available through pharmacies without a prescription-provides the opportunity for consumers to purchase a wider range of medicinal products without making a demand on NHS resources. There is, however, no simple relation between availability of over the counter medicines and demand for NHS prescriptions. In the late 1980s the UK government fuelled the over the counter market by making it easier to reclassify certain medicines from prescription only status to allow over the counter sale in pharmacies. To explore the influence of deregulation of medicines on NHS prescribing, this article presents analyses of consumer behaviour in using medicines and prescribers' attitudes to over the counter medication and collates findings from research. Policy makers should be aware that patients' expectations in relation to OTC medicines may be in conflict with evidence-based practice.

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Angiogenesis Markers in Breast Cancer - Potentially Useful Tools for Priority Setting of Anti-Angiogenic Agents

  • Keyhani, Elahe;Muhammadnejad, Ahad;Behjati, Farkhondeh;Sirati, Fereidoon;Khodadadi, Faranak;Karimlou, Masoud;Moghaddam, Fatemeh A.;Pazhoomand, Reza
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.14 no.12
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    • pp.7651-7656
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    • 2013
  • Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in both developed and developing countries. The burden is increasing in low-income and middle-income countries (LMCs) and threatens the public health of such societies. Introduction of expensive monoclonal antibodies to cancer treatment regimens poses a real challenge in the health systems of LMCs. Despite controversy of cost-effectiveness of bevacizumab in breast cancer, some studies indicate gain of patients from this drug. The present study aimed to propose a priority setting model for administration of anti-angiogenic agents in breast cancer via assessment of tumor angiogenesis by the microvessel density (MVD) method and associations with clinicopathological characteristics (including simultaneous mutations of TP53 and HER-2 genes). Materials and Methods: Age, axillary lymph nodes status, tumor size, stage and grade, estrogen and progesterone receptors status, HER-2/neu status (by immunohistochemistry and FISH test), TP53 mutation, Ki-67 (for proliferation assay) and CD34 (for angiogenesis assay) were assessed in 111 breast cancer patients. The molecular subtype of each tumor was also determined and correlations of simultaneous mutations of HER-2 and p53 genes with angiogenesis and other clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated. Results: There were significant associations between simultaneous mutations of HER-2 and p53 genes and all other parameters except tumor size. The degree of angiogenesis in the ERBB2 subtype was greater than the others. Younger patients showed a higher angiogenesis rate rather those older than 50 years. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that patients with simultaneous mutations of HER-2 and p53 genes, those with ERBB2 molecular subtype and also younger women (often triple negative) seem more eligible for obtaining anti-angiogenic agents. These results suggest a model for priority setting of patients with breast cancer for treatment with anti-angiogenic drugs in LMCs.

Cancer Research Advances Regarding the CKLF-like MARVEL Transmembrane Domain Containing Family

  • Lu, Jia;Wu, Qian-Qian;Zhou, Ya-Bo;Zhang, Kai-Hua;Pang, Bing-Xin;Li, Liang;Sun, Nan;Wang, Heng-Shu;Zhang, Song;Li, Wen-Jian;Zheng, Wei;Liu, Wei
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.17 no.6
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    • pp.2741-2744
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    • 2016
  • The CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing family (CMTM) is a novel family of genes first reported at international level by Peking University Human Disease Gene Research Center. The gene products act between chemokines and the transmembrane-4 superfamily. Located in several human chromosomes, the CMTMs CKLF and CMTM1 to CMTM8 may be unregulated in tumors and act as potential tumor suppressor genes with important roles in the immune, male reproductive and hematopoietic systems. In-depth studies in recent years established a close relation between CMTMs and tumorigenesis and metastasis. The CMTM family has a significant clinical value in diagnosis and treatment of diseases linked to tumors and the immune system.

Study on the Efficient Integration of Long-term Care Facilities and Geriatric Hospitals by Using NHIC Survey Data (실태조사를 통한 장기요양시설과 요양병원의 효율적 연계방안)

  • Choi, in-duck;Lee, eun-mi
    • 한국노년학
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    • v.30 no.3
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    • pp.855-869
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    • 2010
  • The purpose of this study is to identify how to efficiently integrate long-term care facilities into geriatric hospitals. We conducted a survey on the current operations of facilities and medical services of 2009 of 192 long-term facilities and 168 geriatric hospitals in Korea between October and November. Technical statistics and chi-square test were conducted on the collected data using the SPSS 13.0/Win program. There was a difference between the two facility types in terms of the co-payment levels of the food services. Both types selected the budget deficit as their major management problem. Ease of access and the surrounding environment were critical factors used to select the location of both types of facilities. Facility users benefited from the discounted co-payments of both facility types. However, facility users wanted more frequent visits and support from their family members during their stay at the facilities. It was discovered that users in the long-term care facilities stayed longer, that is until they died, compared to their counterparts in geriatric hospitals. The two types of facilities provided their services totally separately to users. Users of the two types of facilities are poorly supported and cared for by their families. This study suggests that setting reasonable service fees, paying caretakers, introducing an integrated facility, strengthening facility assessment standards, introducing the family doctor system, and introducing the handling of long-term care insurance by geriatric hospitals would allow the integration between long- term care facilities and geriatric hospitals to be beneficial.

