• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.157-160
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• 2018

Chronic silica nephropathy has been associated with tubulointerstitial disease, immune-mediated multisystem disease, chronic kidney disease, and end-stage renal disease. On the other hand, acute intentional exposure is extremely rare. The authors' experienced a 44-year-old man who took rapid cement hardener (sodium silicate) in a suicide attempt whilst in a drunken state. He visited the emergency department approximately 1 hour after ingestion. Information on the material was obtained after 3 L gastric lavage. The patient complained of a sore throat, epigastric pain, and swollen to blood tinged vomitus. Proton pump inhibitors, hemostats, steroid, and fluids were administered. Nine hours after ingestion, he was administered 200 mL hematochezia. Immediately after, a gas-troenterologist performed an endoscopic procedure that revealed diffuse hyperemic mucosa with a color change and variable sized ulceration in the esophagus, whole stomach, and duodenal $2^{nd}$ portion. Approximately 35 hours later, persistent oligouria and progressive worsening of the renal function parameters (BUN/Cr from 12.2/1.2 to 67.5/6.6 mg/dL) occurred requiring hemodialysis. The patient underwent 8 sessions of hemodialysis for 1 month and the BUN/Cr level increased to 143.2/11.2 mg/dL and decreased to 7.6/1.5 mg/dL. He was discharged safely from the hospital. Follow up endoscopy revealed a severe esophageal stricture and he underwent endoscopic bougie dilatation. Acute cement hardener (sodium silicate) intoxication can cause renal failure and strong caustic mucosal injury. Therefore, it is important to consider early hemodialysis and treatment to prevent gastrointestinal injury and remote esophageal stricture.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 2021

Skin photoaging occurs due to chronic exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UV), the main factor contributing to extrinsic skin aging. Clinical signs of photoaging include the formation of deep, coarse skin wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. Although melanogenesis and skin wrinkling occur in different skin cells and have different underlying mechanisms, their initiation involves intracellular calcium signaling via calcium ion channels. The ORAI1 channel initiates melanogenesis in melanocytes, and the TRPV1 channel initiates MMP-1 production in keratinocytes in response to UV stimulation. We aimed to develop a drug that may simultaneously inhibit ORAI1 and TRPV1 activity to help prevent photoaging. We synthesized nootkatol, a chemical derivative of valencene. TRPV1 and ORAI1 activities were measured using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Intracellular calcium concentration [Ca2+]i was measured using calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye (Fura-2 AM). UV-induced melanin formation and MMP-1 production were quantified in B16F10 melanoma cells and HaCaT cells, respectively. Our results indicate that nootkatol (90 μM) reduced TRPV1 current by 94% ± 2% at -60 mV and ORAI1 current by 97% ± 1% at -120 mV. Intracellular calcium signaling was significantly inhibited by nootkatol in response to ORAI1 activation in human primary melanocytes (51.6% ± 0.98% at 100 μM). Additionally, UV-induced melanin synthesis was reduced by 76.38% ± 5.90% in B16F10 melanoma cells, and UV-induced MMP-1 production was reduced by 59.33% ± 1.49% in HaCaT cells. In conclusion, nootkatol inhibits both TRPV1 and ORAI1 to prevent photoaging, and targeting ion channels may be a promising strategy for preventing photoaging.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.498-509
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• 2021

Background: A wide range of environmental factors, such as diseases, nutritional deficiencies, ageing, hormonal imbalances, stress, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, may affect the structure and function of the skin that covers the entire surface of the human body. In this study, we investigated roles of red ginseng oil (RGO) in enhancing skin functions, including hair growth and skin protection, using mouse models. Methods: For hair growth experiment, shaved dorsal skins of C57BL/6 mice were topically applied with vehicle, RGO, RGO's major compounds, or minoxidil for consecutive 21 days and skin tissues were examined the hair growth promoting capacity. For skin protection experiment, SKH-1 hairless mice were topically applied with vehicle or RGO twice a day for three days prior to exposure to UVC radiation at 20 kJ/cm². Skin tissues were collected to evaluate skin protective effects of RGO. Results: Topical application of RGO to C57BL/6 mice effectively promoted hair regeneration by inducing early telogen-to-anagen transition and significantly increasing the density and bulb diameter of hair follicles. Major compounds, including linoleic acids and β-sitosterol, contributed to RGO-promoted hair growth. Treatment with RGO as well as its major components upregulated expression of hair growth-related proteins. Furthermore, in SKH-1 hairless mice, RGO had a protective effect against UVC-induced skin damage by inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis, as well as inducing cytoprotective systems. Conclusion: These data suggest that RGO may be a potent agent for improving skin health and thereby preventing and/or treating hair loss and protecting skin against UV radiation.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2021

