• Infection and chemotherapy
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.328-339
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• 2018

Background: Pneumococcal disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in patients with comorbidities and advanced age. This study evaluated trends in epidemiology of adult pneumococcal disease in Crete, Greece, by identifying serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance of consecutive Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from adults during an 8-year time period (2009-2016) and the indirect effect of the infant pneumococcal higher-valent conjugate vaccines 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). Materials and Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed by E-test and serotyping by Quellung reaction. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was defined as non-susceptibility to penicillin (PNSP) combined with resistance to ${\geq}2$ non-${\beta}$-lactam antimicrobials. Results: A total of 135 S. pneumoniae strains were isolated from adults during the study period. Twenty-one serotypes were identified with 17F, 15A, 3, 19A, and 11A, being the most common. The coverage rates of PCV10, and PCV13 were 17.8% and 37.8%, respectively. PCV13 serotypes decreased significantly from 68.4% in 2009 to 8.3% in 2016 (P = 0.002). The most important emerging non-PCV13 serotypes were 17F, 15A, and 11A, with 15A being strongly associated with antimicrobial resistance and MDR. Among all study isolates, penicillin-resistant and MDR strains represented 7.4% and 14.1%, respectively. Predominant PNSP serotypes were 19A (21.7%), 11A (17.4%), and 15A (17.4%). Erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and levofloxacin resistant rates were 30.4%, 15.6%, 16.3%, 16.3%, and 1.5%, respectively. Conclusion: Although pneumococcal disease continues to be a health burden in adults in Crete, our study reveals a herd protection effect of the infant pneumococcal higher-valent conjugate vaccination. Surveillance of changes in serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance among pneumococcal isolates are necessary to guide optimal prevention and treatment strategies.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.471-487
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• 2013

Performance of a prototype base isolated building located at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IITG) has been studied here. Two numbers of three storeyed single bay RCC framed prototype buildings were constructed for experimental purpose at IITG, one supported on conventional isolated footings and the other on a seismic isolation system, consisting of lead plug bearings. Force balance accelerometers and a 12 channel strong motion recorder have been used for recording building response during seismic events. Floor responses from these buildings show amplification for the conventional building while 60 to 70% reduction has been observed for the isolated building. Numerical models of both the buildings have been created in SAP2000 Nonlinear. Infill walls have been modeled as compression struts and have been incorporated into the 3D models using Gap elements. System identification of the recorded data has been carried out using Parametric State Space Modeling (N4SID) and the numerical models have been updated accordingly. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of base isolation systems in controlling seismic response of isolated buildings thereby leading to increased levels of seismic protection. The numerical models calibrated by relatively low level of earthquake shaking provides the starting point for modeling the non-linear response of the building when subjected to strong shaking.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.231-252
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• 2010

Previous research on pounding between seismically isolated buildings during earthquakes has been focused on impacts at the bases of structures and the effect of simultaneous interactions at the bases and at the superstructures has not been studied in details. In this paper, the seismic responses of adjacent buildings supported on different or similar base systems considering impacts between bases and superstructures are numerically investigated. The study is carried out in three parts for the two types of adjacent buildings: (i) both structures have fixed bases; (ii) one structure has fixed base and the other is seismically isolated and (iii) both structures have base isolation systems. The results of the study indicate that the pounding-involved responses of the buildings depend mainly on the type of structural base systems and on the structural parameters of both buildings. For the base-isolated building, the variation of the peak accelerations and displacements of the storeys have been found to be relatively low. On the other hand, significant differences have been observed for the fixed base building. The results of the parametric study conducted for different values of the gap size between colliding structures show the reduction in the peak base displacements as the gap distance decreases.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.1858-1864
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• 2009

In this paper, we design a non-volatile memory IP, 1-kb one-time programmable (OTP) memory, used for power management ICs. Since a conventional OTP cell uses an isolated NMOS transistor as an antifuse, there is an advantage of it big cell size with the BCD process. We use, therefore, a PMOS transistor as an antifuse in lieu of the isolated NMOS transistor and minimize the cell size by optimizing the size of a OTP cell transistor. And we add an ESD protection circuit to the OTP core circuit to prevent an arbitrary cell from being programmed by a high voltage between the terminals of the PMOS antifuse when the ESD test is done. Furthermore, we propose a method of turning on a PMOS pull-up transistor of high impedance to eliminate a gate coupling noise in reading a non-programmed cell. The layout size of the designed 1-kb PMOS-type antifuse OTP IP with Dongbu's $0.18{\mu}m$ BCD is $129.93{\times}452.26{\mu}m^2$.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.307-316
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• 1987

This study was conducted to identify Babesia sp. strain isolated from the imported beef cattle, Aberdeen-angus heifers, in J farm of Jangsu Prefecture, Cheon-buk Province of Korea, morphologically, etiologically and serologically. Babesia sp. strain was purely isolated through the serial blood passages of three generations against splenectomized calves and one generation of blood passage against non-splenectomized calf(intact calf) by inhibiting the appearance of Theileria sergenti in the blood stream by means of injection of 20% oil pamaquine intramuscularly. In the splenectomized calves, the parasite multiplied markedly in blood stream soon after inoculation and parasitaemia was much severe. An elevated body temperature, anorexia, severe anaemia and icterus were observed clinically. Of three splenectomized calves, two were affected with haemoglobinuria and died. But in the non-splenectomized calf the clinical signs and parasitaemia were very mild. The means of the incubation period, the highest parasitaemia, the highest body temperature and the lowest PCV were 3.5 days, 41.1%, ${42^{\circ}C}$ and 9%, respectively, in the splenectomized calves. In calf erythrocytes Babesia sp. protozoa were polymorphic showing the round, oval, ameboid, piriform and paired piriform etc. The sizes of protozoa were $2.51{\sim}3.91{\times}1.32{\sim}2.19{{\mu}m}$ ($3.20{\times}1.60{\mu}m$). Serologically the isolated Babesia sp. were compared with other parasites, B. ovata, B. bigemina, B. bovis, T. sergenti, A. marginale and A. centrale by using the complement fixation(CF) test. As a result, the antibody titer between the homologous species were high. It was two tubes or more in the CF test. From the results obtained above the pure isolated Babesia species was identical with Babesia ovata Minami and Ishihara, 1980.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.217-221
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• 2003

To clarify the roles of gonadal steroids on pancreatic exocrine secretion, effects of progesterone and estradiol-$17{\beta}$ on spontaneous and secretagogue-induced exocrine response of isolated perfused rat pancreas were investigated. Intra-arterial infusion of progesterone resulted in significant increase of the spontaneous pancreatic fluid and amylase secretion dose-dependently. However, estradiol-$17{\beta}$ did not exert any influence on spontaneous pancreatic exocrine secretion. Exogenous secretin, cholecystokinin (CCK), and acetylcholine markedly stimulated pancreatic fluid and amylase secretion. Progesterone initially enhanced secretin-induced amylase secretion, but this stimulatory response declined thereafter to basal value. Moreover, secretin-induced fluid secretion was not affected by infusion of progesterone. Therefore, initial increase of secretion-induced amylase secretion by progesterone seems to be a non-specific action by washout effect of secretin. Estradiol-$17{\beta}$ failed to change the secretin-induced fluid and amylase secretion. Both progesterone and estradiol-$17{\beta}$ did not exert any influence on CCK-induced fluid and amylase secretion. Acetylcholine-induced exocrine secretion of isolated perfused pancreas also was not affected by intra-arterial infusion of progesterone or estradiol-$17{\beta}$. It is concluded from the above results that progesterone could enhance the spontaneous pancreatic fluid and amylase secretion of isolated perfused rat pancreas through non-genomic shortterm action, and that these effects could be masked by more potent stimulants such as secretin, CCK, and acetylcholine.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.130-137
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• 2002

