Packaging method, the material and size of the container could have a direct impact on the effectiveness of cold chain temperature maintenance. Polystyrene foam box, cold box with polyethylene interior lining and polypropylene insulation, a cooler bag with proper number of ice packs could be effectively used for transportation of vaccines within their respective transportation duration allowance.]]>
Biological Products ; Compliance ; Ice ; Incubators ; Methods ; Polyethylene ; Polypropylenes ; Polystyrenes ; Product Packaging ; Refrigeration ; Transportation ; Vaccines

Although intravesical instillation of Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the most successful cancer immunotherapy for superficial bladder cancer, the serious side effects are frequently arisen by using live mycobacteria. To allow less toxic and more potent immunotherapeutic agents following intravesical BCG treatment for superficial bladder cancer, noninfectious immunotherapeutic drug instead of live BCG would be highly desirable. Recently, immune-enhancing adjuvants are considered an effective vaccine immunotherapy for cancer, providing enhanced antitumor effects and boosted immunity. The BCG-cell wall skeleton (BCG-CWS), the main immune active center of BCG, is a potent candidate as a noninfectious immunotherapeutic drug instead of live BCG against bladder cancer. However, the most limited application for anticancer therapy, it is difficult to formulate a water-soluble BCG-CWS due to the aggregation of BCG-CWS in both aqueous and nonaqueous solvents. To overcome the insolubility and improve the internalization of BCG-CWS into bladder cancer cells, it should be developed the lipid nanoparticulation of BCG-CWS, resulting in improved dispensability, stability, and small size. In addition, powerful technology of delivery systems should be applied to enhance the internalization of BCG-CWS, such as encapsulated into lipid nanoparticles using novel packaging methods. Here, we describe the progress in research on effects of BCG-CWS for cancer immunotherapy, development of lipid-based solvent, and packaging method using nanoparticles with drug delivery system.
Administration, Intravesical ; Bacillus ; Cell Wall Skeleton ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Immunotherapy ; Methods ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Nanoparticles ; Product Packaging ; Skeleton ; Solvents ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND: In implant-based breast reconstruction, acellular dermal matrix (ADM) is essential for supporting the inferolateral pole. Recent studies have compared non-sterilized freeze-dried ADM and sterilized pre-hydrated ADM, but have not assessed whether differences were attributable to factors related to sterile processing or packaging. This study was conducted to compare the clinical outcomes of breast reconstruction using two types of sterile-processed ADMs. METHODS: Through a retrospective chart review, we analyzed 77 consecutive patients (85 breasts) who underwent tissue expander/implant breast reconstruction with either freeze-dried ADM (35 breasts) or pre-hydrated ADM (50 breasts) from March 2016 to February 2018. Demographic variables, postoperative outcomes, and operative parameters were compared between freeze-dried and pre-hydrated ADM. Biopsy specimens were obtained for histologic analysis. RESULTS: We obtained results after adjusting for variables found to be significant in univariate analyses. The total complication rate for freeze-dried and pre-hydrated ADMs was 25.7% and 22.0%, respectively. Skin necrosis was significantly more frequent in the freeze-dried group than in the pre-hydrated group (8.6% vs. 4.0%, P=0.038). All other complications and operative parameters showed no significant differences. In the histologic analysis, collagen density, inflammation, and vascularity were higher in the pre-hydrated ADM group (P=0.042, P=0.006, P=0.005, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: There are limited data comparing the outcomes of tissue expander/implant breast reconstruction using two types of sterile-processed ADMs. In this study, we found that using pre-hydrated ADM resulted in less skin necrosis and better integration into host tissue. Pre-hydrated ADM may therefore be preferable to freeze-dried ADM in terms of convenience and safety.
Acellular Dermis ; Biopsy ; Breast Implants ; Breast ; Collagen ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Mammaplasty ; Necrosis ; Product Packaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Sterilization

This study provides basic data on how stress impacts the processed convenience foods purchase attitudes and the selection attributes of housewives. The stress consists of 3 factors, which were housework stress, family relation stress and economic stress. The processed convenience food purchase attitude consisted of 2 factors, which were peripheral influence purchase and conviction purchase. The processed convenience food selection attribute consisted of 4 factors, which were quality, convenience, packaging and price. Factor loading confirmation and reliability test were conducted, and the reliability was confirmed with Cronbach's alpha coefficients for all the factors exceeding 0.5. The high stress levels showed significantly high stress factors of housework, family relations and economic stress (P<0.001). The high stress group was shown to make purchases by recognizing peripheral influences (P<0.01). When the selection properties of processed convenience foods depending on different stress levels were examined, it was revealed that among the three groups, the low stress group least considered the price aspect (P<0.01). After deducting the factors, AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structure) was used to conduct the confirmatory factor analysis for verifying validity. The structural equation model was used to determine the path coefficient. From the processed convenience foods purchase attitude, the peripheral influence purchase had significantly positive (+) effects on convenience (P<0.05). Also, conviction purchase was shown to have significantly positive (+) effects on quality (P<0.05). Housework and family relation stress were shown to have negative (−) effects on processed convenience foods selection attribute, and economic stress was shown to have positive (+) effects, although no significant relationships were revealed.
Family Relations ; Fast Foods ; Gyeonggi-do ; Housekeeping ; Product Packaging ; Seoul

