• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.361-369
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• 2012

A population density model for bacterial wilt, which is caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, in hot pepper was developed to estimate the primary infection date after overwintering in the field. We developed the model mechansitically to predict reproduction of the pathogen and pathogensis on seedlings of the host. The model estimates the pathogen's populations both in the soil and in the host. In order to quantify environmental infection factors, various temperatures and initial population densities were determined for wilt symptoms on the seedlings of hot pepper in a chamber. Once, the pathogens living in soil multiply up to 400 cells/g of soil, they can infect successfully in the host. Primary infection in a host was supposed to be started when the population of the pathogen were over $10^9$ cells/g of root tissue. The estimated primary infection dates of bacterial wilt in 2011 in Korea were mostly mid-July or late-July which were 10-15 days earlier than those in 2010. Two kinds of meterological data, synoptic observation and field measurements from paddy field and orchard in Kyunggi, were operated the model for comparing the result dates. About 1-3 days were earlier from field data than from synoptic observation.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2004

Vibrio vulnificus is a halophilic bacterium frequently involved in human infection of seafood-associated primary septicemia and primary wound infection, mostly in men with over 40-years of age with underlying liver disease. The primary septicemia, which is the most common form of V. vulnificus infection in Korea, is defined as a systemic illness presenting fever or hypotension with recovery of V. vulnificus from blood or tissue without the apparent primary focus of infection. V. vulnificus typically do not produce acid from sucrose, but a case of primary septisemia was found in a patient at Chonnam K hospital in 1993 from whose blood a sucrose-fermenting strain was isolated. The patient was a 62-year-old man, heavy drinker, with underlying liver disease. He consumed a raw seafood dish two days before onset of the present illness. His symptoms were tenderness and swelling on the right foot. He rapidly developed septicemia, resulting in sudden death. V. vulnificus was isolated from the venous blood culture of the patient. On subculture, the isolate formed yellow colonies on TCBS and produced acid from sucrose. Because of these characteristics, species identification was not achieved by the API 20E and was delayed. Other characteristics of the isolate were identical to those of typical V. vulnificus. The isolate was common serotype O4A and possession of V. vulnificus-specific cytolysin gene was detected by PCR. The isolate was susceptible to all the antimicrobial agents tested including tetracycline, but was intermediate to colistin. In conclusion, it is important that microbiologists be aware of the presence of sucrose-positive V. vulnificus when he or she identifies gram-negative bacilli, which is isolated from the blood of patients with a recent history of raw seafood dish consumption.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the knowledge, attitude and prevalence status of Clonorchiasis Sinensis (C.S.) for inhabitants in the Nakdong riverside area. Method: Data were collected from December 16, 2008 to January 10, 2009. Participants were 552 people who responded to a questionnaire and had a stool examination. Results: The overall prevalence of C.S. was 13.8%. As for knowledge of C.S., the Clonorchiasis group had a mean score of 10.78 $({\pm}3.54)$ on a 17-point scale compared to a score of 10.58 $({\pm}4.15)$ for the negative group. The intended behavioral change related to risk of infection, according to presence of infection or not, was not significant but the Clonorchiasis group had a greater desire for behavioral change intention than the negative group. Conclusion: These results suggest that prevalence investigation of C.S. in all areas in the Nakdong riverside is needed and indicates that it is necessary to set up persistent and systematic management programs for patient care and prevention of C.S..

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.153-155
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• 2002

A survey was made to find the extent of intestinal parasite infection in Kampongcham, Cambodia in February 2002. A total of 251 fecal specimens were collected from Tonlebat primary school children and examined by formalin-ether sedimentation technique. The overall infection rate of intestinal parasite was 54.2% (males, 57.3%; females, 50.8%). The infection rate of intestinal helminths by the species were as follows: Ascaris lumbricoides 26.3%, Echinostoma sp. 15.6%, hookworm 6.4%, Opisthorchis sp. 4.0%, Rhabditis sp. 2.4%, and Trichuris trichiura 0.4%. The infection rate of intestinal protozoa were as follows: E. coli 7.6%, G. lamblia 3.2%, I. butschlii 3.2%, and E. histolytica 0.8%. More than two different kinds of parasites were found in 16.7% of the stool samples. All the children infected were treated with albendazole, praziquantel and metronidazole according to parasite species. The results showed that intestinal parasites are highly endemic in this area.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.51.1-51.20
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• 2022

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is an intracellular protozoan parasite, which is now present in most industrialized countries. About 40% of T. cruzi infected individuals will develop severe, incurable cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, or neurological disorders. The molecular mechanisms by which T. cruzi induces cardiopathogenesis remain to be determined. Previous studies showed that increased IL-6 expression in T. cruzi patients was associated with disease severity. IL-6 signaling was suggested to induce pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic responses, however, the role of this pathway during early infection remains to be elucidated. We reported that T. cruzi can dysregulate the expression of host PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) during early infection. Here, we aim to evaluate the dysregulation of IL-6 signaling and the piRNAs computationally predicted to target IL-6 molecules during early T. cruzi infection of primary human cardiac fibroblasts (PHCF). Using in silico analysis, we predict that piR_004506, piR_001356, and piR_017716 target IL6 and SOCS3 genes, respectively. We validated the piRNAs and target gene expression in T. cruzi challenged PHCF. Secreted IL-6, soluble gp-130, and sIL-6R in condition media were measured using a cytokine array and western blot analysis was used to measure pathway activation. We created a network of piRNAs, target genes, and genes within one degree of biological interaction. Our analysis revealed an inverse relationship between piRNA expression and the target transcripts during early infection, denoting the IL-6 pathway targeting piRNAs can be developed as potential therapeutics to mitigate T. cruzi cardiomyopathies.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.217-225
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• 1992

