• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1700-1703
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• 2007

Microorganisms capable of degrading crude oil were isolated and grown in soybean oil as a sole carbon source. The microbial cultures were used to control green peach aphids in vitro. Approximately 60% mortality of aphids was observed when the cultures were applied alone onto aphids. To examine the cultures as a pesticide formulation mixture, the cultures were combined with a low dose of the insecticide imidacloprid (one-fourth dose of recommended field-application rate) and applied onto aphids. The cultures enhanced significantly the insecticidal effectiveness of imidacloprid, which was higher than imidacloprid alone applied at the low dose. The isolated microorganisms exhibited high emulsifying index values and decreased surface tension values after being grown in soybean oil media. GC/MS analyses showed that microorganisms degraded soybean oil to fatty acids. The cultures were suggested to play the roles of wetting, spreading, and sticking agents to improve the effectiveness of imidacloprid. This is the first report on the control of aphids by using oil-degrading microbial cultures.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.331-339
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• 2010

Shrimp farming is the most important mariculture industry on the west coast of South Korea. However, it has suffered from mass mortality due to viral disease outbreaks and coastal pollution due to water discharge. This study developed an intensive shrimp culture method for outdoor ponds, without water exchange, which minimizes the chance of viral transmission from the environment, reduces coastal pollution by water discharge and enhances shrimp production. A culture trial was conducted in two high-density polyethylene (HDPE)-lined ponds with a $550\;m^2$ surface area. The ponds were stocked with postlarvae of Litopenaeus vannamei, the major farmed shrimp species in Korea, on July 10, 2007, and cultured for 90 days with no water exchange. The stocking density of the postlarvae (B.W. 0.0015 g) was $272\;ind./m^2$, which is eight times higher than in traditional pond culture in Korea. At harvest, the total production of ponds 1 and 2 was 1,362kg ($2.48\;kg/m^2$) and 1,282 kg ($2.33\;kg/m^2$), respectively. This is 20~22 times higher than the mean farmed shrimp production ($0.112\;kg/m^2$) in Korea and about eight times higher than in traditional ponds with a good harvest. Although there was no water exchange throughout the culture period, the mean concentrations of unionized ammonia and nitrite-nitrogen were as low as 0.038 and 6.0 mg/L, respectively. The feed conversion rate (FCR) was 1.38, which is 20~45% lower than that of traditional pond cultures. The high efficiency of the diet in this study is thought to be due to a well-managed feeding strategy and well-developed bioflocs used as diet additions for the shrimp. The final body weight of the shrimp at harvest was low (12.2~12.5 g), compared with that of traditional pond culture. This may have resulted from the combination of a short culture period, high density of shrimp, and low temperature. This study suggests that a super-intensive shrimp pond culture method using biofloc technology with no water exchange can minimize viral transmission via water exchange, reduce coastal pollution, and enhance shrimp production.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.9773-9779
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• 2014

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the prime causes of mortality around the globe, with a significantly rising incidence in the Middle East region in recent decades. Since detection of CRC in the early stages is an important issue, and also since to date there are no comprehensive epidemiologic studies depicting the Middle East region with special attention to the average risk group, further investigation is of significant necessity in this regard. Aim: Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the colon in an average risk population. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,208 eligible asymptomatic, average- risk adults older than 40 years of age, referred to Firuzgar Hospotal in the years 2008-2012, were enrolled. They underwent colonoscopy screening and all polypoid lesions were removed and examined by an expert gastrointestinal pathologist. The lesions were classified by size, location, numbers and pathologic findings. Size of lesions was measured objectively by endoscopists. Results: The mean age of participants was $56.5{\pm}9.59$ and 51.6% were male. The overall polyp detection rate was 199/1208 (16.5 %), 26 subjects having non-neoplastic polyps, including hyperplastic lesions, and 173/1208 (14.3%) having neoplastic polyps, of which 26 (2.15%) were advanced neoplasms. The prevalence of colorectal neoplasia was more common among the 50-59 age group. Advanced adenoma was more frequent among the 60-69 age group. The majority of adenomas were detected in the distal colon, but a quarter of advanced adenomas were found in the proximal colon; advance age and male gender was associated with the presence of adenoma. Conclusions: It seems that CRC screening among average-risk population might be recommended in countries such as Iran. However, sigmioidoscopy alone would miss many colorectal adenomas. Furthermore, the 50-59 age group could be considered as an appropriate target population for this purpose in Iran.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.87-92
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• 2014

