BACKGROUND: The photolithography process in the semiconductor industry uses various chemicals with little information on their constitution. This study aimed to identify the chemical constituents of photoresist (PR) products and their by-products and to compare these constituents with material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and analytical results. METHODS: A total of 51 PRs with 48 MSDSs were collected. Analysis consisted of two parts: First, the constituents of the chemical products were identified and analyzed using MSDS data; second, for verification of the by-products of PR, volatile organic compounds were analyzed. The chemical constituents were categorized according to hazards. RESULTS: Forty-five of 48 products contained trade secrets in amounts ranging from 1 to 65%. A total of 238 ingredients with multiple counting (35 ingredients without multiple counting) were identified in the MSDS data, and 48.7% of ingredients were labeled as trade secrets under the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act. The concordance rate between the MSDS data and the analytical result was 41.7%. The by-product analysis identified 129 chemicals classified according to Chemical Abstracts Service No., with 17 chemicals that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reprotoxic substances. Formaldehyde was found to be released from 12 of 21 products that use novolak resin. CONCLUSION: We confirmed that several PRs contain carcinogens, and some were not specified in the toxicological information in the MSDS. Hazardous chemicals, including benzene and formaldehyde, are released from PRs products as by-products. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a systematic management system for chemical compounds and the working environment.
Benzene ; Carcinogens ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Formaldehyde ; Hazardous Substances ; Korea ; Material Safety Data Sheets ; Occupational Health ; Semiconductors ; Volatile Organic Compounds

The Supreme Court decision made on May 21, 2009 about the withdrawal of futile life-prolonging medical care from a persistently vegetative patient provided a legal basis for patients to consent to death with dignity, and also spurred a lively debate in Korea. The legal grounding of this decision was based on the principles of human dignity, worth, and the right to pursue happiness articulated in the Article 10 of the Constitution. The Death with Dignity Act was legislated to regulate decisions about life-prolonging medical care on February 3, 2016, after extensive debate and a focus on consensus that led to two revisions. However, the issue has not been completely resolved. First, the definition of the process of dying is unclear, because the points that determine whether a patient is dying are different from a simple assessment of whether an artificial ventilator should be attached or detached. Second, the purpose of this law is the protection of human dignity, worth, and the right to pursue happiness. However, nutrition, fluids, and oxygen must continue to be supplied, even after cessation of life-prolonging medical care. Is providing a continuous supply of nutrition, fluids, and oxygen a reasonable way to satisfy the goals of Article 10 of the Constitution? Third, if the withdrawal of life-prolonging medical care is possible based on the family's agreement without the patient's input, what is the legal value of advance directives? In conclusion, it may be necessary to partially revise the law regulating decisions on the withdrawal of life-prolonging medical care through further debate.
Advance Directives ; Consensus ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Happiness ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Oxygen ; Persistent Vegetative State ; Personhood ; Right to Die ; Supreme Court Decisions ; Ventilators, Mechanical

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of allergic conditions is increasing in most countries. One possible explanation may be childhood nutrition. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between consumption of pre-specified types of food in school-aged children and presence of respiratory and allergic symptoms. METHODS: A total of 191 students aged 9–11 years were recruited from 5 schools to geographically cover all of Malta. Data was collected between October 2011 and February 2012. This was part of a bigger study which included clinical and environmental tests besides standardized health questionnaires. For the purposes of this part of the study only the health questionnaires were used. These standardized health questionnaires based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) were used to identify the presence of respiratory and allergic symptoms and to identify the types of foods and the frequency of consumption of various types of foods. RESULTS: We found that milk, meat, butter, olive oil, and yoghurt consumption had a negative association with allergic symptoms in children, whilst fish consumption had a detrimental effect. These relationships remained significant after correction for paternal level of education. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the fact that nutrition in early childhood may have a significant effect on the risk of allergic conditions. Our results, taken together with data in the literature, suggest that different types of fish might have had different effects. This is probably related to their different fatty acid constitution thus warranting further studies.
Asthma ; Butter ; Child ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Education ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Malta ; Meat ; Milk ; Olive Oil ; Prevalence ; Yogurt

