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Anti-obesogenic Effect of Brassica juncea Extract on Bisphenol-A Induced Adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 Cells (비스페놀 A (Bisphenol-A)로 유도된 지방세포 분화에 미치는 갓 추출물의 항오비소겐 효과)

  • Lee, Se-jeong;Na, Uoon-Joo;Choi, Sun-Il;Han, Xionggao;Men, Xiao;Lee, Youn Hwan;Kim, Hyun Duk;Kim, Yoon Jung;Lee, Ok-Hwan
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.36 no.6
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    • pp.528-536
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    • 2021
  • The purpose of the study was to investigate the content of sinigrin, an index component, in Brassica juncea extract and to evaluate the differentiation of lipocytes, inhibition of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduction of protein production by lipogenic factors (PPARγ, C/EBPα, aP2) in the processing of Brassica juncea extract and sinigrin in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes which induces Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disrupting environmental hormone. From the investigation, the content of sinigrin in Brassica juncea extract, measured by HPLC, is found to be 21.27±0.2 mg/g. The XTT assay result on BPA-derived 3T3-L1 adipocytes shows there is no cytotoxicity found from 180 µM of sinigrin and 300 ㎍/mL of Brassica juncea extract. Moreover, both intracellular lipid accumulation and ROS production during differentiation of lipocyte are significantly reduced in cells processed with Brassica juncea extract and sinigrin. Lastly, it was also found that the production of transcription factors of lipocyte differentiation, PPARγ, C/EBPα and aP2, were found to be suppressed by the application of Brassica juncea extract and sinigrin. Such results reveals that Brassica juncea is effective in not only suppressing lipid accumulation in the environmental hormone bisphenol A-derived lipocyte, but also in reducing the ROS. The sinigrin-containing Brassica juncea is highly expected to be used in natural functional supplements that prevents the lipid metabolism disorders caused by BPA. There are necessities for additional clinical research and follow-up studies on the in vivo model to verify the relevant mechanisms.

Application of spatiotemporal transformer model to improve prediction performance of particulate matter concentration (미세먼지 예측 성능 개선을 위한 시공간 트랜스포머 모델의 적용)

  • Kim, Youngkwang;Kim, Bokju;Ahn, SungMahn
    • Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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    • v.28 no.1
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    • pp.329-352
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    • 2022
  • It is reported that particulate matter(PM) penetrates the lungs and blood vessels and causes various heart diseases and respiratory diseases such as lung cancer. The subway is a means of transportation used by an average of 10 million people a day, and although it is important to create a clean and comfortable environment, the level of particulate matter pollution is shown to be high. It is because the subways run through an underground tunnel and the particulate matter trapped in the tunnel moves to the underground station due to the train wind. The Ministry of Environment and the Seoul Metropolitan Government are making various efforts to reduce PM concentration by establishing measures to improve air quality at underground stations. The smart air quality management system is a system that manages air quality in advance by collecting air quality data, analyzing and predicting the PM concentration. The prediction model of the PM concentration is an important component of this system. Various studies on time series data prediction are being conducted, but in relation to the PM prediction in subway stations, it is limited to statistical or recurrent neural network-based deep learning model researches. Therefore, in this study, we propose four transformer-based models including spatiotemporal transformers. As a result of performing PM concentration prediction experiments in the waiting rooms of subway stations in Seoul, it was confirmed that the performance of the transformer-based models was superior to that of the existing ARIMA, LSTM, and Seq2Seq models. Among the transformer-based models, the performance of the spatiotemporal transformers was the best. The smart air quality management system operated through data-based prediction becomes more effective and energy efficient as the accuracy of PM prediction improves. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the efficient operation of the smart air quality management system.

