• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.685-702
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• 2023

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are commonly used as probiotics; however, not all LAB strains have the same beneficial effects. To successfully use LAB as probiotics in canines, LAB species should originate from the canine intestinal tract as they display host specificity. The objective of this study was to investigate the phenotypic and genomic traits of potential probiotic LAB isolated from canine fecal samples. Twenty LAB samples were evaluated for their potential probiotic characteristics including resistance to low pH, bile salts, hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, adhesion to epithelia or mucosa, and production of inhibitory compounds. Additionally, we evaluated their safety and other beneficial effects on canine health, such as DPPH free radical scavenging, and β-galactosidase. Four strains demonstrated potential probiotic characteristics and were selected: Enterococcus hirae Pom4, Limosilactobacillus fermentum Pom5, Pediococcus pentosaceus Chi8, and Ligilactobacillus animalis FB2. Safety evaluations showed that all strains lacked hemolytic activity, could not produce biogenic amines, and did not carry any pathogenic genes. In addition, L. fermentum Pom5 and P. pentosaceus Chi8 displayed susceptibility to all antibiotics and concordant with the absence of antibiotic resistance genes. Based on their phenotypic and genomic characteristics, L. fermentum Pom5 and P. pentosaceus Chi8 were identified as potential probiotic candidates for canines.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.617-622
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• 2018

Air is essential for human beings to survive, but urban air is polluted with soot and harmful gases, due to the increase in industrial development and the population. Thus, air pollution in large cities is of increasing interest in the research community. One of the plausible solutions to this problem is supplying sufficient oxygen to indoor spaces. The main principle of the oxygen generator is to separate oxygen from air using synthetic zeolite. Various synthetic zeolites have been applied to public indoor spaces with the focus being placed on the oxygen exchange quality. Among the characteristics of zeolites which can be applied to oxygen generators is their ability to adsorb nitrogen from the air and, in this way, generate only oxygen. Thus, we investigated the degree of nitrogen adsorption by five kinds of natural zeolite and LTA zeolite 3A, 4A, and 5A (two different sizes). Using the PSA method, the higher the degree of nitrogen adsorption, the higher the oxygen saturation concentration, it was found that the nitrogen adsorption degree of the 5A zeolite was the highest. 6% on average. It was also found that the size of the zeolite had a significant effect on the degree of nitrogen adsorption.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.111-140
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• 2019

The Bioethics and Safety Act provides a set of rules to regulate biobanks and research activities using human biological material, but the law seems to be defective in several folds. The law requires that, prior to collection or use of human biological materials, researchers should obtain the informed consent of the donors, but the law does not obligate biobanks to do so. Even in cases where the law requires informed consent, the ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare allows open (or blanket) consent. In addition, a new article in the Act, Article 42-2 which will take effect from October 24, 2019, allows medical institutions to provide biobanks with remaining biospecimens collected in the course of diagnosis and treatment, unless the donors express their intent to opt-out, without obtaining specific consent from them. Given the need to protect the autonomy of donors and the unique characteristics of biobanks and research activities that use human biological materials, this paper concludes that such open consent-based law may not be suitable to protect the autonomy of the donors and that the broad consent requirement may be a desirable policy option. The paper acknowledges that the international community has long questioned whether broad consent (as well as open consent) is an effective choice to regulate the use of human biological materials. The paper stresses that the baseline requirement in designing the law is that the secondary use of human biological materials should be based on informed consent of the donors; the core value of the law should be a governance structure that promotes transparency and protects donor participation.