Tobacco use is the most important preventable cause of mortality in South Korea and worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the tobacco control policies of the Moon Jae-in government, which was established in May 10, 2017. Before the Moon Jae-in government, the tobacco tax was raised by the Park Geun-hye government from 2,500 won to 4,500 won (80% increase), but the price of cigarettes was still much lower in Korea than in other high-income countries. Cigarette smoking has been prohibited in all restaurants and bars since 2015; however, smoking rooms are allowed. Only large buildings are smoke-free. Pictorial warnings on cigarette packages were introduced in December 2016; however, they cover only 30% of the main packaging. Smoking cessation services provided by health care facilities have been subsidized by public health insurance since 2015. However, the advertisement, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco are not further regulated. Since the beginning of the Moon Jae-in government, there has been no further strengthening of major tobacco control policies except for limited expansion of smoke-free public places and introduction of a lung cancer screening program. The first government-level tobacco control policies by the Moon Jae-in government, announced in May 2019, included increasing the size of the pictorial warnings and introducing standardized packaging by 2025, along with incremental expansion of smoke-free public places with prohibition of smoking rooms. These moves are positive; however, they do not include increasing tobacco taxes and regulating advertisement, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco, which together are the backbone of tobacco control policies. The Moon Jae-in government should strengthen comprehensive tobacco control policies, ncluding tobacco taxes and banning tobacco advertisement, promotion, and sponsorship, to protect public health.
Delivery of Health Care ; Insurance ; Korea ; Lung Neoplasms ; Mass Screening ; Moon ; Mortality ; Product Packaging ; Public Health ; Republic of Korea ; Restaurants ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation ; Taxes ; Tobacco Products ; Tobacco Use ; Tobacco

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an acute, febrile zoonotic disease that is caused by the RVF virus (RVFV). RVF is mainly prevalent on the Arabian Peninsula, the African continent, and several islands in the Indian Ocean near southeast Africa. RVFV has been classified by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as a category A pathogen. To avoid biological safety concerns associated with use of the pathogen in RVFV neutralization assays, the present study investigated and established an RVFV pseudovirus-based neutralization assay. This study used the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) lentiviral packaging system and RVFV structural proteins to successfully construct RVFV pseudoviruses. Electron microscopy observation and western blotting indicated that the size, structure, and shape of the packaged pseudoviruses were notably similar to those of HIV lentiviral vectors. Infection inhibition assay results showed that an antibody against RVFV inhibited the infective ability of the RVFV pseudoviruses, and an antibody neutralization assay for RVFV detection was then established. This study has successfully established a neutralization assay based on RVFV pseudoviruses and demonstrated that this method can be used to effectively evaluate antibody neutralization.
Africa ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; HIV ; Indian Ocean ; Islands ; Methods ; Microscopy, Electron ; Product Packaging ; Rift Valley fever virus ; Rift Valley Fever ; Zoonoses

Fixed drug eruption is a commonly reported mucocutaneous drug eruption. A 61-year-old male presented to our clinic with a complaint of an itchy round erythematous patch on the left hand dorsum with myalgia. On taking medical history, the patient correlated the episode with the intake of an oral sexual enhancer that he had obtained over the counter. We found the medicine contained tadalafil and sildenafil in combination with herbal ingredients. A short course of oral corticosteroid therapy resulted in the complete resolution of the lesion leaving residual hyperpigmentation of the skin involved. Various sexual enhancers with fancy names and attractive packaging are available without requiring a doctor's prescription. Most contain phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors in various concentrations, often with herbal additions. These drugs are used erratically by the lay public, and often produce side effects. Herein, we report a case of fixed drug rash related to a sexual enhancer, which we believe to be the first report in Korea.
Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5 ; Drug Eruptions* ; Exanthema ; Hand ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myalgia ; Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors ; Prescriptions ; Product Packaging ; Sildenafil Citrate ; Skin ; Tadalafil

