• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.283-290
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• 2015

We proposed blink based online speller for the locked-in syndrome (LIS) patients, paralyzed in nearly all voluntary muscles expect for the eyes, with a simple and easy-to-use eye blink detection glasses. Electrooculogram (EOG) is the golden standard method of eye movement or blink measurement with Ag/AgCl electrodes. However, this method has several drawbacks such as skin irritation and dehydration of conductive gel. To resolve the shortcomings, we used a blink detection system based on a transparent capacitively coupled electrode, which is conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) films. The films make it possible to measure eye blink without direct skin contact and obstruction of field of view. We finally developed user-friendly blink based online speller with the blink detection system. To classify voluntary and non-voluntary blink, we used the double blink for command of the speller. The online speller experiment result with six healthy subjects shows that mean accuracy is 98.96% and letter per minute (LPM) is 4.73, which are better result by comparison with conventional P300 or auditory brain-computer interface (BCI) paradigm. The result of the experiment demonstrates the possibility of applying the proposed system as a communication method for the LIS patients.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.1125-1131
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• 2009

Lophatheri Herba, Patriniae Radix, Alli tuberosi Herba, and Menthae Herba have long been used externally for treatment of injuries or inflammations in Korea. This study was carried out to examine the anti-dandruff effect of the mixture made with equal parts of 70%-ethanol extracts of Lophatheri Herba, Patriniae Radix, Allii tuberosi Herba, and Menthae Herba (LPAM) and of each one above, compared with 1%-zinc pyrithione (Standard) used commercially as anti-dandruff. The results showed the mixture was more effective than each crude drug. The 10%-LPAM produced no toxicity in skin reaction test and eye irritation test, and showed significant antimicrobial activity against Pityrosporum ovale, the major cause of dandruff, and also showed significant anti-dandruff and itch-improvement effects on head skin.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.27-34
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• 2004

As number of new housing construction has been growing, the increasing number of people experiencing from Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is distinct. The purpose of this study is to examine the symptoms reported by residents responses to cope with the syndrome and to investigate their environmental characteristics considered relevant to the syndrome. Respondents were housewives living in apartments and were more likely to stay at home. 170 data were collected by both web-based internet survey and conventional questionnaire survey. The findings revealed that the symptom appeared very diverse and composite. The most common symptom was eye irritation. Among diverse coping behaviors, ventilation was most popular.

• Journal of Korea Association of Health Promotion
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2005

Passive smoking is the involuntary inhalation of tobacco smoke by a person, especially a non-smoker, who occupies and area with smokers or a smoker. Passive smoking may cause eye and nose irritation, sore throat, headache, cough to everyone, and it is known that non-smokers have the same kinds of illness with smokers. Smoking rate among the adults aged over 20 in Korea is higher than that of the US or European conturies. Therefore we suppose that Koreans may be exposured to passive smoking than the people of other conturies. It is necessary that people have the knowledge on the heath problems caused by passive smoking and on prevention from the involuntary inhalation of tobacco smoke. I propose that the smokers should be informed the importance of smoking cessation.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.16-37
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• 1988

A new quaternary ammonium compound, hydrolyzed ginseng-sapoin quaternary (HGSQ), from hydrolyzed Korean ginseng-saponin and 2, 3-epoxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride has been developed as a conditioning agent for hair care products. This structure has the hydrophilic group from the introduced cationic and the hydrophobic group from the aglycone of ginseng saponin. Its properties: surface tension, conductivity, critical micelle concentration, eye irritation, sorption onto hair, force reduction (%) for 20% extension and moisture retention effect comparing with the commercial standards. Also half-head tests of HGSQ-containing shampoo were carried out to compare the conditioning effects in shampoos.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.130-137
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• 2013

Objectives: The OECD QSAR Application Toolbox was developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to facilitate the practical use of QSAR approaches in regulatory contexts as well as to reduce the need for additional animal testing. In this study, human health and the ecotoxicity of chemicals were predicted by applying the OECD QSAR Application Toolbox and the results were compared with experimental data in order to evaluate the applicability of this program. Methods: Read-across, trend analysis, and QSAR of OECD QSAR Application Toolbox were used for the prediction of toxicity. Results: The toxicity prediction was conducted on 6,354 chemicals for which toxicity data have been produced on the six endpoints of skin sensitization, skin irritation, eye irritation, mutagenicity, and acute toxicities of fish and Daphnia. From the total of 6,354, we obtained prediction results for 1,621 chemicals (25.5%). Conclusions: The predicted properties of mutagenicity, skin sensitization, and acute aquatic toxicities were reasonably good when compared with experimental data, but other endpoints were not due to the limitation of applicable chemical groups.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.25 no.4 s.34
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• pp.145-154
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• 1999

