• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2015

Recently, the production of taste and odor (T&O) compounds is a common problem in water industry. Geosmin is one of the T&O components in drinking water. However, geosmin is hardly eliminated through the conventional water treatment systems. Among various advanced processes capable of removing geosmin, adsorption process using granular activated carbon (GAC) is the most commonly used process. As time passes, however GAC process changes into biological activated carbon (BAC) process. There is little information on the BAC process in the literature. In this study, we isolated and identified microorganisms existing within various BAC processes. The microbial concentrations of BAC processes examined were $3.5{\times}10^5$ colony forming units (CFU/g), $2.2{\times}10^6CFU/g$ and $7.0{\times}10^5CFU/g$ in the Seongnam plant, Goyang plant and Goryeong pilot plant, respectively. The dominant bacterial species were found to be Bradyrhizobium japonicum, Novosphingobium rosa and Afipia broomeae in each plants. Removal efficiencies of $3{\mu}g/L$ geosmin by the dominant species were 36.1%, 36.5% and 34.3% in mineral salts medium(MSM) where geosmin was a sole carbon source.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.65-72
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• 2013

Objectives: To evaluate the inhibitory effect of ursolic acid (UA)-containing composites on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) biofilm. Materials and Methods: Composite resins with five different concentrations (0.04, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 wt%) of UA (U6753, Sigma Aldrich) were prepared, and their flexural strengths were measured according to ISO 4049. To evaluate the effect of carbohydrate source on biofilm formation, either glucose or sucrose was used as a nutrient source, and to investigate the effect of saliva treatment, the specimen were treated with either unstimulated whole saliva or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). For biofilm assay, composite disks were transferred to S. mutans suspension and incubated for 24 hr. Afterwards, the specimens were rinsed with PBS and sonicated. The colony forming units (CFU) of the disrupted biofilm cultures were enumerated. For growth inhibition test, the composites were placed on a polystyrene well cluster, and S. mutans suspension was inoculated. The optical density at 600 nm ($OD_{600}$) was recorded by Infinite F200 pro apparatus (TECAN). One-way ANOVA and two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni correction were used for the data analyses. Results: The flexural strength values did not show significant difference at any concentration (p > 0.01). In biofilm assay, the CFU score decreased as the concentration of UA increased. The influence of saliva pretreatment was conflicting. The sucrose groups exhibited higher CFU score than glucose group (p < 0.05). In bacterial growth inhibition test, all experimental groups containing UA resulted in complete inhibition. Conclusions: Within the limitations of the experiments, UA included in the composite showed inhibitory effect on S. mutans biofilm formation and growth.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.195-199
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• 2022

The use of copper antibacterial films as an effective infection prevention method is increasing owing to its ability to reduce the risk of pathogen transmission. In this study, we evaluated the bacterial contamination of the antibacterial copper membrane attached to a door handle at a university over time. Six mounting locations with high floating population were selected. In three sites, the door handles with the antibacterial film were exposed, while the remaining three were not attached with the antibacterial films. On days 7 and 14, isolated bacterial strains were inoculated in BHI broth and agar, respectively. Colony-forming units (CFU) were determined after incubation. Strain identification was performed using bacterial 16s rRNA PCR and sequencing. Results showed that the bacterial population on day 14 significantly increased from 6 × 10⁹ CFU/mL (day 7) to 2 × 10¹⁰ CFU/mL. Furthermore, strain distribution was not different between the on and off the copper antibacterial film groups. In conclusion, although copper has an antibacterial activity, microbial contamination may occur with prolonged use.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 2010

