• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1654-1663
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• 2013

Rice straw is closely associated with meju fermentation and it is generally known that the rice straw provides meju with many kinds of microorganisms. In order to elucidate the origin of meju fungi, the fungal diversity of rice straw was examined. Rice straw was collected from 12 Jang factories where meju are produced, and were incubated under nine different conditions by altering the media (MEA, DRBC, and DG18), and temperature ($15^{\circ}C$, $25^{\circ}C$, and $35^{\circ}C$). In total, 937 strains were isolated and identified as belonging to 39 genera and 103 species. Among these, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Eurotium, Fusarium, and Penicillium were the dominant genera. Fusarium asiaticum (56.3%), Cladosporium cladosporioides (48.6%), Aspergillus tubingensis (37.5%), A. oryzae (31.9%), Eurotium repens (27.1%), and E. chevalieri (25.0%) were frequently isolated from the rice straw obtained from many factories. Twelve genera and 40 species of fungi that were isolated in the rice straw in this study were also isolated from meju. Specifically, A. oryzae, C. cladosporioides, E. chevalieri, E. repens, F. asiaticum, and Penicillium polonicum (11.8%), which are abundant species in meju, were also isolated frequently from rice straw. C. cladosporioides, F. asiaticum, and P. polonicum, which are abundant in the low temperature fermentation process of meju fermentation, were frequently isolated from rice straw incubated at $15^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$, whereas A. oryzae, E. repens, and E. chevalieri, which are abundant in the high temperature fermentation process of meju fermentation, were frequently isolated from rice straw incubated at $25^{\circ}C$ and $35^{\circ}C$. This suggests that the mycobiota of rice straw has a large influence in the mycobiota of meju. The influence of fungi on the rice straw as feed and silage for livestock, and as plant pathogens for rice, are discussed as well.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.320-327
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• 2011

Purpose: To determine the effect of changing practice guidelines designed to avoid hyperoxia or hypoxia in very low birth weight or very preterm infants. Methods: We analyzed a database of <1,500 g birth weight or <32 weeks of gestation infants who were born and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Chungnam National University Hospital from January 2007 to July 2010. First, we defined the relationship between arterial partial pressure of oxygen ($PaO_2$) and pulse oxygen saturation ($SpO_2$). When we evaluated 96 pairs of $PaO_2$ and $SpO_2$ measurements, oxygen saturation was 90-94% at a $PaO_2$ of 43-79 mmHg on the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve, according to pulse oximetry. Based on this observation, a change in practice was instituted in August 2008 with the objective of avoiding hypoxia and hyperoxia in preterm infants with targeting a $SpO_2$ 90-94% (period II). Before the change in practice, high alarms for $SpO_2$ were set at 100% and low alarms at 95% (period I). Results: Sixty-eight infants the met enrollment criteria and 38 (56%) were born during period II, after the change in $SpO_2$ targets. Demographic characteristics, except gender, were similar between the infants born in both periods. After correcting for the effect of confounding factors, the rates for mortality, severe retinopathy of prematurity, and IVH attended to be lower than those for infants in period II. No difference in the rate of patent ductus arteriosus needed to treat was observed. Conclusion: A change in the practice guidelines aimed at avoiding low oxygen saturation and hyperoxia did not increase neonatal complication rates and showed promising results, suggesting decreased mortality and improvements in short term morbidity. It is still unclear what range of oxygen saturation is appropriate for very preterm infants but the more careful saturation targeting guideline should be considered to prevent hypoxemic events and hyperoxia.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.35-42
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• 2018

