• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.449-457
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• 2021

The aim of the present study was to survey the frequency of inducible and constitutive phenotypes and inducible cross-resistant genes by regulating the methylation of 23S rRNA (ermA, ermB, and ermC) and macrolide efflux-related msrA gene in Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis strains. A total of 172 bacterial isolates (identified based on standard tests), were examined in this study. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the disk diffusion method, and all isolates were evaluated with respect to inducible and constitutive phenotypes. The presence of ermA, ermB, ermC, and msrA genes was investigated by a PCR assay. The constitutive resistance phenotypes showed a higher distribution among the isolates. R phenotype was detected more among S. epidermidis isolates (46.25%). ermB, ermC, and msrA genes were detected more in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis (MRSE) isolates that had R and HD phenotypes (>77% strains). The ermA gene had the lowest frequency among MRSA, MRSE, MSSA, and MSSE strains (<14% isolates). Distribution of inducible resistance genes in MRSA and MRSE strains, and possibly other species, leads to increased constitutive resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin, and other similar antibiotics. Therefore, it can be challenging to treat infections caused by these resistant strains.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.197-204
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: Living modified microorganisms (LMMs) have been focused in two very different aspects of positive and negative effects on ecology and human health. As a model experiment, wild type and a foreign origin gene-harboring modified E. coli strains were subjected to comparison of their metabolomes and potential effects on soil microbiota in the laboratory sets. This study assumes the unintentional release of LMMs and tries to suggest potential effects on the soil microbiota even at minimal settings. METHODS AND RESULTS: Metabolomes from the wild type and LM E. coli were analyzed by NMR and the profiles were compared. In the laboratory soil experiments, the two types of E. coli were added to the soils and monitored for the bacterial community compositions. Those metabolomic profiles did not show significant differences. The microbial community structures from the time series soil DNAs for both the sets using wild type and LMO also did not indicate significant changes, but minor by the addition of foreign organisms regardless of wild or LMO. CONCLUSION: Even if the recombinant microorganism (LMO) is released into the soil environment, the survival of microorganisms in the environment would be one of the major factors for the transfers of foreign genes to other organisms and diffusion into the soil environment.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.836-843
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• 2021

Recently, with an increase of interest in hygiene of textile products, research related to finishing technology to impart various functionalities, such as antibacterial and deodorizing properties, has also required. Therefore, in this study, the improvement of comfort was examined by analyzing the change of moisture characteristics and antibacterial and deodorizing properties of underwear fabric by chitosan microcapsule(CH-M) finishing. The results revealed that moisture absorption time of the fabric shortened, diffusion rate increased, while absorption rate slightly increased because of microcapsule finishing. In addition, the one-way transfer capacity of the microcapsule finished fabric was 17.69, which improved moisture transfer to one side, while OMMC showed the values of 0.32 and 0.37 for untreated and finished fabrics, respectively, which slightly increased after finishing. In the case of untreated fabric, antibacterial activity was 89.0% against Staphylococcus aureus and 70.3% against Klebsiella pneumoniae; however, both strains showed 99.9% antibacterial activity by CH-M finishing. An excellent bacterial reduction rate was also observed. In the case of the CH-M finished fabric, there was a deodorization effect exceeding 99% up to 120 minutes, and it showed an excellent deodorization effect of more than 99% even after 10 repeated washings.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2022

Objectives: The quorum-sensing-inhibitory and anti-biofilm activities of the methanol extract of E. globulus leaves were determined against clinically isolated multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methods: The preliminary anti-quorum-sensing (AQS) activity of eucalyptus was investigated against a biosensor strain Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 (CV12472) by using the agar well diffusion method. The effect of sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of the methanol extract of eucalyptus on different quorum-sensing-regulated virulence factors, such as swarming motility, pyocyanin pigment, exopolysaccharide (EPS), and biofilm formation, against clinical isolates (CIs 2, 3, and 4) and reference PA01 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were determined using the swarm diameter (mm)-measurement method, chloroform extraction method, phenol (5%)-sulphuric acid (concentrated) method, and the microtiter plate assay respectively, and the inhibition (%) in formation were calculated. Results: The preliminary AQS activity (violacein pigment inhibition) of eucalyptus was confirmed against Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 (CV12472). The eucalyptus extract also showed concentration-dependent inhibition (%) of swarming motility, pyocyanin pigment, EPS, and biofilm formation in different CIs and PA01 of P. aeruginosa. Conclusion: Our results revealed the effectiveness of the E. globulus extract for the regulation of quorum-sensing-dependent virulence factors and biofilm formation at a reduced dose (sub-MICs) and suggest that E. globulus may be a therapeutic agent for curing and controlling bacterial infection and thereby reducing the possibility of resistance development in pathogenic strains.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

