• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2002

Several antagonistic bacteria, SD-1, 4, 10, 11, 14, 15, and 16, which have strong CMCase and amylase activities, were isolated from the fermented mushroom media. Among them, SD-1, 10, 11, and 15 have strong antibacterial activities against the mushroom pathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas sp., and SD-1, 10, 11, 14, and 16 have strong antifungal activities against the mushroom pathogenic fungi, Trichoderma sp. SD-14, 15, and 16 did not inhibit the growth of mushroom Pleurotus eryngii ASI-2302, and Pleurotus ostreatus ASI-2042 and ASI-2180. When the culture broth mixture of the seven bacterial strains was applied to the mushroom media, the growths of pathogens, Pseudomonas sp. and Trichoderma sp., were inhibited.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2007

Background: Although there is an increasing incidence of Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary disease in Korea, the optimal therapeutic regimen has not yet been established and there are no reports of the long-term treatment outcomes. This study examined the long-term treatment outcomes of M. abscessus pulmonary disease. Methods: Twenty-nine patients diagnosed with M. abscessus pulmonary according to the American Thoracic Society criteria and treated from January 1996 to December 2003 were enrolled in ghis study. The clinical characteristics, radiological findings, treatment outcome, and follow up data were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The mean age of the 29 patients was 56.1 (${\pm}13.6$) years and there was a female (22/29) dominance. The chest radiography revealed the nodular bronchiectatic type to be dominant (69%, 20/29). Twenty-seven (93.1%) were prescribed clarithromycin-containing regimens, and injectable drugs, mainly aminoglycosides, were included in the regimen of nineteen patients. The most predominant regimen (48.3%) consisted of clarithromycin and amikacin. The treatment success, failure, and default were achieved in 19(65.5%), 9(31.0%), and 1(3.4%), respectively. The median duration to culture conversion was 42 days (range 15-362) and the median duration of treatment in the success group was 543 days (range 176-1,160). An adjunctive surgical resection was performed in five patients, which resulted in treatment success in two patients. After the completion of treatment, nineteen patients were followed up for a median duration of 931 days (range 230-2,294). Only one (5.3%) patient relapsed 45 days after completing treatment. Conclusion: Treatment with clarithromycin-containing regimens resulted in a successful treatment in approximately two thirds of patients with M. abscessus pulmonary disease. The long-term relapse rate was also quite low.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1562-1570
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• 2007

This experiment was conducted to develop fertilizer which promotes plant growth as well as suppressing pathogenic fungi. The fertilizer was made from the mixture of Ju-Back (Korean rice wine cake) and indigenous rhizosphere-bacterium. The main ingredients of Ju-Back were investigated as 6.04% total nitrogen, 42.59% total carbohydrate, 1.01% available phosphate, 73.42% organic matter, 7.72% potassium oxide, 1.35% calcium oxide, 0.53% magnesium oxide. The enzyme activities of Ju-Back were estimated to be 980 units/g for ${\alpha}-amylase$, 300 units/g for glucoamylase, and 1800 units/g for acid pretense. Indigenous rhizosphere bacteria which produced antifungal agent were isolated from soil, and was selected KMU-13 strain which can antagonize against various plant pathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea KACC 40573, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum KACC 41065, Fusairum oxysporum KACC 40052, Pythium aphanidermatum KACC 40156, Phytophthora capsici KACC 40476 and Glomerella cingulata KACC 40299). KMU-13 strain was identified as Bacillus subtilis KMU-13 by biochemical and 16s rDNA analysis. The organic fertilizer was made as prototype which was composed 20% Ju-Back, 70% carrier, 9.7% microorganism cultivated solution, 0.3% trace-element. We also investigated an application of fertilizer using Ju-Back for cultivating lettuce (Lactuca sativar) which were grown in three soil conditions that had chemical fertilizer, barnyard manure, lime power, urea, potassium chloride and superphosphate as a control, the whole quantity (80 kg/10a) of posted fertilizer with the control and the half quantity (40 kg/10a) with the control. The growth characteristics were examined and analysed with several weeks interval from 3 weeks to 8 weeks on head length (cm), head width (cm/head), number of leaf and fresh weight (g/plant). The results are summarized as follows. The head width and fresh weight of lettuce were the highest at posted fertilizer 1 (whole quantity) was applied chemical, organic matter (Ju-Back) and carrier. The head length was the highest at posted fertilizer 2 (whole quantity) was applied Ju-Back only.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.442-454
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• 2017