Chapter 9 of the Bioethics Law has several problems due to strict research standards and strong penalties. Therefore, biomedical researchers in Korea have raised several objections to this Law. To make matters worse, the normative power of the Law is significantly diminished because norms and penalties are divergent. Articles 2, 24, 26, 27, 28, and 32 of the Law require amendment because the current regulations on sperm retrieval, sperm management, and sperm use are insufficient. At a minimum, legislation for artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization should be consolidated. It is also necessary for sperm researchers and donors to be notified of their rights and duties. Section 9 of the Bioethics Law should therefore be amended. In particular, its legal formulation should be modified in order to enhance the effectiveness of bioethics law. This is in accord with the spirit of the Constitution. The principle of proportionality should be maintained. The statutory form should be revised to the level of abortion. Not only are the actors in embryo research diverse, including medical personnel, medical institutions, donors, veterans, and mediators, but embryo research involves multiple behavioral aspects, including intentional acts and negligence (violation of state duty). Excessively free-form activity is prescribed. Although the value of life is important, heavy punishment violates human dignity and human values. This legislation should not reflect to be grounded in emotional reactions such as anger.
Anger ; Bioethics ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Embryo Research ; Embryonic Structures ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Insemination, Artificial ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Malpractice ; Personhood ; Punishment ; Social Control, Formal ; Sperm Retrieval ; Spermatozoa ; Tissue Donors ; Value of Life ; Veterans

Chromosomal loss in trisomy (trisomy rescue) to generate a disomic fetus can cause confined placental mosaicism and/or feto/placental mosaicism. After trisomy rescue event, there is a risk of fetal uniparental disomy (UPD). Noninvasive prenatal test (NIPT) reflects the genomic constitution of the placenta, not of the fetus itself. Feto-placental discrepancy can therefore cause false-positive (trisomy) NIPT results. These discordant NIPT results can serve as important clues to find UPD associated with confined placental mosaicism. We report a case with maternal UPD of chromosome 20, detected by NIPT of 1,000 high-risk pregnancies, carried out for detecting chromosomal abnormalities in Koreans.
Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 20* ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Fetus ; Mosaicism ; Placenta ; Pregnancy, High-Risk* ; Trisomy ; Uniparental Disomy*

Both mature and stem cell-derived hepatocytes lost their phenotype and functionality under conventional culture conditions. However, the 3D scaffolds containing the main extracellular matrix constitutions, such as heparin, may provide appropriate microenvironment for hepatocytes to be functional. The current study aimed to investigate the efficacy of the differentiation capability of hepatocytes derived from human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) in 3D heparinized scaffold. In this case, the human WJ-MSCs were cultured on the heparinized and non-heparinized 2D collagen gels or within 3D scaffolds in the presence of hepatogenic medium. Immunostaining was performed for anti-alpha fetoprotein, cytokeratin-18 and -19 antibodies. RT-PCR was performed for detection of hepatic nuclear factor-4 (HNF-4), albumin, cytokeratin-18 and -19, glucose-6-phosphatase (G6P), c-met and Cyp2B. The results indicated that hepatogenic media induced the cells to express early liver-specific markers including HNF4, albumin, cytokeratin-18 and 19 in all conditions. The cells cultured on both heparinized culture conditions expressed late liver-specific markers such as G6P and Cyp2B as well. Besides, the hepatocytes differentiated in 3D heparinized scaffolds stored more glycogen that indicated they were more functional. Non-heparinized 2D gel was the superior condition for cholangiocyte differentiation as indicated by higher levels of cytokeratin 19 expression. In conclusion, the heparinized 3D scaffolds provided a microenvironment to mimic Disse space. Therefore, 3D heparinized collagen scaffold can be suggested as a good vehicle for hepatocyte differentiation.
Antibodies ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fetal Proteins ; Gels ; Glucose-6-Phosphatase ; Glycogen ; Heparin ; Hepatocytes* ; Humans ; Keratin-18 ; Keratin-19 ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Phenotype ; Wharton Jelly