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is transmitted primarily through droplets, and dental practitioners are at risk of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection owing to direct contact with the patient's mouth, aerosols from dental procedures, and saliva. Wearing a mask is believed to be the best method of protection against infection, and a systematic literature review was conducted on whether the dental masks used in dentistry are effective in preventing Coronavirus Infectious Disease-19 (COVID-19). Methods: We used PubMed, Google Scholar, DBpia, NDSL, and KISS databases for this study. Of the 917 documents narrowed down by the search terms "Coronavirus, COVID-19, and dental," 83 documents were collected and studied. Ultimately, 42 of these papers were selected for analysis after considering duplication from the flow chart of the literature selection process. Results: While dental masks are often used when treating patients with unknown COVID-19 status, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated that the use of dental masks is insufficient in preventing cross-transmission of COVID-19; instead, it was recommended that N95 masks, which correspond to KF94 masks, should be worn daily. On the other hand, wearing a dental mask and following precautions such as hand hygiene may not pose a significantly higher risk of infection than wearing an N95 mask when treating COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: There is an ongoing discussion regarding the use of dental masks when treating dental patients, and many argue that different types of masks should be selected according to the degree of infection and the individual's respiratory condition. By considering the safety and efficacy of dental masks in preventing infection, improvements can be made in the management of COVID-19 and dental-related infections.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.80-98
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• 2022

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is well known to have a limited response to drug treatment. Many recently published clinical care guidelines recommend trauma-focused psychotherapies such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure therapy (PE) as first-line treatment and medication such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors and venlafaxine as second-line treatment. Current review introduces the session composition and contents of CPT and presents various CPT studies that show therapeutic effect for civilian and veterans/military with PTSD. In order for clinicians to help effectively patients with PTSD, it is necessary to learn and actively use evidence-based trauma-focused psychotherapies including CPT and PE.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.32-43
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• 2023

This study reports for the first time about a stability indicating RP-HPLC method for qualitative and quantitative determination of acalabrutinib in bulk and dosage form and in presence its impurities 1, 2 and 3. The chromatographic separation was carried on Zorbax XDB-C18 (250×4.6 mm; 5 µ id) as stationary phase, Phosphate buffer pH 6.4 and methanol 80:20 (v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, UV detection was carried at wavelength of 238 nm and the analysis was completed with a run time of 15 min. In these conditions the retention time of acalabrutinib and its impurities 1, 2 and 3 was observed to be 3.50, 4.83, 8.40 and 9.93 min respectively. The method was validated for system suitability, range of analysis, precision, specificity, stability and robustness. Spiked recovery at 50 %, 100 % and 150 % was carried for both standard and impurities and the acceptable % recovery of 98-102 was observed for acalabrutinib and both impurities studied and the % RSD in each spiked level was found to be less than 2. Stability tests were done through exposure of the analyte solution to five different stress conditions i.e expose to 1N hydrochloric acid, 1 N sodium hydroxide, 3 % peroxide, 80 ℃ temperature and UV radiation at 254 nm. In all the degradation condition, standard drug acalabrutinib was detected along with both the impurities studied and the degradation products were successfully separated. In the formulation analysis there is no other chromatographic detection of other impurities and formulation excipients. Hence the developed method was found to be suitable for the quantification of acalabrutinib and can separate and analyse impurities 1 and 2.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.403-408
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• 2023

Mullet is an important marine aquaculture fish species in Korea, with a total of 7,237 tons produced as of 2022, making it the 5th most produced marine aquaculture fish species. In this study, ectoparasites presumed to be isopods were discovered in the fins of farmed flathead grey mullet (average weight 550 g), and the characteristics of the parasites were confirmed. The length of the parasite was 5 to 18 mm, and 3 to 7 parasites were infected per fish. To analyze the characteristics of the parasites, molecular biological identification and phylogenetic analysis were performed using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, and it was confirmed to be most closely related to Nerocila japonica in the Cymothoidae family. To confirm the parasite control effect, a direct exposure drug sensitivity test was conducted on five types of aquatic drugs and fresh water, trichlorfon was confirmed to be effective.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.44.1-44.11
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• 2023

