• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.49-67
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• 2006

A mesocosm, an artificial tidal flat ecosystem, was constructed outdoors to simulate in situ physical and biochemical environmental conditions of natural tidal flat as much as possible. During the experiment from February to August 2004, the study was focused on the biogeochemical variations of superficial water and porewater after introduction of freshwater into the mesocosm. The mesocosm has three experimental conditions; SW-M-T: maintaining the saline water of approximately 20 psu; FW-M-T: complete exchange of freshwater ul the mesocosm with continuous mixing of water column: FW-NM-T: complete exchange of saline water to freshwater in the mesocosm without mixing of water column. Mass extinction of benthic macrofauna appeared due to drastic decrease of porewater salinity from 20 psu to less than 10 psu between the 63th and 91st day of freshwater introduction in FW-M-T and FW-NM-T. Throughout the periods, 7/8 of bivalves and 2/3 of polychaete populations have been extinguished in the sediment. In FW-NM-T, as temperature rises, both evident decrease of DO in water column and active release of DIP from sediment were observed. ${NO_3}^-$ was removed from water column into sediment throughout the periods. Therefore extremely low ${NO_3}^-$ was found during late spring and summer. Whereas ${NH_4}^+$ exhibited only $1/2{\sim}1/8$ of ${NO_3}^-$ concentration. Unexpectedly even after mass extinction of benthic macrofauna, we were not able to find high ${NH_4}^+$. This mesocosm study suggests that when fresh water introduce to natural tidal flat, its sediment activity functions as a potential source of DIP, but a sink of ${NO_3}^-$.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.60-66
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• 2024

This study was conducted to selection and investigate appropriate conditions for mass production of antagonistic microbes to control cobweb disease caused by Cladobotryum mycophilum. A grampositive bacterium was isolated from spent substrate of Agaricus bisporus and showed significant antagonistic activity against Cladobotryum mycophilum. The bacterium was identified as Bacillus altitudinis. based on the cultural, biochemical and physiological characteristics, and 16S rRNA sequence. The isolate is saprophytic, but not parasitic nor pathogenic to cultivated mushroom whereas it showed strong inhibitory effects against C. mycophilum cells in vitro. The control efficacy of B. altitudinis HC7 against cobweb disease of C. mycophilum was up to 78.2% on Agaricus bisporus. The suppressive bacterium may be useful for the development of biocontrol system. To define the appropriate conditions for the mass production of the Bacillus altitudinis HC7, we have investigated appropriate culture conditions and effects of various nutrient source on the bacterial growth. The appropriate initial pH and temperature were determined as pH 6.0 and 30℃, respectively. The appropriate concentration of medium elements for the growth of pathogen inhibitor bacterium(Bacillus altitudinis HC7) was determined as follows: 3.0% soluble startch, 10% soytone, 1.0% (NH₄)₂HPO₄, 1.0 mmol KCl, and 0.5% L-asparagine.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 1999

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of interferon alpha therapy with or without prednisolone in children with chronic hepatitis B. Methods: Twenty-eight children (22 boys, 6 girls, mean age 130 months) had seropositive results for HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV DNA; 11 had chronic persistent hepatitis and 17 had chronic active hepatitis. The patients were divided into two groups depending upon their inflammatory activity on liver biopsy, pretreatment serum ALT levels and HBV DNA levels. Fourteen children (group 1: chronic active hepatitis, ALT ${\geq}$ 100 IU/L and HBV DNA ${\leq}$ 100 pg/$300\;{\mu}L$) received interferon alpha 2a 5 $MU/m^2$ of body surface three times weekly for 6 months. Fourteen children (group 2: chronic persistent hepatitis or chronic active hepatitis with ALT < 100 IU/L or HBV DNA > 100 pg/$300\;{\mu}L$) received prednisolone in decreasing daily doses of 60 mg/$m^2$, 40 mg/$m^2$, and 20 mg/$m^2$, each for 2 weeks, followed after 2 weeks by interferon alpha 2a on the same schedule. At the end of therapy, 3 end points were analyzed: HBeAg seroconversion, serum ALT normalization rate and clearance of serum HBV DNA. Results: At the end of treatment, HBe antigen-to antibody seroconversion was higher but not more significant in group 1 than group 2 (71.4% vs. 50.0%). Only one patient in group 2 who lost HBeAg, also cleared HBsAg. ALT normalization was similar in both groups (64.3% in group 1 vs. 55.6% in group 2). Clearance of serum HBV DNA was observed in 78.6% of patients in group 1 and 64.3% in group 2, but no significant differences. Complete response was similarly achieved in both groups (57.1% in group 1 vs. 50.0% in group 2). Interferon alpha therapy with prednisolone priming was well tolerated and all children finished therapy. Conclusion: The combined therapy with prednisolone followed by interferon alpha may be safe and effective in inducing a serological and biochemical remission of the disease in approximately 50% of children with chronic hepatitis B and with a high level of viral replication and less active disease. However, a controlled study should be performed to confirm these results.