• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• /
• v.49 no.2
• /
• pp.149-157
• /
• 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of erythrosine-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) on Streptococcus mutans biofilm recovery by counting its colony-forming units (CFUs) and via confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis at different time points following PDT. In PDT, photosensitizer was an erythrosine. S. mutans ATCC25175 biofilms were irradiated using an LED curing light. Chlorhexidine (CHX) was used as positive control. After each antimicrobial treatment, samples were cultured to allow biofilm recovery. Viability was measured by calculating the CFU counts after treatment and after every 3 hours for up to 24 hours. Immediately after treatment, the PDT and CHX groups showed equally significant decreases in S. mutans CFU counts compared to the negative control. After 12 hours of reculture, the PDT group showed no significant difference in the decrease in CFU count compared to the negative control, whereas the CHX group showed significantly lower CFU counts throughout the 24-hour period. Erythrosine-mediated PDT can effectively inhibit S. mutans biofilm formation. However, biofilm recovery occurred earlier in the CHX group after PDT. This study provides insights into the clinical effectiveness of PDT in preventing dental caries.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.19 no.10
• /
• pp.1230-1237
• /
• 2009

The selective plugging strategy of Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) involves the use of microbes that grow and produce exopolymeric substances, which block the high permeability zones of an oil reservoir, thus allowing the water to flow through the low permeability zones leading to increase in oil recovery. Bacillus licheniformis TT33, a hot water spring isolate, is facultatively anaerobic, halotolerant, and thermotolerant. It produces EPS as well as biosurfactant and has a biofilm-forming ability. The viscosity of its cell-free supernatant is $120\;mPa{\cdot}s$ at $28^{\circ}C$. Its purified EPS contained 26% carbohydrate and 3% protein. Its biosurfactant reduced the surface tension of water from 72 to 34 mN/m. This strain gave $27.7{\pm}3.5%$ oil recovery in a sand pack column. Environmental scanning electron microscopy analysis showed bacterial growth and biofilm formation in the sand pack. Biochemical tests and Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis confirmed that the oil recovery obtained in the sand pack column was due to Bacillus licheniformis TT33.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.661-674
• /
• 2010

Bacterial biomass and its activity were measured in two kinds of granular activated carbon (GAC), the experimental and existing biofiltration system in a drinking water plant. The bacterial biomass was around 210 to 250 nmol P/g WW with phospholipid concentration at acclimation of ozonation treatment. The phospholipid biomass shows more or less a declining gradient along filter depth and no clear seasonality in its values. On the other hand, the microbial activity of [$^3H$]-thymidine and [$^{14}C$]-acetate incorporation within cells increased significantly along the filter depth, showing the difference of three fold between the upper and bottom layer. These factors support the different microbial composition or metabolic activity along the depth of GAC column. Turnover rates, the rate of bacterial biomass and production of biofilm, ranged from 0.26 /hr to 0.37 /hr, indicating a highly rapid recovery itself at amature state. In the non-ozonation treatment, the bacterial biomass was lower than in the ozonation and biological activity also declined towards the filter depth. The biomass levels during cessation of ozonation in the existing GAC filters were 68% of the actively ozonated state.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.219-232
• /
• 2007

Odors from manures are a major problem for livestock production. The most significant odorous compounds in animal manure a.e volatile fatty acids(VFAs). This work reviews the VFAs from the anaerobic sequencing biofilm batch reactor(ASBBR), anaerobic sequencing batch reactor(ASBR), solid compost batch reactor(SCBR), and aerobic sequencing batch reactor(SBR) associated with the animal manure biological treatment. First, we describe and quantify VFAs from animal manure biological treatment and discuss biofiltration for odor control. Then we review certain fundamentals aspects about Anaerobic and aerobic SBR, composting of animal manure, manure compost biofilter for odorous VFAs control, SBR for nitrogen removal, and ASBR for animal wastewater treatment systems considered important for the resource recovery and air quality. Finally, we present an overview for the future needs and current experience of the biological systems engineering for animal manure management and odor control.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.185-195
• /
• 2014

Despite the enormous technical and economic efforts to improve environmental conditions, currently about 40% of the global population (or 2 billion people) are still lack access to safe water supply and adequate sanitation facilities. Pollution problems and transmission of water- related diseases will continue to proliferate. The rapid population growth and industrialization will lead to a reduction of arable land, thus exacerbating the food shortage problems and threatening environmental sustainability. Natural systems in this context are a transdisciplinary approach which employs the activities of microbes, soil and/or plants in waste stabilisation and resource recovery without the aid of mechanical or energy-intensive equipments. Examples of these natural systems are: waste stabilisation ponds, aquatic weed ponds, constructed wetlands and land treatment processes. Although they require relatively large land areas, the natural systems could achieve a high degree of waste stabilisation and at the same time, yield potentials for waste recycling through the production of algal protein, fish, crops, and plant biomass. Because of the complex interactions occurring in the natural systems, the existing design procedures are based mainly on empirical or field experience approaches. An integrated kinetic model encompassing the activities of both suspended and biofilm bacteria and some important engineering parameters has been developed which could predict the organic matter degradation in the natural systems satisfactorily.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2006.06a
• /
• pp.465-469
• /
• 2006

