• Environmental Engineering Research
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.329-338
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• 2017

Nanofiltration (NF) technology is a membrane-based separation process, which has been pervasively used as the high-effective technology for drinking water treatment. In this study, a kind of composite polyamide NF thin film is selected to investigate the removal efficiencies and mechanisms of 14 trace drugs, which are commonly and frequently detected in the drinking water. The results show that the removal efficiencies of most drugs are quite high, indicating the NF is an effective technology to improve the quality of drinking water. The removal efficiencies of carbamazepine, acetaminophen, estradiol, antipyrine and isopropyl-antipyrine in ultrapure water are $78.8{\pm}0.8%$, $16.4{\pm}0.5%$, $65.4{\pm}1.8%$, $71.1{\pm}1.5%$ and $89.8{\pm}0.38%$, respectively. Their rejection rates increase with the increasing of their three-dimensional sizes, which indicates that the steric exclusion plays a significant role in removal of these five drugs. The adsorption of estradiol with the strongest hydrophobicity has been studied, which indicates that adsorption is not negligible in terms of removing this kind of hydrophobic neutral drugs by NF technology. The removal efficiencies of indomethacin, diclofenac, naproxen, ketoprofen, ibuprofen, clofibric acid, sulfamethoxazole, amoxicillin and bezafibrate in ultrapure water are $81{\pm}0.3%$, $86.3{\pm}0.5%$, $85.7{\pm}0.4%$, $93.3{\pm}0.3%$, $86.6{\pm}2.5%$, $90.6{\pm}0.4%$, $59.7{\pm}1.7%$, $80.3{\pm}1.4%$ and $80{\pm}0.5%$, respectively. For these nine drugs, their rejection rates are better than the above five drugs because they are negatively charged in ultrapure water. Meanwhile, the membrane surface presents the negative charge. Therefore, both electrostatic repulsion and steric exclusion are indispensable in removing these negatively charged drugs. This study provides helpful and scientific support of a highly effective water treatment method for removing drugs pollutants from drinking water.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.425-432
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• 2010

Staphylococcus intermedius is a common cause of otitis externa, pyoderma, and wound infections in companion animals. Although S. intermedius infections are rare in humans, it is zoonotic, with several case reports describing fatal human infections. Presently, we sought to isolate S. intermedius strains from various sources at animal hospitals nationwide in Korea, examine their antibiotic susceptibilities, and determine the possibility of horizontal transmission between animals and humans. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pFGE) was used to compare the mecA gene in S. intermedius strains from humans, animals, and the environment in animal hospitals. A total of 119 S. intermedius strains were isolated from 529 samples. Using the disk diffusion method, over 90% of the isolates were found to be susceptible to cephalothin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, vancomycin, imipenem, nitroflurantoin, and amikacin, whereas 97.5% and 98.3% of the isolates were resistant to penicillin and ampicillin, respectively. Among the 39 S. intermedius strains harboring mecA, similar PFGE patterns were observed between seven isolates from an animal, two isolates from veterinary staff, and the environment in one animal hospital, and single isolates from an animal and a veterinarian at another hospital. This result suggests the possibility of horizontal transmission of S. intermedius containing mecA between humans, animals, and the environment in animal hospitals and also emphasizes on the importance of S. intermedius with mecA as a possible emerging threat to public health.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권14호
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• pp.6089-6092
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• 2015