Objectives : Delirium of hospitalized patients is common and it is significantly associated with increased mortality rate. Misdiagnosis rates of delirium are reported in a range of 36.7 to 63% in clinical setting. We aimed to identify the clinical features and symptomatic characteristics associated with misdiagnosis of delirium. Methods : Subjects were 256 inpatients who were referred for psychiatric consultation and diagnosed with delirium by a psychiatrist at a university hospital between January 1 and June 30, 2012. Clinical data were obtained with retrospective chart review. Patients were divided into misdiagnosed group and correct diagnosed group, after reviewing the reason which were described in the consultation request form. Results : Sixty nine(27%) subjects of the 256 patients were referred for other reasons(mood, substance, anxiety, dementia etc.) than "delirium/confusion" by clinician(misdiagnosed group). In misdiagnosed group, use of antipsychotics was more common. There were no differences between the two groups in age, gender, and department of referring clinician. Fluctuation score of DRS-R-98 was higher in the correct diagnosed group. Conclusions : In this study, the risk of misdiagnosis was higher when the patients have taken antipsychotics or less symptom fluctuation. Careful clinical attention is needed for diagnosis for delirium in these patients.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.323-328
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• 1997

Runoff of phorate, soil insecticide, were measured under simulated rainfall conditions in field using small test plot$(120\;cm{\times}120\;cm)$ at the loam area and loamy sand area. Fish acute toxicity tests were performed with runoff water to elucidate its toxicological effect on organisms in ecosystem. The average concentrations of phorate in runoff water from loam and loamy sand soil were 11.3 ppb and 4.8 ppb, respectively. However, there was no significant concentration difference between the heavy and the light rain. With loam soil, average runoff rates were 1.31 and 0.18%, while with loamy sand soil those were 0.48 and 0.012% under the heavy and the light rain conditions, respectively. Total average runoff rate was 0.50%. With killifish, no mortality was observed in runoff water from loamy sand soil, whereas half of the population was dead in runoff water from loam soil when it was diluted to 54.4% content.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2016

Objectives: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the immunomodulatory (IM) activity of IM-133N, a herbal combination in various immunotherapeutic experimental models. Methods: The IM activity of IM-133N was evaluated against three experimental models namely, effect of IM-133N against Escherichia coli (E. coli)-induced abdominal sepsis in mice, and carbon clearance test was performed in Wistar albino rats to evaluated the phagocytic potential of IM-133N, in addition IM-133N was evaluated for its immunoglobulin enhancing potential in rats, where the immunoglobulin levels were measured by zinc sulphate turbity (ZST) test. Further, IM-133N was subjected for detailed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)/MS analysis to identify the probable active constituents present in it. Results: The findings of the present study has demonstrated very promising IM property of IM-133N in all the experimental models. Briefly, pretreatment with IM-133N at 125, 250, 500 and 1,000 mg/kg, p.o. doses had protected the mice against E. coli-induced abdominal sepsis and mortality, further the effect of IM-133N was found to be significant and dose-dependent. In support of this, in another study administration of IM-133N showed a significant and dose-dependent increase in serum immunoglobulin levels, estimated by ZST test. In line with the above findings, in the carbon clearance test the low doses (125 and 250 mg/kg, p.o.) of IM-133N increased the rate of carbon clearance, whereas the higher doses (500 and 1,000 mg/kg, p.o.) did not sustain the response, and saturation effect was considered as one of the possible reason for futility of higher doses for IM-133N. In addition, A detailed LC-MS/MS analysis of IM-133N showed 17 bioactive phytochemical constituents: namely, apigenin, chaulmoogric acid, mesquitol, quercetin, symphoxanthone, salireposide, ${\beta}$-sitosterol, nonaeicosanol, ${\beta}$-amyrin, betulic acid, oleanolic acid, symplososide, symponoside, symploveroside, symplocomoside, symconoside A and locoracemoside B. Conclusion: These findings suggest that IM-133N possesses significant IM activity and, hence, could be useful for eradicating opportunistic disease-triggering pathogens via immunotherapeutic mechanisms. The findings also suggest IM-133N may also useful in other immunity disorders.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.140-145
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• 2011