• Obstetrics & gynecology science
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• v.61 no.6
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• pp.662-668
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• 2018

Objective This study was to identify the risk factors for cytological progression in women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL). Methods We analyzed data from women infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) who participated in the Korean HPV cohort study. The cohort recruited women aged 20-60 years with abnormal cervical cytology (ASC-US or LSIL) from April 2010. All women were followed-up at every 6-month intervals with cervical cytology and HPV DNA testing. Results Of the 1,158 women included, 654 (56.5%) and 504 (43.5%) women showed ASC-US and LSIL, respectively. At the time of enrollment, 143 women tested positive for HPV 16 (85 single and 58 multiple infections). Cervical cytology performed in the HPV 16-positive women showed progression in 27%, no change in 23%, and regression in 50% of the women at the six-month follow-up. The progression rate associated with HPV 16 infection was higher than that with infection caused by other HPV types (relative risk [RR], 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.84; P=0.028). The cytological progression rate in women with persistent HPV 16 infection was higher than that in women with incidental or cleared infections (P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed a significant relationship between cigarette smoking and cytological progression (RR, 4.15; 95% CI, 1.01-17.00). Conclusion The cytological progression rate in HPV 16-positive women with ASC-US or LSIL is higher than that in women infected with other HPV types. Additionally, cigarette smoking may play a role in cytological progression.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.134-145
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• 2010

Purpose: The serologic diagnosis of rotaviral infections is not commonly used in clinical practice, but is used in seroepidemiologic studies. In this study, the usefulness of Escherichia coli-expressed recombinant VP6 proteins of group A rotavirus in the serodiagnosis of rotavirus infections by ELISA was evaluated. Methods: The recombinant VP6 proteins of group A rotavirus expressed in E. coli Rosetta II strain were purified and identified. One hundred sera from 22 children (4 healthy neonates, 13 healthy children, and 5 immunocompromised children) who had serial sera samples prior to and after rotavirus infections were provided by the Gyeongsang National University Hospital, a member of the National Biobank of Korea. IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies against rVP6 were analyzed by ELISA in all of the patients and Western blot analysis in 4 neonates. Results: ELISA tests using rVP6 proteins of group A rotavirus as antigen revealed that IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies increased after rotaviral infections in most neonates and healthy children. IgG antibodies also increased after rotaviral infections in most immunocompromised children without an adequate increase in IgM or IgA antibodies. Western blot analysis in four neonates revealed very early IgM antibody responses, even in the sera with low optical densities in ELISA tests. Conclusion: Our study showed that ELISA using rVP6 as an antigen is a valid diagnostic tool for seroepidemiologic studies of rotavirus infections and Western blot analysis is a sensitive test in detecting IgG, IgA, and and IgM antibodies in patients with rotavirus infections.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.89-97
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• 2020

This experiment was conducted at Sancheong from 2013 to 2015. The objective of this study was to establish the seeding rate, and to clarify the optimum nitrogen fertilizer level for rye seed production in the southern area of Korea. We employed Korean rye cultivar 'Gogu' in this test. The experimental design was a split-plot design with three replications. A split-plot design was used with three seeding levels (3, 5, and 7 kg 10 a^-1) on the main plots and other treatments fully randomized in sub-plots. A factorial arrangement of treatments included three different nitrogen fertilizer levels (0, 3, 6, and 9 kg 10 a^-1). The grain yields of rye affected by increasing the seeding rate. The number of spike per m² and immature grain weight was increasing, while the fertility rate and the number of grain per spike were decreased as seeding rate were increased from 3 kg 10 a^-1 to 7 kg 10 a^-1. The percentage of a productive tiller, 1-liter weight, and 1000-grain weight also decrease by increasing seeding but the grain yields of rye had less effect. There was an increase in the number of spike per m², the number of grain per spike, and grain yields as nitrogen fertilizer level was increased from 0 kg 10 a^-1 to 9 kg 10 a^-1 and followed a delaying heading and an increasing lodging of the plant. But grain yields did not affected by the interaction of seeding rate × nitrogen fertilizer levels. The best seeding rate and nitrogen fertilizer level for rye seed production were 5 kg and 3 kg 10 a^-1, respectively, considering seed and fertilizer reduction and the prevention of pollution by excess fertilization.