• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.685-702
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• 2023

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are commonly used as probiotics; however, not all LAB strains have the same beneficial effects. To successfully use LAB as probiotics in canines, LAB species should originate from the canine intestinal tract as they display host specificity. The objective of this study was to investigate the phenotypic and genomic traits of potential probiotic LAB isolated from canine fecal samples. Twenty LAB samples were evaluated for their potential probiotic characteristics including resistance to low pH, bile salts, hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, adhesion to epithelia or mucosa, and production of inhibitory compounds. Additionally, we evaluated their safety and other beneficial effects on canine health, such as DPPH free radical scavenging, and β-galactosidase. Four strains demonstrated potential probiotic characteristics and were selected: Enterococcus hirae Pom4, Limosilactobacillus fermentum Pom5, Pediococcus pentosaceus Chi8, and Ligilactobacillus animalis FB2. Safety evaluations showed that all strains lacked hemolytic activity, could not produce biogenic amines, and did not carry any pathogenic genes. In addition, L. fermentum Pom5 and P. pentosaceus Chi8 displayed susceptibility to all antibiotics and concordant with the absence of antibiotic resistance genes. Based on their phenotypic and genomic characteristics, L. fermentum Pom5 and P. pentosaceus Chi8 were identified as potential probiotic candidates for canines.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.174-183
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• 2023

The limited effectiveness of current plant disease management treatments necessitates the development of new methods for controlling diseases using beneficial microbes. Demanding sustainable agriculture is increasingly highlighted as a biocontrol approach, particularly Streptomyces species known to produce a variety of antibiotic compounds and secondary metabolites. The Streptomyces globisporus SP6C4 strain and Streptomyces sp. S8 have been reported as potent antifungal agents and are gaining attention for improving crop growth in sustainable agriculture. In this study, we investigated the use of Streptomyces species formulations to enhance bacterial growth with nitrogen sources. Specifically, the addition of L-glutamic acid and L-cysteine resulted in earlier sporulation and bacterial growth in Streptomyces strains, respectively. This approach could expand the range of fermentation techniques in agriculture and be useful for controlling plant growth-promoting bacteria.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.442-453
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• 2021

Artificial intelligence (AI) will likely affect various fields of medicine. This article aims to explain the fundamental principles of clinical validation, device approval, and insurance coverage decisions of AI algorithms for medical diagnosis and prediction. Discrimination accuracy of AI algorithms is often evaluated with the Dice similarity coefficient, sensitivity, specificity, and traditional or free-response receiver operating characteristic curves. Calibration accuracy should also be assessed, especially for algorithms that provide probabilities to users. As current AI algorithms have limited generalizability to real-world practice, clinical validation of AI should put it to proper external testing and assisting roles. External testing could adopt diagnostic case-control or diagnostic cohort designs. A diagnostic case-control study evaluates the technical validity/accuracy of AI while the latter tests the clinical validity/accuracy of AI in samples representing target patients in real-world clinical scenarios. Ultimate clinical validation of AI requires evaluations of its impact on patient outcomes, referred to as clinical utility, and for which randomized clinical trials are ideal. Device approval of AI is typically granted with proof of technical validity/accuracy and thus does not intend to directly indicate if AI is beneficial for patient care or if it improves patient outcomes. Neither can it categorically address the issue of limited generalizability of AI. After achieving device approval, it is up to medical professionals to determine if the approved AI algorithms are beneficial for real-world patient care. Insurance coverage decisions generally require a demonstration of clinical utility that the use of AI has improved patient outcomes.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.611-620
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• 2016

