• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.501-507
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• 2022

PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), a representative plastic material, has useful physicochemical properties such as high durability and economic feasibility, and is used in various industrial fields such as bottles, fibers, and containers. Due to the recent increase in plastic usage including disposable products, eco-friendly strategy using microorganisms have drawn attention differentiated from conventional landfill and incineration methods. In this study, a soil-derived Streptomyces javensis Inha503 containing a PETase gene was selected and the ability to hydrolyze PU (Polyurethane) was confirmed through agar plate diffusion assay. This strain was cultured with PET for a month, and PET decomposition ability was also confirmed through a scanning electron microscope. Moreover, cloning and heterologous expression of S. javensis Inha503 PETase gene exhibited PET activity in the PETase non-containing S. coelicolor, confirming for the first time the presence of functional PETase gene in Streptomyces species.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.44.1-44.11
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• 2023

Background: A series of breast cancer cases were recently reported in a tertiary university hospital in South Korea. Nurses are generally exposed to risk factors for breast cancer such as night shift work, antineoplastic agents, and job strain. However, the epidemiological evidence of excess incidence among nurses remains lacking. This study aims to investigate the excess incidence of breast cancer among nurses in a tertiary university hospital and provide epidemiological evidence of occupational risk factors. Methods: A retrospective cohort was developed using personnel records of female workers in the nursing department who worked from January 2011 to June 2021 in a tertiary university hospital in South Korea. Sick leave records were used to identify cases of breast cancer. The standardized incidence ratio of breast cancer among nurses was compared to the general population. Results: A total of 5,509 nurses were followed up for 30,404 person-years, and 26 breast cancer cases were identified. This study revealed a significantly increased breast cancer incidence among all included nurses, with a standardized incidence ratio of 1.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-2.41), compared to the general population. Workers, who handle antineoplastic agents in their representative department and current and/or former department, had significantly elevated breast cancer standardized incidence ratios of 2.73 (95% CI: 1.008-5.94) and 3.39 (95% CI: 1.46-6.68), respectively. Conclusions: This study provides significant evidence of increased breast cancer risk among nursing staff in a hospital setting, particularly those who handle antineoplastic drugs. Measures that reduce exposure to risk factors should be implemented, especially anticancer drugs, to protect healthcare professionals. Further research at a national level that focuses on healthcare workers is necessary to validate breast cancer incidence and its contributing factors.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.265-270
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• 2006

Cultivated hot pepper crops showing severe mosaic symptom were found in Korea in 2004 and their causal agent was identified as Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). These pepper crops was resistant to the virus in the filled, and they belonged to pathotype 0 (P0) resistant pepper. Resistance screening of selected pepper plants showed that a pepper isolate of CMV was the P0 resistance-breaking virus. This P0 resistance-breaking isolate of CMV, named as Ca-P1, was isolated from leaves of the virus-infected Capsicum annuum cv. Manidda that showed systemic severe mosaic symptom. Ca-P1-CMV could induce systemic mosaic symptoms on P0-susceptible (P0-S) and P0-resistant (P0-R) cultivars whereas an ordinary strain (Fny-CMV) could not infect P0-R. This result suggests that Ca-P1-CMV can overcome P0 resistant pepper cultivars. To analyze its genome sequence, the complete nucleotide sequence of RNA3 of Ca-P1-CMV was determined from the infectious full-length cDNA clone of the virus. RNA3 of Ca-P1-CMV consisted of 2,219 nucleotides. Overall sequence homology of RNA3-encoded two viral proteins (movement protein and coat protein) revealed high similarity (75.2-97.2%) with the known CMV strains. By sequence analysis with known representative strains of CMV, Ca-P1-CMV belongs to a typical member of CMV subgroup IB. The resistance and resistance-breaking mechanisms of pepper and counterpart CMV, respectively, remain to be investigated, which will enrich the genetic resources and accelerate CMV-resistant pepper breeding programs.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.119-133
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• 2020