Analysis of Aminoglycoside Antibiotics in Meat and Cell Culture Medium Coupled with Direct Injection of an Ion-pairing Reagent (이온쌍 시약 직접 주입법을 활용한 육류 및 세포배양액 내 아미노글리코사이드계 항생제 분석)

  • Kyung-Ho Park;Song-Yi Gu;Geon-Woo Park;Jong-Jib Kim;Jong-soo Lee;Sang-Gu Kim;Sang-Yun Lee;Hyang Sook Chun
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.38 no.5
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    • pp.319-331
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    • 2023
  • Aminoglycoside antibiotics, also known as aminoglycosides (AGs), are veterinary drugs effective against a wide range of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Owing to their recent use in cultured meats, it has become essential to establish an analytical method for safety management. AGs are highly polar compounds, and ion-pair reagents (IPRs) are used to ensure component separation. Owing to the high possibility of potential mechanical problems resulting from IPR addition to the mobile phase, an analytical method in which IPRs are added directly to the vial was explored. In this study, methods for analyzing 10 AGs via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with the addition of two IPRs were validated for selectivity, detection limit, quantitation limit, recovery, and precision. The detection limit was 0.0001-0.0038 mg/kg, the quantification limit was 0.004-0.011 mg/kg, and the linearity (R2) within the concentration range of 0.01-0.5 mg/kg was over 0.99. Recovery and precision (expressed as relative standard deviation) evaluated in the two matrices (beef and cell culture media) ranged from 70.7% to 120.6% and 0.2% to 24.7%, respectively. The validated AG analytical method was then applied to 15 meats prepared from chicken, beef, and pork, and 6 culture media and additives used in cultured meat. No AGs were detected in any of the 15 meats distributed in Korea; however, streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin were detected at levels ranging from 695.85 to 1152.71 mg/kg and 6.35 to 11.11 mg/kg, respectively, in the culture media additives. The LC-MS/MS method coupled with direct addition of IPRs to the vial can provide useful basic data for AG analysis and safety evaluation of meats as well as culture media and additives for cultured meats.

The Effect of Price Discount Rate According to Brand Loyalty on Consumer's Acquisition Value and Transaction Value (브랜드애호도에 따른 가격할인율의 차이가 소비자의 획득가치와 거래가치에 미치는 영향)