In this study, the photo-deposition method was used to introduce Ag onto the surface of TiO₂ to synthesize an Ag-TiO₂ composite. The effects of the varying amounts of AgNO₃ precursor and annealing time periods on the Ag content in the composites, as well as their antibacterial characteristics under visible light conditions were studied. SEM analysis revealed the spherical morphology of the Ag-TiO₂ composite. Compared with TiO₂, the Ag particles were too small to be observed. An XPS analysis of the Ag-TiO₂ surface confirmed the Ag content and showed the peak intensities for elements such as Ag, Ti, O, C, and Si. The highest Ag content was observed when 33.3 wt.% of AgNO₃ and an annealing time of 6 h were employed; this was the optimum annealing time for Ti-Ag-O bonding, in that the lowest number of O bonds and the highest number of Ag bonds were confirmed by XPS analysis. Superior antibacterial properties against Bacillus and Escherichia coli, in addition to the widest inhibition zones were exhibited by the Ag-TiO₂ composite with an increased Ag content in a disk diffusion test, the bacterial reduction rate against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli being 99.9%.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.169-176
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• 2023

The emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been increasing with anthropogenic contamination. Understanding the prevalence and distribution of these resistant bacteria in environments is crucial for effectively managing anthropogenic pollutants. Lake Gyeongpo in the Gangwon Province of South Korea is known for its diverse ecological features and human interactions. The lake is exposed to pollutants from nonpoint sources, including urban areas, agricultural practices, and recreational activities, which can introduce antibiotics and foster antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The present study investigates Lake Gyeongpo as a potential reservoir for antibiotic-resistant bacteria in a natural ecosystem. A total of 203 bacterial isolates were collected from six sampling locations in Lake Gyeongpo during May, July, and November 2022. Most isolates were taxonomically identified as Pseudoalteromonas, Bacillus, Shewanella, and Vibrio spp.; their abundance showed a spatiotemporal distribution. An antibiotic susceptibility test was conducted on 75 isolates using the disk diffusion method with six drugs according to the CLSI guideline; 42 isolates were resistant to one or more antibiotics. Among these, 15 isolates were identified as multidrug resistant bacteria. This finding suggests the potential anthropogenic impact on Lake Gyeongpo and provides valuable insights into the dissemination of antibiotic resistance caused by anthropogenic pollutants.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.295-305
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• 2012

The aim of this study was to isolate microorganisms from half milk samples of dairy goats by California mastitis test (CMT) during the lactation period and to further investigate the susceptibility of isolated organisms to antimicrobial drugs. From a total of 235 half milk samples with CMT scores of 2 or above from 366 dairy goats distributed throughout Jeonnam province, microorganisms were isolated from 198 (83.5%) samples either singly (99.0%) or in combination (1.0%). The most prevalent microorganism was the coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp., (44.4%, n=88) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (24.2%, n=48), Escherichia coli (11.1%, n=22) and Streptococcus spp. (7.6%, n=15). Isolated bacteria also included Bacillus spp. (2.5%, n=5), Pseudomonas spp. (2.5%, n=5), Micrococcus spp. (1.5%, n=3), Corynebacterium spp. (1.5%, n=3), Enterococcus facium (1.0%, n=2), Morganella morganii (0.5%, n=1) and Streptococcus agalactiae (0.5%, n=1). During the summer season, a high prevalence of all microorganisms were observed in which Staphylococcus spp. (30.8%), Escherichia coli (8.6%), and Streptococcus spp. (5.6%) were among the most prevalent bacteria isolated. Staphylococcus spp. was also shown to be high in the winter (21.7%). In most samples, the presence of bacterial pathogens in goat milk led to the increase in the total somatic cell count (SCC). Most of the half milk samples of dairy goats with bacterial contamination showed SCC of ${\geq}1{\times}10^6cells/ml$ (90.4%). Minor pathogens (11.4%) were more detected from milk samples with SCC of < $1{\times}10^6cells/ml$ than major pathogens (4.1%), while the major pathogens tended to be higher from samples with SCC of ${\geq}3{\times}10^6cells/ml$. Susceptibility of these bacteria to 12 antimicrobial agents was tested by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results indicated that more than 90% of bacteria isolated from CMT 2+ dairy goat half milk samples were susceptible to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, amoxicillin/clavulanic, enrofloxacin and cephalothin while they were resistant to tetracycline (44.7%).