Efforts to evaluate water pollution using indicator microorganisms have been underway for decades, and driven by research on water purity control applications, water quality criteria are growing more and more strict. Furthermore, recent reports indicate that high concentrations of antibiotics are not absorbed, and are present in excrement from animals and humans dosed with unnecessarily high levels of antibiotics. This has emerged as very important issue from the standpoint of being an ecological and health hazard. In this study, water pollution was analyzed through physicochemical and microbiological means, and antibiotic resistance in indicator microorganisms was assessed. In physicochemical analysis, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)$_5$ and chemical oxygen demand (COD)$_{Mn}$ evaluation showed that pollution by organisms was highest at the G1 location with a high human population, and the DP location which has many livestock-containing households. The indicator organism levels at the G1 location were: Total Coliforms (1205 colony forming units (CFU)/100 ml), Fecal Coliforms (270 CFU/100 ml), Escherichia coli (253 CFU/100 ml) and Fecal Streptococci (210 CFU/100 ml), while for the DP location levels were: Total Coliforms (1480 CFU/100 ml), Fecal Coliforms (438 CFU/100 ml), E. coli (560 CFU/100 ml), and Fecal Streptococci (348 CFU/100 ml). Levels of fecal indicator microorganisms such as Fecal Coliforms, E. coli and Fecal Streptococci were high at all locations in the fall (the period after the rainy season), and the yearly distribution was similar between these organisms. If the number of livestock-containing households was high, almost all strains of E. coli (as distinct from the other indicator organisms) showed resistance to antibiotics, with the degree of resistance varying between areas. E. coli strains from the OY area in particular, which has a high population density, showed strong resistance to AM10 and Va30. While strong antibiotic resistance was observed overall at the DP and OY locations, no resistance was observed at the EB location.

• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.338-347
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• 2024

Purpose: Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium that most frequently acquires antibiotic resistance. As an opportunistic pathogen, it can cause conditions such as bacteremia, sepsis, and myocarditis. Due to the social need for a vaccine against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), many research groups have been designing and studying vaccines for decades. In this study, we developed a multivalent vaccine and evaluated its efficacy by applying a novel adjuvant, β-glucan. Materials and Methods: A vaccine composed of four pore-forming toxins from S. aureus was administered to rabbits 3 times, after which they were challenged with S. aureus USA 300 LAC strain. We measured changes in the rabbits' body weight to monitor systemic adverse reactions and analyzed the total immunoglobulin G antibody titer against the four antigens using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For each rabbit, the number of abscesses and colony-forming units (CFU) in the kidneys were measured. Results: In all vaccinated groups, strong antibody responses against the four antigens were observed. After challenging with MRSA, the vaccinated groups showed less weight change compared to the non-vaccinated groups (average 5.7% versus 13.5%). Additionally, the number of renal abscesses was significantly lower in the vaccinated groups, with three individuals in group 1 (four antigens adjuvanted with β-glucan_PK1) showing no abscess formation. The number of bacteria identified in the kidneys was also statistically significantly lower in the vaccinated group compared to the non-vaccinated group. Conclusion: We demonstrated that the four toxoid antigens we selected can protect against S. aureus infection in a rabbit model and that β-glucan could be used as an immune enhancer. Overall, our study shows that new antigen combinations can induce protective immunity in animal models and that a toxin-based vaccine can help control bacterial colonization.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.541-550
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) cell wall extract on the proliferation and cytokine production of immune cells to select suitable probiotics for space food. Ten strains of LAB (Lactobacillus bulgaricus, L. paracasei, L. casei, L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. delbruekii, Lactococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacterium breve, and Pedicoccus pentosaceus) were sub-cultured and further cultured for 3 d to reach 7-10 Log colony-forming units (CFU)/mL prior to cell wall extractions. All LAB cell wall extracts failed to inhibit the proliferation of BALB/c mouse splenocytes or mesenteric lymphocytes. Most LAB cell wall extracts except those of L. plantarum and L. delbrueckii induced the proliferation of both immune cells at tested concentrations. In addition, the production of T_H1 cytokine (IFN-γ) rather than that of T_H2 cytokine (IL-4) was enhanced by LAB cell wall extracts. Of ten LAB extracts, four (from L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. casei, and S. thermophiles) promoted both cell proliferating and T_H1 cytokine production. These results suggested that these LAB could be used as probiotics to maintain immunity and homeostasis for astronauts in extreme space environment and for general people in normal life.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.363-366
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• 2011

