목적: 국내 콘택트렌즈 착용자들의 렌즈 사용 후 폐기처분 방법, 잘못된 폐기방법으로 발생될 수 있는 미세플라스틱에 의한 환경오염에 대한 인식을 알아보고자 하였다. 방법: 성인 261명(남자 124명, 여자 137명, 평균 나이 21.48±3.14세)을 대상으로 콘택트렌즈 주 구매처, 착용 콘택트렌즈 종류, 콘택트렌즈 착용 기간, 콘택트렌즈 폐기방법에 대한 정보나 교육을 받은 적이 있는지 여부, 콘택트렌즈 사용 후 폐기처분 방법, 환경오염 발생에 대한 인식에 대한 온라인 설문조사를 실시하였다. 결과: 콘택트렌즈 주 구매처는 안경원(50.0%), 렌즈샵(48.3%) 순으로 나타났으며, 콘택트렌즈 종류로는 매일착용 렌즈 (52.5%), 일회용 렌즈(38.5%)를 가장 많이 착용하고 있었다. 콘택트렌즈를 착용해 온 기간은 5년 이상(29.3%), 1년 미만(26.0%), 1년 이상~3년 미만(26.0%) 순으로 나타났으며, 1주일 중 콘택트렌즈를 착용하는 기간은 1~2일 착용(32.0%)이 제일 많았고, 1주일 내내(28.0%), 5-6일 착용(22.4%), 3-4일(17.6%) 순으로 응답하였다. 콘택트렌즈 구매처에서 폐기처분에 대한 교육이나 정보를 접했는지 여부는 “아니다(78.3%)”, “그렇다(21.7%)”로 나타났으며, 평소 학교나 공공기관, 인터넷 등 대중매체에서 콘택트렌즈 폐기처분에 대한 교육이나 정보를 접했는지 여부를 묻는 설문에는 교육받은 적 “없다(87.5%)”, “있다(12.5%)”로 나타났다. 폐기처분 방법으로는 매립용 쓰레기(45.6%), 재활용 쓰레기(29.6%), 싱크대나 화장실을 통한 배수구(16.8%) 순으로 응답하였다. 남성이 여성보다 폐기처분에 대한 교육이나 정보를 더 많이 접했지만(t=3.63189, p<0.00001), 여성이 환경오염에 대한 인식이 더 높은 것으로 나타났다(t=2.44269, p=0.01605). 결론: 하수처리 시설에서 분해되지 않고 미세플라스틱으로 변하는 콘택트렌즈로 인한 환경오염 문제를 줄이기 위해 콘택트렌즈 사용 후 올바른 폐기방법에 대한 정보를 제공하고 이에 대한 교육이 시급한 것으로 생각된다.

Ganoderma lucidum, a species of the class Basidiomycetes, attracts international attention due to the wide variety of its biological activities and great potential as cosmetic ingredient, such as skin care cosmetics including ‘skin-whitening’. However, there is little information available regarding the tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to investigate the chemical composition and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the G. lucidum. To isolate active single compound from G. lucidum (GASC), we conducted ethanol extraction and chloroform fractionation. In addition, we assayed the inhibitoty effect of tyrosinase activity and melanin biosynthesis in B16F10 mouse melanoma cells. In the present study, we identified a GASC, which exhibited inhibitory effects of cellular tyrosinase activity, the protein expression of cellular tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1, 2. In additional, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), as known as crucial regulator of melanogenesis-related genes, was down-regulated by treatment with GASC in a concentration-dependent manner. GASC exhibited significant inhibition of tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis in B16F10. The finding that melanogenesis inhibitory effect of GASC will contribute to facilitate various approaches of this mushroom for use in skin whitening products.

In chronic ambulatory hemiplegic patients, structural changes might be developed at both ankles possibly due to unequal and repetitive weight bearing on tendons and ligaments. We examined ankles by sonography to find out structural changes of tendons and ligaments of both ankles in ambulatory hemiplegic patients. Nineteen ambulatory hemiplegic patients over 1 year were included as study subjects. All subjects had no previous trauma or disease history in their ankle joints and they were able to walk independently or with supervision but had spastic ankles with equinovarus tendency. We examined both ankle joints by sonography to see joint effusion and measure width, thickness, and area of tendons of the tibialis anterior, tibialis posterior, and Achilles, and also ligaments of the anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular. We compared sonographic features of the hemi-side ankle with the sound-side ankle. There were no significant differences between hemi-side and sound-side ankles in almost all measured parameters of tendons and ligaments. However, the width of the hemi-side tibialis posterior tendon (8.61±1.37 mm) was narrower than the sound-side tendon (7.24±1.52 mm). With the amount of active joint motion and weight bearing possibly preventing ligament and tendon atrophy even though marked weakness, spasticity occurred during the chronic hemiplegic phase.

This study compared the levels of North Dakota and South Korean conventional and sustainable farmers’ participation in community organizations. The North Dakota data were collected in 1990 from a sample of 568 farm and ranch operators, and the South Korean data were collected in late 1999 and early 2000 from a sample of 147 farmers through interviews and surveys. The data were analyzed using the SPSS ANOVA computer program. The sustainable farmers in both countries were more likely to participate in community organizations than the conventional farmers. Nevertheless, through this comparative study it was found that some differences between two countries exist due to their different cultural backgrounds. Whereas Americans were oriented more to morality and ethics influenced by church, farmers in Korean were more influenced by civil movements. Whereas the reduced tillage farmers in Americans were more likely to be sustainable farmers, the mixed farmers in Korea were more likely to belong to conventional farmers. While individuals in community organizations focused on the economics of agriculture, sustainable farming and farmers" social participation were social matters, which were used to develop sustainable community.