Spatio-Temporal Patterns of a Public Bike Sharing System in Seoul - Focusing on Yeouido District - (서울시 공공자전거 공유시스템(PBSS)의 시공간적 이용 패턴 분석 - 서울시 여의도동을 중심으로 -)

  • Yun, Seung-yong;Min, Kyung-hun;Ko, Ha-jung
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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    • v.48 no.1
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    • pp.1-14
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    • 2020
  • Various policies and studies regarding use of PBSS (Public Bike Sharing System) and Programs (PBSP) have been conducted worldwide as the number systems or programs has increased. Although various phenomena and demands have been generated by the use of PBSS in everyday life, the majority of research and the policies in South Korea have been implemented focused on commuting life. The purpose of this study aimed to understand various PBSS demands using PBSS usage data in 2018 in the Yeouido districts through classifying usage patterns and analyzing features. The rental stations were classified into three types based on weekday/weekend usage rates. The usage of Yeouido's PBSS accounted for 4.3% of the total usage in Seoul Metropolitan City, while the number of PBSS rental stations accounted for 2% of all rental stations in the Seoul urban areas. Rental stations with a higher weekday utilization rates showed high utilization rates in all four seasons and were mainly distributed in work and residential areas. Other stations showed a concentrated usage pattern in spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October) seasons, and their locations were close to the entrance of nearby parks. Besides, renting and returning were often concentrated at certain rental stations for high weekend utilization as compared to the pattern of high weekday usage. Therefore, PBSS management and programs should be operated to reflect various usage demands rather than uniform PBSS operations. The result of this study is meaningful to provide basic data for effective PBSS operation by monitoring the demand for PBSS usage in spatio-temporal terms.

Acute Oral Toxicity and Skin Irritation Studies on Lamia-Kill$^{(R)}$ Composed of Benzalkonium Chloride and Citric Acid (염화벤지코늄과 구연산을 주성분으로 하는 살균 소독제 라미아-킬에 대한 급성경구독성 및 피부자극성 시험에 관한 연구)

  • Cha, Chun-Nam;Lee, Yeo-Eun;Son, Song-Ee;Yoo, Chang-Yeol;Park, Eun-Kee;Choi, Hyun-Ju;Kim, Suk;Lee, Hu-Jang
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.26 no.4
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    • pp.377-382
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    • 2011
  • This test was performed to evaluate the acute oral toxicity and skin irritation of Lamia-Kill$^{(R)}$, disinfectant, containing 20% benzalkonium chloride and 10% citric acid. In acute oral toxicity, Lamia-Kill$^{(R)}$ was orally administered at dose levels of 2,000, 1,000, 500, 250 and 0 mg/kg body weight. After single oral administration to both sexes of SD rats, the rats were observed for 14 days. In primary skin irritation test, New Zealand white rabbits were dermally treated with Lamia-Kill$^{(R)}$ for 24 hr and observed for 3 days. All rats treated with Lamia-Kill$^{(R)}$ were induced no toxic signs in mortalities, clinical findings, body weights and gross findings. Also, the disinfectant did not induce any adverse reactions such as erythema and edema on intact skin sites for the most part rabbits, but on abraded skin sites, some rabbits showed very slight erythema on 24 hr after topical application. With the results of this study, Lamia-Kill$^{(R)}$ have no effect on acute toxicity and side effect in SD rats and was classified as a practically non-irritating material based on the score 0.50 of primary irritation index.

Anticoccidial Efficacy of Coccimuel-S composed with Diclazuril on Experimental and Field Coccidiosis in Broiler Chickens (Diclazuril을 주성분으로 하는 콕시멸-에스의 육계에 대한 실험실 및 야외적용 실험에서의 항콕시듐 효과)

  • Cha, Chun-Nam;Son, Song-Ee;Kim, Suk;Lee, Yeo-Eun;Yoo, Chang-Yeul;Park, Eun-Kee;Lee, Hu-Jang
    • Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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    • v.29 no.2
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    • pp.154-159
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    • 2012
  • The efficacy of water soluble formulation of diclazuril (Coccimuel-S 0.5%) was tested against $Eimeria$ spp. infection broiler chickens. The experiment was performed both experimentally infection and in the field test. Coccimuel-S composed with diclazuril induced a marked inhibitory effect on the different stages of $Eimeria$ life cycle in experimentally infected broiler chickens treated with the drug. The tested dosage levels of Coccimuel-S (0.5 ml/L, equivalent to diclazuril 2.5 ppm) in drinking water showed the significant effect compared with the control group in controlling coccidial infection and reducing the total oocyst numbers, lesion and fecal scores ($p$ < 0.001). In addition, testing of Coccimuel-S (0.25 and 0.5 ml/L) in naturally infected poultry farms (1,200 broiler chickens), showed the significant anticoccidial effect compared to control ($p$ < 0.001). In conclusion, addition of Coccimuel-S at the dose of 0.25 and 0.5 ml/L in the drinking water, induced efficacious effect for the treatment of coccidiosis in naturally coccidia infected broiler chickens.

