• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.227-235
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• 2015

Food-Health indicators have been developed and utilized internationally in the 'Food' domain of environment and health indicators. In Korea, however, Food Safety Health Indicators which are in the introductory stage had been developed separately from Environmental Health Indicators. The aim of the current study is to suggest feasible applications of the domestic Food Safety Health Indicators as a case study. We introduced 3 possible applications which are as follows: 1) production of two types of Integrated Food Safety Health Index; 2) conduction of correlation analysis between the Integrated Food Safety Health Index and Food Safety Health Indicators; 3) conduction of regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between the Integrated Food Safety Health Index and socioeconomic status. As a result, we provided the calculated Integrated Food Safety Health Index I and Integrated Food Safety Health Index II, which represents the regional food safety level in relative and absolute terms, respectively. Integrated Food Safety Health Index I was significantly correlated with the outbreaks of food-borne diseases (caused by Campylobacter jejuni, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella spp. and unknown cause) and incidence of E.coli infections. Integrated Food Safety Health Index II significantly decreased as the proportion of foreigners and women increased, and increased as the population density increased. Utilization of such Integrated Food Safety Health Indicators may be helpful in understanding the overall domestic food safety level and identifying the indicators which must be considered with priorities to enhance the food safety levels regionally and domestically. Furthermore, analyzing the association between Integrated Food Safety Health Index and factors other than food safety could be useful in conducting risk management and identifying susceptible populations. Food Safety Health Indicators can be useful in other applications, and may serve as a supporting material in establishing or modifying policy plans to enhance food safety. Therefore, keen interests by researchers accompanied by further studies on food safety health indicators are needed.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.263-270
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• 2012

This study surveyed for the prevalence of parasites, bacteria and viruses in four fish species, olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), red sea bream (Pagrus major), black sea bream (Acathopagrus schlegeli) and black rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) in 2010. The survey was aimed to compare the pathogens detected from wild and cultured fish for an epidemiological study. Anisakis sp. was predominantly detected from wild olive flounder and red sea bream (58.6% and 41.7% respectively), but not from the cultured fishes, suggesting anisakid infection is rare in cultured fish. The wild fish get in contact with the anisakids through their prey such as small fishes or crustaceans which carry the anisakids; whereas the cultured fish are fed with formulated feed, free of anisakids. Bacterial detection rates from the wild fishes examined in the study were lower than those of cultured fishes. Vibrio sp. dominated among detected bacterial population in cultured olive flounder (18%). Since vibriosis is known as a secondary infection caused by other stressful factors such as parasitic infections, handling and chemical treatment, it seems that cultured olive flounder are exposed to stressful environment. Viruses diagnosed in the study showed difference in distribution between wild and cultured fishes; hirame rhabdovirus (HRV) (0.1%) and lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV) (3.9%) were detected in the cultured olive flounder, but not in the wild fish, and marine birnavirus (MBV) (1.7%) and red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV) (3.2%) were detected from the wild and cultured red sea bream, respectively. From the survey conducted, it can be concluded that even though some pathogens (Trichodina sp., Microcotyle sp., etc.) are detected from both the wild and cultured fish, pathogens such as Anisakis sp., Vibrio sp. and LCDV showed difference in distribution in the wild and cultured host of same fish species and this can be attributed to their environmental condition and feeding.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.694-705
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to isolate and identify marine bacterium with anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) activity, and to purify the anti-MRSA compound, as well as to determine its activity and synergistic effects. Among the marine bacteria isolated in this study, the YJ-1 isolate had the strongest anti-MRSA activity. The YJ-1 isolate was identified on the basis of its biochemical characteristics and an analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences. The YJ-1 isolate showed over 99.2% homology with Pseudomonas stutzeri, and was designated as a Pseudomonas sp. YJ-1. The optimal culture conditions were $25^{\circ}C$ and initial pH 7.0. For the purification of the anti-MRSA compounds, the YJ-1 was cultured in Pa PES-II medium, and the culture filtrates were extracted by ethyl acetate, hexane, and 80% MeOH. The 80% MeOH fraction was separated by a $C_{18}$ ODS column, silica gel chromatography and a reverse phase HPLC, to yield three anti-MRSA agents, the MR1, MR2, and MR3 compounds. When the MR1 compound of $250{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ concentration was applied to the MRSA cells, over 95% of bacterial cells was killed within 48 hr. Compared with vancomycin and ampicillin, the MR1 compound showed significant anti-MRSA activity. In addition, the anti-MRSA activity was increased by dose and time dependent manners. Furthermore, the combination of an MR1 compound with vancomycin produced a more rapid decrease in the MRSA cells than did the MR1 compound alone. Taken together, our results suggest that the Pseudomonas sp. YJ-1 and its anti-MRSA compounds could be employed as a natural antibacterial agent in MRSA infections.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.366-385
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• 1995

