• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.84-87
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• 2018

Purpose The radiopharmaceutical used in the nuclear medicine department is used only for the specific patient according to the prescription or instruction of the doctor without selling, so it is dispensed and it is distributed and used for the examination. Radiopharmaceuticals administered to patients should be managed appropriately as well as radiation safety management during dispensation. The purpose of this study is to investigate microbial contamination during dispensation of radiopharmaceuticals Materials and Methods This study distinguished between general workbench and clean workbench and performed three tests. First, microbial cultivation test of radiopharmaceutical prepared and dispensed in general workbenches and sterile workbenches were carried out five times, respectively. The second test was performed settle plate method three times before and after the use of the exhaust filter. Finally, Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) measurement was performed in each workbench to measure bacterial counts. In addition, ATP measurement were carried out by designating locations and items that may be contaminated during dispensation. Results In the microbial culture test, no microorganisms were detected in both samples. In the settle plate method, it was detected without using of the exhaust filter in a general workbench once. In the ATP measurement test, it was measured at the level of 400 RLU or less, which is the standard value of contamination, in both workbenches surface. In additional ATP measurement test, the refrigerator handle in the distribution room was measured above the reference value of 1217 RLU, the vacuum vial shield of the Tech Generator at 435 RLU, and the syringe holder at 1357 RLU. After environmental disinfection, the results were reduced to 311 RLU, 136 RLU, and 291 RLU. Conclusion No contamination by bacteria was found in both workbenches. However, microbial contamination may occur if the use of an exhaust filter or proper hand hygiene is not achieved. Regular inspections and management for aseptic processing themselves will be necessary.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.406-414
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• 2018

This study was conducted to develop environmental risk assessments and biosafety guides for insect-resistant genetically modified rice in an LMO (Living Modified Organism) isolation field. In the LMO quarantine area of Kyungpook National University, the species diversities and population densities of non-target insects found on insect-resistant genetically modified rice (Bt-T), rice resistant to Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, and non-GM rice (Dongjin-byeo and Ilmi-byeo) were investigated. The Bt-T plants were, therefore, evaluated under field conditions to detect possible impacts on above ground insects and spiders. In 2016 and 2017, the study compared transgenic rice and two non-GM reference rice, namely Dongjin-byeo and Ilmi-byeo, at Gunwi. A total of 9,552 individuals from 51 families and 11 orders were collected from the LMO isolation field. From the three types of rice fields, a total of 3,042; 3,212; and 3,297 individuals from the Bt-T, Dongjin-byeo, and Ilmi-byeo were collected, respectively. There was no difference between the population densities of the non-target insect pests, natural enemies, and other insects on the Bt-T compared to non-GM rice. The data on insect species population densities were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) without distinguishing between the three varieties, namely GM, non-GM, and reference cultivar, in all cultivation years. However, the PCA clearly separated the samples based on the cultivation years. These results suggest that insect species diversities and population densities during plant cultivation are determined by environmental factors (growing condition and seasons) rather than by genetic factors.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.41-48
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• 2021

This study aimed to develop an alternative organic fertilizer to castor oil cake-based fertilizers. To assess the nutrient effect of the developed fermented mixed organic fertilizers, the yield of lettuce and soil characteristics after growth were analyzed and compared to those of a trial using a mixed expeller cake fertilizer. Two fermented mixed organic fertilizers, FA and FB, each containing 5.0% nitrogen, 2.6% phosphate, and 1.4% potassium, were produced by mixing different ratios of rice bran, dried distillers grains, sesame oil meal, and fish meal. This study was conducted with six trials: untreated, mixed expeller cake fertilizer, and the fermented mixed organic fertilizers FA and FB. Based on the amount of nitrogen fertilization (70 kg ha^-1) on the lettuce, the fermented mixed organic fertilizers FA and FB were applied at 100% and 150%, respectively, and the mixed oil cake was applied at 100%. As the amount of treatment increased, there was no significant difference except the number of leaves in FA treatment. The yields from the FA100 and FB100 treatments were 38.2 and 40.8 Mg ha^-1, respectively, which was not significantly different from that of the mixed expeller cake fertilizer treatment at 38.3 Mg ha^-1. In addition, the nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency of the lettuce were not significantly different between mixed expeller cake fertilizer and fermented mixed organic fertilizer treatments. Analysis of the chemical properties of the soil after the trial showed that he mixed expeller cake fertilizer treatment showed the lowest pH. There were no significant differences in electrical conductivity, content of soil organic matter, available phosphate, and exchangeable cation among the fertilizer treatments. However, the bacterial and actinomyces density was higher in the soil from the fertilizer trials than in the non-fertilizer trials. These results indicated that the two tested fermented mixed organic fertilizers had nourishing effects and soil characteristics that were similar to those of the mixed expeller cake fertilizer. Thus, farmers can use these fermented mixed organic fertilizers as alternatives to castor oil cakes for the cultivation of organic lettuce.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.330-337
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• 2021