A novel retinol derivative, polyethoxylated retinamide(Medimin A) was synthesized, as an anti-aging agent. Collagen synthesis, skin permeation, stability, and toxicity of Medimin A were evaluated and compared with those of retinol and retinyl palmitate. In vitro collagen synthesis was evaluated by quantitative assay of $[^3H]-proline$ incorporation into collagenase sensitive protein in fibroblast cultures. For in vitro skin permeation experiments, Franz diffusion cells(effective diffusion area: 1,766 $cm^2$) and the excised skin of female hairless mouse aged 8 weeks were used, The stabilities of retinoids were evaluated at two different temperature($25^{\circ}C\;and\;40^{\circ}C$) and under UV in solubilized state and in O/W emulsion. To estimate the safety, acute oral toxicity, acute dermal toxicity, primary skin irritation, acute eye irritation and human patch test were performed. The effect of Medimin A on collagen synthesis was similar to that of retinol. The skin permeability of Medimin A was higher than those of retinol and retinyl palmitate. The Medimin A was more stable than retinol and retinyl palmitate. Medimin A was nontoxic in various toxicological tests. These results suggest that Medimin A would be a good anti-aging agent for enhancing bioavailability and stability.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.255-266
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• 2017

Chemically derived pesticides have been used to prevent biological damage to domestic cultural property. However, their use is gradually being restricted due to the harmful effects on the human body and environment. Therefore, there is a growing interest in the search for new antifungal biopharmaceuticals whose safety has been confirmed by toxicity evaluation through animal experiments. This paper presents methods of toxicity evaluation of natural biocides using Sprague-Dawley rats and New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. Safety of the natural biocide extract of Asarum sieboldii was evaluated using single-dose oral and dermal toxicity tests in Sprague-Dawley rats, and eye and skin irritation tests in NZW rabbits. The extract has proven antimicrobial and insecticidal activities against wood-rotting fungi and termites. After single oral administration to rats, the $LD_{50}$ values were determined to be over 4,000 and 2,000 mg/kg for males and females, respectively. After single dermal administration to rats, the $LD_{50}$ values exceeded 10,000 mg/kg for both males and females. The extract was identified to be non-irritant to the rabbit eye, and only slightly irritant to the rabbit skin. In this study, we confirmed the safety of the A sieboldii extract through animal testing. Due to the harmfulness of humidifier disinfectants, focus is on the safety of chemical pesticides, and toxicity evaluation is suggested as the basic method for hazard evaluation.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.50-54
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• 2006

To evaluate the effect of punctal occlusion on tear preservation after third eyelid resection, 10 eyes were operated in dogs and observed changes in tear preservation using Schirmer tear test (STT). Punctal occlusion was performed on five healthy dogs with no clinical sings of ocular irritation and no history of dry eye syndrome. The STT was performed for 10 days before surgery, and on the day 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 17, 21, 25, and 30 after third eyelid resection. The mean STT was $17.4{\pm}0.15$ mm/min($mean{\pm}SEM$) for 10 days before surgery. And, it was $11.5{\pm}0.55$mm/min for 30 days after surgery in puntal occlusion(PO) group. The mean STT was $17.3{\pm}0.32$ mm/min for 10 days before surgery. And, it was more decreased to $6.5{\pm}0.60$ mm/min for 30 days after surgery in control group. The paired t-test was performed. Mean STT after the third eyelid resection was higher in PO group than that of control throughout experimental period (p<0.05). In summary, the effect of thermal punctal occlusion significantly increased on the tear preservation by $28.86{\pm}7.96%$. These results suggest that application of thermal punctal occulsion in dry eye syndrome will promote tear preservation.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.65-69
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• 2009

Purpose: Recently incidence of VDT syndrome has gradually increased as extensive use of computers. VDT syndrome reported by VDT workers include musculoskeletal disorder, neuropsychiatric disoders and eye symptoms such as eye strain, tired eyes, irritation and blurred vision. The environmental factors of VDT syndrome include electromagnetic waves, size, brightness and lighting of computer screen, height of a monitor and a worktable, working hours, kind of task, distance between screen and workers, indoor humidity and temperature, indoor air contamination and ventilation. In this study, we investigated the environmental factors related to body symptoms and health effects included in VDT syndrome. Methods: Study subjects were total 120 persons (54 male, 66 female) with age from 19 to 28. We surveyed the body symptoms and physical discomfort when doing an activity in a short distance such as reading book or paper, computer work. The questionnaire included main body symptoms, self-consciousness symptoms of eye, satisfaction of working environment, pain of the wrist when using keyboard and mouse. Results: Most of people (70%) felt physical pain from long time work of computer, paper, electrical apparatus. They mainly complained pain of neck and low back (57.1%), eye (45.2%) and head (31%). With the environmental factors, 78.3% of the subjects complaint pain of eye from inappropriate illumination. Most of the symptoms included 'eye fatigue'(38.3%), 'dryness of eye'(31.9%) and 'blurred vision'(23.7%). Subjects in this study complained discomfort of their chairs and most of them experienced pain in the wrist when using keyboard or mouse. Conclusions: When people use electrical apparatus or work with paper, people would get their eye fatigue and feeling of physical fatigue because of not harmonizing various environmental factors such as light, space, posture, worktable with theirselves. Therefore, workers should develop preventive method such as self-control of adequate break time to avoid fatigue while VDT work. Work environment should be changed to ergonomic design for optimal visual environment to prevent musculoskeletal disorder through constant research.