Purpose: To follow up Korean patients with metabolic and endocrine disorders ascertained by Korea Genetics Research Center, and assess the long-term effectiveness of extended newborn screening program in Korea. Methods: From January 2000 to December 2017, tandem mass spectrometry and fluoroimmunoassay were employed in extended newborn screening (NBS). The NBS program obtained dried blood spots from 283,626 babies, 48 hours after birth, and screened for galactosemia, congenital hypothyroidism (CH), congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and 50 preventable inborn errors of amino acid, fatty acid, and organic acid metabolism. Results: 28 cases of amino acid disorders, 75 cases of organic acid disorders, 27 cases of fatty acid disorders, 51 cases of urea cycle disorders, 127 cases of CH, 14 cases of CAH, and 15 cases of galactosemia were ascertained through NBS and subsequent confirmatory laboratory tests. Patients with amino acid metabolic disorders, galactosemia, CH, or CAH were more likely to have a better long-term outcome if detected early. Early management of MSUD led to much better outcome in over 90%. Despite early intervention, 32% of other organic acidemia cases still resulted in developmental delay and neurological problems. Fatty acid disorders showed varied results; those with EMA and MCAD had a good outcome, but those with VLCAD had serious neurological problems and considerably higher mortality. 75% with UCD experienced serious neurological complications and higher mortality. Conclusion: The nation-wide NBS program must be accompanied by comprehensive long-term management and physician and family education of inborn errors of metabolism for a better outcome.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.281-294
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• 2018

Molecular analysis using the internal transcribed spacer region sequences revealed that the strains used in this study, which were formerly identified as Panellus serotinus, are Panellus edullis. After Universal Fungal PCR Fingerprinting (UFPF) analysis, eight strains of P. edulis were divided into two groups. We conducted fundamental research on mycelial growth and sawdust cultivation to understand the cultural characteristics of eight wild P. edulis strains collected from Korean forests. All strains showed faster and denser mycelial growth on potato dextrose agar (PDA) than on other media (malt extract agar, Sabouraud dextrose agar). Optimal conditions for mycelial growth were: $20^{\circ}C$ on PDA, $25^{\circ}C$ on potato dextrose broth (PDB), and pH 5~8 on PDB at $25^{\circ}C$. Two strains (NIFoS 2407, 3993) were selected as excellent strains based on mycelial growth and density on PDA. NIFoS 2792 showed high cellulase activities on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) agar, and NIFoS 2387 and 2804 exhibited high laccase activities on ABTS-containing agar media. The mycelial growth of P. edulis was the fastest on Quercus acutissima and Q. mongolica sawdust media, and mycelial density was the highest on Quercus spp. sawdust-containing media. Sawdust cultivation of P. edulis was successful. The conditions were 80~85 days of cultivation period after spawn inoculation, 10~11 days for primordial formation at $17{\sim}18^{\circ}C$, and 15~20 days for fruiting growth. NIFoS 2804 and 3993 were selected as good strains in terms of cultivation period and mushroom production. These results could be useful for the artificial cultivation of P. edulis.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.60-68
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• 1999

Effects of temperature and dose-size on infectivity and reproduction of Korean entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema longicaudum Gongju strain were examined. The greater wax mea Galleria mellonella larvae were exposed to 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 infective juveniles/larva in $60{\times}15$ mm petri dishes and kept in $13^{\circ}C$, $18^{\circ}C$, $24^{\circ}C$, and $30^{\circ}C$ incubators. Each petri dish contained one larva weighed from 180 to 200 mg. Infectivity was observed everyday for 14 days and reproduction for 30 days. The infectivity of S. longicaudum was more influenced by temperature than by dose-size. Mortalities by S. longicaudum were lower at $13^{\circ}C$ at all concentrations but higher at $24^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$ even at lower concentrations, 5 or 10 infective juveniles/larva. Lethal time was also shorter with increasing temperature and dosages. All host larvae died at $24^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$ in 2 days at the rate of 160 infective juveniles per host while 83.3% of tested larvae died at $24^{\circ}C$ in 10 days and 90% at $30^{\circ}C$ in 6 days at the rate of 5 infective juveniles. Reproduction was also better with increasing temperature and dosages. The highest number of progenies was obtained at $30^{\circ}C$ in 6 days at the rate of 80 infective juveniles. However, progenies were not produced from cadavers at $13^{\circ}C$. Reproductive period was the shortest at $30^{\circ}C$ of all temperatures by 6 to 9 days. The results indicated that optimum temperatures for infectivity was $24^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$ for reproduction.