• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.1040-1044
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• 2002

The efficacy of an organic acid solution in the prevention of neonatal kid diarrhoea, was examined in this study and was compared with that of different antibiotics. In a goat farm, kids and their mothers were divided in 4 experimental groups. The kids of Group I were not given any treatment serving as negative controls. The kids of Group II were treated orally for 3 consecutive days with a solution of organic acids starting approximately 12 h after their birth. The kids of Groups III and IV were treated once orally with ampicillin and oxytetracycline respectively, approximately 12 h after birth. All groups were compared as regards the occurrence of diarrhoea, its duration, and the rate of mortality. The results have shown that the number of cases and the duration of diarrhoea were significantly reduced in all treated groups, when compared to the control group (p<0.05). However, no or little difference was noted with respect to morbidity, mortality and diarrhoea characteristics when treated groups were compared with each other (p>0.05). Samples of diarrhoeic faeces from kids in the control group resulted in the isolation of K88 and K99 strains of Escherichia coli. It was concluded that, early oral administration of organic acids can be effective in the prevention of scours in neonatal kids, possibly caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli strains, and to a degree of protection similar to that seen with the used antibiotic schemes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6175-6179
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• 2012

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are still important to the health of Thai rural residents. IPIs are the cause of many chronic diseases with, for example, opisthorchiasis resulting in progression to cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). This cross-sectional study in a prospective cohort study aimed to examine the prevalence and co-infection of intestinal parasites among Northeastern Thai rural residents, recruited into the Khon Kaen Cohort Study (KKCS), and who were residing in areas of high-risk for developing CCA. On recruitment, subjects had completed questionnaires and provided fecal samples for IPI testing using the formalin ethyl acetate concentration technique. Data on selected general characteristics and the results of the fecal tests were analysed. IPI test results were available for 18,900 of cohort subjects, and 38.50% were found to be positive for one or more types of intestinal parasite. The prevalence of Opisthorchis viverrini (O. viverrini) infection was the highest (45.7%), followed by intestinal flukes (31.9%), intestinal nematodes (17.7%), intestinal protozoa (3.02%), and intestinal cestodes (1.69%). The pattern of different infections was similar in all age groups. According to a mapping analysis, a higher CCA burden was correlated with a higher prevalence of O. viverrini and intestinal flukes and a greater intensity of O. viverrini. Both prevention and control programs against liver fluke and other intestinal parasites are needed and should be delivered simultaneously. We can anticipate that the design of future control and prevention programmes will accommodate a more community-orientated and participatory approach.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.78-86
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• 2006

We examined the genetic diversity in intra-populations of Korean shiner, Coreoleuciscus splendidus, in six major rivers (Bukhan, Namhan, Geum, Osipcheon, Nakdong and Seomjin river) of Korea based on two different mitochondrial genes, the mitochondrial cytochrome b and the 16S rRNA. Analysis of sequence variation in a 657-bp segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene revealed deep divergence among populations (98.2~99.9%) and high genetic diversity from geographically isolated populations. Intra-specific variation in this 697-bp segment of the 16S rRNA gene sequences was very low and nearly identical. Six isolate populations of C. splendidus showed a high similarity (97.7%~99.7%). This result may be indicative of a complex history of connection and isolation of the rivers in the Korea peninsula.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.109-120
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• 2018

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the current status of infectious disease research in North Korea by analyzing recent trends in medical journals from North Korea in comparison with research from South Korea. Methods: Three medical journals (Preventive Medicine, Basic Medicine, and Chosun Medicine) were analyzed from 2012 to 2016. Articles on tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and parasitic diseases were selected and classified by their subtopics and study areas. Two medical journals published in the South Korea were selected for a comparative analysis of research trends. Results: Of the 2792 articles that were reviewed, 93 were extracted from North Korea journals. TB research in North Korea was largely focused on multi-drug resistant TB and extrapulmonary TB, whereas research in South Korea more frequently investigated non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Research on parasitic diseases in North Korea was focused on protozoan and intestinal nematodes, while the corresponding South Korea research investigated various species of parasites. Additionally, the studies conducted in North Korea were more likely to investigate the application of traditional medicine to diagnosis and treatment than those conducted in South Korea. Conclusions: This study presents an analysis of research trends in preventive medicine in North Korea focusing on infectious diseases, in which clear differences were observed between South and North Korea. Trends in research topics suggest a high prevalence of certain parasitic diseases in North Korea that are no longer widespread in South Korea. The large proportion of studies examining traditional medicine implies a lack of affordable medicine in North Korea.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.650-655
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• 2002

Internal myiasis is a rare disease, which has not been reported in Korea, yet. This case report describes a patient with pneumonia associated with internal myiasis. She was 84-year old female who was admitted to the emergency department, Konyang University Hospital as a result of dyspnea and fever and a drowsy mental state. Approximately twenty fly maggots continuously crawled out from the nose at the third hospital day in the intensive care unit. These maggots were almost 7.2mm long and were identified as the genus lucilia belonging to the family Calliphoridae. In addition, a bronchial washing study showed eggs of the dipterous larvae. A lesion of this myiasis case might have been located in the respiratory system of patient. This case is the first internal myiasis of the respiratory system reported in Korea. This cases is discussed with a review of the relevant literature.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.5779-5785
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• 2015

The present study was designed to investigate cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) antibodies in hamster serum. Hamster CCA cell lines were processed using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A candidate biomarker was confirmed by immunoprecipitation and western blot, and was further analyzed using ELISA and sera from normal control hamsters, hamsters with opisthorchiasis and hamsters with various stages of CCA, as well as from CCA patients and healthy individuals. One candidate marker was identified as $HSP90{\alpha}$, as indicated by a high level of anti-$HSP90{\alpha}$ in hamster CCA sera. It was found that the levels of anti-$HSP90{\alpha}$ were specifically elevated in the sera of hamsters with CCA compared with other groups and progressively increased with the clinical stage. At the cut-off point of 0.4850 on the receiver operating characteristic curve, anti-$HSP90{\alpha}$ could discriminate CCA from healthy control groups with a sensitivity of 76.2%, specificity of 71.4% and total accuracy 75.5%. In the present study, we have shown that anti-$HSP90{\alpha}$ may be a potential useful serum biomarker to discriminate CCA cases from healthy persons.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2001

The findings of serum biochemical tests in the inhabitants residing in some riverside areas of kyongsangnam-do were analized to know the correlation with the Clonorchis sinensis infection. A total of 2,722 fecal samples of inhabitants was examined by Kato's cellophane thick smear and formalin-ether sedimentation methods, and their serums were analized biochemically. Three hundred and thirty-three inhabitants (12.2%) were positive with C. sinensis eggs (egg-positive group), and remaining 2,389 were negative (egg-negative group). In the egg-positive group, the positive .ate of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was 6.9% (male: 10.3%; female: 3.2%), that of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was 6.3% (male: 9.1%; female: 3.2%), of $\gamma$-glutamy1 transpeptidase ($\gamma$-GIP) was 9.0% (male: 13.1%; female: 4.4%), and that of $\alpha$-fetoprotein (AEP) was 3.0% (male: 2.9%; female: 3.2%). In the egg-negative group, the positive rate of AST was 5.2% (male: 8.9%; female: 3.2%), that of ALT was 5.1% (male: 8.6%; female: 3.2%), of $\gamma$-GTP was 7.5% (male: 13.0%; female: 4.5%), and that of AFP was 0.3% (male: 0.5%; female: 0.1%). In the egg-positive group, 127 cases (38.1%) were light infection, 108 (32.4%) were moderate infection,64 (19.2%) were heavy infection, and 34 (10.2%) were very heavy infection. The positive rates of all tests were high according to the intensity of infection. From the above results, It was confirmed that prevalence of clonorchiasis is still high in some riverside areas of Kyongsangnam-do, and findings of serum biochemical tests are not different between the egg-positive group and egg-negative group. However, there were some difference in the positive rates of serum AST, ALT, $\gamma$-GTP and AEP by the age, sex and the intensity of infection.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 2008