Potato virus Y (PVY) is one of the most important viruses in many field crops in Korea. In this study, 31 PVY isolates were isolated from infected potato (Solanum tuberosum), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), pea (Pisum sativum), and weeds (Veronica persica, Lamium amplexicause and Capsella bursa-pastoris) showing different mosaic symptoms in Jeonbuk, Chungnam, Gangwon, and Gyeongbuk areas in Korea. The 640 nucleotide region containing the C-terminal portion of coat protein (CP) gene and 3'non-translated region (NTR) was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using PVY-specific oligonucleotide primers. Sequence analyses of the amplified DNA fragments showed that the C-terminal portion of CP gene was not significantly different from that of previously reported PVY strains from potato (PVY-OK and -T) and tobacco (PVY-VN) in Korea. Homologies of the deduced CP amino acid sequences were 93.3-99.0% to corresponding regions of the other PVY strains including PV $Y^{N}$, PV $Y^{o}$ , PV $Y^{OK}$ , PV $Y^{T}$ , and PV $Y^{VN}$ . In contrast the sequences located at the 3'-NTR showed more diverse sequence homologies (76.4-99.7%). These results indicate that the C-terminal portion of the CP gene was relatively conserved while sequences at the 3'NTR were more diverse and variable over the host species and the regions where they were isolated.e isolated.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify bacteria from the 4 patients with non-odontogenic infectious lesions (mucormycosis, chronic inflammation from wound infection, and two actinomycosis) and determine their antimicrobial susceptibility against eight antibiotics. Bacterial culture was performed under three culture conditions (anaerobic, $CO_2$, and aerobic incubator). The bacterial strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) sequence comparison analysis method. For investigating the antimicrobial susceptibility of the bacteria against eight antibiotics, penicillin G, amoxicillin, tetracycline, cefuroxime, erythromycin, clindamycin, vancomycin, and Augmentin$^{(R)}$ (amoxicillin + clavulanic acid), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) measurement was performed using broth microdilution assay. Nosocomial pathogens such as Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, and Neisseria flavescens were isolated from mucormycosis. Veillonella parvula, Enterobacter hormaechei, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus were isolated from chronic inflammatory lesion. Actinomyces massiliensis was isolated from actinomycosis in parotid gland. Capnocytophaga ochracea was isolated from actinomycosis in buccal region in anaerobic condition. There was no susceptible antibiotic to all bacteria in mucormycosis. Tetracycline was susceptible to all bacteria in chronic inflammation. C. ochracea was resistant to vancomycin and penicillin G; and other antibiotics showed susceptibility to all bacteria in actinomycosis. The results indicated that the combined treatment of two or more antibiotics is better than single antibiotic treatment in mucormycosis, and penicillin is the first recommended antibiotic to treat actinomycosis.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.303-315
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• 2018

Bonsai is part of export forest products in Korea. Demand for bonsai exports to other countries is growing but the need for quarantine hazards must be eliminated in other to export. Plant parasitic nematode is also an important factor in quarantine. The nematodes were surveyed from bonsai farms in 6 areas of Korea. The surveyed deciduous bonsai plants were Acer palmatum, Zinnia elegans, Ligustrum obtusiflium, Carpinus turcaninowii, and Malus sieboldii. Three plant parasitic nematodes (Hemicyliophora koreana, Rotylenchus blothrotylus and Xiphinema americanum) and three non-parasitic nematodes (Aporclaimellus donghwaens, Egtitus andhricus, and Mesodorylaimus usitatus) were isolated from bonsai. Non-parasitic nematode, Mesodorylaimus usitatus was isolated from all surveyed bonsai trees. Only two species of quarantine nematodes (Hemcylicopora koreana and Xiphinema americanum) were found from bonsai. A. donghwaens and M. usitatus were isolated from root of bonsai tree. However other nematodes were isolated from soil in bonsai trees.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.1043-1051
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• 2017

Wild yeasts were isolated from domestic non-sterilized Makgeolli and their fermentation characteristics were analyzed to select the best fermentation seed culture. A total of 65 yeast strains isolated yeasts from non-sterilized Makgeolli and Nuruk. In order to select fermentable strains, hydrogen sulfide, $CO_2$ production ability, alcohol tolerance and aroma component production ability were analyzed. To screen the aromatic strains of isolates, media containing cerulenin, 5,5,5-trifluor-DL-leucine (TFL) and API ZYM kit were used. There were 36 strains resistance to cerulenin and all strains produced esterase and demonstrated tolerance against TFL. Hydrogen sulfide, which could degrade the quality of the fermented beverage, was not produced in 34 yeast. The correlation between alcohol tolerance of yeast and carbon dioxide production was analyzed by principal component analysis. YM22, YM31, YM32 and YM37 produced a total of 0.14-0.18 g/72 h of $CO_2$ indicating high fermentability. Alcohol tolerance was measured by alcohol concentration. YM32, YM37 yeast had 20% alcohol tolerance. As a result, alcohol and flavor characteristics of wild yeast isolated from non-sterilized Makgeolli were analyzed and it was confirmed that yeast was suitable for the production of alcohol.