Eradication of $H.$ $pylori$, usually carried out by using antimicrobial agents, is essential for preventing gastric ulcers and cancers. The $H.$ $pylori$ isolates, however, have continuously grown antimicrobial resistance, which have caused difficulty in treating the bacteria and in turn, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been found to be effective in inducing deaths of variety of bacteria. After PDT treatment, the number of colony forming units (CFU), the morphologic changes, and flow cytometry were observed. In the PDT group containing 100 and 200 ${\mu}g$/ml photogem, no live $H.$ $pylori$ was observed, while 10 and 50 ${\mu}g$/ml photogem were only partially effective. $H.$ $pylori$ of the PDT group also displayed distortion and shrinkage in morphology. This study demonstrated that photogem-mediated PDT effectively induces deaths of $H.$ $pylori$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.520-524
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• 2009

Two isolates, Bacillus sp. BS87 and RK1, selected from soil in strawberry fields in Korea, showed high levels of antagonism towards Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae in vitro. The isolates were identified as B. velezensis based on the homology of their gyrA sequences to reference strains. BS87 and RK1 were evaluated for control of Fusarium wilt in strawberries in pot trials and field trials conducted in Nonsan, Korea. In the pot trials, the optimum applied concentration of BS87 and RK1 for pre-plant root-dip application to control Fusarium wilt was $10^5$ and $10^6$ colony-forming units (CFU)/ml, respectively. Meanwhile, in the 2003 and 2005 field trials, the biological control efficacies of formulations of RK1 were similar to that of a conventional fungicide (copper hydroxide) when compared with a non-treated control. The RK1 formulation was also more effective than BS87 in suppressing Fusarium wilt under field conditions. Therefore, the results indicated that formulations of B. velezensis BS87 and RK1 may have potential to control Fusarium wilt in strawberries.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.441-447
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• 2007

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of electrochemical (EC) disinfection of artificial wastewater contaminated by Escherichia coli culture. Circulated batch type electrochemical disinfection system using three plates electrodes was used. Also, the several factors (pH, ORP, DO, temperature, current, conductivity) were measured in order to investigate the fundamental design factor in the EC disinfection system. It was demonstrated that the EC process was highly effective for wastewater disinfection. At the constant voltage, the disinfection efficiency was increased according to time. The disinfection efficiency and current increased as the increase of voltage. The variation of conductivity was a little related to the variation of CFU (colony forming units). The differences in disinfection efficiency according to the ice pack and the variation of electrodes were not occurred. The EC disinfection efficiency and current increased according to the increase of circulating flow rate.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.402-408
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• 2017

PURPOSE. The goal of this study was to compare the adhesion of Candida albicans to the surfaces of CAD/CAM and conventionally fabricated complete denture bases. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Twenty discs of acrylic resin poly (methyl methacrylate) were fabricated with CAD/CAM and conventional procedures (heat-polymerized acrylic resin). The specimens were divided into two groups: 10 discs were fabricated using the CAD/CAM procedure (Wieland Digital Denture Ivoclar Vivadent), and 10 discs were fabricated using a conventional flasking and pressure-pack technique. Candida colonization was performed on all the specimens using four Candida albicans isolates. The difference in Candida albicans adhesion on the discs was evaluated. The number of adherent yeast cells was calculated by the colony-forming units (CFU) and by Fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS. There was a significant difference in the adhesion of Candida albicans to the complete denture bases created with CAD/CAM and the adhesion to those created with the conventional procedure. The CAD/CAM denture bases exhibited less adhesion of Candida albicans than did the denture bases created with the conventional procedure (P<.05). CONCLUSION. The CAD/CAM procedure for fabricating complete dentures showed promising potential for reducing the adherence of Candida to the denture base surface. Clinical Implications. Complete dentures made with the CAD/CAM procedure might decrease the incidence of denture stomatitis compared with conventional dentures.