Our previous work confirmed that Sph2/LA1029 was a sphigomyelinase-like hemolyisn of Leptospira interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Lai. Characteristics of both hemolytic and cytotoxic activities of Sph2 were reported in this paper. Sph2 was a heat-labile neutral hemolysin and had similar hemolytic behavior as the typical sphingomyelinase C of Staphylococcus aureus upon sheep erythrocytes. The cytotoxic activity of Sph2 was shown in mammalian cells such as BALB/C mouse lymphocytes and macrophages, as well as human L-02 liver cells. Transmission electron microscopic observation showed that the Sph2 treated BALB/C mouse lymphocytes were swollen and ruptured with membrane breakage. They also demonstrated condensed chromatin as a high-density area. Cytoskeleton changes were observed via fluorescence confocal microscope in Sph2 treated BALB/C mouse lymphocytes and macrophages, where both cytokine IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 were induced. In addition, typical apoptotic morphological features were observed in Sph2 treated L-02 cells via transmission electron microscope and the percentage of apoptotic cells did increase after the Sph2 treatment detected by flow cytometry. Therefore, Sph2 was likely an apoptosis-inducing factor of human L-02 liver cells.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.751-756
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• 2002

A study was carried out to evaluate the incidences and causes of bovine mastitis in Tanzanian shorthorn zebu (Bos indicus) in the traditional sector and crossbred cows (Bos taurus${\times}$Bos indicus) in the dairy ranching sector, both found under the extensive range management system. Management practices were evaluated through a survey study using structured questionnaires. A total of 120 lactating cows (60 cows from each sector) were screened for the disease using the California Mastitis Test (CMT). Confirmatory tests used for infected cows included; the Direct Microscopic Somatic Cell Count (DMSCC), culture, bacteriological and biochemical laboratory assays. Survey results showed that management practices were generally very poor in both sectors with 84% of the surveyed herds being kept and milked under very unhygienic environmental conditions. The level of infection was higher in the crossbred cows (5% clinical and 38.3% sub-clinical mastitis) and lower in the zebu cows with only sub-clinical mastitis (23.3%). Crossbred cows had (p<0.05) higher somatic cell counts than zebu cows. The four highest-ranking bacterial isolates in order of importance were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus agalactiae and Bacillus spp. It was concluded that bovine mastitis under the extensive management system in Tanzania was a result of poor management practices and that zebu cows were more resistant to the diseases than crossbred cows.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.3413-3418
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• 2015

Background: Liver fluke infection caused by the parasite Opisthorchis viverrini (O. viverrini), a human carcinogen, is endemic in north-eastern Thailand and remains a major health problem. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to (1) resurvey the prevalence of O. viverrini infection in a field site from the Khon Kaen Cohort Study (in newly recruited subjects as well as previous cohort subjects surveyed in 1992); (2) investigate how subjects' lifestyle habits and their exposure to health promotion initiatives influence changes in prevalence of O. viverrini infection. Materials and Methods: The prevalence of O. viverrini infection in the cohort subjects (as well as new subjects) was investigated using faecal egg counts. Information on demographic factors, lifestyle and awareness of health promotion initiatives were obtained through questionnaires. Results: O. viverrini infection rates in the same individuals of the cohort were lower in 2006 than in 1992. Also, by studying the period effect, the current 35-44 year olds had a 12.4% (95% CI 3.9% to 20.9%) lower prevalence of O. viverrini infection than the 35-44 year olds in 1992 (24.2% versus 11.8%). Lifestyle choices showed that smoking and alcohol consumption were associated with an increased chance of acquiring O. viverrini infection with adjusted odds ratios of 10.1 (95%CI 2.4-41.6) and 5.3 (95%CI 1.2-23.0), respectively. Conclusions: Our study has demonstrated that although the prevalence of O. viverrini infection over a 14-year period has decreased, unhealthy lifestyle was common with smoking and alcohol consumption being associated with increased chances of infection, emphasising the double burden of disease which developing countries are facing.