Background: The prevalence of metronidazole-resistant H. pylori is almost 50% in Thailand which severely limits the use of this drug for eradication therapy. The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy and safety profiles of 7-day bismuth-based quadruple therapy including metronidazole as an initial treatment for H. pylori infection in a high metronidazole resistance area. Materials and Methods: This study was performed at Thammasat University Hospital and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital during January 2009 to October 2010. Patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) with active H. pylori infection were assigned to receive seven days of quadruple therapy (pantoprazole 40 mg bid, bismuth subsalicylate 1,048 mg bid, amoxicillin 1 gm bid and metronidazole 400 mg tid). H. pylori infection was defined as positive H. pylori culture or two positive tests (rapid urease test and histology). Antibiotic susceptibility test for metronidazole by Epsilometer test (E-test) was performed in all positive cultures. At least four weeks after treatment, $^{13}C$ urea breath test ($^{13}C-UBT$) was performed to confirm H. pylori eradication. Results: A total of 114 patients were enrolled in this study, 50 males and 64 females with a mean age of 49.8 years. All 114 patients had a diagnosis of NUD. Overall eradication as confirmed by negative $^{13}C-UBT$ was achieved in 94 out of 114 patients (82.5%). 44 patients had positive cultures and success for E-test. In vitro metronidazole resistance was observed in 22/44 (50%) patients. Eradication rate in patients with metronidazole resistant strains was 16/22 (72.7%) and 20/22 (90.1%) with metronidazole sensitive strains (72.7% vs 90.1%, p-value=0.12; OR=3.75 [95%CI=0.6-31.5]). Minor adverse reactions included nausea, bitter taste, diarrhea and black stools but none of the patients dropped out from the study. Conclusions: Initial treatment with 7-day bismuth-based quadruple therapy including metronidazole, amoxycillin and pantoprazole is highly effective and well tolerated for metronidazole-sensitive H. pylori infections. However, the efficacy markedly decline with metronidazole resistance. Longer duration of this regimen might be required to improve the eradication rate and larger multi-center studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권12호
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• pp.4885-4890
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• 2015

Background: Helicobacter pylori plays an important role in gastric cancer and typical eradication regimens are no longer effective in many countries, including Thailand. The aim of our study was to compare the effect of Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Streptococcus thermophillus on tailored triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication. Materials and Methods: This prospective single-center study was conducted in Thailand. Helicobacter pylori associated gastritis patients were randomized to 2 groups: group 1 (n=100) was tailored triple therapy with placebo (esomeprazole 20 mg bid, clarithromycin 500 mg bid or metronidazole 400 mg tid if clarithromycin resistance and amoxicillin 1000 mg bid), and group 2 was tailored triple therapy plus pretreatment with probiotic containing yogurt. Successful eradication was defined as both negative histology and negative rapid urease test at four weeks after treatment. Results: A total of 200 infected patients were enrolled. PP analysis involved 194 patients: 96 in the tailored triple therapy with placebo group (group 1) and 98 the in tailored triple therapy plus pretreatment with probiotic containing yogurt group (group 2). Successful eradication was observed in 170 (87.6%) patients; by PP analysis, the eradication rate was significantly higher in group 2 (P = 0.04, 95%CI; 0.02-0.13) than in group 1. ITT analysis also showed that the value was significantly higher in the tailored triple threapy plus pretreatment with probiotic containing yogurt group (group 2) (89/100; 89%) than in the tailored triple therapy with placebo group (group 1) (P= 0.01, 95%CI; 0.04-0.15). In terms of adverse events, there was no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions: Pretreatment with probiotic containing yogurt can improve Helicobacter pylori eradication rates with tailored triple therapy. Adding probiotics does not reduce adverse effects of the medication.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제17권7호
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• pp.3309-3315
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• 2016

Helicobacter pylori as the second most common cause of gastric cancer in the world infects approximately half of the developed countries population and 80% of the population living in developing countries. Integrons as genetic reservoirs play major roles in dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report carriage of class 1 and 2 integrons and associated gene cassettes in H. pylori isolates from Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Tehran among 110 patients with H. pylori infection. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) for H. pylori strains were assessed by the micro broth dilution method. Class 1 and 2 integrons were detected using PCR. In order to determine gene cassettes, amplified fragments were subjected to DNA sequencing of both amplicon strands. The prevalence of resistance to clarithromycin, metronidazole, clarithromycin, tetracycline, amoxicillin, rifampin, and levofloxacin were 68.2% (n=75), 25.5% (n=28), 24.5% (n=27), 19.1% (n=21), 18.2% (n=20) and 16.4% (n=18), respectively. Frequency of multidrug resistance among H. pylori isolates was 12.7%. Class 2 integron was detected in 50 (45.5%) and class 1 integron in 10 (9.1%) H. pylori isolates. The most predominant gene cassette arrays in class 2 integron-bearing H. pylori were included sat-era-aadA1, dfrA1-sat2-aadA1, blaoxa2 and, aadB whereas common gene cassette arrays in class 1 integron were aadB-aadA1-cmlA6, aacA4, blaoxa2, and catB3. The high frequency of class 2 integron and multidrug resistance in the present study should be considered as a warning for clinicians that continuous surveillance is necessary to prevent the further spread of resistant isolates.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.45-54
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• 2011

