• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.25 no.12
• /
• pp.1399-1407
• /
• 2015

Klebsiella pneumoniae is found in the normal flora of the skin, mouth, respiratory tract, urinary tract, and intestines in human. However, the stain is opportunistic pathogen, which is the causative agent of community acquired pneumonia. Corn silk has been known to be effective for antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, including K. pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, et al. In this study we focused on the antimicrobial properties of con silk water extract of K. penumoniae. K. pneumoniae isolates K. pneumoniae ATCC 13883 and broad-spectrum β-lactamase (BSBL), exteded-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL), carbapenemase-producers. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by the disk diffusion method. Searches for bla genes were performed by PCR amplication and direct sequencing. MacConkey agar plate medium was prepared using the corn silk extracts (50% or 100%) instead of distilled water for antimicrobial activity test. The microbial growth inhibitory potential of K. pneumoniae was determined by using the MacConkey agar plate spreading method, and the plate was incubated 18 hr at 37℃. Genes encoding β-lactamases including SHV-1 (n=8), SHV-2a (n=8), SHV-5 (n=2), SHV-11 (n=2), SHV-12 (n=18), TEM-1 (n=10), CTX-M-3 (n=2), CTX-M-14 (n=2), CTX-M-15 (n=1), GES-5 (n=5), KPC-2 (n=6), KPC-3 (n=4), and NDM-1 (n=2) were detected. The corn silk extract showed significantly antimicrobial activity against K. pneumoniae ATCC 13883, but BSBLs, ESBLs, and carbapenemase producers were not. Therefore, corn silk extract is thought to be able to assist in the prevention and rapid recovery of infectious disease caused by K. pneumoniae.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.297-303
• /
• 2011

The existing studies of VDT syndrome have been researched only about for nurse groups without radiological technologists. The target of this study was workers who perform VDT task in general hospital placed in Daejun City such as insurance judgement, patient affairs, medical record management, medical computing service, hospital administration, and radiological sections. This study was conducted at October 15, 2009 to November 2, 2009 using structured questionnaire. Results of group A (age 20-29, less than 5 years experience at clinical site, normal staff, and unmarried group) showed significant skin and psychological conditions among recognition symptoms of VDT syndrome. Group B (age 30-39, 6-10 years experience at clinical site, managing staff, and married group) tends to be similar at orbital, whole body and muscles' frame response among recognition symptoms of VDT syndrome. Results of "Multiple Linear Regression" with dependent variable that is scores of recognition symptoms of VDT syndrome are as follows. The factors which influences for orbital-related problem is gender, health cares and obstacles during daily life. The factors which influences for whole body-related is exercise, stress and recognition for health condition and the factors which influences muscles' frame-related is 6-10 years experience at clinical site, human relationship, health cares and obstacles during daily life. These are proved to be similar by statistic analysis. There is small difference at recognition symptom of VDT syndrome between the radiological technologist and other groups in general hospital. Yet, as the working circumstance of radiological technologist gradually changes to VDT environment, the recognition symptom of VDT syndrome became conscious. This can be prevented by regular job rotation, which will escape the continuous repetition of working pattern.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.455-470
• /
• 2007

The usage of appropriate disinfectants is essential for infection control in dental hospitals, dental clinics. Inadequate use of disinfectants is the cause of human or environmental toxicity and is a waste of cost. This study was aimed to assess the level of knowledge on the disinfection and chemical disinfectants among dental workers in dental hospitals, dental clinics. It's ultimately intended to serve as a basis for the preparation of more effective, appropriate educational programs on the disinfection and manuals on the use of disinfectants for dental workers. This study enforced a questionnaire with 184 dental workers employed in dental hospitals, dental clinics from 15 Aug. to 15 Sep. 2007, in the area of Daejeon. The obtained result were as follows; 1. The population sociological feature of dental hospital and dental clinic showed that significant differences of dental service career(pM0.039). Dental service career of dental workers shows; below 3 years 42.9%, 4~6 years 34.7%, more than 7 years 22.4% in dental hospitals, below 3 years 30.4%, 4~6 years 26.7%, more than 7 years 43.0% in dental clinics(pM0.039). 2. The average score of dental workers knowledge in 'Critical item soaks in high-level disinfectants for 20minutes was 2.73V0.49 point, got from knowledge of dental instrument is appropriate to immerse before sterilization in the dental device disinfection(pM0.002). 3. In the general disinfection which it follows in education experience of chemical disinfectants direction for use, 'Direction for use by Spaulding process classification' responded that the correct answer was the education experience dental workers 60.0%, the education non-experience dental workers 39.5%(p=0.026). 4. In the dental device disinfection which it follows in education experience of chemical disinfectants direction for use. 'High level disinfection is not applied for the non-critical items and equipment' responded that the education experience dental workers 49.2%, the education non-experience dental workers 31.9%(pM0.045), 'Semi-critical items is applied same method in presence of the infection disease which it acts responded that the education experience dental workers 44.6% answer back, the education non-experience dental workers 24.4%(pM0.017). 5. 'A hand disinfectants of anticeptics have effect' the education experience dental workers 78.5% answer back, the education non-experience dental workers 52.9%(pM0.003). 1t uses with hand disinfectants when the instruments which be imbrued and patient contact', the education experience dental workers 78.5% answer back, the education non-experience dental workers 62.2%(pM0.026), 'Boric acid solution uses for the skin disinfectants the education experience dental workers 52.3% answer back, the education non-experience dental workers is 37.0%(pM0.016), 'Gluconate have effective difference which it follows in chemical disinfectant consistency and the solution type' education experience dental workers 72.3% answer back, education non-experience dental workers 47.9%(pM0.004). 6. The education experience dental workers were appeared higher than the education non-experience dental workers in knowledge of the disinfection and chemical disinfectants. Consequently system and the specialty education which is standardized continuously must be provided to all dental workers.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.76-92
• /
• 1997

Porpilyromonas endodontalis is specifically involved in endodontic infections. The bacterium can be isolated almost exclusively only from infected rool canals. P. gingivalis also has been implicated in endodontic infection. Pathogemcity of P. gingival is is attributed to a variety of virulence factors, especially proteases, produced by the bacterium. Importance of P. endodontalis in endodontic infection has been revealed. However, the pathogenic property of P. endodontalis has not been extensively studied. The present study was undertaken to characterize the proteolytic activity of P. endodontalis and compare the activity with that of P. gingivalis which has the most potent and diverse proteases among oral bacteria. For this purpose, culture supematants(SUP) and cell extracts(CE) were obtained from these two bacteria and were subjected to zymography using 15% polyacrylamide gel copolymerized with gelatin, type I, IV collagens or albumin. Hydrolysis of the collagens was further investigated by the cleavage assay using native type I and IV collagens in solution-phase. The results were as follows: 1. P. endodontalis apparently has a proteolytic activity that is comparable with that of P. gingivalis. 2. SUP and CE obtained from P. endodontalis and P. gingival is showed the strongest activity for gelatin, followed by type I and IV collagens, and albumin. 3. In the zymography, no noticeable difference in proteolytic activity for gelatin and albumin between the SUP and CE was observed, but in the cleavage assay using native collagens, the SUP showed a stronger collagenolytic activity than the CE. 4. The gelatinolytic activity of both the SUP and CE from these two bacteria was diminished in the presence of $CaCl_2$ or reducing agents such as ${\beta}$-mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol(DTT). 5. Type I(calf skin and human placenta) collagenolytic activity of P. endodontalis and P. gingivalis was reduced by DTT but not affected by $CaCl_2$. The inhibitory effect of DTT, however, was reduced to some extent by $CaCl_2$. 6. Type IV collagenolytic activity of these two bacteria was not affected by $CaCl_2$ but increased to some extent in association with the reducing agents. 7. Hydrolysis of albumin by P. endodontalis and P. gingivalis was demonstrated only in the presence of the reducing agents. The overall results indicate that with respect to proteolytic activity, P. endodontalis appears to be as potent as P. gingivalis, or maybe more, and its proteolytic characteristic is similar to that of P. gingivalis. This suggests that P. endodontalis has so potent proteolytic activity that can participate by itself in endodontic infections and apical periodontitis, causing tissue destruction.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.223-227
• /
• 2014