  • Kim, Young-Ei;Kim, Jae-Yeong;Shin, Chang-Nag
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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    • v.17 no.4
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    • pp.247-269
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    • 2007
  • In recent years, one of the major reasons for the fierce competition amongst firms is that they strive to increase their own market shares and customer acquisition rate in the same market with similar and apparently undifferentiated products in terms of quality and perceived benefit. Because of this change in recent marketing environment, the differentiated after-sales service and diversified promotion strategies have become more important to gain competitive advantage. Price promotion is the favorite strategy that most retailers use to achieve short-term sales increase, induce consumer's brand switch, in troduce new product into market, and so forth. However, if marketers apply or copy an identical price promotion strategy without considering the characteristic differences in product and consumer preference, it will cause serious problems because discounted price itself could make people skeptical about product quality, and the changes of perceived value might appear differently depending on other factors such as consumer involvement or brand attitude. Previous studies showed that price promotion would certainly increase sales, and the discounted price compared to regular price would enhance the consumer's perceived values. On the other hand, discounted price itself could make people depreciate or skeptical about product quality, and reduce the consumers' positivity bias because consumers might be unsure whether the current price promotion is the retailer's best price offer. Moreover, we cannot say that discounted price absolutely enhances the consumer's perceived values regardless of product category and purchase situations. That is, the factors that affect consumers' value perceptions and buying behavior are so diverse in reality that the results of studies on the same dependent variable come out differently depending on what variable was used or how experiment conditions were designed. Majority of previous researches on the effect of price-comparison advertising have used consumers' buying behavior as dependent variable. In order to figure out consumers' buying behavior theoretically, analysis of value perceptions which influence buying intentions is needed. In addition, they did not combined the independent variables such as brand loyalty and price discount rate together. For this reason, this paper tried to examine the moderating effect of brand loyalty on relationship between the different levels of discounting rate and buyers' value perception. And we provided with theoretical and managerial implications that marketers need to consider such variables as product attributes, brand loyalty, and consumer involvement at the same time, and then establish a differentiated pricing strategy case by case in order to enhance consumer's perceived values properl. Three research concepts were used in our study and each concept based on past researches was defined. The perceived acquisition value in this study was defined as the perceived net gains associated with the products or services acquired. That is, the perceived acquisition value of the product will be positively influenced by the benefits buyers believe they are getting by acquiring and using the product, and negatively influenced by the money given up to acquire the product. And the perceived transaction value was defined as the perception of psychological satisfaction or pleasure obtained from taking advantage of the financial terms of the price deal. Lastly, the brand loyalty was defined as favorable attitude towards a purchased product. Thus, a consumer loyal to a brand has an emotional attachment to the brand or firm. Repeat purchasers continue to buy the same brand even though they do not have an emotional attachment to it. We assumed that if the degree of brand loyalty is high, the perceived acquisition value and the perceived transaction value will increase when higher discount rate is provided. But we found that there are no significant differences in values between two different discount rates as a result of empirical analysis. It means that price reduction did not affect consumer's brand choice significantly because the perceived sacrifice decreased only a little, and customers are satisfied with product's benefits when brand loyalty is high. From the result, we confirmed that consumers with high degree of brand loyalty to a specific product are less sensitive to price change. Thus, using price promotion strategy to merely expect sale increase is not recommendable. Instead of discounting price, marketers need to strengthen consumers' brand loyalty and maintain the skimming strategy. On the contrary, when the degree of brand loyalty is low, the perceived acquisition value and the perceived transaction value decreased significantly when higher discount rate is provided. Generally brands that are considered inferior might be able to draw attention away from the quality of the product by making consumers focus more on the sacrifice component of price. But considering the fact that consumers with low degree of brand loyalty are known to be unsatisfied with product's benefits and have relatively negative brand attitude, bigger price reduction offered in experiment condition of this paper made consumers depreciate product's quality and benefit more and more, and consumer's psychological perceived sacrifice increased while perceived values decreased accordingly. We infer that, in the case of inferior brand, a drastic price-cut or frequent price promotion may increase consumers' uncertainty about overall components of product. Therefore, it appears that reinforcing the augmented product such as after-sale service, delivery and giving credit which is one of the levels consisting of product would be more effective in reality. This will be better rather than competing with product that holds high brand loyalty by reducing sale price. Although this study tried to examine the moderating effect of brand loyalty on relationship between the different levels of discounting rate and buyers' value perception, there are several limitations. This study was conducted in controlled conditions where the high involvement product and two different levels of discount rate were applied. Given the presence of low involvement product, when both pieces of information are available, it is likely that the results we have reported here may have been different. Thus, this research results explain only the specific situation. Second, the sample selected in this study was university students in their twenties, so we cannot say that the results are firmly effective to all generations. Future research that manipulates the level of discount along with the consumer involvement might lead to a more robust understanding of the effects various discount rate. And, we used a cellular phone as a product stimulus, so it would be very interesting to analyze the result when the product stimulus is an intangible product such as service. It could be also valuable to analyze whether the change of perceived value affects consumers' final buying behavior positively or negatively.

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A Study on the Economical Nutrition Supplement of Cereal Food for Improvement in our National Eating Habits (국민식생활(國民食生活) 향상(向上)을 위(爲)한 곡류제품(穀類製品)의 경제적( 經濟的) 영향강화(營養强化)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究))