Underground utility tunnel, the most representative cut and cover structure, is subjected to seismic force by displacement of the surrounding soil. In 2020, Korea Infrastructure Safety Corporation has published "Seismic Performance Evaluation Guideline for Existing Utility Tunnel." This paper introduces two seismic evaluation methods, RDM (Response Displacement Method) and RHA (Response History Analysis) adopted in the guide and compares the methods for an example of an existing utility tunnel. The test tunnel had been constructed in 1988 and seismic design was not considered. RDM is performed by single and double cosine methods based on the velocity response spectrum at the base rock. RHA is performed by finite difference analysis that is able to consider nonlinear behavior of soil and structure together in two-dimensional plane strain condition. The utility tunnel shows elastic behavior for RDM, but shows plastic hinge for RHA under the collapse prevention level earthquake.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.94-98
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• 2003

Quercetin and naringenin are representative flavonoids that not only exert anti estrogenic, cholesterol-lowering and antioxidant activities but also can modulate the metabolism of many xenobiotics. The activity of the specific form(s) of CYP450 is likely to be a major determinant of susceptibility to chemically induced carcinogenesis between which varies among between individuals due to different dietary habits as well as genetic characteristics. People consume cooked meat or fish together with various vegetables containing substantial amounts of quercetin and naringenin that can modify the enzyme activity of CYP1A2 to stimulate or to inhibit the mutagenic activities of HCAs. Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) produced by cooking meat products at high temperatures are promutagens that are activated by cytochrome P450 (CYP) lA2. Using a newly developed Salmonella typhimurium TA1538/1A2bc-b5 strain, we tested the effect of quercetin and naringenin on the mutagenicity of 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ). TA1538/1A2bc-b5 bears two plasmids, one expressing human CYP1A2 and NADPH-P450 reductase (NPR), and the other plasmid which expresses human cytochrome b5 (cyp b5). TA1538/1A2bc-b5 cells showed high activities of 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) and methoxyresorufin O-demethylase (MROD) associated with CYP1A2 and are very sensitive to mutagenesis induced by several HCAs. MeIQ was found to be the strongest mutagen among the HCAs tested in this system. Mutagenicity of MeIQ was enhanced 50 and 42% by quercetin at 0.1 and 1 mM, respectively, but suppressed 82% and 96% at 50 mM and 100 mM. Naringenin also increased the MeIQ-induced mutation about 37% and 22% at 0.1 and 1 mM, but suppressed it 32% and 63% at 50 mM and 100 mM concentrations, respectively, in TA 1538/1A2bc-b5 cells. Thus, they stimulated the MeIQ induced mutation at low concentrations, but strongly suppressed it at high concentrations. This biphasic effect of flavonoids was due to the stimulation or the inhibition of CYP1A2 activity in a dose-dependent manner judging by the activities of EROD or MROD in the Salmonella cells. Collectively, it is likely that the biphasic effects of quercetin and naringenin on the MeIQ-induced mutagenesis in S. typhimurium TA1538/CYP1A2bc-b5 were due to their differential modification of the CYP1A2 activity in these cells.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.140-146
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• 2009

Cyclosporin, an immunosuppressant, is a representative group of biologically active secondary metabolites produced by the fungus Tolypocladium inflatum. The amount and ratio of cyclosporin derivatives in the culture broth are an important factors for the production of cyclosporin A and the purification in the industrial process. Therefore, we studied the effect of amino acids and complex organic nitrogen sources using Tolypocladium inflatum mutants on the productivity of cyclosporin A and the ratio of cyclosporin derivatives. Overproducing mutant YHC-004 having seven times higher productivity than mother strain's could be obtained through the artificial mutation by UV irradiation. The concentration and kind of organic nitrogens and amino acids shows the profound effect on the productivity of cyclosporin A and ratio of cyclosporin derivatives. As a result, it was possible to raise the productivity and the ratio of cyclosporin A up to 3,430 mg/L and 93% respectively, but on the other hand the other cyclosporin derivatives decreased less than 2% in the culture broth.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2007