This study examined how parent-child attachment, parental involvement in child rearing and instruction for children's effective use of a smart device reflect on young children's smart device overuse behavior. We collected questionnaires from 196 parents with children attending early childhood education institutions for the survey. Frequency analysis as well as Person correlation coefficient and regression analysis were conducted using IBM SPSS 21.0 statistics. The results showed that 91% of targeted young children were using a smart device and 78% first used them before age 5. As for time of use hours, 43.9% used their smart device from 30 minutes to 1 hour on average. In addition, parent-child attachment and father's involvement in child rearing were found to be inversely correlated to young children's smart device overuse. The result of hierarchical regression analysis on parent factors influencing young children's smart device overuse behavior indicated that mothers' contact-seeking behavior to young children, mother's involvement in learning and instruction for children's effective use of a smart device at home had beneficial effects. This study analyzed parent factors that influenced young children's smart device overindulgence. In addition, the baseline data of this study will be utilized to develop programs for the prevention and therapy to solve the smart device overindulgence as well as to establish young children's guidelines for using a smart device.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.86 no.3
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• pp.234-244
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• 2023

Background: Effective treatment of fluoroquinolone-resistant multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (FQr-MDR-TB) is difficult because of the limited number of available core anti-TB drugs and high rates of resistance to anti-TB drugs other than FQs. However, few studies have examined anti-TB drugs that are effective in treating patients with FQr-MDR-TB in a real-world setting. Methods: The impact of anti-TB drug use on treatment outcomes in patients with pulmonary FQr-MDR-TB was retrospectively evaluated using a nationwide integrated TB database (Korean Tuberculosis and Post-Tuberculosis). Data from 2011 to 2017 were included. Results: The study population consisted of 1,082 patients with FQr-MDR-TB. The overall treatment outcomes were as follows: treatment success (69.7%), death (13.7%), lost to follow-up or not evaluated (12.8%), and treatment failure (3.9%). On a propensity-score-matched multivariate logistic regression analysis, the use of bedaquiline (BDQ), linezolid (LZD), levofloxacin (LFX), cycloserine (CS), ethambutol (EMB), pyrazinamide, kanamycin (KM), prothionamide (PTO), and para-aminosalicylic acid against susceptible strains increased the treatment success rate (vs. unfavorable outcomes). The use of LFX, CS, EMB, and PTO against susceptible strains decreased the mortality (vs. treatment success). Conclusion: A therapeutic regimen guided by drug-susceptibility testing can improve the treatment of patients with pulmonary FQr-MDR-TB. In addition to core anti-TB drugs, such as BDQ and LZD, treatment of susceptible strains with later-generation FQs and KM may be beneficial for FQr-MDR-TB patients with limited treatment options.

• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.19-31
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• 2024

In order to support the mission of the institution in which they are attached, academic libraries provide services in both manual and digital but COVID -19 pandemic that spanned between March and September, 2020 has changed the scenario. With particular reference to Nigeria, about 249,606 cases were confirmed and in order to curb the scourge of this deadly disease, physical academic activities were prevented by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). With this development, innovative tools became indispensable tools for successful delivery of library services in Nigerian academic libraries. Whether or not these tools are still in use for reformation of library service during post- Covid era remains unclear, hence, need for this study. This study examined librarians' use of innovative tools for information dissemination in Nigerian academic libraries during the post-Covid era using a descriptive survey design. Data were obtained both in quantitative and qualitative formats from one hundred and forty-four librarians as respondents. A total enumeration sampling technique was adopted because the population was minimal. Findings of the study revealed that innovative tools such as videoconferencing, WhatsApp, teleconferencing, Facebook, LinkedIn, and web-based learning applications are still in use by librarians for the dissemination of information during the post-Covid era. These tools are useful and beneficial to librarians during the post-COVID era, as they facilitate easy participation and engagement of library users in various discussions. Inadequate funding and lack of advanced technology skills were also identified as major impediments to the successful use of innovative tools for information dissemination. As a result, it was suggested that academic libraries throughout Nigeria prioritize staff training on the necessary digital skills needed to cope in this advanced technology era.