The subgranular zone (SGZ) and subventricular zone (SVZ) are developmental remnants of the germinal regions of the brain, hence they retain the ability to generate neuronal progenitor cells in adult life. Neurogenesis in adult brain has an adaptive function because newly produced neurons can integrate into and modify existing neuronal circuits. In contrast to the SGZ and SVZ, other brain regions have a lower capacity to produce new neurons, and this usually occurs via parenchymal and periventricular cell genesis. Compared to neurogenesis, gliogenesis occurs more prevalently in the adult mammalian brain. Under certain circumstances, interaction occurs between neurogenesis and gliogenesis, facilitating glial cells to transform into neuronal lineage. Therefore, modulating the balance between neurogenesis and gliogenesis may present a new perspective for neurorestoration, especially in diseases associated with altered neurogenesis and/or gliogenesis, cell loss, or disturbed homeostasis of cellular constitution. The present review discusses important neuroanatomical features of adult neurogenesis and gliogenesis, aiming to explore how these processes could be modulated toward functional repair of the adult brain.
Adult* ; Aging ; Brain ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Lateral Ventricles ; Neurogenesis* ; Neuroglia ; Neurons ; Stem Cells

Recently, the Korean Medical Association (KMA) launched the KMA Policy system based upon the American Medical Association (AMA) Policy system. The KMA's official positions on health issues and medical ethics, as well as its constitution, bylaws, and directives, will be included in the KMA Policy system. The AMA's organizational structure and decision making process provided essential information for developing the KMA Policy system. Through the KMA Policy system, hereafter, the KMA should introduce a procedure not only to decide upon positions on various health issues but also a means to open them to the public. In addition, the KMA can expect the continuity and transparency of work, enhanced benefits to members, public credibility, and growth of its social reputation by means of KMA Policy. Furthermore, the system would be beneficial for both KMA members and the public, as they can easily access KMA Policy, and, in turn, access the healthcare systems of Korea and its medical knowledge. To achieve a successful KMA Policy system, the definite authority and responsibility should be granted to the organizational bodies of the KMA, for example, the House of Delegates and Board of Trustees, and the regional societies and other sections. These various groups must then efficiently divide up their work and cooperate systematically. Moreover, it is crucial that each individual member of the KMA pay much more attention to health issues and participate in the decision making process on KMA Policy.
American Medical Association ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Decision Making ; Delivery of Health Care ; Ethics, Medical ; Financing, Organized ; Humans ; Korea ; Power (Psychology)* ; Trustees

PURPOSE: Smoking during pregnancy contributes to the risk of negative health outcomes in mothers and babies. The purposes of this study were to review the harmful effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on fetal and child development, to discuss if maternal smoking should be criminalized as a form of child abuse, and to explore advocating for fetal rights. METHODS: A variety of published literature and legal documents including the Korean constitution, criminal laws, and children's welfare laws were reviewed and critically analyzed. RESULTS: Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to experience abortion related to placental dysfunction. Their unborn risk premature birth, fetal growth restriction, low birth weight, neurobehavioral disturbances, and/or other complications and newborn babies are also at risk for complications. The advocates for fetal rights can assert that maternal smoking should be regarded as a crime. CONCLUSION: Findings show that maternal smoking during pregnancy is a major risk factor for many adverse pregnancy outcomes. Effective strategies and health policies for smoking cessation during pregnancy are required to protect pregnant women and their babies.
Child ; Child Abuse ; Child Development ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Crime ; Criminal Law ; Female ; Fetal Development ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Jurisprudence ; Mothers ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Premature Birth ; Risk Factors ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation ; Smoking* ; Value of Life*

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered a global pandemic and its incidence continues to grow worldwide. The most common treatments for controlling diabetes focus on glucose control as a means to reduce long-term complications. Major changes in diet have taken place over the past 10,000 years since the beginning of the Agricultural Revolution: however, human genes have not changed. We now live in a nutritional environment that differs from that for which our genetic constitution was selected. Nutrients and dietary patterns are central issues in the prevention, development and treatment of DM. Nutritional genomics studies generally focus on dietary patterns according to genetic variations, the role of gene-nutrient interactions, gene-diet-phenotype interactions and epigenetic modifications caused by nutrients; these studies facilitate an understanding of the early molecular events that occur in DM and contribute to the identification of better biomarkers and diagnostic tools for the disease. In particular, this approach will help develop tailored diets that maximize the use of nutrients and other functional ingredients present in food, which will aid in the prevention and delay of DM and its complications. Here, we provide an understanding of the role of gene variants and nutrient interactions, and discuss the importance of nutrients and dietary patterns on gene expression.
Biomarkers ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diet ; Epigenomics ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Variation ; Glucose ; Humans ; Incidence ; Nutrigenomics* ; Pandemics ; Phenotype ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide