• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.200-204
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• 2006

Purpose: Determination of pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio (QP/QS) is important for the management of patients with left-to-right shunt. This study was performed to assess the agreement of Qp/Qs ratio using the radionuclide method and oxymetry, to investigate the factors influencing the agreement, and to know how interchangeable the results of each technique. Materials and Methods: We compared the Qp/Qs measured by single-pass radionuclide angiocardiography and oxymetry during catheterization in 207 patients who underwent both studies. In radionuclide method, Qp/Qs was calculated from the pulmonary time-activity curves using a gamma variate fit. The correlation and Bland-Altman analysis were performed according to the levels of shunt and associated lesions. Results: The mean Qp/Qs was $1.83{\pm}0.50$ by radionuclide, and $1.74{\pm}0.51$ by oxymetry. The overall correlation coefficient was 0.86(p<0.001), and Bland-Altman range of agreement encompassing 4SD was 1.05. For atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, tricuspid and mitral insufficiency, the correlation coefficient was 0.78, 0.90, 0.84, 0.63 and 0.44, and Bland-Altman range was 1.51, 0.74, 0.96, 1.57, and 1.50, respectively. Conclusion: There is good agreement but wide variance between the Qp/Qs ratios by radionuclide method and oxymetry. Associated atrioventricular valvar insufficiency decreases the correlation coefficient and widens the variance. Wide overall variance suggests that Qp/Qs measurements by two techniques should not be used interchangeably.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2000

QS-9000 was established by Chrysler, Ford, General Motors and some Truck Manufactures to solve problems of efforts to prepare original standards for each company. When we compare the requirements in QS-9000 with those in ISO 9000, we may observe that those of QS-9000 are more specific, since the user of the standard is limited to the automobile industry. In particular, the requirements on statistical techniques are described in more detail. In this paper, we present the requirements on statistical techniques in QS-9000. Specifically, we review the contents of QS-9000 and explore the philosophy and the minimum requirement on statistical techniques behind the description.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.17-30
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• 1997

Three big U.S. automakers have developed the QS-9000 quality system for their su, pp.iers. These automakers are requiring their su, pp.iers to implement the QS-9000 based quality system. This QS-9000 system is based upon the ISO 9000 series quality systems. This paper describes the differences between the ISO 9000 series requirements and the QS-9000 requirements. It also suggests the way to implement the QS-9000 quality systems for Korean su, pp.iers.

• Journal of the Chungcheong Mathematical Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 1999

In this paper, we introduce a new notion, called an QS-algebra, which is related to the areas of BCI/BCK-algebras and discuss the G-part of QS-algebras.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.83-91
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• 2012

Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-to-cell communication system, which is used by many bacteria to regulate diverse gene expression in response to changes in population density. Bacteria recognize the differences in cell density by sensing the concentration of signal molecules such as N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHL) and autoinducer-2 (AI-2). In particular, QS plays a key role in biofilm formation, which is a specific bacterial group behavior. Biofilms are dense aggregates of packed microbial communities that grow on surfaces, and are embedded in a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). QS regulates biofilm dispersal as well as the production of EPS. In some bacteria, biofilm formations are regulated by c-di-GMP-mediated signaling as well as QS, thus the two signaling systems are mutually connected. Biofilms are one of the major virulence factors in pathogenic bacteria. In addition, they cause numerous problems in industrial fields, such as the biofouling of pipes, tanks and membrane bioreactors (MBR). Therefore, the interference of QS, referred to as quorum quenching (QQ) has received a great deal of attention. To inhibit biofilm formation, several strategies to disrupt bacterial QS have been reported, and many enzymes which can degrade or modify the signal molecule AHL have been studied. QQ enzymes, such as AHL-lactonase, AHL-acylase, and oxidoreductases may offer great potential for the effective control of biofilm formation and membrane biofouling in the future. This review describes the process of bacterial QS, biofilm formation, and the close relationship between them. Finally, QQ enzymes and their applications for the reduction of biofouling are also discussed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.206-212
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• 2008

The quorum sensing (QS) regulatory network has been the subject of extensive studies during recent years and has also attracted a lot of attention because it both positively and negatively regulates various putative virulence factors, although initially considered to be a specialized system of Vibrio fischeri and related species. In this study, to identify the novel materials which inhibit QS system of microorganisms, extracts of eighteen natural products were tested by bioassay using N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-$_L$-homoserine lactone and N-(3-oxooctanoyl)-$_L$-homoserine lactone synthesized in this experiment and an Agrobacterium tumefaciens NT1 biosensor strain containing a traI::lacZ fusion. The result indicated that the extracts of cabbage, leek, and onion exhibited the QS inhibition activity. Thus, materials contained in the extracts were isolated via recycling preparative HPLC and were purified via a JAIGEL-LS255 column. The common fraction corresponding to a peak of the 83 min point of them quenched the quorum sensing of A. tumefaciens NT1 biosensor strain in ABMM containing X-gal and was designated quorum sensing inhibitor-83 min (QSI-83). The QSI-83 exhibited the heat stability and did not inhibit the growth of A. tumefaciens NTl. Furthermore, thin layer chromatography (TLC) results suggested that these novel materials may be antagonists of N-acyl homoserine lactone or may inhibit the QS autoinducer synthesis by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1997