Epidemiological studies are important in both the prevention and treatment of mycobacterial infections. This study was initiated to establish the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) method, which are not yet extensively studied. The most apprpriate restriction endonucleases included DraI, AsnI, and XbaI. The optimal PFGE condition was different according to the enzymes used. Two stage PFGE was performed, in case of DraI first stage was performed with 10 seconds of initial pulse and 15 seconds of final pulse, while the second stage was performed with 60 seconds of initial pulse and 70 seconds of final pulse. The electrophoresis time for DraI-PFGE was 14 hours for each stage. Electrophoresis was performed for 22 hours, in case of XbaI, with 3 seconds of initial pulse and 12 seconds of final pulse. Electrophoresis was performed for 22 hours, in case of AsnI, with 5 seconds of initial pulse and 25 seconds of final pulse. In all cases the voltage of the electrophoresis was maintained constantly at 200 voltage. Standard mycobacterial strains, which included Mycobacterium bovis BCG, M. tuberculosis, and M. fortuitum, could not be differentiated by PFGE analysis. PFGE analysis was performed to differentiate 9 clinically isolated M. fortuitum strains using AsnI. All M. fortuitum strains showed different genotypes except 2 strains. Cluster analysis divided M. fortuitum strains into 2 large groups. PFGE analysis was performed to further differentiate M. fortuitum isolates using XbaI. The undifferentiated 2 M. fortuitum strains showed different PFGE patterns with Xba I. Cluster analysis of the XbaI-PFGE patterns showed more complex grouping than AsnI-PFGE patterns, which showed that XbaI-PFGE analysis was better than AsnI-PFGE in M. fortuitum genotyping. The top dissimilarity values of AsnI-PFGE and XbaI-PFGE were 0.74 and 0.75, respectively. This value was higher than that of arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) analysis and lower than that of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. This suggested that PFGE can be used as a supportive or alternative genotyping method to RFLP analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Child Neurology Society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.227-232
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• 2018

Purpose: Febrile seizure (FS) is the most common type of seizure in children between 6 months to 5 years of age. A family history of febrile seizures can increase the risk a child will have a FS. Yet, prevalence of FS regarding external environment has not been clearly proved. This study attempts to determine the association between prevalence of FS and weather. Methods: This study included medical records from the Korea National Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Data were collected from 29,240 children, born after 2004, diagnosed with FS who were admitted to one of the hospitals in Seoul, Korea, between January 2009 and December 2013. During the corresponding time period, data from the Korea Meteorological Administration on daily monitoring of four meteorological factors (sea-level pressure, amount of precipitation, humidity and temperature) were collected. The relationships of FS prevalence and each meteorological factor will be designed using Poisson generalized additive model (GAM). Also, the contributory effect of viral infections on FS prevalence and weather will be discussed. Results: The amount of precipitation was divided into two groups for comparison: one with less than 5 mm and the other with equal to or more than 5 mm. As a result of Poisson GAM, higher prevalence of FS showed a correlation with smaller amount of precipitation. Smoothing function was used to classify the relationships between three variables (sea-level pressure, humidity, and temperature) and prevalence of FS. FS prevalence was correlated with lower sea-level pressure and lower humidity. FS prevalence was high in two temperature ranges (-7 to $-1^{\circ}C$ and $18-21^{\circ}C$). Conclusion: Low sea-level pressure, small amount of precipitation, and low relative air humidity may increase FS prevalence risk.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1361-1368
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• 2018

Inflammation is the most common condition in the human body. Tissue damage triggers inflammation, together with vasodilation and increased blood flow at the inflamed site, resulting in edema. Inflammatory responses are also triggered by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a Toll-like receptor Enterococcus faecalis, a gram-positive organism, has been reported to possess immunomodulatory and preventive activities; however, its use may present risks of sepsis and other systemic infections. Heat-killed Enterococcus faecalis (EF-2001) has been reported to induce antitumor activity, but its effects on inflammation are not known. In the present study, we investigated the effect of EF-2001 on LPS-induced macrophage inflammatory responses. EF-2001 treatment reduced nitric oxide (NO) production, indicating suppression of inflammatory reactions. EF-2001 showed no cytotoxicity in macrophages. Further investigation of the anti-inflammatory mechanism of EF-2001 indicated that EF-2001 reduced the LPS-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. EF-2001 also reduced f the LPS induction of several inflammatory molecules involved in the nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$) and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, including ERK, JNK, and p38 phosphorylation, in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, EF-2001 inhibited Akt phosphorylation and increased the expression of the inhibitory ${\kappa}B$ ($I{\kappa}B$) protein, an inhibitor of $NF-{\kappa}B$. EF-2001 also inhibited the nuclear translocation of p65. These results suggest that EF-2001 has anti-inflammatory properties and may be useful for treating inflammatory diseases.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

Purpose: We investigated the distribution and antimicrobial resistance of pneumococcal isolates from hospitalized children at Asan Medical Center for recent 4 years, and aimed to recommend proper choice of empirical antibiotics for pneumococcal infection. Methods: From March 2014 to May 2018, children admitted to Asan Medical Center Childrens' Hospital with pneumococcal infection were subjected for evaluation of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for ${\beta}-lactams$ and macrolide antibiotics. Patient's age, underlying disease, gender were retrospectively collected. Using Monte Carlo simulation model and MIC from our study, we predicted the rate of treatment success with amoxicillin treatment. Results: Sixty-three isolates were analyzed including 20.6% (n=13) of invasive isolates, and 79.4% (n=50) of non-invasive isolates; median age were 3.3 years old, and 87.3% of the pneumococcal infections occurred to children with underlying disease. Overall susceptibility rate was 49.2%, 68.2%, and 74.6% for amoxicillin, parenteral penicillin, and cefotaxime respectively. 23.8% and 9.5% of the isolates showed high resistance for amoxicillin, and cefotaxime. Only 4.8% (n=3) were susceptible to erythromycin. Monte Carlo simulation model revealed the likelihood of treatment success was 46.0% at the dosage of 90 mg/kg/day of amoxicillin. Conclusions: Recent pneumococcal isolates from pediatric patients with underlying disease revealed high resistance for amoxicillin and cefotaxime, and high resistance for erythromycin. Prudent choice of antibiotics based on the local data of resistance cannot be emphasized enough, especially in high risk patients with underlying disease, and timely vaccination should be implemented for prevention of the spread of resistant strains.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.498-504
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• 2018

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes, and the complications of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) using a fixed bearing prosthesis after 5-year follow-up. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six knees (25 patients) that underwent fixed bearing UKA between May 2003 and August 2011 were included. The subjects were 3 males (3 knees) and 22 females (23 knees), and the average age was 63.5 years. The preoperative diagnosis was osteoarthritis (23 knees) and osteonecrosis (3 knees). The mean follow-up duration was 67 months (from 60 to 149 months). The clinical evaluation included pre- and postoperative American knee society knee and function score, and range of motion. The radiology evaluation included standing antero-posterior, lateral view, and fluoroscopic film to analyze the postoperative alignment and osteolysis. Results: The mean American Knee Society knee score and function score were improved from 42.0 and 57.5 to 87.9 and 85.0, respectively (p<0.001). The mean preoperative and postoperative range of motion was $132.9^{\circ}$ and $132.5^{\circ}$, respectively. The mean femorotibial angle were varus $0.5^{\circ}$ preoperatively and valgus $2.2^{\circ}$ postoperatively. A radiolucent line was observed in 2 knees; one knee had a stable implant, while in the other knee, patellofemoral arthritis was identified during UKA. Diffuse pain of the knee joint with tenderness of the medial joint line was identified at the follow-up, so conversion to total knee arthroplasty was recommended. No other complications, such as osteolysis, infections, postoperative stiffness, and dislocation, were encountered. Conclusion: The midterm results of fixed bearing UKA were clinically and radiologically satisfactory.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.156-164
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• 2018

Purpose: We aimed to identify the epidemiology and the clinical characteristics of human parainfluenza virus type 4 (HPIV-4) infection compared to HPIVs 1-3 infections in Korean children. Methods: We reviewed medical records of children with HPIV infection who visited Seoul National University Children's Hospital from 2015 to 2017. Detection of respiratory viruses was performed using real time-polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR), which could differentiate HPIVs 1-4. Diagnosis was classified as a febrile illness, upper respiratory tract infection (URI), croup, bronchiolitis, or pneumonia. The epidemiology, demographic features, and clinical characteristics among HPIV types were compared. The clinical data were analyzed only for the previously healthy children. Results: Of the 472 children diagnosed with HPIV infection, 108 (22.9%) were previously healthy: 24 (22.2%), 19 (17.6%), 39 (36.1%), and 26 (24.1%) in HPIV types 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The median age of children with HPIV-4 infection was 11 (0-195) months: the proportion of children aged < 2 years and 2 to < 5 years were 65.4% and 19.2%, respectively. Clinical diagnoses of HPIV-4 infection were bronchiolitis (38.5%), pneumonia (30.8%), and URI (30.8%). Croup was the most prevalent in HPIV-2 (21.1%) and none in HPIV-4 infection (P=0.026). Hospital admission rates among HPIV types were not significantly different (P>0.05). Conclusions: We observed seasonal peak of HPIV-4 infection in 2015 and 2017. HPIV-4 was a common respiratory pathogen causing lower respiratory tract infection in hospitalized children.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.107 no.4
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• pp.486-496
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• 2018

Pine wilt disease (PWD) in Gyeonggi province was first detected in Gwangju in 2007, and ever since has caused extensive damage. Insect vector and host tree in Gyeonggi province are Monochamus saltuarius and Pinus koraiensis, respectively, which are different from the southern region that consist of Monochamus alternatus and Pinus densiflora. Consequently, spread and mortality characteristics may be different, but our understanding is limited. In this research, we utilized the spatial data of newly infected trees in Gyeonggi province from 2008 to 2015 to analyze how it is related to various environmental and human factors, such as elevation, forest type, and road network. We also analyzed the minimum distance from newly infected tree to last year's closest infected tree to examine the dispersal characteristics based on new outbreak locations. Annual number of newly infected trees rapidly increased from 2008 to 2013, which then stabilized. Number of administrative districts with infected trees was 5 in 2012, 11 in 2013, and 15 in 2014. Most of the infected trees was Pinus koraiensis, with its proportion close to 90% throughout the survey period. Mean distance to newly infected trees dramatically decreased over time, from 4,111 m from 2012 to 2013, to approximately 600 m from 2013 to 2014 and 2014 to 2015. Most new infections occurred in higher elevation over time. Distance to road from newly infected trees continuously increased, suggesting that natural diffusion dispersal is increasingly occurring compared to human-influenced dispersal over time.