EMS fund, is it functioning or fumbling? (응급의료기금, 무엇이 문제인가?)

  • Baek, Hong-Seok;Lee, Jun-Ho;Kim, Igic-Sung;Park, Hyun-Suk;Park, Sang-Sub
    • Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
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    • v.1 no.1
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    • pp.35-45
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    • 2013
  • Purpose. Based on the comparison and analysis with those of United States, the aim of this research is to find the problems in current management, operation and future directions of emergency medical service (EMS) fund in S. Korea and to provide basic resources and appropriate measures to make a right decision in policies for EMS fund. Methods. Data from Ministry of Health and Welfare and other various sources during 1995 to 2012 were collected and analyzed. Results. From our analyses, several problems are identified in EMS fund operation. In brief, problems discerned are as follows. First, whereas the purpose and direction of EMS fund operations in United States are highlighted and focused on pre-hospital EMS system and associated infrastructures which need to be constructed, those of S. Korea are emphasized mainly on the in-hospital EMS system so far. Second, on the contrary to the fact that the EMS funds in United States are tuned to pre-hospital EMS system to provide prompt and efficient emergency care at the emergency scene of pre-hospital stage and to achieve the development, design, planning and demonstration projects for pre-hospital EMS systems, up to date, our investment of EMS funds demonstrated an excess biased inclination toward the construction of in-hospital EMS system, which is far from the realization of constructive and vital pre-hospital infrastructures. Third, while emergency medical technician is important and principal body in the management of emergency medical funds in United States, so far, no EMS funds in S. Korea existed for EMTs including the job condition, improved treatment and working environment for them. Conclusion. In conclusion, we strongly suggest that the problems pointed out must be revised and corrected. Current usage of EMS fund needs to be redirected predominatly to pre-hospital EMS system. Otherwise, unless current management and investment of emergency medical funds in S. Korea are applied and used for the vital necessities and demands of EMTs, public EMS units and private EMS units as well as related units in pre-hospital EMS system as in the cases of United States, in our consideration, they must be suspended or abolished.

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Study on international accreditation for residue analysis laboratory (잔류물질분석의 국제공인시험기관 인정 관련 고찰)

  • Kim, MeeKyung;cho, Byung-Hoon;Kim, Dong-Gyu;Yun, Seon Jong;Lim, Chae-Mi;Park, Su-Jeong;Kim, Heuijin;Kim, Yeon Hee;Kim, Soo-Yeon;Yun, So Mi;Kwon, Jin-Wook;Son, Seong-Wan;Chung, Gab-Soo;Lee, Joo-Ho;Kang, Mun-Il
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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    • v.46 no.4
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    • pp.295-304
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    • 2006
  • Residual materials such as veterinary drugs, environmental contaminants, and pesticides are affecting food safety. High resolution techniques and quality controls are needed to analyze these materials from part per million to part per trillion quantities in food. In order to achieve quality results, standardized methods and techniques are required. Our laboratories were prepared to obtain a certificate of accreditation for ISO/IEC 17025 in the analytical criteria of animal drugs, dioxins, pesticides, and heavy metals. ISO together with IEC has built a strategic partnership with the World Trade Organization with the common goal of promoting a free and fair global trading system. ISO collaborates with the United Nations Organization and its specialized agencies and commissions, particularly those involved in the harmonization of regulations and public policies including the World Health Organization and CODEX Alimentarius for food safety measurement, management and traceability. Our goal was to have high quality analysts, proper analytical methods, good laboratory facilities, and safety systems within guidelines of ISO/IEC 17025. All staff members took requirement exams. We applied proficiency tests in the analysis of veterinary drugs (nitrofuran metabolites, sulfonamide and tetracyclines), dioxins, organophosphorus pesticides, and heavy metals (Cd, Pb, As) to the Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme (FAPAS) at Central Science Laboratory, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), England. The results were very satisfactory. All documents were prepared, including system management, laboratory management, standard operational procedures for testing, reporting, and more. The criteria encompassed the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:1999. Finally, the Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS) accredited our testing laboratories in accordance with the provisions of Article 23 of the National Standards Act. The accreditation will give us the benefit of becoming a regional reference laboratory in Asia.