Five puppies, 14 days old in the same litter showed acute symptoms such as painful crying, anorexia, abdominal pain and depression with fatal terminations. Necropsy of a puppy revealed hemorrhagic and necrotic foci in the lungs and kidney. The histological lesions were characterized with fibro-necrotizing foci in the lungs, nonsuppurative encephalitis and intranuclear inclusions of liver cells. A cytopathogenic agent was isolated from the thoracic fluid of a dead puppy by cell culture with primary dog kidney cells. The puppies inoculated with the field isolate showed the same clinical signs and lesions as those of the spontaneous cases. Viral particles were observed in suspension of the isolated agent by electron microscopy. The primary dog kidney cells infected with the field isolate showed fluorescent foci against anti-CHV monoclonal antibody after FA stain. On these findings of the disease it was diagnosed as CHV infection. The report signifies the first description of an epizootic of CHV infection in Korea.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.879-883
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• 2012

Cervical cancer is caused by HPV infection and can be prevented by early vaccination. Objective: To assess Syrian women's level of knowledge and determinants of good knowledge of cervical cancer, HPV infection and its vaccines. Methods: A cross sectional survey was undertaken among mothers with daughters in sixth grade classes enrolled in primary schools in Aleppo city, Syria. Samples were selected through cluster sampling and data collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Less than a third of the mothers had heard of HPV infection and vaccines against cervical cancer and levels of knowledge were generally low. Good knowledge was associated with high education level, higher family monthly income, having few - less than four children, positive history of cervical cancer screening, and working or having relatives working in the medical field. The main source of information was television and few reported health care providers as a source of knowledge on HPV infection and vaccine. Conclusion: Since knowledge of HPV infection and its connection with cervical cancer and its vaccine are low, more efforts must be made to educate Syrians prior to introduction of any HPV vaccination programme. Public health efforts must focus on educating mothers, the public as well as health care providers.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 1976

Korea Parasite Eradication Association alleged in its seasonal spring report in 1975 that 36.8 percent of primary, middle and high school students in Seoul area are infected with parasites. Such a high rate of infection is a result of having used raw excrement for manure. Soil is, therefore, to a large extent infected with parasite eggs. In order to present helpful reference materials for preventing parasite infection in the area where human feces have been used for manure, soil in Seoul area and the suburban districts is sampled at random and then the rate of infection in various areas and the variation of infection rate in the same area are studied. The results are as follows 1) The parasite infection rates the according to districts are, Sootaik-ri 39.9%, Chamsil-dong14.2%, Songpa-dong 13.2%, Sageun-dong 12.8% Chayang-dong 11.4%, Sungsoo-dong 8.5%. The above figures show that the rate becomes higher as the area is farther from the urban and residential districts and nearer to the rural area. 2) The rates of detected parasites according to their kinds are as follows Ascaridae 55.9%, Ancylostomatidae 19.9%, Trichocephalus 13.5%, Trichostrongylus 5.7%, Tenia 3.9%, Enterobius 1.1% 3) The monthly variation of infection rate in the same districts, in the case of Sageun-dong, is, August 25.7%, July 18.9%, June 16.2%, September 15.3% April 12.6%, May 11.3%. The above shows that the infection rate of soil is comparatively higher in the summer season.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.11
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• pp.432-439
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• 2016

Asthma is recognized as a complex disease resulting from interactions between multiple genetic and environmental factors. Accumulating evidence suggests that respiratory viral infections in early life constitute a major environmental risk factor for the development of childhood asthma. Respiratory viral infections have also been recognized as the most common cause of asthma exacerbation. The advent of molecular diagnostics to detect respiratory viruses has provided new insights into the role of human rhinovirus (HRV) infections in the pathogenesis of asthma. However, it is still unclear whether HRV infections cause asthma or if wheezing with HRV infection is simply a predictor of childhood asthma. Recent clinical and experimental studies have identified plausible pathways by which HRV infection could cause asthma, particularly in a susceptible host, and exacerbate disease. Airway epithelial cells, the primary site of infection and replication of HRV, play a key role in these processes. Details regarding the role of genetic factors, including ORMDL3, are beginning to emerge. This review discusses recent clinical and experimental evidence for the role of HRV infection in the development and exacerbation of childhood asthma and the potential underlying mechanisms that have been proposed.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.535-537
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• 2021

In the 1918 influenza pandemic, more than 95% of mortalities were ascribed to bacterial pneumonia. After the primary influenza infection, the innate immune system is attenuated, and the susceptibility to bacteria is increased. Subsequent bacterial pneumonia exacerbates morbidity and increases the mortality rate. Similarly, COVID-19 infection attenuates innate immunity and results in pneumonia. In addition, the current pneumococcal conjugate vaccine may have limited defense against secondary pneumococcal infection after influenza infection. Therefore, until a fully protective vaccine is available, a method of increasing immunity may be helpful. Ginseng has been shown to increase the defense against influenza in clinical trials and animal experiments, as well as the defense against pneumococcal pneumonia in animal experiments. Based on these findings, ginseng is suspected to be helpful for providing immunity against COVID-19.