• FOCUS: LIFE SCIENCE
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• no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.7
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• 2024

The article discusses the critical role of chromatography in the analysis and purification of proteins in biopharmaceuticals, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive characterization for ensuring their safety and efficacy. It highlights the use of Avantor® ACE® HPLC columns for the separation and purification of proteins, focusing on the analysis of intact proteins using reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) with fully porous particles. This article also details the application of different mobile phase additives, such as TFA and formic acid, and emphasizes the advantages of using type B ultra-pure silica-based columns for efficiency and peak shape in biomolecule analysis. Additionally, it addresses the challenges of analyzing intact proteins due to slow molecular diffusion and introduces the concept of solid-core (or superficially porous) particles, emphasizing their benefits over traditional porous particles for the analysis of therapeutic proteins. Furthermore, it discusses the development of Avantor® ACE® UltraCore BIO columns, specifically designed for the high-efficiency separation of large biomolecules, such as proteins, and demonstrates their effectiveness in achieving high-resolution separations, even for higher molecular weight proteins like monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). In addition, it underscores the complexity of analyzing and characterizing intact protein biopharmaceuticals, requiring a range of analytical techniques and the use of wide-pore stationary phases, operated at elevated temperatures and with relatively shallow gradients. It highlights the comprehensive range of options offered by Avantor® ACE® wide pore columns, including both fully porous and solid-core particles, bonded with a variety of complementary stationary phase chemistries to optimize selectivity during method development. The use of ultrapure and highly inert base silica is emphasized for enabling the use of lower concentrations of mobile phase modifiers without compromising analyte peak shape, particularly beneficial for LC-MS applications. Then the article concludes by emphasizing the significance of reversed-phase liquid chromatography and its compatibility with mass spectrometry as a valuable tool for the separation and analysis of intact proteins and their closely related variants in biopharmaceuticals.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.217-220
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• 2002

Mulberry being a foliage crop is grown extensively for feeding of silkworms and are also used for cattle feeding. These loaves are highly nutritious, which contain various mineral elements and bio-molecules such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and other essential amino acids, etc. In the present study, deproteinized mulberry leaf juice was used for preparation of the medium for cultivation of various types of microbes. Results revealed that deproteinized mulberry leaf juice medium is best for isolation of fungi, bacteria and actinomycetes and this medium can be substituted with synthetic media, which are haying the costly ingredients for isolation and identification of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes. Further, this deproteinized mulberry juice medium can also be used in mass multiplication of useful/beneficial microbes to enhance soil microflora to improve soil fertility and to avoid root diseases. Perspective enterprises can take up the mass multiplication/large-scale production of useful microbes such as Trichoderma, Rhizobium, Pseudomonas and Bacillus to use in mulberry and in other agricultural crops using deproteinized mulberry leaf juice.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.184-199
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• 2008

Background and Objective : Wrinkle treatment with oriental medicine is popular these days. But there are few reports about it. This study is performed to introduce wrinkle treatment with oriental medicine. Methods : We searched the oriental literature and reports related with wrinkles and wrinkle treatment. We study about treatment methods with Oriental Medicine like herbal medicines, acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, etc. Result and Conclusions : Among the treatment method, acupuncture seems to use wound care mechanism. We propose oriental medicine as an effective and beneficial therapy for wrinkle treatment.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2012

Low back pain is a common clinical condition with heterogeneous causes and challenges to manage. High prevalence and numerous assessments result in an enormous socioeconomic burden. Clinician must conduct efficient and stepwise evaluation process to rule out serious spinal pathology, neurologic involvement, and identify risk factors for chronicity. The process can be achieved through the focused history taking and physical examination. Certain factors related to serious spinal pathology include age (>50 years), trauma, unexplained fever, recent urinary or skin infection, unrelenting night or rest pain, unexplained weight loss, osteoporosis, immunosuppression, steroid use, and widespread neurological symptoms. In non-specific low back pain, diagnostic imaging and laboratory studies are often unnecessary and can disturb an appropriate management. For the management of acute low back pain, patient education and medication such as acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and muscle relaxants are recommended. For chronic low back pain, behavior therapy, back exercise, and spinal manipulation are beneficial. The evidence based approach could improve success rate of management, result in prevention of acute low back pain from being chronic intractable pain.