Although the Korean government introduced a tobacco tax increase in 2015 and pictorial health warnings on tobacco packages in 2016, the smoking prevalence among Korean adult men has remained steady. More efforts and effective tobacco control policies are needed to tackle the highest smoking prevalence among the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Plain or standardized packaging of tobacco products has been evaluated as an effective tobacco control policy after its introduction in Australia in 2012. The purpose of this study was to raise awareness of the need to introduce plain packaging of tobacco products in Korea. This study presents information on the following topics: what plain packaging of tobacco products is; the purposes of this policy; the reasons why we need to implement this policy in Korea; the scientific evidence regarding the effects of plain packaging of tobacco products; international developments in the plain packaging of tobacco products; and what we need to consider in order to prepare for the implementation of this policy in Korea. We propose that introducing plain packaging of tobacco products would be beneficial for reinforcing tobacco control policies in Korea and would simultaneously contribute to implementing articles 11 and 13 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Further studies must be carried out to develop a plain or standardized packaging design of tobacco products in Korea and to prevent the tobacco industry from interrupting the introduction of this policy in Korea, based on other countries' experience.
Adult ; Australia ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development ; Prevalence ; Product Packaging ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Taxes ; Tobacco Industry ; Tobacco Products ; Tobacco

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) entered into effect in 2005 and has been ratified by 181 parties. The major tobacco control policies included in the FCTC are increased tobacco taxes; smoke-free public places; bans on tobacco advertisements, promotion, and sponsorship; regulations of tobacco packaging and labeling; regulations and disclosure of tobacco component and emissions; public awareness campaigns about the adverse health effects of tobacco use; treatment of tobacco use and dependence; and bans on tobacco sales to minors. Since the FCTC was ratified, tobacco control policies have been strengthened worldwide, but with different effects for different policies. A high level of performance was achieved in 55% of the signatory countries for warnings about the hazards of tobacco and in 30% for monitoring tobacco control policies, but tobacco tax increases, smoke-free polices, and bans on tobacco advertisement, promotion, and sponsorship achieved high levels of success in only about 10% of the countries. Korea recently strengthened some tobacco control policies, including tobacco tax increases, mass media campaigns, pictorial warnings on tobacco packs, smoke-free bars and restaurants, and reimbursement for smoking cessation services provided by health care facilities. However, the price of cigarettes remains very low considering the nation's income level, and tobacco advertisements, promotion, and sponsorship are only partially restricted. Workplace smoke-free policies are limited to large companies. Only monitoring of tobacco control policies and smoking cessation services are at a high level in Korea. Comprehensive tobacco control polices need to be strengthened, and physicians should play a leading role.
Commerce ; Delivery of Health Care ; Disclosure ; International Cooperation ; Korea ; Mass Media ; Product Packaging ; Restaurants ; Smoke-Free Policy ; Smoking Cessation ; Social Control, Formal ; Taxes ; Tobacco Products ; Tobacco Use ; Tobacco

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a stress-responsive enzyme that modulates the immune response and oxidative stress associated with spinal cord injury (SCI). This study aimed to investigate neuronal regeneration via transplantation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) overexpressing HO-1. Canine MSCs overexpressing HO-1 were generated by using a lentivirus packaging protocol. Eight beagle dogs with experimentally-induced SCI were divided into GFP-labeled MSC (MSC-GFP) and HO-1-overexpressing MSC (MSC-HO-1) groups. MSCs (1 × 10⁷ cells) were transplanted at 1 week after SCI. Spinal cords were harvested 8 weeks after transplantation, after which histopathological, immunofluorescence, and western blot analyses were performed. The MSC-HO-1 group showed significantly improved functional recovery at 7 weeks after transplantation. Histopathological results showed fibrotic changes and microglial cell infiltration were significantly decreased in the MSC-HO-1 group. Immunohistochemical (IHC) results showed significantly increased expression levels of HO-1 and neuronal markers in the MSC-HO-1 group. Western blot results showed significantly decreased expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, cycloogygenase 2, phosphorylated-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and galactosylceramidase in the MSC-HO-1 group, while expression levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein, β3-tubulin, neurofilament medium, and neuronal nuclear antigen were similar to those observed in IHC results. Our results demonstrate that functional recovery after SCI can be promoted to a greater extent by transplantation of HO-1-overexpressing MSCs than by normal MSCs.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Dogs ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Galactosylceramidase ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; Heme Oxygenase-1* ; Heme* ; Interleukin-6 ; Intermediate Filaments ; Lentivirus ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Neurons ; Oxidative Stress ; Product Packaging ; Regeneration ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Transducers ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha