• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.887-897
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• 2000

Background : Since the exact pathogenesis of sepsis-induced ARDS has not been elucidated, the mechanisms of enhanced neutrophilic respiratory burst were probed in endotoxin primed neutrophils associated with the roles of phospholipase A2(PLA2), platelet activating factor(PAF) and apoptosis. Methods : In isolated fresh human neutrophils, effects of the inhibition of PLA2 and PAF on the apoptosis were examined by the method of Annexin-FITC/dual PIflow cytometry. The roles of PLA2 and PAF on the neutrophilic respiratory burst were also examined by measuring oxidant generation in cytochrome-c reduction assay. Activities of the PLA2 and lysoPAF acetyltransferase (lysoPAF AT) of the neutrophils were determined to understand the effect of endotoxin on these enzymatic activities which may be related to the neutrophilic respiratory burst and apoptosis. In addition, the role roles of PLA2 and PAF in neutrophilic adhesion to bovine endothelial cells were examined in vitro by neutrophil adhesion assay. To investigate the effect of oxidants on pulmonary surfactant, cytochemical ultrastructural microscopy was performed. To inhibit PLA2 and PAF, non-specific PLA2 inhibitor mepacrine (100 nM) and WEB 2086 (100 nM) or ketotifen fumarate (10 ${\mu}g$/ml) were used respectively in all in vitro experimental sets. WEB 2086 is PAF receptor antagonist, and ketotifen fumarate is a lyso PAF AT inhibitor. Results: The mapacrine treatment, provided and the endotoxin (ETX) treatment, resulted in increased apoptosis of neutrophils (p<0.001) while treatments of WEB 2086 and ketotifen did not. The inhibition of PLA2 and PAF decreased (p<0.001) production of oxidants from PMA-stimulated neutrophils. While endotoxin increased the PLA2 activity of neutrophils (p<0.01), mepacrine supressed (p<0.001) the activity, provided after treatment of ETX. The lyso PAF actyltransferase activity (lyso PAF AT) increased (p<0.01) after treatment of ETX. In contrast, mepacrine, WEB 2086 and ketotifen showed a tendency of decreasing the activity after treatment of ETX. The treatment of ETX incresed (p<0.001) neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cells, which was reversed by inhibition of PLA2 and PAF (p<0.01). The binding of oxidants to pu1monary surfactant was identified histologically. Conclusions : The enhanced neutrophilic respiratory burst by ETX plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of ARDS in terms of oxidayive oxidative stress. Increased production of oxidants from neutrophils is mediated by the activations of PLA2 and lyso PAF AT.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.988-994
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• 2014

The effluents of chemical and petroleum industries often contain non-biodegradable aromatic compounds, with phenol being one of the major organic pollutants present among a wide variety of highly toxic organic chemicals. Phenol is toxic upon ingestion, contact, or inhalation, and it is lethal to fish even at concentrations as low as 0.005 ppm. Phenol biodegradation has been studied in detail using bacterial strains. However, these microorganisms suffer from substrate inhibition at high concentrations of phenol, whereby growth is inhibited. A phenol-degrading bacterium, P21, was isolated from oil-contaminated soil. The phenotypic characteristics and a phylogenetic analysis indicated the close relationship of strain P21 to Rhodococcus pyridinovorans. Phenol biodegradation by strain P21 was studied under shaking condition. The optimal conditions for phenol biodegradation by strain P21 were 0.09% $KNO_3$, 0.1% $K_2HPO_4$, 0.3% $NaH_2PO_4$, 0.015% $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, 0.001% $FeSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, initial pH 9, and $20-30^{\circ}C$, respectively. When 1,000 ppm of phenol was added to the optimal medium, the strain P21 completely degraded it within two days. Rhodococcus pyridinovorans P21 could grow in up to 1,500 ppm of phenol as the sole carbon source in a batch culture, but it could not grow in a medium containing above 2,000 ppm. Moreover, strain P21 could utilize toxic compounds, such as toluene, xylene, and hexane, as a sole carbon source. However, no growth was detected on chloroform.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.344-350
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• 2006

An Antiviral producing bacterial strain was isolated from ginseng root environment in Hongcheon, Kangwon province of Republic of Korea. Identification of this bacterial strain was performed by physiological and biochemical tests along with 16S rRNA analyses. The results revealed that the bacterium was closer to genus Serratia, which was named as Gsm01. The strain was grown in Mannitol-Glutamate-Yeast (MGY) broth for 48 h. The culture was centrifuged and the filtrate obtained was tested for its ability to control Cucumber mosaic virus strain Y (CMV-Y) in greenhouse and field experiments. In the green house experiments, CF was evaluated for its ability to protect local host, Chenopodium amaranticolor and systemic host of CMV, Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi-nc. It was found that, CF treatment reduced viral infection by 98% in local host; C. amaranticolor. The N. tabacum cv. Xanthi-nc plants treated with CF did not show visible viral symptoms 15 days post inoculation (dpi) and remained symptomless throughout the periods of the study. To evaluate effectiveness of CF under field conditions, experiment was carried out in a polyvinyl house. It was observed that, 52% plants were protected from viral diseases compared to non-treated plants, increasing the crop yield. This is the first report showing antiviral activity of a Serratia spp. against CMV.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the clinical significance IV-contrasted helical abdomen computed tomography (CT) as a diagnostic screening tool to evaluate hollow viscus injury in blunt abdominal trauma patients. Methods: This is a retrospective study encompassing 108 patients, presenting to Korea University Medical Center (KUMC) Emergency Department (ED) from January 2007 to December 2007, with an initial CT finding suggestive of intra-abdominal injury. An initial non-enhanced abdomen CT was taken, followed by an enhanced CT with intravenous contrast. Patients' demographic data, as well as the mechanisms of injury, were inquired upon and obtained, initial diagnosis, as dictated by specialized radiologists, were added to post-operational (post-OP) findings and to additional CT findings acquired during their hospital stays, and all were combined to arrive at final diagnosis. Initial CT findings were further compared with the final diagnosis, yielding values for sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, as well as positive and negative predictive values. Patients were further divided into two groups, namely, those that underwent operational intervention and those that did not. The initial CT findings of each group were subsequently compared and analyzed. Results: Initial CT scans revealed abnormal findings in a total of 212 cases - solid organ injuries being the most common finding, as was observed in 97 cases. Free fluid accumulation was evident in another 69 cases. Based on the CT findings, 77 cases (71.3%) were initially diagnosed as having a solid organ injury, 20 cases (18.5%) as having a combined (solid organ + hollow viscus) injury, and 11 cases (10.2%), as having an isolated hollow viscus injury. The final diagnosis however, were somewhat different, with only 67 cases (62.0%) attributed to solid organ injury, 31 cases (28.7%) to combined injury (solid + hollow), and 10 cases (9.3%) to hollow viscus injury. The sensitivity (CI 95%) of the initial helical CT in diagnosing hollow viscus injury was 75.6%, and its specificity was 100%. The accuracy in diagnosing hollow viscus injury was also meaningfully lower compared to that in diagnosis of solid organ injury. Among patients initially diagnosed with solid organ injuries, 10 patients (2 from follow-up CT and 8 from post-OP finding) turned out to have combined injuries. A total of 38 patients underwent an operation, and the proportion of initial CT findings suggesting free air, mesenteric hematoma or bowel wall thickening turned out to be significantly higher in the operation group. Conclusion: Abdominal CT was a meaningful screening test for hollow viscus injury, but the sensitivity of abdominal CT was significantly lower in detecting hollow viscus injury as compared to solid organ injury. This calls for special consideration and careful observation by the ED physicians when dealing with cases of blunt abdominal trauma.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.509-518
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate single crossing condition of M. sacchariflrous and M. sinensis for breeding of M. ${\times}$ giganteus cultivar. Compared with natural day length condition, cultivation in short day length condition shorten days to heading to 18~27 days in both species. Pollen germination ratio of were 75.8% at 6 o'clock in M. sacchariflorus and 51.9% at 7 o'clock in M. sinensis but decreased to below 10% at 8 o'clock in both species. When cut ears immerged in 150 mL of cut-flowers conservation solution and isolated with covering of white non-woven fabric, flowering and pollen dispersal were persisted for 7 days, and the ratio of pollen germination were above 40% for 4 days. The ratio of self-fertilization of both species were below 2.5%, but open pollenation ratio were above 50%. We obtained 437 seeds with experimental single cross of 14 combinations between tetraploid M. sacchariflorus and diploid M. siensis by application of developed single crossing methods. In the single cross, numbers of seed set were different by mother plants. Thus, the newly investigated single crossing condition will be used to breed M. ${\times}$ giganteous cultivar which is sterile and has superior characteristics of biomass yield.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.447-453
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• 2007

With a broad objective for the development of microbial based fertilizers, a total of 373 strains were isolated from rhizoplane and rhizosphere of pepper, tomato, lettuce, pasture, and grass. The efficacy of the isolates to augument overall plant growth was evaluated. After screening for their plant growth promotion and antagonistic properties in vitro efficient strains were further selected. The most efficient strains was characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequences and biochemical techniques and was designated as Bacillus subtilis S37-2. The strains facilitated plant growth and inhibited the plant phathogenic fungi such as Fusarium oxysporum (KACC 40037, Rhizoctonia solani (KACC 40140), and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (KACC 40457). Pot based bioassay using lettuce as test plant was conducted by inoculating suspension ($10^5$ to $10^8cells\;mL^{-1}$) of B. subtilis S37-2 to the rhizosphere of lettuce cultivated in soil pots. Compared with non-inoculated pots, marked increase in leaf (42.3%) and root mass (48.7%) was observed in the inoculation group where the 50ml of cell mixture ($8.7{\times}10^8cells\;ml^{-1}$) was applied to the rhizosphere of letuce either once or twice. Antagonistic effects of B. subtilis S37-2 strain on S. sclerotiorum (KACC 40457) were tested. All the tested lettuce plants perished after 9 days in treatment containing only S. sclerotiorum, but only 17% of lettuce was perished in the inoculation plot. B. subtilis grew well in the TSB culture medium. The isolates grew better in yeast extracts than peptone and tryptone as nitrogen source. The growth rate was 2~4 times greater at $37^{\circ}C$ as compared with $30^{\circ}C$ incubation temperature. B. subitlis S37-2 produced $0.1{\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$ of IAA (indole 3-acetic acid) in the TSB medium containing L-tryptophan($20mg\;L^{-1}$) in 24 hours.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.731-738
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• 2021

This study investigated the physicochemical properties of rice starch isolated from broken rice using alkaline steeping (AKL) and enzymatic digestion (ENZ) methods. Broken rice starch (BRS) by AKL and ENZ possessed crude protein contents (0.6-1.4%) acceptable to commercial products of native starch and belonged to an intermediate amylose rice starch. AKL-BRS and ENZ-BRS showed a typical A-type crystal packing arrangement with small variations in their relative crystallinity. ENZ-BRS exhibited higher gelatinization onset and peak temperatures, and a narrower gelatinization temperature range than AKL-BRS, indicating that annealing occurred in ENZ-BRS. Lower swelling power and solubility were generally observed in the ENZ-BRS. ENZ-BRS also showed slower viscosity development, higher peak and trough viscosities, and lower breakdown, final, and setback viscosities, compared to those in AKL-BRS. These results are ascribed to the annealing phenomenon in ENZ-BRS. Overall, BRS from cheap broken rice using AKL and ENZ could contribute to the expansion of rice starch utilization in food and non-food industries.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.384-397
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• 2018

The aim of this study is to screen the strains of Bacillus spp. possessing safety, probiotic activity, and so on, which can be utilized as probiotic resource for using the feed and supplement food of companion animal. About 300 isolates were isolated from traditional Korean sauces, four isolates that did not have or produce the six kinds of B. cereus type vomiting and diarrhea toxin genes, ${\beta}$-hemolytic, and three kinds of carcinogenic enzymes were selected. Antibiotic gene retention, cell surface hydrophobicity, antibiotic sensitivity, and glucose utilization were analyzed for four isolates, and finally SRCM 100731 was selected. SRCM 100731 was named as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SRCM 100731 16S rRNA sequencing analysis, and carried out optimization of cell growth for industrial applications such as pet food and feed. The effects of 14 different components on cell growth were investigated and three significant positive factors, molasses, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride were selected as the main factors based on a Plackett-Burman design. In order to find out optimal concentration on each constituent, we carried out central composite design. The predicted optimized concentrations were 7% molasses, 1.1% sodium chloride, 0.5% potassium chloride. Finally, an overall about 7-fold increase in dry cell weight yield ($12.6625{\pm}0.0658g/L$) was achieved using the optimized medium compared with the non-optimized medium ($1.8273{\pm}0.0214g/L$). This research is expected to be highly utilized in the growing pet industry by establishing optimal cultivation conditions for industrial application as well as screening Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SRCM 100731 as probiotic resource for companion animal.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.239-247
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to improve the efficacy and functionality of Viola mandshurica (VM). A water suspension of VM power was fermented for 72 hr with Bacillus methylotrophicus CBMB205 (BM) and Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides NRIC1777 (LP) isolated from kimchi. The antioxidant activity and reducing power of fermented VM, its total phenolic and flavonoid compounds, as well its inhibitory activity on ${\alpha}$-amylase, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase were determined and compared to those of non-fermented VM (NVM), a negative control. The total phenolic and flavonoid compounds of VM fermented with BM and LP were higher than those of NVM by 1.4, 1.17, and about 3 times. There was no difference in 2, 2'-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity between fermented VM and NVM. However, there was a 2.1- and 1.6-fold increase in 2, 2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothzoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity in VM fermented with BM and LP, respectively. The reducing power of BM was 1.6 times as high as NVM, but no significant difference was found between LP and NVM. Fermented VM's inhibitory activity on ${\alpha}$-amylase, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase was much higher than that of NVM. Fermenting VM with BM was superior to fermenting it with LP, except flavonoid content. Taken together, VM fermented with BM could be used as a functional food and as an additive to cosmetics.