• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.129-155
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• 2008

The rate of antibiotics prescription for an acute airway infection significantly varies depending upon the diagnosis type, specialty, and the location of the hospital along with many other related factors. The objective of this study is to empirically investigate the possible relationship between the antibiotics prescription rates for an acute airway infection and the degree of competition in the hospital market regions of mainly the providers of primary medical care services such as clinics, internal medicines, pediatrics and otorhinolaryngology department. Using the data from Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) regarding the hospitals' antibiotics prescription rates for the acute airway infection and controlling for selected variables of demand and supply sectors, this study tries to figure out that the degree of competition in the hospital market, regardless of what type of competition indexes we employed, has a statistically significant effect on the variations of antibiotics prescription rate of the clinics in local areas. This result implies that as an economic consideration itself, the change in the degree of competition in the hospital market can play a crucial role influencing the treatment behaviors of the medical doctors. More specifically, this study reveals that as the degree of competition increases the antibiotics prescription rate goes up. This result means that if the market becomes more competitive in a specific region so that it might cause a reduction in doctor's income, doctors with rational decision-making process, recognize that the benefit created from inducing patients' seemingly unnecessary demand for medical care (income effect) would be higher than the costs associated with sustaining their targeted income (substitution effect). It is because that the doctors are more likely to prescribe antibiotics which create relatively higher margins than other medical care services in order to sustain their targeted income when the hospital market competition becomes tighter. Even though this study empirically confirms that antibiotics prescription can be affected by the economic incentives, it still raises following issues as limitations of the study: first issue is about the representativeness of the hospital regions segregated for this study, which might be weak in explaining whether these regions are mutually exclusive in reality. Patients actually consider the quality of services, transportation cost, time costs, and any other related factors choosing the doctors or hospitals, and in that sense, this study rules out 'border-crossing' in using the medical care services. Second issue arises in capturing the data of antibiotics prescription rate. Since we use the average rate for each medical institution, we cannot figure out the average rate for each patient so that we are not able to control for the variation of patients' medical conditions. It is because of the unavailability of data regarding each patient's medical condition from HIRA. Thirdly, since this study mainly analyzes the medical institutions providing primary care such as clinics, internal medicines, pediatrics, and otorhinolaryngology department, it is skeptical of whether those institutions can represent the hospital market in respective regions and truly reflect the degree of competition. It needs to extend the study areas and disease types as well as any micro data for future studies.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2011

This study was conducted to investigate the actual situation of animal medicine use in Hanwoo farms, which were a total of 114 farms. Items surveyed were preference of animal medicine, choice criterion, purchase route, purchase frequency, antibiotics substitution products, etc. Data were collected from May to June, 2010. The kinds of animal medicine which preferred in Hanwoo farms is probiotics (40.4%). Whereas the lowest preference is immunizing agent (12.3%). There was significant difference among regional group (p<0.05), and the significant difference was also found in different farm size group (p<0.05). The factor of choice for purchase of animal medicine was efficiency (31.6%), first of all. There was significant difference among regional group (p<0.05). The purchase route of animal medicine was mostly supplied with the help of government (41.6%). The significant difference were showed in regional group (p<0.05). But that was not found in farm size group (p>0.05). The highest frequency at purchasing antibiotics was less than 1 time per 1 year (38.6%). There was statistically significant difference among regional group (p<0.05). However, there was not significant difference among farm size group (p>0.05). Probiotics of antibiotics substitution products was mostly preferred (50.9%).

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2012

The concept of revascularization of necrotic pulps regained interest and became an alternative conservative treatment option for young permanent teeth with immature roots. Revascularization of immature teeth with apical periodontitis depends mainly on disinfection of the canal. Since the infection of the root canal system is considered to be polymicrobial, a combination of drugs would be needed to treat the diverse flora. A triple antibiotic mixture of metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, and minocycline was used as an intracanal medicament. However, discoloration was developed after applying the triple antibiotic mixture. It is believed that the marked discoloration is related to the use of minocycline. The aim of this article was to present cases of coronal discoloration after triple antibiotic therapy in immature tooth and was treated with bleaching technique to control coronal discoloration. In conclusion, revascularization by using triple antibiotics promotes a paradigm shift in treating endodontically involved permanent teeth. However, we should understand that triple antibiotics containing minocycline induces tooth discoloration. Further research to prevent coronal discoloration should be investigated and suggested for the safe use of triple antibiotics.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.340-346
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• 2012