  • Ju, Jin-Soon;Yu, Jong-Yull;Kim, Sook-He;Lee, Ki-Yull;Han, In-Kyu
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.1-9
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    • 1973
  • I. Subject of the Study: Studies on the economical nutrition supplement of cereal foods for the improvement in our notional eating habits. II. Purpose and Importance of the Study: 1. Our nation is confronted with the situation that the rice, a principal food, short of some essential amino acids, lysine and threonine, leads to imbalanced meals insufficient in the nutrient of protein, to bring many difficulties in the elevation of our national physique. 2. The shortage of even the rice imperfect in the nutrient of protein makes the import of lots of foreign rice inevitable. It is considered that the protein supplement and decrease in the consumption amount, of rice, is a serious key to the solution of our food difficulty, and then a way of the proetin supplement of rice through the addition of essential amino acid is to be rarely applied in the view of the our present finance and situation. 3. In the present experiment, therefore, it aims to the suggestion of an aspect of the improvement in our national eating habits guiding in the nutrition elevation which our nation can afford economically through the development of first, a way of the protein supplement by the mixture of cereals producted plentifully in our country, and second, a way of the decrease in the consumption amount and the improvement in the nutrition of rice through the substitution of the other cereals for rice. III. Contents of Scope of the Study: 1. Objects of the study: Objects of the study are the following three items; a) The nutrition supplement of rice through the mixture of cereals. Our nation makes mainly rice as a principal food, but practically many kinds of cereal are produced in our country. They contain different levels and qualities of each nutrient and they are different from one another in the kinds of essential amino acid consisting protein. For that reason, the mutual complement efficeincy of insufficient nutrients is observed through the mixture of cereals. b) The nutrition supplement of rice through the addition of superior protein sources to rice, a principal food. The development of rice as superior foods in the sense of nutrition is conducted through the risement in protein quality by the addition of protein sources in good quality, for example, fish flour (anchovy flour), egg powder, milk powder, and so on, and through the supplement of vitamins and minerals. c) The decrease in the consumption amount of rice through the substitution of the other cereals for rice, as a principal food. The compensation for the short amount of rice is made by the reduction in the consumption of rice through the discovery of a way of substitution of the other cereals for rice, as a principal food and of the settlement of problems in nutrition and finance subsequent to this. 2. Contents of the study: a) An ideal mixture-ratio of cereals is established for rats by feeding mixed foods(rice-barely or rice-wheat) containing 5%, 15%, 25%, 35% and 45% level of either barely or wheat. b) The nutritive value is determined in the whole subsititution of other foods for rice, and then, a way of the complement of over and under nutrients is devised. c) The ideal combination is investigated for rats through feeding mixed foods of main food, rice and supplement foods of protein sources, soy bean, fish flour, egg powder and milk Powder. d) According to results from the above three experiments, the concise functional test for men and the examination of economical property are made. 3. Scope of the study: a) The observation of the effect of each diet on the growth rate for rats. The growth rate of rats was observed for 15 groups of mixed foods of a main food, rice, and wheat flour, barley powder or soy bean powder, respectively, and 12 groups of wheat flour diets supplemented with $1{\sim}3%$ milk powder, and rice or wheat flour diets supplemented with 5% of milk powder, egg powder, fish flour or soy bean powder, respectively. b) The determination of food consumption. The food consumption was determined at weekly intervals for 27 kinds of diet described in a) item. c) The determination of food efficiency rate. The food efficiency rate for each diet was determined by calculation from the gained body weight and the food consumption amount at the same intervals described in b) item. d) The determination of protein efficiency rate. The protein efficiency rate for each diet was determined by calculation form gained body weight and the protein amount of the food consumption amount at the same intervals described c) item. e) The determination of the body component. The hematocrite and hemoglobin levels in the blood, total nitrogen in the serum, blood sugar, and lipids and glycogen in the liver were determined. f) The observation of nitrogen balance. As a means of the observation of nitrogen balance, the total nitrogen in the urine was determined. g) The analysis of economical property. The economical property was analyzed as the gained body weight to the amount equivalent to one won through the conversion of the food consumption amount into money. h) The functional test for men. The concise functional test for men was made in order to establish if the best diet for experimental animals can be applied to men. IV. Results of the Study: The national food product plan, nationwide nutritive enlightment and the improvement activities in our country eating habits, especially, mixed and powder food problems are to be significantly referred, and the following results must be applied. a) In the mixed foods of cereals, the mixed food of the rice-barley containing $5{\sim}15%$ level of barley is best in terms of nutrition. b) The addition of superior protein sources, egg, Bilk, soy bean, or fish, respectively to either rice or wheat flour makes a great risement in the nutritive value. c) The animal protein is more effective in the elevation of nutritive value of cereals. d) Rice takes the most nutritive operation and has the highest preference, among rice, wheat flour and barley. e) Wheat flour is more economical than rice in evaluation of the gained body weight to the regular money, and the addition of fish or soy bean is more economical than that of any other supplement food. But the above results are true of the range of nutrition and economical property. f) The study on the nutrition composition and barley will lead to the improvement in our national eating habits as mixed food of the rice-barley containing $5{\sim}15%$ level of barley is more nutritive. g) This study on the nutrition only for the growing animal can not be considered as a perfect and entire evaluation. Consequently, the perfect data for our national nutrition can be obtained from the experiment similar to this for the much longer period examining, in details, the growth rate, change of physical strength, mental and bodily change, average life span, and resistance ability to infectious diseases.