Biological weapon is manipulated and produced from microorganisms such as bacteria, virus, rickettsia, fungi etc. It is classified as one of the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) along with chemical weapon and radiological weapon. Biological weapon has a number of operational advantages over the other WMDs including ease of development and production, low cost and possibility of covert dissemination. In this study we analyze the history of biological weapon's development and the existing biological threats. Then, we predict the social impact of biological attack based on the physical properties of biological agent and infection mechanisms. By analyzing the recognition, dispersion pattern of agents, characteristics of the diseases in the biological weapon related historical events such as Sverdlovsk anthrax accident, 2001 anthrax attack, we found out some of the facts that biological attack would not likely to be recognized rapidly, produce large number of the exposed, increase number of paients who suffed from severe respiratory illness. It would lead the public health and medical service providers to be struggled with hugh burden. Base on the facts that we found from this case study, we suggested the main capabilities of public health required to respond to bioterrorism event efficiently. Syndromic surveillance and other reporting system need to be operated effeciently so that any suspicious event should be detected promptly. the pathogen which suspected to be used should be identified through laboratory diagnostic system. It is critical for the public health agency to define potentially exposed population under close cooperation with law enforcement agencies. Lastly, massive prophylaxis should be provided rapidly to the people at need by operating human and material resources effeciently. If those capacities of public health are consistantly fortified we would be able to deal with threat of bioterrorism successfully.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.321-330
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• 1999

Background : Early diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment are very important in the management of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) because of its high mortality. Bronchoscopy with a protected specimen brush (PSB) has been considered the standard method to isolate the causative organisms of VAP. However, this method burdens consumer economically to purchase a PSB. Another useful method for the diagnosis of VAP is quantitative cultures of aspirated specimens through bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), for which the infusion of more than 120 m1 of saline has been recommended for adequate sampling of a pulmonary segment. However, occasionally it leads to deterioration of the patient's condition. We studied the diagnostic efficacy of minibronchoalveolar lavage (miniBAL), which retrieves only 25 ml of BAL fluid, in the isolation of causative organisms of VAP. Methods: We included 38 consecutive patients (41 cases) suspected of having VAP on the basis of clinical evidence, who had received antibiotics before the bronchoscopy. The two diagnostic techniques of PSB and miniBAL, which were performed one after another at the same pulmonary segment, 'were compared prospectively. The cut-off values for quantitative cultures to define causative bacteria of VAP were more than $10^3$ colony-forming units (cfu)/ml for PSB and more than $10^4$ cfu/ml for BAL. Results: The amount of instilled normal saline required to retrieve 25 ml of BAL fluid was $93{\pm}32 ml$ (mean${\pm}$SD). The detection rate of causative agents was 46.3% (19/41) with PSB and 43.9% (18/41) with miniBAL. The concordance rate of PSB and miniBAL in the bacterial culture was 85.4% (35/41). Although arterial blood oxygen saturation dropped significantly (p<0.05) during ($92{\pm}10%$) and 10 min after ($95{\pm}3%$) miniBAL compared with the baseline ($97{\pm}3%$), all except 3 cases were within normal ranges. The significantly elevated heart rate during ($l25{\pm}24$/min, p<0.05) miniBAL compared with the baseline ($1l1{\pm}22$/min) recovered again in 10 min after ($111{\pm}26$/min) miniBAL. Transient hypotension was developed during the procedure in two cases. The procedure was stopped in one case due to atrial flutter. Conclusion: MiniBAL is a safe and effective technique to detect the causative organisms of VAP.