${\delta}$-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a compound which is widely present in the biosphere and plays an important role in the living body as an intermediate of the tetrapyrrole compound biosynthesis pathway that leads to heme in mammals and chlorophyll in plants. ALA is of interest as a biodegradable mediator, a growth regulator, a precursor of heme proteins, and an effective agent used in therapy of cancer. It has been recently reported that ALA is commonly used in dermatology, due to good effects of skin therapy. Although for the last few decades a substantial amount of research has been focused on the elucidation of the mechanism of ALA and the improvement of its therapeutic activity, it's effect on the cell functions and growth was not cleared. Here, we identified that ALA treatment could attenuate cell proliferation of HEK293T and HaCaT cells. In addition, ALA treatement could induce apoptosis of HeLa cells. These results suggest that apoptosis induced by ALA treatment might be responsible for inhibition of cell proliferation. These results propose the possibility of the improved therapeutic strategy making ALA one of the effective drugs used in human cancers.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.148-152
• /
• 2010

Domestic studies for identification of causality between children exposure to toxic chemicals, such as arsenic (As) and resulted hazardous effects were not implemented. This study was conducted to probabilistically estimate dietary As intake and health risk assessment for young children and all age-specific populations from the consumption of As-contaminated rice of Korea. Arsenic intakes for young children (1 to 6 years old) from As-contaminated rice were higher than other age-specific groups, based on a dose-per-body weight basis. Based on the current EPA cancer slope factor for As, estimated cancer risks (to the skin cancer) associated with dietary intake of As-contaminated rice for 1 to 2 years old group and 3 to years old group are 1.76 per 10,000 and 3.16 per 10,000, respectively, at the 50th percentile. Based on possible reference levels (0.005 mg/kg/day) for children, mean and $95^{th}$ percentile value of HQ from rice for young children are very below 1.0, which is a regulatory limit of non-carcinogenic risks for human.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.54-60
• /
• 2014

Aromatic hydrocarbons are toxic environmental pollutants that are detrimental to the ecosystem and human health. Among them, chlorotoluene and nitrotoluene are toxic to hydrobios and irritate the skin, eyes, and respiratory organs of humans. We herein report the development of recombinant microbial biosensors for cheap and rapid monitoring of chlorotoluene and nitrotoluene compounds. Plasmids were constructed by inserting the xylR regulatory gene for BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) degradation into upstream of Po' (the DmpR activator promoter Po with the deletion of its own upstream activating sequences) or Pu (the cognate promoter of XylR)::lacZ (the ${\beta}$-galactosidase gene) and transformed into Escherichia coli $DH5{\alpha}$. In the presence of inducers, the biosensor cells immobilized in agarose developed a red color in 1-2 h due to the hydrolysis of chlorophenol red ${\beta}$-D-galactopyranoside (CPRG), a substrate of ${\beta}$-galactosidase that was expressed by the inducers. Among BTEX, high responses were specifically observed with o-, m-, p-chlorotoluene ($0.1{\mu}M-100 mM$) and o-, m-, p-nitrotoluene (0.1 mM-100 mM). Po' demonstrated higher responses than those with Pu. The biosensors immobilized in agarose showed good stability after 21 days' storage at $4^{\circ}C$, and responses in untreated wastewater spiked with chlorotoluene and nitrotoluene, suggesting they can be used to detect compounds in wastewater.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.19-26
• /
• 2006