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Intake of Snacks, and Perceptions and Use of Food and Nutrition Labels by Middle School Students in Chuncheon Area (춘천지역 중학생들의 간식 섭취 실태와 식품·영양표시에 대한 인식 및 이용실태)

  • Kim, Yoon-Sun;Kim, Bok-Ran
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.41 no.9
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    • pp.1265-1273
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    • 2012
  • The purpose of this study was to investigate the BMI, intake of snacks, and perceptions and use of food and nutrition labels by middle school students (144 boys and 189 girls) in Chuncheon area. The average height and weight of boys were $171.0{\pm}6.4$ cm and $61.0{\pm}11.4$ kg, respectively, whereas those of girls were $160.0{\pm}4.8$ cm and $50.8{\pm}6.6$ kg, respectively. Average body mass index (BMI) of boys and girls were $20.8{\pm}3.3$ and $19.8{\pm}2.4$, respectively (p<0.01). Dietary intake attitude score of girls ($34.39{\pm}5.66$) was higher than that of boys ($33.92{\pm}5.40$) (p<0.05). Subjects bought and ate snacks 1 to 3 times per week (40.2%) by themselves, and most consumed snacks were cookies (23.1%), instant noodles (16.2%), ice cream (13.2%), and candy and chocolates (13.2%). The most important factor in purchasing of snacks was 'taste' ($4.49{\pm}0.67$). When subjects bought processed foods, the rates of reading food labels was 86.6%. The most important factor of the food labels was 'expiration date' (42.9%). The degree of reading food labels on processed foods by girls ($22.70{\pm}5.72$) was higher than that of boys ($20.96{\pm}5.35$) (p<0.01). Of the 13.2% of subjects that did not read food labels, the reason why was that they were not interested (50.0%). Of the 78.4% of subjects that read nutrition labels, the most important component of the nutrition labels was 'calories' (75.9%). The main reason for reading nutrition labels was 'to control weight' (45.6%). In general, use of food labels correlated positively with dietary intake attitude score (p<0.05) and use of nutrition labels (p<0.01). Using multiple regression analysis, we found that 'usefulness of dietary life' was the most significant variable that affects the importance of food and nutrition labels. Therefore, development of an educational program on food and nutrition labels for adolescents will be effective in improving dietary life.

Effect of $H_2O_2$ on Alveolar Epithelial Barrier Properties (폐상피세포 장벽에 대한 $H_2O_2$의 영향)

  • Suh, Duk-Joon;Cho, Se-Heon;Kang, Chang-Woon
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.40 no.3
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    • pp.236-249
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    • 1993
  • Background: Among the injurious agents to which the lung airspaces are constantly exposed are reactive species of oxygen. It has been widely believed that reactive oxygen species may be implicated in the etiology of lung injuries. In order to elucidated how this oxidant causes lung cell injury, we investigated the effects of exogenous $H_2O_2$ on alveolar epithelial barrier characteristics. Methods: Rat type II alveolar epithelial cells were plated onto tissue culture-treated polycarbonate membrane filters. The resulting confluent monolayers on days 3 and 4 were mounted in a modified Ussing chamber and bathed on both sides with HEPES-buffered Ringer solution. The changes in short-circuit current (Isc) and monolayer resistance (R) in response to the exogenous hydroperoxide were measured. To determine the degree of cellular catalase participation in protection against $H_2O_2$ injury to the barrier, experiments were repeated in the presence of 20 mM aminotriazole (ATAZ, an inhibitor of catalase) in the same bathing fluid as the hydroperoxide. Results: These monolayers have a high transepithelial resistance (>2000 ohm-$cm^2$) and actively transport $Na^+$ from apical fluid. $H_2O_2$(0-100 mM) was then delivered to either apical or basolateral fluid. Resulting indicated that $H_2O_2$ decreased Isc and R gradually in dose-dependent manner. The effective concentration of apical $H_2O_2$ at which Isc (or R) was decreased by 50% at one hour ($ED_{50}$) was about 4 mM. However, basolateral $H_2O_2$ exposure led to $ED_{50}$ for Isc (and R) of about 0.04 mM. Inhibition of cellular catalase yielded $ED_{50}$ for Isc (and R) of about 0.4 mM when $H_2O_2$ was given apically, while $ED_{50}$ for basolateral exposure to $H_2O_2$ did not change in the presence of ATAZ. The rate of $H_2O_2$ consumption in apical and basolateral bathing fluids was the same, while cellualr catalase activity rose gradually with time in culture. Conclusion: Our data suggest that basolateral $H_2O_2$ may affect directly membrane component (e.g., $Na^+,\;K^+$-ATPase) located on the basolateral cell surface. Apical $H_2O_2$, on the other hand, may be largely degraded by catalase as it passes through the cells before reaching these membrane components. We conclude that alveolar epithelial barrier integrity as measured by Isc and R are compromised by $H_2O_2$ being relatively sensitive to basolateral (and insensitive to apical) $H_2O_2$.