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.237-243
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• 2020

Listeria sp. is one of the pathogenic bacteria causes the infection listeriosis, through mainly raw food such as fishery food, dairy food and vegetables. Listeria sp. is a Gram-positive, non-spore-forming, motile, and facultative anaerobic bacterium. Because of the tolerance of Listeria sp. to low temperature and high salt concentration, it is very difficult to prevent them contaminated in the food, which do not require heating, especially, such as raw fishery products. So prevention and removal of bacterial contamination at the food manufacturing stage is the best method. In this study, therefore, several natural products including Psidium guajava and Geranium thunbergii were screened to investigate the antibacterial activity against Listeria sp., with expectation of fewer side effects and fewer resistance problems. Significant effects of two extracts were confirmed by well diffusion assay, MIC assay, and growth inhibition assay. P. guajava and G. thunbergii showed MIC values at 64-256 ㎍/mL meaning strong antibacterial activities against 6 kind of Listeria sp. tested. And the growth of Listeria sp. in the liquid media was actually inhibited by the addition of these two extracts.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.478-486
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• 1995

Periodontal therapy for treatment of periodontitis involves the elimination of bacterial plaque and elimination of the anatomic defects by regenerative procedure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate on the biological effect of magnolia and Ginkgo biloba extract to the antimicrobial, antiinflammatory and cellular activity. Antimicrobial assay was performed with the diffusion method of the extract by measuring of growth inhibitory zone of B. cereus from blood agar plate. Effect of the extract to cellular activity of gingival fibroblast were examined using MTT method and measured the result with optical density on 570nm by ELISA reader. Inhibitory effects of $PGE_2$ production from gingival fibroblast was performed with the addition of $IL-l{\beta}$ and the extract to the well and examined to the product of $PGE_2$ from cell by ELISA reader. In vivo anti-inflammatory effect was performed with injection examined with clinically and histologically for their extent of mecrosis and inflammation. Antimicrobial activity of Magnolia extract showed significantly higher activity than that of control. However, GBE did not showed significant activity to compare with control, and mixture of Magnolia and GBE extract showed significantly higher activity than that of control. The effect of cellular activity to gingival fibroblast showed no significant differences of between control and Magnolia extract. However, GBE showed significantly higher rate of cellular activity to compare with control and even to PDGF-BB, and also showed same degree of cellular activity even though mixed with Magnolia extract. The inhibitory effect of $PGE_2$ production showed significantly reduction of $PGE_2$ production to compare with control, but its inhibitory effect was not much strong to compare with Indomethacin. In vivo, antiinflammatory effect of Magnolia extract to P. gingivalis injection of Hamster buccal check showed significantly reduction of inflammatory cell infiltration and tissue necrosis, but GBE showed no effect on the inhibition of inflammatory process. These results suggested that Magnolia and GBE extract possessed different kind of biological activity and also can be compensated on their activity with each other for elimination of bacterial plaque and anatonical defect.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.118-123
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• 2016

Antimicrobial agents have been used in poultry for treatment of bacterial infections or additives over the past half century. However, increasing antimicrobial resistance has led to selective pressure for therapeutic use in humans and made treatment of bacterial infection more difficult. In this study, we examined the prevalence of plasmid mediated antimicrobial resistant determinants for resistance to ${\beta}-lactam$, quinolone, and aminoglycoside in Enterobacteriaceae isolates obtained from chickens in Gyeongsang provinces, and correlation between the resistant genes and antimicrobial resistance rate was also assessed. A total of 43 Enterobacteriaceae isolates were recovered from 40 chickens at Gyeongsang provinces in Korea. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion method. PCR and DNA sequencing were performed to characterize the antimicrobial resistant genes. Of the 43 Enterobacteriaceae isolates tested, 2 isolates harbored $bla_{CTX-M-14}$ gene, and 2 and 5 strains contained qnrS and aac(6')-Ib-cr genes, respectively. A total of 43 isolates displayed a relatively lower susceptible rate ranging between 0.0 and 23.3% to most of the antimicrobial agents, except cefepime, ceftazidime, and cefaclor. We confirmed that plasmid mediated antimicrobial resistant determinants were distributed in Enterobacteriaceae isolates from chickens. Investigation of the genes and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance rate is required to prevent further spreading of antimicrobial resistant genes among Enterobacteriaceae isolates.