This study was conducted to investigate the distribution of Salmonella spp. from pigs and cattle in slaughterhouse, the antimicrobial resistance pattern and the prevalence of resistance genes of isolates. A total of 640 fecal samples from pigs and cattle in slaughterhouse were collected for isolation of Salmonella spp.. Isolation rate was revealed as 15% in pigs and 1.6% in cattle. As result of serotyping, group B (56.6%) were identified as most common in pigs and cattle isolates, in order of group C (24.5%) and group E (15.1%). S. Typhimurium (50.9%) was most common serotype. The major serotypes were in order of S. Rissen and S. London (11.3%) and S. Riggil (7.6%). In antimicrobial test, all isolates were demonstrates susceptibility to nitrofurantoin. But isolates were revealed resistance other antibiotics in order of tetracycline (64.6%), streptomycin (68.3%), ampicillin and amoxicillin (56.3%) and spectinomycin (47.9%). With polymerase chain reaction, antimicrobial resistance gene strA (75.0%) and aadA1 (3.1%) were detected in streptomycin resistance isolates and tetA (94.3%) and tetB (11.3%) gene were detected in tetracycline resistant isolates, but tetG was not detected. Class 1 integron gene was detected in all Salmonella isolates.

• 분석과학
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.179-185
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• 2016

물 시료 중에 잔류하는 β-차단제 3종(아테놀롤, 메토프롤롤, 프로프라놀롤)과 β-락탐계 항생제 6종(아목시실린, 페니실린G, 세파클러, 세파드록실, 세파렉신, 세프라딘)을 다른 두 종류의 카트리지를 사용하여 효과적인 분석방법을 정립하였다. 고분자 친수성-친유성 균형 카트리지(Hydrophile-lipophile balance, HLB)와 강한 양이온 교환 혼합 모드인 고분자 흡수 카트리지(Mixed mode cation exchange, MCX)를 사용하여 자동고체상 추출장치(Solid-phase extraction, SPE)로 전처리를 하였다. 충분한 크로마토그래피 분리를 위해 XDB-C₁₈ (1.8 μm; 3.0 mm × 100 mm) 컬럼을 사용하였다. 정량을 위한 검정곡선의 상관계수(r²)가 0.995 이상으로 우수한 직선성을 나타내었다. 방법검출한계(Method detection limits, MDL)와 정량한계(Limit of quantitation, LOQ)는 각각 1.1~3.9 ng/L와 5~13 ng/L이었다. 이 분석방법으로 한강으로 유입되는 지천과 원수를 실태 조사 한 결과 N.D.~0.209 μg/L 농도로 검출되었다.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.61-76
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• 2009