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Environmental Pollution in Korea and Its Control (우리나라의 환경오염 현황과 그 대책)

  • 윤명조
    • Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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    • 1972.03a
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    • pp.5-6
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    • 1972
  • Noise and air pollution, which accompany the development of industry and the increase of population, contribute to the deterioration of urban environment. The air pollution level of Seoul has gradually increased and the city residents are suffering from a high pollution of noise. If no measures were taken against pollution, the amount of emission of pollutant into air would be 36.7 thousand tons per year per square kilometer in 1975, three times more than that of 1970, and it would be the same level as that of United States in 1968. The main sources of air pollution in Seoul are the exhaust has from vehicles and the combustion of bunker-C oil for heating purpose. Thus, it is urgent that an exhaust gas cleaner should be instaled to every car and the fuel substituted by less sulfur-contained-oil to prevent the pollution. Transportation noise (vehicular noise and train noise) is the main component of urban noise problem. The average noise level in downtown area is about 75㏈ with maximum of 85㏈ and the vehicular homing was checked 100㏈ up and down. Therefore, the reduction of the number of bus-stop the strict regulation of homing in downtown area and a better maintenance of car should be an effective measures against noise pollution in urban areas. Within the distance of 200 metres from railroad, the train noise exceeds the limit specified by the pollution control law in Korea. Especially, the level of noise and steam-whistle of train as measured by the ISO evaluation can adversely affect the community activities of residents. To prevent environmental destruction, many developed countries have taken more positive action against worsening pollution and such an action is now urgently required in this country.

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Clinical Applications and Efficacy of Korean Ginseng (고려인삼의 주요 효능과 그 임상적 응용)

