• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.26
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• pp.11.1-11.6
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• 2011

Objects: The prevalence of asthma has increased in recent decades globally. The objective of the present study is to elucidate whether hospitalization for bronchiolitis in infancy and low socioeconomic status interact for bronchial hyperreactivity during teenage years. Method: We studied 522 children age 13-14 years attending schools in rural and urban areas to investigate the risk factors for bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR), defined as a provocation concentration of methacholine that causes a decrease of 20% ($PC_{20}$) in forced expiratory volume within 1 second. Clinical examination, skin prick test, spirometry, and methacholine challenge were performed on all study subjects, who provided written consent. We used multivariate logistic regression to investigate the risk factors for BHR, and analyze the interaction between hospitalization for bronchiolitis in infancy and low socioeconomic status. Results: Forty-six (10.3%) positive BHR cases were identified. In the multivariate logistic analysis, as independent predictors of BHR, adjusted odds ratio of bronchiolitis diagnosed before 2 years of age in low income families was 13.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 135.0), compared to reference group, controlling for age, gender, parental allergy history, skin prick test, and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure. Interaction was observed between bronchiolitis before 2 years old and low socioeconomic status on children's bronchial hyperreactivity (p-interaction=0.025). Conclusions: This study showed that bronchiolitis diagnosed before 2 years of age and low socioeconomic status interacted on children's bronchial hyperreactivity. Prevention of acute respiratory infection in early childhood in low socioeconomic status is important to prevent BHR as a precursor of asthma.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.458-464
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• 2011

Purpose: Metacarpal fractures are common hand injury that may require operative intervention to ensure adequate reduction and stabilization. Traditionally, titanium miniplate was used for rigid fixation of bone fractures. However, the use of permanent plate lends itself to multiple complications such as infection, exposure of the hardware, tendon adhesions, tendon rupture, prolonged pain, bony atrophy and osteoporosis (stress shielding), metal sensitization, and palpation under the skin. This study evaluated the usefulness and stability of biodegradable plates and screws for treatment of metacarpal bone fractures. Methods: There was 17 patients who had surgery for metacarpal bone fracture from April 2007 to June 2010. All patients had open reduction and internal fixation. We used absorbable plates and screws (Inion CPS$^{(R)}$) for internal fixation. Postoperative results were assessed with x-ray. Stability of plates and screws, healing process and its complications were observed by clinical and radiographic assessment. Results: All patients were successfully reduced of bone fracture, and fixations with absorbable plates and screws were stable. The mean follow up period was 7.1 months. 2 patients complained postoperative pain, but they were relieved with analgesics. All patients experienced transient stiffness, but they were relieved with active assistive range of motion after removal of splint. No patients suffered complications which could be occurred by using metallic plate. Conclusion: There was no critical complications such as re-fracture or nonunion among patients. No patients suffered side effects related with metallic implants. Biodegradable implants can offer clinically stable and attractive alternative to metallic implants to stabilize metacarpal bone fractures in the hand.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.381-387
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• 1981

Fourteen Infants with congenital cardiac anomalies underwent primary surgical Intervention within the first 12 months of life. There were eight patients with ventricular septal defect, two with total anomalous pulmonary venous return [TAPVR], and the remainders with tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of great arteries [d-TGA], Taussing-Bing malformation, and coronary A-V fistula. The age of the patients ranged from 5 to 12 months, with a mean age of 9.9 months. The mean weight was 6.7 Kg [3.8 to 9.5 KS]. Congestive heart failure persisting despite intensive medical treatment was present In 8 patients [56%], and was the most common indication for operation. Early operation was necessary in 5 of these patients [35%], because of failure to thrive and recurrent pulmonary infection. In one patient with TOF, frequent hypoxic spell prompted the necessity for early operation. In cases of VSD, TAP. VR, TOF, and coronary A-V fistula, Intracardiac repair was done with conventional cardiopulmonary bypass, chemical cold cardioplegia, and topical myocardial cooling. Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with surface induced cooling, followed by core cooling and core rewarming, was employed .for better exposure in the cases of d-TGA and Taussing-Bing malformation. The results were however, not satisfactory. The overall mortality was 28 per cent. There were no deaths in the eight patients with VSD. The one with coronary A-V fistula survived. The other 5 cases all expired either on the table or immediately after operation. The non-fatal post-operative complications included low cardiac output, respiratory insufficiency, bleeding, and temporary A-V block. The causes of death were prolonged circulatory arrest time in d-TGA, complete A-V block and low cardiac output in TOF and Taussing-Bing malformation and prolonged bypass time and Inadequate correction in TAPVR.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.388-398
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• 1981