This study was conducted to investigate the potential of Stewartia koreana as oral healthcare materials. The antibacterial activity of ethanol extracts from leaves and branches of S. koreana against oral bacteria was confirmed. The leaf and branch extracts (1 mg/disc) showed antibacterial activity against P. gingivalis only among several tested oral bacteria. The leaf extracts showed higher antibacterial activity, with values similar to those of chlorhexidine, which was used as a positive control. The MIC of the leaf extract against P. gingivalis was 0.4 mg/ml and showed bacteriostatic action. The inhibitory effects of the extract on biofilm formation and on gene expression related to biofilm formation by P. gingivalis were determined by biofilm biomass staining, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and qRT-PCR analysis. The biofilm production rate and cell growth of P. gingivalis in the cultures treated with 0.2-2.0 mg/ml of S. koreana leaf extracts were significantly decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect on the formation of P. gingivalis biofilms at concentrations of 1 mg/ml was confirmed by SEM. The qRT-PCR analysis showed concentration-dependent suppression of the fimA and fimB gene expression associated with fimbriae formation in the cultures treated with 0.2-2.0 mg/ml S. koreana leaf extract. These results support the conclusion that S. koreana leaf extracts can be used as oral healthcare materials derived from natural materials, as demonstrated by the antibacterial action and inhibition of biofilm formation of P. gingivalis.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.77-85
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• 2020

This study analyzes the effects of mixed fermented organic fertilizer on chinese cabbage growth and soil properties in order to investigate the nutritional effects of organic fertilizers, which are developed as an alternative fertilizer for imported castor oil cake. In this study, four treatments were set up: 100% and 200% rate of nitrogen application (320 kg ha-1 for Chinese cabbage) on mixed fermented organic fertilizer A(FA) and mixed fermented organic fertilizer B(FB), respectively, 100% rates of the mixed expeller cake (MEC) fertilizer, and the untreated control. Results revealed that the growth and yield of Chinese cabbage increased as more fermented organic fertilizer was used. However, while there were no significant differences in growth characteristics between treatments of 100% rate of mixed fermented organic fertilizer and 100% rate of MEC, the impacts on yields resulted similar. The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of Chinese cabbage was measured a range of 20-31% depending on the response to treatment. The 100% FA showed the same as NUE and nitrogen absorption with 100% rate of MEC. Regarding soil properties after cultivation, there were no significant differences among the effects of fertilizers in pH, EC, soil organic matter, and available phosphate. However, the content of exchangeable cations(K, Ca, Mg) was higher in areas treated with mixed fermented organic fertilizer than in untreated areas. Furthermore, the bacterial population density in the soil was higher in areas treated with mixed fermented organic fertilizer than in untreated areas and increased as more mixed fermented organic fertilizer was used. There were no significant differences in the population density of actinomycetes and fungi when fertilizer was applied to the soil. These results also show that FA, as a alternative organic fertilizer for imported castor oil cake, has similar nutritional effects as that of MEC. Therefore, further research the appropriate amounts of fertilizer is required to achieve economical and eco-friendly nutrient management.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.111-119
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• 2021

A bacterial strain isolated from a Malva verticillata leaf was identified as Bacillus velezensis MV2 based on the 16S rRNA sequencing results. Complete genome sequencing revealed that B. velezensis MV2 possessed a single 4,191,702-bp contig with 45.57% GC content. Generally, Bacillus spp. are known to produce diverse antimicrobial compounds including bacteriocins, polyketides, and non-ribosomal peptides. Antimicrobial compounds in the B. velezensis MV2 were extracted from culture supernatants using hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The crude extracts showed antimicrobial activity against both gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria; however, they were more effective against gram-positive bacteria. The extracts also showed antifungal activity against phytopathogenic fungi such as Fusarium fujikuroi and F. graminearum. In time-kill assays, these antimicrobial compounds showed bactericidal activity against Bacillus cereus, used as indicator strain. To predict the type of antimicrobial compounds produced by this strain, we used the antiSMASH algorithm. Forty-seven secondary metabolites were predicted to be synthesized in MV2, and among them, fourteen were identified with a similarity of 80% or more with those previously identified. Based on the antimicrobial properties, the antimicrobial compounds may be nonribosomal peptides or polyketides. These compounds possess the potential to be used as biopesticides in the food and agricultural industry as an alternative to antibiotics.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.15-33
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• 2021