At the present study, it was aimed to explore the molecular genetic characterization of multiple antimicrobial resistant Salmonella spp. isolates from pigs and cattle. A total of 138 Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) isolates were typed with phage, among them, 83.3% of S. Typhimurium tested could divide into a 10 phage types. Definitive type 193 (DT193) (25.4%) and DT195 (24.6%) were exhibited as the dominant types. DT104 and U302 were found from pigs and cattle. On the other hand, S. Enteritidis had 6 phage types, of them, phage type 21 (PT21) and PT11b were the popular types. In the plasmid profiles, 135 of S. Typhimurium isolates were exhibited 1 to 6 plasmid bands which molecular weight ranged from 90 to 2kb. 35 isolates (25.4%) harbored a 90kb plasmid which is thought to be the serotype specific virulence plasmid. Two of twenty five S. Enteritidis had common plasmids at 2 and 1.5kb. With multiplex polymerase chain reaction, virulence genes (invA and spvC) were detected from all Salmonella spp. from 167 of S. Typhimurium, S. Enteritidis and chloramphenicol resistant S. Schwarzengrund, but some drug resistant genes, such as PSE-1, cml/tetR and flo were not determined but other drug resistant genes, for example TEM and int were found. The detection rates of spvC, TEM and int gene was 35.3%, 29.3% and 72.5%, respectively. The TEM gene was highly popular in S. Typhimurium, which was detected from ampicillin and amoxicillin resistant strains as 95.9%. int gene was able to detect from all the isolates identified as multidrug resistsnt (MDR), particularly DT193 was thought as the most prevalent virulence and multidrug resistance isolate. The major plasmid profile and drug resistance pattern of DT193 were 90, 40, 10.5, 6.3, 3.0kb and ACCbDNaPSSuT, respectively. MDR was commonly found in other phage types, particularly DT104, U302 and DT203.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.17-22
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aims to investigate Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 during Helicobacter pylori eradication in children. Methods: One hundred ninety-four H. pylori positive children were randomized in two groups. Therapy (omeprazole+ clarithromycin+amoxicillin or omeprazole+clarithromycin+metronidazole in case of penicillin allergy) was given to both groups during two weeks. In the treatment group (n: 102) S. boulardii was added to the triple therapy, while the control group (n: 92) only received triple therapy. The incidence, onset, duration and severity of diarrhea and compliance to the eradication treatment were compared. A $^{13}C$ urea breath test was done 4 weeks after the end of eradication therapy in two groups of 21 patients aged 12 years and older to test the H. pylori eradication rate. Results: In the treatment group, diarrhea occurred in 12 cases (11.76%), starting after $6.25{\pm}1.24days$, lasting $3.17{\pm}1.08days$, and compliance to eradication treatment was 100%. In the control group, diarrhea occurred in 26 cases (28.26%), starting after $4.05{\pm}1.11days$, lasting $4.02{\pm}0.87days$, and in six cases eradication treatment was stopped prematurely (p<0.05). The $^{13}C$ urea breath test showed successful H. pylori eradication in 71.4% of the patients in the treatment and in 61.9 % in the control group (not significant). Conclusion: S. boulardii has a beneficial effect on the prevention and treatment of diarrhea during H. pylori eradication in children. Although S. boulardii did only slightly increase H. pylori eradication rate, compliance to eradication treatment was improved.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제47권5호
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• pp.479-485
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• 2021

Background: Vibrio vulnificus has been frequently detected in seawater, fish, and shellfish mainly in the coastal areas of Chungcheongnam-do Province. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the analyzed biochemical properties, genetic characteristics, and distribution of Vibrio vulnificus isolated from environmental sources in coastal areas of Chungcheongnam-do Province from 2019 to 2020. Methods: A total of 1,510 samples were obtained from six different sites in Chungcheongnam-do Province. Isolated strains from the samples were identified by a VITEK 2 system and MALDI-TOF. Antibiotic susceptibility testing for 85 isolates was done by microdilution minimum inhibitory concentration methods, and 11 isolates were analyzed for 16s rRNA sequences in multiple alignments. Results: Among the 1,510 samples taken during the investigation period, 306 strains were isolated and the detection rate of V. vulnificus was 20.3%. One hundred eighty-eight strains (24.6%) from seawater and 118 strains (15.8%) from mud flats were isolated. It was mainly detected in July (17.3%), August (36.5%), and September (28.8%), and the proportion was 82.0%. Based on the CLSI-recommended breakpoints, V. vulnificus isolates were all susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, amikacin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. However, nonsusceptible isolates to ampicillin, ampicillin/sulbactam, cefazolin, cefoxitin, imipenem, tetracycline and chloramphenicol were identified. In the analysis of the nucleotide sequences for 16s rRNA of V. vulnificus isolates, it was confirmed that mutations frequently occurred between nucleotide number 922 and 952, and 98.2% to 100% nucleotide identities between isolates was verified. Conclusions: The results of this study can be used as a basic data for infection control and prevention of Vibrio vulnificus infection by describing the distribution and characteristics of Vibrio vulnificus strains isolated in coastal areas of Chungcheongnam-do Province.