Fourteen Infants with congenital cardiac anomalies underwent primary surgical Intervention within the first 12 months of life. There were eight patients with ventricular septal defect, two with total anomalous pulmonary venous return [TAPVR], and the remainders with tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of great arteries [d-TGA], Taussing-Bing malformation, and coronary A-V fistula. The age of the patients ranged from 5 to 12 months, with a mean age of 9.9 months. The mean weight was 6.7 Kg [3.8 to 9.5 KS]. Congestive heart failure persisting despite intensive medical treatment was present In 8 patients [56%], and was the most common indication for operation. Early operation was necessary in 5 of these patients [35%], because of failure to thrive and recurrent pulmonary infection. In one patient with TOF, frequent hypoxic spell prompted the necessity for early operation. In cases of VSD, TAP. VR, TOF, and coronary A-V fistula, Intracardiac repair was done with conventional cardiopulmonary bypass, chemical cold cardioplegia, and topical myocardial cooling. Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with surface induced cooling, followed by core cooling and core rewarming, was employed .for better exposure in the cases of d-TGA and Taussing-Bing malformation. The results were however, not satisfactory. The overall mortality was 28 per cent. There were no deaths in the eight patients with VSD. The one with coronary A-V fistula survived. The other 5 cases all expired either on the table or immediately after operation. The non-fatal post-operative complications included low cardiac output, respiratory insufficiency, bleeding, and temporary A-V block. The causes of death were prolonged circulatory arrest time in d-TGA, complete A-V block and low cardiac output in TOF and Taussing-Bing malformation and prolonged bypass time and Inadequate correction in TAPVR.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.964-968
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• 2001

It was carried out for research and development of natural antimicrobial on Scutellariae Radix extract against food-borne infection bacteria .Scutellariae Radix extract showed remarkable antimicrobial activites against Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Vivro parahaemolyticus when examined by disk method, it was very stable on the wide rane of temperature and pH,.The growth rates of Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Vivro parahaemolyticus were decreased at the concentration of more than 500 ppm Scutellariae Radix extract, Indicating that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)of the Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Vivro parahaemolyticus to Scutellariae Radix extract were around 500 ppm . The morphological changes were observed by transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope and the microbial cells membran was destroyed by Scutellariae Radix extract. It was identified that the membrane integrity of the sensitive cells was disrupted by exposure to Scutellariae Radix extract as the $\beta$-galactosidase test on experimental substrate ONPG(o-nitrophenyl-$\beta$-D-galacto-pyranoside)

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.48
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• pp.295.1-295.7
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• 2018

Background: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infections have become a major healthcare-associated pathogen problem worldwide. Nosocomial VRE infections could be effectively controlled by screening patients at high risk of harboring VRE and thereby lowering the influx of VRE into healthcare centers. In this study, we evaluated factors associated with VRE colonization in patients transferred to emergency departments, to detect patients at risk for VRE carriage. Methods: This study was conducted in the emergency department of a medical college-affiliated hospital in Korea. Every patient transferred to the emergency department and admitted to the hospital from January to December 2016 was screened for VRE using rectal cultures. In this cross-sectional study, the dependent variable was VRE colonization and the independent variables were demographic and clinical factors of the patients and factors related to the transferring hospital. Patients were divided into two groups, VRE and non-VRE, and previously collected patient data were analyzed. Then we performed logistic regression analyses of characteristics that differed significantly between groups. Results: Out of 650 patients, 106 (16.3%) had positive VRE culture results. Significant variables in the logistic analysis were transfer from geriatric long-term care hospital (adjusted odds ration [aOR]: 8.017; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.378-46.651), hospital days (4-7 days; aOR: 7.246; 95% CI: 3.229-16.261), duration of antimicrobial exposure (1-3 days; aOR: 1.976; 95% CI: 1.137-3.436), and age (aOR: 1.025; 95% CI: 1.007-1.043). Conclusion: VRE colonization in patients transferred to the emergency department is associated primarily with factors related to the transferred hospitals rather than demographic and clinical characteristics.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.25-30
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• 2021