Objective: In order to elucidate the retrogressive degeneration of orofacial cleft, the fissured tissues of prenatal and postnatal cleft lip and palate were examined by histological and immunohistochemical methods. Design: Totally 42 cases of prenatal (n=17) and postnatal (n=25) cleft lip and/or palate were examined in comparison with 10 cases of normal lip and oral mucosa using immunohistochemical stainings of MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-10, cathepsin G, PCNA, E-cadherin, TGase 2, HSP-70, vWF, and VEGF. Main Outcome Measures: In the fissured tissue the sebaceous glands were strongly positive for PCNA and grew into the underlying fibromuscular tissue (24/42). Some hyperplastic sebaceous glands of prenatal cleft lip produced infundibular follicular cyst (9/17). The skin and mucosal epithelia from the postnatal cleft lip and palate (10/25) showed severe basal hyperplasia (11/25) and melanocyte infiltration (7/25). Results: The immunostaining of MMP-3 and HSP-70 were strongly positive in the hyperplastic sebaceous glands and nearby atrophying muscle bundles of the fissured tissue, while MMP-9, MMP-10, and cathepsin G were almost negative. The immunoreactions of the other antibodies used in this study were similar between in the fissured tissues and in the normal controls. Conclusions: These data suggest that the over-expression of MMP-3 is closely related to the sebaceous gland hyperplasia, epithelial dysplasia, and the muscle degeneration, and that the over-expression of MMP-3 in the fissured tissue may continuously aggravate the cleft condition in the later life.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.93-98
• /
• 2016

Objectives : Hwangheuk-san is a complex prescription composed of oriental traditional medicine and has been reported for antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer effects in the recent study. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of important causes of fatal infectious diseases such as septicemia, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). S. aureus is reported as being for a variety of human diseases and its epidemiological relevance is mainly due to their ability of becoming highly resistant to common antimicrobials such as tetracycline, penicillin, cphalosporin and aminoglycoside. The objective of this study is to determine the antimicrobial effect of Hwangheuk-san ethanol extracts (HHS) and synergistic effects with antibiotics oxacillin against MRSA.Methods : The antimicrobial activity of HHS was measured by the disc diffusion method, broth microdilution method and the checkerboard dilution test, time-kill curve assay was performed to investigate synergistic effects with antibiotics oxacillin against MRSA.Results : HHS showed antimicrobial activity against MRSA with a MIC value of 125 ㎍/㎖. In the checkerboard test, the interaction of HHS with antibiotics oxacillin produced almost synergy or partial synergy against MRSA. This study showed that HHS reduced the MICs of oxacillin tested, and a remarkable antibacterial effect of HHS, with membrane permeability enhancers.Conclusions : These results suggest that HHS has the antimicrobial effect and synergistic effects with antibiotics oxacillin against MRSA. This study thus can be a valuable source for the development of a new drug with low MRSA resistance.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.32 no.4 s.59
• /
• pp.227-231
• /
• 2006

Wrinkle formation is mainly attributed to the environmental factors such as UV rays, air pollution, smoking and stress etc. Especially, UV rays induce premature skin aging which is characterized by deep wrinkle, leathery dryness etc. Recently, researches on the wrinkle formation and its prevention have been the main theme in cosmetics fields. We have studied the various plant extracts having anti-wrinkle effects and finally showed that Noni (Morinda citrifolia) extracts have the efficacy of promoting the type I collagen synthesis in normal human fibroblast, using PICP assay. We purified one active compound from Noni extracts and identified its structure. It was identified as 6,7-Dimethoxy-2H-1-Benzopyran-2-one; scopoletin by $^1H-NMR,\;^{13}C-NMR,$ IR, Mass analysis. Scopoletin increased collagen synthesis in a dose dependent manner (89.5% at $0.2{\mu}g/mL$). In order to verify the anti-aging effectiveness of the cream containing 3% noni extracsts, we performed the in vivo test with some female volunteers for 12 weeks. It reduced the signs of aging, especially face wrinkles. From these results, we conclude that the noni extracts could be used as an useful anti-wrinkle agent.