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection causes acute enteritis with lethal watery diarrhea resulting in a high mortality rate in piglets. As with the other members of group 1 coronaviruses, PEDV also utilizes the host aminopeptidase N (APN) as the major cellular receptor for entry into target cells. The coronavirus spike (S) protein is known to interact with the cellular surface for viral attachment and the S1 domain of all characterized coronaviruses contains a receptor-binding domain (RBD) that mediates a specific high-affinity interaction with their respective cellular receptors. Although the RBDs of several coronaviruses have been mapped, the location of the PEDV RBD has to date not been defined. As a first step toward the identification of the region of the S protein of the PEDV that is critical for recognition with the cellular receptor, we generated a series of S1-truncated variants and examined their abilities to bind to the porcine APN (pAPN) receptor. Our data indicate that the N-terminus of the S1 domain is required for pAPN association. The results from the present study may assist in our understanding of the molecular interactions between the PEDV S protein and the pAPN receptor.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.388-392
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• 2006

To verify the solitary nodular hepatocellular tumor model induced by intraparenchymal VX2 tumor cell injection and assess the diagnostic imaging character by computed tomography in rabbits. The tumor cell fragment ($1{\sim}2mm^3$) was loaded in Seldinger needle and directly implanted into the livers of 80 New Zealand white rabbits. The tumor size and patterns of tumor growth were evaluated using spiral computed tomography (CT) at 1, 2, and 3 weeks after tumor implantation. A solitary nodular tumor was successfully created in 82.5% (66/80). The mortality rate was 5% (4/80). The tumor sizes measured were 7.46.3, 14.210.8, 16.212.6 cm at 1, 2, and 3 weeks after tumor implantation on arterial phase CT images. The tumors were round to oval shape with peripheral enhancement and central hypoattenuation on arterial phase, and hypoatteuated wash-out pattern on portal phase. It is considered that inoculation of tumor fragment loaded in Seldinger needle is useful and practical method for creating a solitary hepatic tumor. And CT scanning are valuable to investigate the hepatic tumor and compatible to the observations on macro-and microscopic findings.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1217-1221
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• 1998

Background: The advent of EEA stapler has lowered the leakage rate of esophagogastric anastomoses and thereby contributed to a decrease in the operative mortality of the easophageal resection. Recent surgical reports, however, have documented 10% to 20% prevalence of benign anastomotic stricture formation after the use of EEA stapler to construct an esophagogastric anastomosis. We analyzed the cases of anastomotic strictures to reduce the incidence of anastomotic strictures with EEA stapled esophagogastrostomy. Material and Method: EEA stapled esophagogastrostomy was performed in 195 parients during the period of over 11 years from Jan. 1986 to Dec. 1996 in Kosin Medical Center. Ten patients of them died in the early postoperative days. In the remaining 185 patients, we studied the incidence and the onset time of anastomotic strictures, relationship between the patients' ages, the anastomotic sites, and the size of the cartridges with incidence of anastomotic stricture. We also studied the method of treatment and its effect in the anastomotic strictures. Result: Benign anastomotic strictures occurred in 39 cases among 185 patients(21%), 25 cases(64.1%) of the 39 cases developed in one to three months postoperatively. The patients' ages and the anastomotic sites did not effect with the incidence of anastomotic stricture, but high incidence of anastomotic stricture in EEA stapled esophagogastrostomy(p=0.04)was observed in small cartridge sizes. One or two balloon dilatation(89%) relieved the anastomotic strictures. Conclusion: We conclude that a larger size cartridge is recommended in EEA stapled esophagogastrostomy to reduce the incidence of anastomotic stricture if possible, and one or two balloon dilatation would seem to be a safe and reliable method in treating anastomotic stricture when the anastomotic stricture was occurrs.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.285-291
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• 1996

We have reviewed 157 cases of coarctation of aorta in the age of infancy and children from March 1973 to december 1994. Patients were 9) males and 64 females, and their age ranged from one month to fifteen years (23.8 $\pm$ 41.6months) with 113 infant cases. In the infantile age, congestive heart failure was the most common chief complaint (781113), and above that age, asymptom was most common (15/44). Isolated coarctation was present in 31 patients, and 9 patients had additional atrial septal defect (group I), 73 patients had associated ventricular septal defect (group II), and 44 patients had associated complex intracardiac lesions(group III). Aortic arch hypoplasia was present in 17 patients. , The operations perf'ormed were subclavian flap angioplasty in 71 patients, resection and anastomosis in 32 patients, patch aortoplasty in 26 patients, resd extended end-!o-end anastomosis in 27 patients, and direct angioplasty with resection of web in 1 patient. The early mortality was 17.2% (27/157) and re-coarctation rate was 18.0% (281157). The most common complication was respiratory problem in infants and postoperative hypertension in children.