This study has been carried out for investigating the relatedness of representative 135 Shigella sonnei strains isolated from 2000 to 2004 by using biotyping and antimicrobial resistance. All strains showed typical biochemical characterisics of Shigella strain. Among 135 strains,79 (58.5%) strains were biotype "g",54 (40.0%) strains were biotype "a" and 2 (1.5%) strains were biotype "e". The results of susceptibility test against 16 antimicrobial agents were like this. Most of strains were susceptible to AN, CIP, C and GM. 129 (95.6%) strains were resistant to SXT, 126 (93.3%) strains were resistant to TE and 122 (90.4%) strains were resistant to SM. One hundred thirty two (97.8%) strains were resistant to more than two antimicrobial agents. R28 type (antimicrobial resistance patterns 28: resistant to AM, SAM, TE, TIC, SXT, K, SM and AmC) were 42 strains (31.1%). The other strains were showed 33 kinds of R patterns. The results of $bla_{TEM}$, sulII, tetA and strA gene detection were coincided with phenotype of antimicrobial resistance by disk diffusion method. But some strains which had sulII and strA genes were not showed the resistance against SXT and SM.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.315-322
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• 2000

In this study, the data used for the models were a set of 56 geologic estimates of long-term fault slip rates. The hest models were those in which mantle drag was convergent on the Transverse Ranges in the San Andreas fault system, and faults had a low friction (${\mu}$= 0.3). It is clearly important to decide whether these cases of low strength are local anomalies or whether they are representative. Furthermore, it would be helpful to determine fault strength in as many tectonic settings as possible. Analysis of data was considered by unsuspected sources of pore pressure, or even to question the relevance of the friction law. To contribute to the solution of this problem, three attempts were tried to apply finite element method that would permit computational experiments with different hypothesized fault rheologies. The computed model has an assumed rheology and plate tectonic boundary conditions, and produces predictions of present surface velocity, strain rate, and stress. The results of model will be acceptably close to reality in its predictions of mean fault slip rates, stress directions and geodetic data. This study suggests some implications of the thermoelastic characteristics to interpret the relationship with very low strength of San Andreas fault system.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.442-448
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• 2013

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a representative group of probiotics and used in many fermented foods and beverages. Several recent studies have shown that LAB are present in makgeolli which is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage. However, most LAB are intolerant of more than 6% (v/v) alcohol concentrations. For this reason, alcohol-tolerant LAB are isolated from kimchi, makgeolli and nuruk using alcohol containing selective media. After being cultured in MRS broth containing 13% (v/v) alcohol, the two strains which showed the highest increasing O.D values, were finally selected. As results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and biochemical characterization using an API kit, the two species were identified as Pediococcus acidilactici K3 and S1. In addition, the identified two strains produced bacteriocins against Staphylococcus aureus. When compared with the P. acidilactici type strain, the two selected strains possessed two to three time higher growth on 12-13% (v/v) alcohol containing MRS broth. The viability of P. acidilactici K3 and S1 when inoculated in makgeolli and stored at $10^{\circ}C$ did not decrease through a period of one month indicating that the selected strains can be used for LAB containing makgeolli.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.231-239
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• 2002

Proteomics is an emerging powerful tool in studying protein expression and function. At present study, proteomics was employed to evaluate the antigenicity among Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and immunoblotting, SDS-PAGE and immunblotting analysis revealed no big differences among E coli O157:H7 strains. 2-DE analysis, however, revealed common antigens as well as specific antigens. The immunoblotting analysis revealed 20 common antigenic spots among E coli O157:H7 strains. In addition, there were 3 and 13 spots as common antigens between ATCC 43894 and KSC 109, and between ATCC 43894 and ACH 5, respectively. Antigenic spots specific for individual strain were also identified as 15, 8 and 22 for ATCC 43894, ACH 5 and KSC 109, respectively. The common antigens would be useful by employing either vaccine development or diagnosis marker, or both, whereas the specific antigens of individual strains would be applicable for epidemiological study. This study suggest that proteome analysis, representative as 2-DE, is valuable tool in exploring the E. coli antigenicity.