Background: A series of breast cancer cases were recently reported in a tertiary university hospital in South Korea. Nurses are generally exposed to risk factors for breast cancer such as night shift work, antineoplastic agents, and job strain. However, the epidemiological evidence of excess incidence among nurses remains lacking. This study aims to investigate the excess incidence of breast cancer among nurses in a tertiary university hospital and provide epidemiological evidence of occupational risk factors. Methods: A retrospective cohort was developed using personnel records of female workers in the nursing department who worked from January 2011 to June 2021 in a tertiary university hospital in South Korea. Sick leave records were used to identify cases of breast cancer. The standardized incidence ratio of breast cancer among nurses was compared to the general population. Results: A total of 5,509 nurses were followed up for 30,404 person-years, and 26 breast cancer cases were identified. This study revealed a significantly increased breast cancer incidence among all included nurses, with a standardized incidence ratio of 1.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-2.41), compared to the general population. Workers, who handle antineoplastic agents in their representative department and current and/or former department, had significantly elevated breast cancer standardized incidence ratios of 2.73 (95% CI: 1.008-5.94) and 3.39 (95% CI: 1.46-6.68), respectively. Conclusions: This study provides significant evidence of increased breast cancer risk among nursing staff in a hospital setting, particularly those who handle antineoplastic drugs. Measures that reduce exposure to risk factors should be implemented, especially anticancer drugs, to protect healthcare professionals. Further research at a national level that focuses on healthcare workers is necessary to validate breast cancer incidence and its contributing factors.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.29-38
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• 2023

Recent studies have highlighted the link between diseases and inflammation across our lifespan. Our sedentary lifestyle, high-calorie diet, chronic stress, chronic infections, and exposure to pollutants and xenobiotics, collectively intensify the course and recurrence of infections and inflammation in our bodies, promoting the prevalence of chronic diseases and aging. Given such phenomena and considering additional factors such as the frequency of prescription, and easy access to over-the-counter drugs, the need for anti-inflammatory therapeutics is ever-increasing. However, the readily available anti-inflammatory treatment option comes with a greater risk of side effects or high cost (biologics). Therefore in this growing competition of discovering and developing new potent anti-inflammatory drugs, we focused on utilizing the established knowledge of traditional medicine to find lead compounds. Since lead optimization is an indispensable step toward drug development, we applied this concept for the production of potent anti-inflammatory compounds achieved by structural modification of flavonoids. The derivative obtained through acetylation of myricetin, 3,3',4',5,5',7-hexaacetate myricetin, showed a greater inhibitory effect in the production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide, Prostaglandin E₂, and pro-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-6, interleukin1β, in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cells compared to myricetin. The increased potency of inhibition was in conjunction with an increased inhibitory effect on inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 proteins. Through such measures, this study supports lead optimization for well-established lead compounds from traditional medicine using a simpler and greener chemistry approach for the purpose of designing and developing potent anti-inflammatory therapeutics with possibly fewer side effects and increased bioavailability.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.276-284
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• 2008

A computed tomography (CT) is a powerful system for the effectively fast and accurate diagnosis. The CT system, therefore, has used substantially and developed for improving the performance over the past decade, resulting in growing concerns over the radiation dose from the CT. Advanced CT techniques, such as a multidetector row CT scanner and dual energy or dual source CT, have led to new clinical applications that could result in further increases of radiation does for both patients and workers. The objective of this study was to review the international guidelines of the shielding requirements for a CT facility required for a new installation or when modifying an existing one. We used Google Search Engine to search the following keywords: computed tomography, CT regulation or shield or protection, dual energy or dual source CT, multidetector CT, CT radiation protection, and regulatory or legislation or regulation CT. In addition, we searched some special websites, that were provided for sources of radiation protection, shielding, and regulation, RSNA, AAPM, FDA, NIH, RCR, ICRP, IRPA, ICRP, IAEA, WHO (See in Table 1 for full explanations of the abbreviations). We finally summarized results of the investigated materials for each country. The shielding requirement of the CT room design was very well documented in the countries of Canada, United States of America, and United Kingdom. The wall thickness of the CT room could be obtained by the iso-exposure contour or the point source method. Most of documents provided by international organizations were explained in importance of radiation reduction in patients and workers. However, there were no directly-related documents of shielding and patient exposure dose for the dual energy CT system. Based international guidelines, the guideline of the CT room shielding and radiation reduction in patients and workers should be specified for all kinds of CT systems, included in the dual energy CT. We proposed some possible strategies in this paper.