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics and residues of antibiotics in poultry products have encouraged the use of probiotics, prebiotic substrates, and synbiotic combinations of prebiotics and probiotics as alternative approaches to the use of antibiotics in poultry. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of a new probiotic CS61 culture on growth performance, feed conversion efficiency, and safety in broiler chickens, and to evaluate its value as an alternative for antibiotics used as a feed additive. Two dosages of CS61 culture (0.1% and 1%) were fed to chickens for 28 days. The results showed that terminal body weight and daily weight gain in the treatment groups increased in a dose-dependent manner when compared with the control group. Dietary supplementation with CS61 culture also improved feed conversion rate compared to the control group. There were no treatment-related toxic effects in terms of clinical findings, mortality, necropsy findings, hematology, or serum biochemistry parameters in any group tested. The nitric oxide assay showed that CS61 peptide has a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells. The results of this experiment indicated that dietary supplementation of CS61 culture may improve growth performance and feed conversion efficiency in chickens through its anti-inflammatory effect.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2019

In order to control disease caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria in the aquaculture, the use of veterinary antibiotics, which are prohibited to fish, is increasing, instead of the existing fisheries antibiotics. Among them, tiamulin is illegally used in some cultured fish because it exhibits effective antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. To prevent unauthorized use, treatment of fish should be accompanied by a prescription from veterinarians or fisheries disease managers through research on fish of tiamulin. Tiamulin was injected intramuscularly at 5, 10 and 15 mg kg^-1 for the streptococcus-infected starry flounder, but did not show any therapeutic effect. Oral administration at a concentration of 15 and 30 mg kg^-1 was similarly ineffective. The concentrations of 30 and 60 mg kg^-1 resulted in death due to toxicity of antibiotics. Therefore, it is inappropriate to treat antibiotics with streptococcus-infected starry flounder.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2011

It is possible that veterinary medicines remain in livestock food products, according to the use of many and various veterinary medicines to protect against disease when livestock animals are breed in limited space. Concentrated and continuous monitoring of residues is needed due to increases in resistance to antibiotics and side effects by eating livestock food products. We developed an analysis method for detecting streptomycin, dihydrostreptomycin, neomycin, gentamicin and spectinomycin in meat using LC/MS/MS and measured sensitivity, precision, accuracy, linearity and recovery according to CODEX guidelines to acquire confidence in the analysis method. Based on the results, we acquired good sensitivity compared to the maximum residue limit (MRL) as limits of detection (LOD) were 0.002-0.016 mg/kg and limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.006-0.050 mg/kg. The analysis method satisfied the CODEX guidelines. The linearity ($r^2$) values of aminoglycoside antibiotics were 0.9936-0.9980, recoveries were 60-110% and relative standard deviations (RSD) were within 15%. As a result of monitoring for residues in a total 250 samples of livestock foods such as pork, chicken, and beef by the confirmed method, dihydrostreptomycin and gentamicin were detected in 5 pork samples. The residues of these antibiotics were within the MRLs. Thus, the detection ratio was 2% as 5 samples were identified from 250 samples.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.221-227
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• 2007

In this study, one hundred strains of bacterial flora were isolated from the intestine of cultured and wild black rockfish Sebastes inermis collected in Yeosu and examined for drug resistance to 9 antibiotics. From cultrued fish, the isolated bacteria were Photobacterium group (26 strains) and Acinetobacter group (18 strains) of Gram-negative, and unidentified marine sediment bacterium (6 strains) of Gram-positive. From wild fish, Photobacterium group (18 strains), Acinetobacter group (12 strains) and Shewanella group (5 strains) of Gram-negative and Bacillus group (8 strains), Staphylococcus group (4 strains), and unidentified marine sediment bacterium (3 strains) of Gram-positive. Intestine flora of wild black rockfish was more diverse than that of one cultured. The drugs tested were tetracyclines (oxytetracycline), aminoglycosides (gentamicin), macrorides (erythromycin) and quinolones (flumequine, oxolinic acid, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin). Sensitivity to all seven antibiotics except oxytetracycline and oxolinic acid was higher in bacteria from wild fish than from cultured ones, although wild isolates were more resistant than control strain Escherichia coli ATCC9637. This suggests that use of antibiotics in the fish farm might have some resistance in intestinal flora of wild fish.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.904-912
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• 2015