  • Nam, Ki-Yeul
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • v.26 no.3
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    • pp.111-131
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    • 2002
  • Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) received a great deal of attention from the Orient and West as a tonic agent, health food and/or alternative herbal therapeutic agent. However, controversy with respect to scientific evidence on pharmacological effects especially, evaluation of clinical efficacy and the methodological approach still remains to be solved. Author reviewed those articles published since 1980 when pharmacodynamic studies on ginseng have intensively started. Special concern was paid on metabolic disorders including diabetes mellitus, circulatory disorders, malignant tumor, sexual dysfunction, and physical and mental performance to give clear information to those who are interested in pharmacological study of ginseng and to promote its clinical use. With respect to chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, malignant disorders, and sexual disorders, it seems that ginseng plays preventive and restorative role rather than therapeutics. Particularly, ginseng plays a significant role in ameliorating subjective symptoms and preventing quality of life from deteriorating by long term exposure of chemical therapeutic agents. Also it seems that the potency of ginseng is mild, therefore it could be more effective when used concomitantly with conventional therapy. Clinical studies on the tonic effect of ginseng on work performance demonstrated that physical and mental dysfunction induced by various stresses are improved by increasing adaptability of physical condition. However, the results obtained from clinical studies cannot be mentioned in the indication, which are variable upon the scientist who performed those studies. In this respect, standardized ginseng product and providing planning of the systematic clinical research in double-blind randomized controlled trials are needed to assess the real efficacy for proposing ginseng indication. Pharmacological mode of action of ginseng has not yet been fully elucidated. Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic researches reveal that the role of ginseng not seem to be confined to a given single organ. It has been known that ginseng plays a beneficial role in such general organs as central nervous, endocrine, metabolic, immune systems, which means ginseng improves general physical and mental conditons. Such multivalent effect of ginseng can be attributed to the main active component of ginseng,ginsenosides or non-saponin compounds which are also recently suggested to be another active ingredients. As is generally the similar case with other herbal medicines, effects of ginseng cannot be attributed as a given single compound or group of components. Diversified ingredients play synergistic or antagonistic role each other and act in harmonized manner. A few cases of adverse effect in clinical uses are reported, however, it is not observed when standardized ginseng products are used and recommended dose was administered. Unfavorable interaction with other drugs has also been suggested, which the information on the products and administered dosage are not available. However, efficacy, safety, interaction or contraindication with other medicines has to be more intensively investigated in order to promote clinical application of ginseng. For example, daily recommended doses per day are not agreement as 1-2g in the West and 3-6 g in the Orient. Duration of administration also seems variable according to the purpose. Two to three months are generally recommended to feel the benefit but time- and dose-dependent effects of ginseng still need to be solved from now on. Furthermore, the effect of ginsenosides transformed by the intestinal microflora, and differential effect associated with ginsenosides content and its composition also should be clinically evaluated in the future. In conclusion, the more wide-spread use of ginseng as a herbal medicine or nutraceutical supplement warrants the more rigorous investigations to assess its effacy and safety. In addition, a careful quality control of ginseng preparations should be done to ensure an acceptable standardization of commercial products.

A Study of Guidelines for Genetic Counseling in Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) (착상전 유전진단을 위한 유전상담 현황과 지침개발을 위한 기초 연구)

  • Kim, Min-Jee;Lee, Hyoung-Song;Kang, Inn-Soo;Jeong, Seon-Yong;Kim, Hyon-J.
    • Journal of Genetic Medicine
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    • v.7 no.2
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    • pp.125-132
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    • 2010
  • Purpose: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), also known as embryo screening, is a pre-pregnancy technique used to identify genetic defects in embryos created through in vitro fertilization. PGD is considered a means of prenatal diagnosis of genetic abnormalities. PGD is used when one or both genetic parents has a known genetic abnormality; testing is performed on an embryo to determine if it also carries the genetic abnormality. The main advantage of PGD is the avoidance of selective pregnancy termination as it imparts a high likelihood that the baby will be free of the disease under consideration. The application of PGD to genetic practices, reproductive medicine, and genetic counseling is becoming the key component of fertility practice because of the need to develop a custom PGD design for each couple. Materials and Methods: In this study, a survey on the contents of genetic counseling in PGD was carried out via direct contact or e-mail with the patients and specialists who had experienced PGD during the three months from February to April 2010. Results: A total of 91 persons including 60 patients, 49 of whom had a chromosomal disorder and 11 of whom had a single gene disorder, and 31 PGD specialists responded to the survey. Analysis of the survey results revealed that all respondents were well aware of the importance of genetic counseling in all steps of PGD including planning, operation, and follow-up. The patient group responded that the possibility of unexpected results (51.7%), genetic risk assessment and recurrence risk (46.7%), the reproduction options (46.7%), the procedure and limitation of PGD (43.3%) and the information of PGD technology (35.0%) should be included as a genetic counseling information. In detail, 51.7% of patients wanted to be counseled for the possibility of unexpected results and the recurrence risk, while 46.7% wanted to know their reproduction options (46.7%). Approximately 96.7% of specialists replied that a non-M.D. genetic counselor is necessary for effective and systematic genetic counseling in PGD because it is difficult for physicians to offer satisfying information to patients due to lack of counseling time and specific knowledge of the disorders. Conclusions: The information from the survey provides important insight into the overall present situation of genetic counseling for PGD in Korea. The survey results demonstrated that there is a general awareness that genetic counseling is essential for PGD, suggesting that appropriate genetic counseling may play a important role in the success of PGD. The establishment of genetic counseling guidelines for PGD may contribute to better planning and management strategies for PGD.