In this study, the possibility of discriminating Fire blight (FB) infection tested using the hyperspectral imagery. The reflectance of healthy and infected leaves and branches was acquired with 5 nm of full width at high maximum (FWHM) and then it was standardized to 10 nm, 25 nm, 50 nm, and 80 nm of FWHM. The standardized samples were divided into training and test sets at ratios of 7:3, 5:5 and 3:7 to find the optimal bands of FWHM by the decision tree analysis. Classification accuracy was evaluated using overall accuracy (OA) and kappa coefficient (KC). The hyperspectral reflectance of infected leaves and branches was significantly lower than those of healthy green, red-edge (RE) and near infrared (NIR) regions. The bands selected for the first node were generally 750 and 800 nm; these were used to identify the infection of leaves and branches, respectively. The accuracy of the classifier was higher in the 7:3 ratio. Four bands with 50 nm of FWHM (450, 650, 750, and 950 nm) might be reasonable because the difference in the recalculated accuracy between 8 bands with 10 nm of FWHM (440, 580, 640, 660, 680, 710, 730, and 740 nm) and 4 bands was only 1.8% for OA and 4.1% for KC, respectively. Finally, adding two bands (550 nm and 800 nm with 25 nm of FWHM) in four bands with 50 nm of FWHM have been proposed to improve the usability of multispectral image sensors with performing various roles in agriculture as well as detecting FB with other combinations of spectral bands.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.618-629
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to optimize the fermentation condition of black bean by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and to evaluate the quality characteristics of fermented black bean. Lactobacillus plantarum SU22 isolated from kimchi was selected as a starter for the fermentation of black bean because the strain exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and did not produce biogenic amines or a carcinogenic enzyme, β-glucuronidase. Fermentation was performed with broth containing puffed black bean (PBB) inoculated with 1% (v/v) of L. plantarum SU22 at 37℃ for 48h. The viable cell count of LAB was over 9 Log CFU/mL in PBB (20%) broth fermented with L. plantarum SU22. Fermentation of alcalase-treated PBB (20%) broth with L. plantarum SU22 was found to be the optimal condition, increasing viable cell count of LAB up to 10.30 Log CFU/mL. Under the optimal condition, the total polyphenol content (94.02 mg GAE/g) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (92.50%) were significantly increased, compared to non-fermented control (87.74 mg GAE/g, 83.14%).

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 2021

Purpose: Rapid detection of etiologic organisms is crucial for initiating appropriate therapy in patients with central nervous system (CNS) infection. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of the BioFire^® Meningitis/Encephalitis (ME) panel in detecting etiologic organisms in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from febrile infants. Methods: CSF samples from infants aged <90 days who were evaluated for fever were collected between January 2016 and July 2019 at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital. We performed BioFire^® ME panel testing of CSF samples that had been used for CSF analysis and conventional tests (bacterial culture, Xpert^® enterovirus assay, and herpes simplex virus-1 and -2 polymerase chain reaction) and stored at -70℃ until further use. Results: In total, 72 (24 pathogen-identified and 48 pathogen-unidentified) CSF samples were included. Using BioFire^® ME panel testing, 41 (85.4%) of the 48 pathogen-unidentified CSF samples yielded negative results and 22 (91.7%) of the 24 pathogen-identified CSF samples yielded the same results (enterovirus in 19, Streptococcus agalactiae in 2, and Streptococcus pneumoniae in 1) as those obtained using the conventional tests, thereby resulting in an overall agreement of 87.5% (63/72). Six of the 7 pathogen-unidentified samples were positive for human parechovirus (HPeV) via BioFire^® ME panel testing. Conclusions: Compared with the currently available etiologic tests for CNS infection, BioFire^® ME panel testing demonstrated a high agreement score for pathogen-identified samples and enabled HPeV detection in young infants. The clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of BioFire^® ME panel testing in children must be evaluated for its wider application.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.603-608
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• 2021

The purpose of this perspective research is to discuss the potential role of exercise-interventions in COVID-19, terms of prevention and prognosis in the periods of the COVID-19 vaccine. SARCO-CoV-2. COVID-19 was detected as a new virus causing severe cardiovascular and respiratory complications. It emerged as a global public health emergency and national pandemic. It caused more than 1 million deaths in the first 6 months of the pandemic and resulted in huge social and economic fluctuations internationally. Unprecedented stressful situations, such as COVID-19 blue and COVID-19 red impact on many health problems. In healthy individuals, COVID-19 infection may induced no symptoms (i.e., asymptomatic), whereas others may experience flu-like symptoms, such as ARDS, pneumonia, and death. Poor health status, such as obesity and cardiovascular and respiratory complications, are high risk factors for COVID-19 prevention, occurrence, and prognosis. Several COVID-19 vaccines are currently in human trials. However, the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines, including potential side effects, such as anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic reaction) and rare blood clots, still need to be investigated. On the basis of direct and indirect evidence, it seems that regular and moderate physical exercise can be recommended as a nonpharmacological, efficient, and safe way to cope with COVID-19. Physical inactivity and metabolic abnormalities are directly associated with reduced immune responses, including reduced innate, CMI, and AMI responses. Due to prolonged viral shedding, quarantine in inactive, obese and disease people should likely be longer than physical active people. Multicomponent and systemic exercise should be considered for the obese, disease, and elderly people. More mechanism research is needed in this area.