There is a great deal of research interest regarding substitutes for antibiotics because of various obstacles to the efficacy and use of antibiotics. We isolated and analyzed diversity of microbiota which exhibited antibacterial activity against 23 pathogenic bacteria, to develop alternative agent of antibiotics. By investigating the microbiota from rocks on the seashore, we characterized and obtained various antibacterial material-producing bacteria. Thirty-one isolates belong to four genera and seven species, according to 16S rDNA sequence analysis, showed antibacterial activities against 23 pathogenic bacteria. The Identity of 16S rDNA sequences indicated three species of Bacillus, one species of Paenibacillus, one species of Pseudomonas and two species of Enterobacter. Two isolates were similar to Bacillus aerophilus, four isolates were similar to Bacillus pumilus, seven isolates were similar to Bacillus safensis, 15 isolates were similar to Paenibacillus polymyxa, respectively. In addition, one isolate was similar with Pseudomonas poae, one isolate was similar to Enterobacter asburiae, and one isolate was similar to Enterobacter ludwigii, respectively. Variations of antibacterial activity and level among the same species were indicated the diverse strains of isolates. Vibrio vulnificus showed the highest degree of growth inhibition by 29 isolates. Further studies regarding antibacterial materials and bacteria suggest that development of probiotic strains or alternative agents to antibiotics.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1784-1789
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• 2006

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of phytobiotics and organic acids on growth performance of nursery pigs as an alternative to antibiotics. Phytobiotics refer bioactive compounds from plant materials including essential oils and herbal extracts. In Exp. 1,144 pigs, weaned at 23.4${\pm}$0.3 d age, were allotted to three dietary treatments. Treatment diets were: 1) NC (no antibiotics and no phytobiotics); 2) PC (NC+carbadox, 50 mg/kg); and 3) PB (NC+phytobiotics; 0.1% PEP1000-$1^{(R)}$. Each treatment had six replicates with eight pigs per pen. Pigs were fed the experimental diets for 5 wks in 3 phases (phase 1 for 2 wk; phase 2 for 2 wk; phase 3 for 1 wk). In Exp. 2, 192 pigs, weaned at 19.2${\pm}$0.3 d age, were allotted to three dietary treatments: 1) NC; 2) PC; and 3) PBO (NC+phytobiotics; 0.2% or 0.1% PEP1000-$1^{(R)}$ and organic acids; 0.4% or 0.2% $Biotronic^{(R)}$for the phase 1 and 2, respectively) with eight replicates per treatment and eight pigs per pen. Pigs were fed the assigned diets for 5 wks in 2 phases (phase 1 for 2 wk; phase 2 for 3 wk). Body weights were measured at the beginning of the experiment and at the end of each week in both Exp. 1 and 2. Feed intake was measured at the end of each week in both Exp. 1 and 2. Diarrhea score was measured daily during the entire period for Exp. 1 and during the phase 1 for Exp. 2. In Exp. 1, the PC had a higher (p<0.05) overall ADG than the NC, but the overall ADG of the PB did not differ (p>0.05) from the NC or the PC. In Exp. 2, the overall ADG did not differ (p>0.05) among all the treatments during the entire experimental period. The overall ADFI and the overall gain:feed ratio did not differ (p>0.05) among all the treatments during the entire experimental period in both Exp. 1 and 2. The PC had a higher (p<0.05) overall diarrhea score (harder stools) than the NC and the PB in Exp. 1, and a higher (p<0.05) overall diarrhea score than the NC in Exp. 2. The overall diarrhea score of the PB and the PBO did not differ (p>0.05) from the NC or the PC in Exp. 1 and 2. Results from this study show that the growth of pigs fed the diets with phytobiotics or the combination of phytobiotics and organic acids did not differ from those both with antibiotics and without antibiotics when tested in an environmentally controlled research facility. Further experiments are required to study the growth performance in disease challenged conditions.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.437-445
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to develop an analytical method for sulfonamide antibiotics (sulfadiazine, sulfamerazine, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfathiazole) and their metabolites ($N^4$-acetylsulfadiazine, $N^4$-acetylsulfamerazine, $N^4$-acetylsulfamethazine, $N^4$-acetylsulfamethoxazole, sulfamethoxazole-$N^1$-glucuronide) in environmental samples. The solid phase extraction (SPE) with LC/ESI-MS/MS have been used for the analysis of target compounds, and the recoveries of SPE clean-up were at the range of 12-94% for C18 cartridge, 60-95% for HLB cartridge, 25-123% for MCX cartridge, and 70-90% for tandem HLB/MCX. By established method, detection limit, recovery, and relative standard deviation were 0.001~0.187 ng/mL, 66~115%, and 5~17%, respectively. This method was effective and sensitive to use for the simultaneous determination of sulfonamide antibiotics and their metabolites in environmental samples. Four sulfonamide antibiotics were detected at the range of 0.008~2.153 ng/mL. For metabolites, only $N^4$-acetylsulfamethoxazole was detected, but the concentration was under the MDL level.