The purposes of this study were to compare the electromyographic activities from the rectus femoris, vastus medialis oblique portion, vastus medialis longitudinal portion, and vastus lateralis during straight leg raising (SLR) and quadriceps setting (QS) exercise and to determine which exercise is more effective to selectively strengthen the vastus medialis. Thirty two healthy subjects <19 men, 13 women) participated in the study. All participants performed SLR and QS exercises while electromyographic activity was recorded from EMG surface electrodes. Statistical analysis demonstrated significantly greater values for the vastus medialis oblique portion, vastus medialis longitudinal portion, and vastus lateralis activities during QS exercise than for those during SLR exercise. However, the rectus femoris muscle activity between SLR and QS exercises was not significantly different. The ratios of vastus lateralis to vastus medialis during SLR and QS exercise were not significantly different. These results show that QS exercise is more effective for strengthening the quadriceps muscle on the whole than the SLR exercise. As for selective methods of strengthening vastus medialis specifically, both SLR and QS exercises are useful.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.249-259
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• 2013

Burkholderia glumae causes rice grain rot and sheath rot by producing toxoflavin, the expression of which is regulated by quorum sensing (QS). The QS systems of B. glumae rely on N-octanoyl homoserine lactone, synthesized by TofI and its cognate receptor TofR, to activate the genes for toxoflavin biosynthesis and an IclR-type transcriptional regulator gene, qsmR. To understand genome-wide transcriptional profiling of QS signaling, we employed RNAseq of the wild-type B. glumae BGR1 with QS-defective mutant, BGS2 (BGR1 tofI::${\Omega}$) and QS-dependent transcriptional regulator mutant, BGS9 (BGR1 qsmR::${\Omega}$). A comparison of gene expression profiling among the wild-type BGR1 and the two mutants before and after QS onset as well as gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis from differential expressed genes (DEGs) revealed that genes involved in motility were highly enriched in TofI-dependent DEGs, whereas genes for transport and DNA polymerase were highly enriched in QsmR-dependent DEGs. Further, a combination of pathways with these DEGs and phenotype analysis of mutants pointed to a couple of metabolic processes, which are dependent on QS in B. glumae, that were directly or indirectly related with bacterial motility. The consistency of observed bacterial phenotypes with GOs or metabolic pathways in QS-regulated genes implied that integration RNAseq with GO enrichment or pathways would be useful to study bacterial physiology and phenotypes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1609-1621
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• 2014

The plant pathogen Burkholderia gladioli, which has a broad host range that includes rice and onion, causes bacterial panicle blight and sheath rot. Based on the complete genome sequence of B. gladioli BSR3 isolated from infected rice sheaths, the genome of B. gladioli BSR3 contains the luxI/luxR family of genes. Members of this family encode N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum sensing (QS) signal synthase and the LuxR-family AHL signal receptor, which are similar to B. glumae BGR1. In B. glumae, QS has been shown to play pivotal roles in many bacterial behaviors. In this study, we compared the QS-dependent gene expression between B. gladioli BSR3 and a QS-defective B. gladioli BSR3 mutant in two different culture states (10 and 24 h after incubation, corresponding to an exponential phase and a stationary phase) using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). RNA-seq analyses including gene ontology and pathway enrichment revealed that the B. gladioli BSR3 QS system regulates genes related to motility, toxin production, and oxalogenesis, which were previously reported in B. glumae. Moreover, the uncharacterized polyketide biosynthesis is activated by QS, which was not detected in B. glumae. Thus, we observed not only common QS-dependent genes between B. glumae BGR1 and B. gladioli BSR3, but also unique QS-dependent genes in B. gladioli BSR3.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.spc1
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• pp.101-109
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• 2005

To gain maximal benefit in a competitive environment, single-celled bacteria have adopted a community genetic regulatory mechanism, known as quorum sensing (QS). Many bacteria use QS signaling systems to synchronize target gene expression and coordinate biological activities among a local population. N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) are one family of the well-characterized QS signals in Gram-negative bacteria, which regulate a range of important biological functions, including virulence and biofilm formation. Several groups of AHL-degradation enzymes have recently been identified in a range of living organisms, including bacteria and eukaryotes. Expression of these enzymes in AHL-dependent pathogens and transgenic plants efficiently quenches the microbial QS signaling and blocks pathogenic infections. Discovery of these novel quorum quenching enzymes has not only provided a promising means to control bacterial infections, but also presents new challenges to investigate their roles in host organisms and their potential impacts on ecosystems.