Many people reported suspected food poisoning after consuming food at the same snack bar on June 18, 2020. Thus, an in-depth epidemiological investigation was conducted to identify the infectious agent and establish additional food poisoning prevention measures. The study included people who reported to the local public health center after June 18 with acute gastroenteritis symptoms within 4 days of consuming food from the snack bar. The onset of symptoms and food items consumed by individuals were then investigated via phone calls and on-site visits. Afterward, the infectious agent was identified from human samples (stool or rectal swab) of four restaurant employees and 89 people and from environmental samples (materials, cooking utensils, and water). The analysis revealed that the incubation period ranged from 2 hours to 92 hours, with a median and mode of 16 hours and 12 hours, respectively. Moreover, the epidemic curve had a unimodal shape because of common exposure, which reached its peak on June 18. After monitoring for 8 days, which is more than twice the maximum incubation period of 92 hours, the end of the epidemic was declared on June 28 as no additional cases were reported. Analysis of human and environmental samples revealed Salmonella bareilly of the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pulsotype SAPX01.017 as the causative agent. Therefore, it was concluded that the food poisoning outbreak was caused by S. bareilly.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.68-75
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• 2021

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been spreading worldwide since December 2019. Hundreds of cases of children and adolescents with Kawasaki disease (KD)-like hyperinflammatory illness have been reported in Europe and the United States during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic with or without shock and cardiac dysfunction. These patients tested positive for the polymerase chain reaction or antibody test for SARS-CoV-2 or had a history of recent exposure to COVID-19. Clinicians managing such patients coined new terms for this new illness, such as COVID-19-associated hyperinflammatory response syndrome, pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19, or COVID-19-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The pathogenesis of MIS-C is unclear; however, it appears similar to that of cytokine storm syndrome. MIS-C shows clinical features similar to KD, but differences between them exist with respect to age, sex, and racial distributions and proportions of patients with shock or cardiac dysfunction. Recommended treatments for MIS-C include intravenous immunoglobulin, corticosteroids, and inotropic or vasopressor support. For refractory patients, monoclonal antibody to interleukin-6 receptor (tocilizumab), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (anakinra), or monoclonal antibody to tumor necrosis factor (infliximab) may be recommended. Patients with coronary aneurysms require aspirin or anticoagulant therapy. The prognosis of MIS-C seemed favorable without sequelae in most patients despite a reported mortality rate of approximately 1.5%.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.11.1-11.7
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• 2021

Background: The spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax, an often-fatal infection in animals. Therefore, a rapid and reliable strategy to decontaminate areas, humans, and livestock from B. anthracis is very critical. Objectives: The aim of this study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, and quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) sanitizers, which are commonly used in the food industry, to inhibit spores and vegetative cells of B. anthracis surrogate. Methods: We evaluated the efficacy of sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, and a QAC in inhibiting vegetative cells and spores of a B. anthracis surrogate. We treated a 0.1-mL vegetative cell culture or spore solution with 10 mL sanitizer. The samples were serially diluted and cultured. Results: We found that 50 ppm sodium hypochlorite (pH 7), 1 ppm calcium hypochlorite, and 1 ppm QAC completely eliminated the cells in vegetative state. Exposure to 3,000 ppm sodium hypochlorite (pH 7) and 300 ppm calcium hypochlorite significantly eliminated the bacterial spores; however, 50,000 ppm QAC could not eliminate all spores. Conclusions: Calcium hypochlorite and QAC showed better performance than sodium hypochlorite in completely eliminating vegetative cells of B. anthracis surrogate. QAC was ineffective against spores of the B. anthracis surrogate. Among the three commercial disinfectants tested, calcium hypochlorite most effectively eliminated both B. anthracis vegetative cells and spores.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.274-281
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• 2019

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the risk of Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) infection from various jerky products in Korea. Methods: For the exposure assessment, the prevalence and predictive models of C. jejuni in the jerky and the temperature and time of the distribution and storage were investigated. In addition, the consumption amounts and frequencies of the products were also investigated. The data for C. jejuni for the prevalence, distribution temperature, distribution time, consumption amount, and consumption frequency were fitted with the @RISK fitting program to obtain appropriate probabilistic distributions. Subsequently, the dose-response models for Campylobacter were researched in the literature. Eventually, the distributions, predictive model, and dose-response model were used to make a simulation model with @RISK to estimate the risk of C. jejuni foodborne illness from the intake of jerky. Results: Among 275 jerky samples, there were no C. jejuni positive samples, and thus, the initial contamination level was statistically predicted with the RiskUniform distribution [RiskUniform (-2, 0.48)]. To describe the changes in the C. jejuni cell counts during distribution and storage, the developed predictive models with the Weibull model (primary model) and polynomial model (secondary model) were utilized. The appropriate probabilistic distribution was the BetaGeneral distribution, and it showed that the average jerky consumption was 51.83 g/d with a frequency of 0.61%. The developed simulation model from this data series and the dose-response model (Beta Poisson model) showed that the risk of C. jejuni foodborne illness per day per person from jerky consumption was $1.56{\times}10^{-12}$. Conclusion: This result suggests that the risk of C. jejuni in jerky could be considered low in Korea.