Two mesophilic trickling bed bioreactors filled with two different types of media, hydrophilic- and hydrophobic-cubes, were designed and tested for hydrogen production via anaerobic fermentation of sucrose. Each reactor consisted of a column packed with polymeric cubes and inoculated with heat-treated sludge obtained from anaerobic digestion tank. A defined medium containing sucrose was fed with changing flow rate into the capped reactor, hydraulic retention time and recycle rate. Hydrogen concentrations in gas-phase were constant, averaging 40% for all conditions tested. Hydrogen production rates increased up to $10.5 L{\cdot};h^{-1}{\cdot}L^{-1}$ of reactor when influent sucrose concentrations and recycle rates were varied. Hydrophobic media provided higher value of hydrogen production rate than hydrophilic media at the same operation conditions. No methane was detected when the reactor was under a normal operation. The major fermentation by-products in the liquid effluent of the both trickling biofilters were acetate and butyrate. The reactor filled with hydrophilic media became clogged with biomass and bio gas, requiring manual cleaning of the system, while no clogging occurred in the reactor with hydrophobic media. In order to make long-term operation of the reactor filled with hydrophilic media feasible, biofilm accumulation inside the media in the reactor with hydrophilic media and biogas produced from the reactor will need to be controlled through some process such as periodical backwashing or gas-purging. These tests using trickling bed biofilter with hydrophobic media demonstrate the feasibility of the process to produce hydrogen gas in a trickle-bed type of reactor. A likely application of this reactor technology could be hydrogen gas recovery from pre-treatment of high carbohydrate-containing wastewaters.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.379-388
• /
• 2006

Two mesophilic trickling bed bioreactors filled with two different types of media, hydrophilic- and hydrophobic-cubes, were designed and conducted for hydrogen production under the anaerobic fermentation of sucrose. Each bioreactor consisted of the column packed with polymeric cubes and inoculated with heat-treated sludge obtained from anaerobic digestion tank. A defined medium containing sucrose was fed by the different hydraulic retention time(HRT), and recycle rate. Hydrogen concentrations in gas-phase were constant, averaging 40% of biogas throughout the operation. Hydrogen production rate was increased till $10.5\;L{\cdot}h^{-1}{\cdot}L^{-1}$ of bioreactor when influent sucrose concentrations and recycle rates were varied. At the same time, the hydrogen production rate with hydrophobic media application was higher than its hydrophilic media application. No methane was detected when the reactor was under a normal operation. The major fermentation by-products in the liquid effluent of the both trickling biofilters were acetate, butyrate and lactate. In order to run in the long term operation of both reactor filled with hydrophilic and hydrophobic media, biofilm accumulation on hydrophilic media and biogas produced should be controlled through some process such as periodical backwashing or gas-purging. Four sample were collected from each reactor on the opposite hydrogen production rate, and their bacterial communities were compared by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of PCR products generated using bacterial 16s rRNA gene primers (8f and 926r). It was expressed a marked difference in bacterial communities of both reactors. The trickling bed bioreactor with hydrophobic media demonstrates the feasibility of the process to produce hydrogen gas. A likely application of this reactor technology can be hydrogen gas recovery from pre-treatment of high carbohydrate-containing wastewaters.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
• /
• v.56 no.5
• /
• pp.419-426
• /
• 2021

Purpose: In the surgical treatment of pyogenic lumbar spondylodiscitis, screw insertion at the affected vertebra has been avoided because of biofilm formation, and the risk of infection recurrence. The authors analyzed the success rate of infection treatment while minimizing the number of instrumented segments by inserting pedicle screws into the affected vertebrae. Therefore, this study examined the usefulness of this technique. Materials and Methods: From January 2000 to June 2018, among patients with pyogenic lumbar spondylodiscitis treated surgically, group A consisted of patients with pedicle screws inserted directly at the affected vertebrae (28 cases), and group B underwent fusion by inserting screws at the adjacent normal vertebrae due to bone destruction of the affected vertebral pedicle (20 cases). The classified clinical results were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were treated via the posterior-only approach, so the affected disc and sequestrum were removed. Posterior interbody fusion was performed with an autogenous strut bone graft, and the segments were then stabilized with pedicle screw systems. The hospitalization period, operation time, amount of blood loss, EQ-5D index, duration of intravenous antibiotics, and the clinical and radiological results were analyzed. Results: In group A, the number of instrumented segments, operation time, blood loss, and EQ-5D index at one month postoperatively showed significant improvement compared to group B. There were no significant differences in the duration of antibiotic use, hospitalization, radiological bone union time, sagittal angle correction rate, and recurrence rate. Conclusion: Minimal segmental fixation, in which pedicle screws were inserted directly into the affected vertebrae through the posterior approach, reduced the surgery time and blood loss, preserved the lumbar motion by minimizing fixed segments and showed rapid recovery without spreading or recurrence of infection. Therefore, this procedure recommended for the surgical treatment of lumbar pyogenic spondyodiscitis.